UFC Heading to Japan |
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Kimbo Slice's Punchout!
Career record: 204-116
Season: 47-23 (#163)
Location:
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The Japanese press is reporting that the UFC is looking to put on a mega-event in Japan as early as next spring. Dave Meltzer reported on this a while back.
Word is they're calling out the top Japanese stars and hoping to set up a battle of the Zuffa champs vs the Japanese stars. Dana is apparently hoping to land Kazushi Sakuraba, Kid Yamamoto, Hidehiko Yoshida and Takanori Gomi to face Zuffa's top stars. Presumably they want Urijah Faber vs Yamamoto and B.J. Penn to rematch Takanori Gomi. Not sure who which wolf they want to throw Sakuraba to. And Brock Lesnar vs Hidehiko Yoshida is just too dreadful to contemplate.
Clearly from a business angle they're after the right Japanese fighters, although you could make a case for Yoshihiro Akiyama instead of Sakuraba, both as a draw and as a top fighter. Regardless, it would require getting both DREAM and World Victory Road on board, as well as securing a Japanese TV deal.
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It's lose, not loose!
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Post #1 9/8/08 12:17:39PM
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The Origional Playground Bully
Career record: 181-100
Season: 51-19 (#22)
Location: Minnesota
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Ambitious....I sure hope they pull it off. They can play on the whole national pride angle. US top talent against the best Japan has to offer.
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And as El Guapo always says- "God speed, and party on. Whoap!"
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Post #2 9/8/08 12:28:28PM
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lordicast
MMA Regular
Career record: 135-87
Season: 25-22 (#4216)
Location: California
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Yawnnnnn... Instead of GOMI VS BJ, AOKI VS BJ makes the card unmissable!
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Post #3 9/8/08 12:38:39PM
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nickcuc547
MMA Sensei
Career record: 219-128
Season: 45-25 (#813)
Location:
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hope it happens, yamamoto vs. faber is the most intriguing
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Post #4 9/8/08 12:58:02PM
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slappywhite
MMA Regular
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Career record: 147-87
Season: 41-29 (#2153)
Location:
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unfortunately this sounds like it wont happen.
not so much doin a show in japan but the champ vs champ thing.
dont see that happening for one second.
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Post #5 9/8/08 1:17:52PM
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MMA Sensei
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Career record: 121-59
Season: 55-15 (#42)
Location: Massachusetts
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Awesome, Japanese fighters always seem to be exciting.
I'd like to see Kawajiri, Gomi, Sakuraba, Ishida. I hope they don't try and use all apanese fighters because just like in the UK the UFC realized that other countries are pretty well informed about MMA outside of their respective homeland and will be just as excited to see UFC superstars fight.
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Post #6 9/8/08 1:55:23PM
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MMeh?
Career record: 120-71
Season: 29-17 (#3866)
Location: vancouver
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i suspect that theyll put gomi versus penn because thatll solidify the no1 lightweight position and silence all the doubters... and i wouldnt be suprised if they put someone like sherk up against aoki because i dont see aoki being able to handle a fighter like that
if they could bring faber with them and put him up against yamamoto and bring back some of the pride stars for a good romp then i think theyll have a sold out crowd and some serious penetration into the japanese market for an annual or semi annual ufc event out east
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Post #7 9/8/08 2:51:26PM
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GREENMAN!!!!
Career record: 134-73
Season: 50-20 (#178)
Location: selden, new york
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AOKI VS FLORIAN FTW!!!!!!!! LET AOKI GRACE THE CAGE WITH THE STRETCHY PANTS!!!!!!!!!!!!! 
BJ vs Gomi...finally Gomi will lose and i can drop him a few fights
Yamamoto vs Faber...Yamamoto gets to prove he is the best FW fighter
Yoshida vs Lesnar...this would be perfect for the Japanese fans as Lesnar resembles some of the freak show fights they enjoy so much. on;y this time their national hero will be literally devoured in the cage.
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*~*~*~Green Man for President*~*~*~
if you want to know my accolades, just look at the six badges because they were literally too long to list. (damn 500 character limit)
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Post #8 9/8/08 2:54:35PM
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Mayo
Standup Guy
Career record: 181-139
Season: 30-31 (#3634)
Location: Chi-Town
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Then when the event is over and the Japanese fighters look more closely at their """one fight contract""" they'll notice that they are not allowed to ever fight again until the UFC comes back a year later to do the show again 
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Post #9 9/8/08 2:57:30PM
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Aether
MMA Sensei
Career record: 120-82
Season: 38-23 (#2266)
Location: Canada
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I'd say the american fighters win all of those fights pretty easily, except for Faber. I think Yamamoto would put him to sleep.
I'm not sure if I agree with the previous poster on the aoki penn fight... I used to think it would be a great matchup, but after thinking on it I think BJ would just use his boxing and beat aoki fairly easily. I don't think we would actually see much jiujitsu in that fight. Aoki's best chance would be to jump guard and try for a submission IMO, which would be incredibly hard to do against BJ.
I'd much rather see something like aoki vs sherk. I think Aoki's jiujitsu is too good for Sherk to blanket him for 3 rounds. I think at some point he would get into Aoki's guard, try to hold him down and get rubber guarded into a gogoplata.
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Post #10 9/8/08 3:07:44PM
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SPARX
Learning to Sprawl
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Career record: 206-138
Season: 44-26 (#471)
Location: Toronto
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Yamamoto vs penn?
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Post #11 9/8/08 4:46:03PM
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crazedfan
MMA Regular
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Career record: 160-83
Season: 49-21 (#91)
Location:
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Except Yamamoto fights at 145 and would get mauled by Penn...
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Post #12 9/8/08 5:53:45PM
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jgtribbett
Belt Contender
Career record: 175-106
Season: 44-25 (#1220)
Location: New Orleans, LA
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i just want them to steal some fighters and bring them on board
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Post #13 9/8/08 5:59:28PM
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xphycorx
Standup Guy
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Career record: 165-86
Season: 47-23 (#347)
Location: Boynton Beach, FL
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faber/kid = fight of the year. whether that's 2008 or 2009.
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Post #14 9/8/08 5:59:29PM
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prozacnation1978
MMA Sensei
Career record: 174-77
Season: 49-21 (#254)
Location: san diego
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i think alot of ex pride guys will make a return like wandy, rampage, shogun, aurelio, sokou, gono, chonan to name a few hendo??
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Post #15 9/8/08 6:22:07PM
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