So Much for FEG's Global Takeover

Just month's ago Dream (FEG) talked of a partenrship with a Japanese investment firm, a partnership that would line their pocket's, give Dream and K-1 enough money to actually compete with american MMA companies and possibly lead to being the number 1 MMA organiztion in the market.

Lets be serious, that last belief was pretty far fetched, but they had some pretty kick ass graphs and maps showing their plan to take over the MMA market. Well, its a couple of months later and it looks like Dream and K-1 will not be around much longer. Apparently the partnership hit a snag somewhere along the way leaving Dream unable to pay its fighter's and low on money. I seriously doubt they have the money to keep up with their fighter's contract's. There have been rumors on some of the MMA websites that the Yakuza are around again, and are the only option for the companies to remain afloat. But who really know's what will eventually happen. What I do know, is that if Dream no longer exists it will be too bad because for the fans of Pride and Pancrase that enjoy the Japanese ring and pageantry, Dream fights are fun events. With the screaming lady and the spandex tights Dream has always been fun to watch. I cant think of a Dream card that I watched where I said, "that wasn't worth watching." Hopefully Dream can last but if they dont it could have some big implications in the MMA atmosphere. Here are a few of them.

The Japanese MMA Market Cannot Compete with the American MMA Market : It's hard to believe. It really is, for as long as I can remember, in all honesty, Japanese MMA was probably bigger than American MMA. What I mean by that is the original Pancrase events had huge crowds and Pancrase 1 actually happened before UFC 1. Through the dark days Pride and many other MMA events held abroad were much more succesful than UFC and other american MMA organizations. It's debatable and hard to identify exactly when American MMA (notably UFC) took the place as top dog over the Japan market and organizations. What isn't debatable is the fact that America and the UFC are the top MMA market and top MMA organization out there, and Japan organizations haven't competed post Pride. If Dream flounders and folds it will be interesting to see what springs up from the Japanese market that has always offered top notch MMA and extavagant events.

Alistair Overeem May be Forced to the States : Lost in all this mess is that K-1 will possibly go under with Dream. If that happens Alistair Overeem may be forced to do something he doesn't seem very interested in doing. Committing full time to his MMA career along with his StrikeForce title reign. It seems everytime Alistair takes a step forward in MMA he says, hold on let me go fight in K-1 real quick. If K-1 goes under either Alistair Overeem will have to commit to MMA full time or he will find some other Kick Boxing base organization possibly. Hopefully, if K-1 and Dream goes under, Overeem will commit full time to MMA.

Could the Japanes Stars Be Coming? : If Dream goes under, will Shinya Aoki and Kawajiri, along with a slew of other good entertaining fighters, be coing to america. I would expect Shinya Aoki and Kawajiri and Melvin Manhoef's to instantly be signed with StrikeForce to full time contracts. However, it would be interesting to see Shinya at 145 or 155 in the UFC. Or will these stars end up displaying their talent with another Japanese MMA organization. Its a possibility but I honestly think Aoki and Kawajiri would be under StrikeForce contracts if Dream folds.

Either way, survive or go under, Dream's future will effect the MMA world. It will be interesting to see how this situation plays out.

I don't know what SRC's financial situation is, but i'm sure they would pick guys like Aoki and Kawijiri...those guys would probably reach out to SRC themselves before moving to the states full time.

Golden Glory puts on a lot of these K-1 type shows. If all those fighters are available then somebody might pick up the peices. If it's Golden Glory, you can bank on nothing really changing with Overeem though i'll admit i'm not that educated on K-1 or that scene.

Good read Bird! It sucks if you ask me but I guess there is some good that can come of it. Having those fighters fight over here will be a plus. I'd love it if our country had a sweet kickboxing promotion but I don't know if that can happen.

I think somehow the K-1 brand won't die. The brand is too big. Someone will buy it if the current ownership completely collapses. Like I posted in the K-1 section, they're looking for buyers. They license out the brand to a lot of regional shows too. This is how the K-1 Europe shows and what not exist if I understand correctly. So regardless there is still a network of K-1 rules promoters world wide. It survives somehow. Dream will not though I suspect. K-1 is a combat sports institution. I knew what K-1 was when I was a little kid. They used to play K-1 on ESPN. Dream has always been a Pride-lite. No one cares much about Dream, though in their short time they managed to produce some legendary tournaments.

The door will be slammed for anyone to get back onto network television in Japan. There may be occasional one-off specials on a minor network like TV Tokyo, but that's about it. MMA will not be major league for a long time to come. The most lucrative kickboxing promotion will also shut down. This means a lot of fighters and a lot of agents are going to be out of work. None of this is good for the business. It may be a win short-term for Scott Coker (since it will pressure guys like Overeem to focus only on Strikeforce), but part of the allure of some of the fighters under the Strikeforce banner was the ability to fight for K-1/DREAM. With the Japanese option likely off the table, expect more disgruntled fighters under the Strikeforce banner.

from bloodyelbow

Blows

Birdofthad wrote:

The door will be slammed for anyone to get back onto network television in Japan. There may be occasional one-off specials on a minor network like TV Tokyo, but that's about it. MMA will not be major league for a long time to come. The most lucrative kickboxing promotion will also shut down. This means a lot of fighters and a lot of agents are going to be out of work. None of this is good for the business. It may be a win short-term for Scott Coker (since it will pressure guys like Overeem to focus only on Strikeforce), but part of the allure of some of the fighters under the Strikeforce banner was the ability to fight for K-1/DREAM. With the Japanese option likely off the table, expect more disgruntled fighters under the Strikeforce banner.

from bloodyelbow

This is a complete crock of shit that declares a lot of certainties that are not iron clad while simultaneously taking a stab at SF. Find me one fighter who signed with SF hoping to get a fight in Dream. Complete garbage. I'm almost done with BE entirely.

I read that as being only guys who were already dream and k1 guys, like Overeem or Zamorski.

GDPofDRC wrote:

I read that as being only guys who were already dream and k1 guys, like Overeem or Zamorski.

That would make no sense because then the argument would be "unemployed K1 fighters will be disgruntled with their only possible employeer now because they can't fight k1"

The author means guys like Diaz who went overseas. In fact Diaz is the one guy I could see being upset by this, but SRC still exists and there is a solid chance someone else starts promoting under the K-1 banner before this thing ends. Who posted that at BE originally? Sounds like something awful you'd hear from SC Michaelson.

yeah I think they meant that more SF fighters will be unhappy because of inactivity, a couple guys have been kept busy in Dream, notably Diaz and Noons, while Gil was thought to get a fight over there soon(not sure where the rumored Josh vs Crusher fight may have taken place).

But i'd think SF would benefit more by not having their top heavies off in Japan half the year.


Still, as Wolf hinted at, I'd think that some other org would step up to fill the void, at least to some extent, and I don't see why there is no shot of MMA getting on TV in Japan.