In my post on Satori Ishii I mentioned some ideas about the difference in approach between MMA in the US and Japan. Luke and I have been batting these ideas around for a while and he pointed me to this article on Sherdog where top Japanese prospect Takeya Mizugaki talks about the different approaches to MMA in the U.S. and Japan:
“I respect the Japanese entertainment culture, but for me, I personally prefer the pure athletic image of MMA that’s practiced in America,” he said. “Comparatively, I prefer the WEC. First of all, the weight limit of Dream’s featherweight class is still undecided. Second, they treat MMA like a sport in America. Fighters are considered athletes, and I want to fight as an athlete. To me, the major leagues are the WEC.”
Luke and I have been discussing the origins of this difference for a while and one of us will post something if I have to go back and post our GChat transcripts.
UPDATE: This is NOT intended to be some sort of stupid PRIDE vs UFC war about which approach is better. This is an attempt to seriously analyze the differences in approach to MMA by two cultures. I love Japanese MMA and have since I got my first Shooto and Vale Tudo Japan VHS tapes in the mail in 1995. Please do not let the discussion in the comments degenerate into a silly emotional back and forth.
There are clear differences in the approach to MMA taken by the Japanese and by the North Americans. The purpose of this discussion is to ponder the origins and impacts of those differences not to have another PRIDE vs UFC flame war.
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