Here today, Baragon tomorrow.
Zuffa has confirmed reports of its long-anticipated return to Japanese television after signing a new two-year contract with WOWOW, Japan’s premiere commercial satellite television broadcaster since 1991.
WOWOW was home to more than 50 UFC shows from 2001 to 2007 and boasts a viewership of more than 2.4 million.
Starting with UFC 89: Bisping vs. Leben, WOWOW will continue to telecast all upcoming UFC pay-per-view events on a short delay, with most or all beginning at 12 Midnight JST.
From UFC President Dana White:
“The Japanese market has always been important to the UFC, and we want to bring MMA and all of its biggest stars back to Japan. We are thrilled to be back with WOWOW.”
Whether or not this new agreement is in conjunction with a rumored Japanese invasion at some point in 2009 remains to be seen.
While on the surface a UFC presence may appear detrimental to struggling promotions like DREAM and Sengoku, it could actually be of benefit if the UFC events are able to stimulate a renewed interest in mixed martial arts.
Who knows, maybe it even gets us one step closer to signing Japanese stars like Takanori Gomi and Kid Yamamoto.
21 Comments »
Gimme some Aioki too!
Yeah, but besides him, kid and especially Gomi, I really don’t care to see anyone else. Maybe a time machine for Sakuraba, but for the most part the Japanese fighters would get killed in the UFC.
mexi~
i am hurt over the fact that we have been fighting alot lately
u know u r the prez of my fan~club but i feel like
if this keeps going on?
i WILL have to demote u to lesser status.
i dont want to do it cause we r good friends and all’
but business is business u know?
anyways i am here to offer a truce.
here is a drawing i sketched out on the plane just for u.
do u accept the truce?
_____
_|___|___
{. . }
|_~_| <—stinky~fingers
__||__
/| |\
/ | | \ _____
|____|_____ | . |
| ____|_| ) | <—mexicutioner
| {}{} \ (___|
| ^ | \___|___
| | |
| | |
| | |
|__ |__ |______
\ \
whoops~
that one looks wrong.
this one should look better.
` _____““““““““““““““““
`_|___|___““““““““““““““`
“{.`.`}“““““““““““““““`
“`|_~_|“<—stinky~fingers“““““`
““`||__“““““““““““““““
““/|“|\““““““““““““““`
“`/ |“|`\““____““““““““““
““`|__|_____[`.`|““““““““““
““`|“____|_|)“|““<—mexicutioner
““`|`{}{}`\“(__|““““““““““
““`|`^|““\___|___“““““““““
““`|“|““““| ““““““““`
““`|“|““““|““““““““““`
““`|“|““““|““““““““““`
““`|“|““““|““““““““““`
““`|__|__“““|______“““““““`
“““““““““““\ \“““““““
the one above is more of the picasso of this art.
this is the original^^
WOWOWO……uh huh
too bad absolutely no one watches pay-per-view in Japan.
WOWOW isn’t PPV. It is a monthly subscription channel like HBO.
Actually WOWOW isn’t PPV, it is just a monthly subscription channel costing about 30 USD a month. The tend to edit the UFC shows a bit, emphasizing undercards with Japanese fighters and interspersing commentary with Japanese fighters and some cute announcer. They even sometimes cut out boring parts of main card fights! You lose your Joe Rogen too
Hmmm… it will be interesting to find out what % of the Japanese market on WOWOW will buy PPV and if it will be enough to sustain future business.
THats a great point THorazine. It will be very interesting to see what kind success the UFC has in Japan. Keep your fingers crossed because if the UFC can sell some ppv’s over their then it has a chance of holding successful events in the land of the rising sun, which would allow the UFC to pay the high price tags that accompany top japanese fighters like:
Gomi
Sakuraba (I know he is getting old but so what)
Kid
it would be even better if dana and CO. open Pride back up that will put the nail in the japenese competition for sure
I mean they own the rights to PRIDE why not make some money off of that purchase they made
thats a really good point but i dont think it would be the same for the hardcore japanese fan now dana is the boss
having the ufc on ppv as compared to them actually having an org there is 2 totally different ballgames. the yakuza(mafia) is too influential over there. the japanese mafia is one of the biggest reasons why pride folded in the 1rst place and why the ufc hasnt done much business there.
That’s what’s up UFC. Let them view it on TV before you come to them. Should build up the suspense. UFC GOING GLOBAL BABY!
GOD i want to see Kid Yamamoto head to WEC and whoop fabers ass! Hope Gomi isnt a stupid shit doh and join the ufc he needs to go to dream with the rest of the top LW’s!
Penn is the top LW.
i would love to see penn vs gomi 2 or gomi vs edgar
Gomi – Sherk or Gomi – Florian… Penn kicked his ass once and would do it again
wowow isn’t pay per view, it is more like HBO. you pay about 30 USD a month to watch it.
noted
sorry about the multiple posts, didn’t realize there would be such a long delay to show the posts!