Japan's MMA Business: A Once-Dominant Force Looking to Regain Its Stride

While the modern form of MMA that we recognize today gained massive popularity in the United States in the 1990s, Japan played a big role in its development. During the early 20th century, many contests involving opposing styles took place in Japan. And in 1976, Japan was the site where pro-wrestler Antonio Inoki and boxer Muhammed Ali competed in an exhibition bout that is still talked about to this day.

This competition inspired Japan-based MMA companies Shooto in the 1980s, PANCRASE in 1993, and the Pride Fighting Championships in 1997.

At first, these three organizations were most synonymous with MMA, with their fighters delivering action that was greatly enjoyed by fans. However, their dominance in the MMA industry eventually began to decrease. This post will examine the current state of the Japanese MMA scene, the factors that contributed to its decline, and potential avenues for its resurgence.

PRIDE was one of the most successful MMA companies in the world, as its less strict ruleset, charismatic fighters, and distinct fighting style gained a viewership of millions for their events, and record numbers of attendance. Even now, the August 2002 Shockwave event that was co-promoted by PRIDE and kickboxing promotion K-1 holds the record for largest attendance in MMA history, which stands at 91,107.

PRIDE's fortune took an unfavourable turn in February 2006, when they lost their TV deal with Fuji Network due to legal issues, and it was a deal that had been a source of a large portion of PRIDE's revenue. Still having SKY PerfecTV as a pay-per-view carrier, PRIDE continued to produce events, until the company was purchased in March 2007 by Zuffa, which was the parent company of America-based MMA promotion Ultimate Fighting Championship (UFC). After unsuccessfully attempting to get a new TV deal for PRIDE, Zuffa closed the once-thriving Japanese MMA company's doors in October 2007.

By 2008, the UFC had gained TV deals in France, China, Germany, and Mexico, and this global expansion significantly impacted Japanese MMA companies. The UFC was the largest MMA promotion in the world, and many fighters internationally wanted to be a part of it- including in Japan. After PRIDE was deactivated, former Pride FC Lightweight Champion Takanori Gomi competed in other Japanese MMA promotions for brief periods of time before eventually joining the UFC in 2010.

Along with UFC worldwide dominance, there were situations within Japan that were creating issues for Japanese MMA promotions. Japan's economy was declining, making it difficult for promotions to secure the financial backing necessary to compete on a global scale. Also, Japanese cultural preferences were shifting away from combat sports and towards other forms of entertainment, such as anime/manga, video games, music/idols, and television dramas/variety shows.

While the challenges are significant, there are opportunities for the Japanese MMA scene to regain its former glory. One way is by investing in young fighters and developing a new generation of stars. This is essential for the future of Japanese MMA, and it's currently being done, with examples being Makoto Shinryu of RIZIN, Shooto Super Atomweight Champion Ayaka Watanabe, and DEEP Featherweight Champion Jin Aoi.

Another way is by Japanese MMA promotions having unique selling points. They must differentiate themselves from better known promotions in the United States, Russia, and Singapore by offering something unique, similar to how PRIDE stood out with its ruleset that allowed knees, stomps, and soccer kicks on downed opponents, and permitting more fighting outfit options. A company that is doing that is RIZIN, by having open-weight tournaments, unique rulesets for some fights, and putting a focus on spectacle.

In addition, DEEP is a long-standing Japanese MMA promotion known for its focus on developing young talent, and it has also established DEEP Jewels, which focuses on women's MMA, providing a platform that is exclusively for female fighters.


Although it's more common for companies in the same industry to compete, it would benefit Japanese MMA promotions to collaborate with promotions that are outside Japan, which would help them gain exposure on a global scale. By creating partnerships with promotions internationally, Japanese promotions can tap into new markets, exchange talent, and create exciting joint events. These collaborations would lead to increased exposure for all promotions involved, the development of new stars, and a broader appeal for the sport. Meanwhile, Japanese MMA promotions could leverage their country's culture by incorporating traditional Japanese elements, which can appeal to both domestic and international audiences.

Lastly, To become more popular, a promotion can create a strong and active social media presence, using it to connect with fans and promote its events. And there is a potentially lucrative English market that is still very untapped. Connecting with the English markets inside and outside of Japan would help them grow in visibility, show attendance, and streaming consumption. I write in the pro-wrestling industry, and a publicist can be very useful in helping a promotion reach the English market and building its brand. A publicist can be a valuable asset for any promotion that is looking to grow its audience and reach new markets. By working with a publicist, an MMA promotion can increase its visibility, reach, and impact the same way that a wrestling promotion can.

Speaking of wrestling, there is a potential cross-promotion opportunity between Japanese MMA and wrestling promotions. There are independent wrestling promotions in Japan with the potential to become more popular, but need help growing and reaching new audiences, a situation that many MMA promotions here are also in. The fanbases of MMA and wrestling sometimes differ, but if careful targeting of promotional efforts is done, social media could be used to cross-promote events and athletes.

Once a global powerhouse, the Japanese MMA industry faces significant challenges in regaining its former glory. The rise of American MMA, economic issues, and evolving cultural preferences have contributed to its decline. However, opportunities for resurgence exist through investing in young talent, developing unique selling points, working with promotions that are outside Japan, and creating a strong and active presence online. By embracing its rich heritage and leveraging modern platforms, Japan can once again become a major player in the MMA world.