Please register to participate in our discussions with 2 million other members - it's free and quick! Some forums can only be seen by registered members. After you create your account, you'll be able to customize options and access all our 15,000 new posts/day with fewer ads.
they make a lot of martial arts movies and practice the discipline of traditional martial arts, but if you look in the UFC you won't find many. Has there ever been a UFC fighter who is asian and was champion? Is the lack of asians because they practice traditional martial arts and not MMA?
I don't know if you would call it "many," but I have seen numerous Asian (especially Japanese) fighters in the UFC over the years. It seems like a lot of the Japanese fighters choose to fight close to their natural weight, so they are at somewhat of a disadvantage when they are going up against a guy who cuts a lot of weight (who will gain it back right after the weigh in). Some guys in the UFC have had success by not cutting much weight, but they seem to be the exception.
Some of the newer generation fighters started training mma from the beginning, but most (if not all) of the older ones initially trained in "traditional" arts (including boxing and wrestling), and they used this as a base for mma.
a big reason (pun intended, wait for it)
is so many asians are ummm "little people" so the main stream mma organizations have not or are just barely coming around to the smaller weight classes.
Cung Le's in the UFC (2-1, and 7-1 in Strikeforce) although I don't know why he hasn't fought lately. He beat Rich Franklin and Patrick Cote and lost to Wanderlei Silva. I'm sure they have plenty of Asian MMA fighters in Japan, lol.
Asians are in MMA and they're represented well in the weight classes under 185, though probably less so in the larger weight classes.
One of my absolute favorite MMA fighters of all time was Kazushi Sakuraba, the "Gracie Hunter", lol. In my mind, he actually might have been the one fighter more than any other that truly put the "mixed" in mixed martial arts. Before "IQ Fighter," fighters were struggling to perfect the art of overcoming "Gracie Jiujitsu." He was the first to develop ground skills good enough to not be afraid of being taken to the mat, which had been the big death knell against BJJ up to that point. The guy had mad, mad stamina too. Became less effective once the stand up fighters learned more take-down defenses and forced Sakuraba to bang with them on his feet, but he was what gave MMA the next push.
Let's not forget that until it folded, PRIDE was THE premier MMA organization on the planet, even bigger than UFC. UFC didn't really get past its freak show image until sometime in the mid 2000s and it wasn't until the yakuza scandal screwed PRIDE and ripped up the TV contracts that the great fighters started going to UFC in 2006/7.
Asians are in MMA and they're represented well in the weight classes under 185, though probably less so in the larger weight classes.
One of my absolute favorite MMA fighters of all time was Kazushi Sakuraba, the "Gracie Hunter", lol. In my mind, he actually might have been the one fighter more than any other that truly put the "mixed" in mixed martial arts. Before "IQ Fighter," fighters were struggling to perfect the art of overcoming "Gracie Jiujitsu." He was the first to develop ground skills good enough to not be afraid of being taken to the mat, which had been the big death knell against BJJ up to that point. The guy had mad, mad stamina too. Became less effective once the stand up fighters learned more take-down defenses and forced Sakuraba to bang with them on his feet, but he was what gave MMA the next push.
Let's not forget that until it folded, PRIDE was THE premier MMA organization on the planet, even bigger than UFC. UFC didn't really get past its freak show image until sometime in the mid 2000s and it wasn't until the yakuza scandal screwed PRIDE and ripped up the TV contracts that the great fighters started going to UFC in 2006/7.
teh biggest problem with pride around that time, they never really got any new blood. all the "good" fighters from pride where pretty much all the same guys, crocop, fedor, rampage, wandy, hendo, saku, aoki, hellboy, anderson silva. by the time most of them made it to this side of the planet, they were mediocre. not to mention the speculation of roid use as pride didnt test. guys like crocop destroyed people in pride, then came to the ufc and were um well yeah, not so great. then he leaves and bam destroys, then back to the ufc and um well yeah not so good again. a lot of talk of roid use for sure.
asian fighters are big big big stars in asia as well, why go to the usa and fight for a little money when you can stay in korea, china, japan and live like a legend??? and as we both stated, they tend to be smaller framed guys, and the lighter weight classes are relatively a new thing for us fans.
They also make a TON more money fighting in Asia than they would in the UFC.
I would guess so. Much more marketable to the 'local' markets, and there is much less of an interview issue.
Please register to post and access all features of our very popular forum. It is free and quick. Over $68,000 in prizes has already been given out to active posters on our forum. Additional giveaways are planned.
Detailed information about all U.S. cities, counties, and zip codes on our site: City-data.com.
Please register to participate in our discussions with 2 million other members - it's free and quick! Some forums can only be seen by registered members. After you create your account, you'll be able to customize options and access all our 15,000 new posts/day with fewer ads.
