GLORY CEO says kickboxing primary focus, no plans beyond NYE for DREAM

GLORY Sports International aims to revive kickboxing in Japan and around the world.

At the moment, though, MMA is not a priority.

Despite funding Monday's DREAM.18 event in conjunction with its first big kickboxing event, the company isn't ready to commit to future MMA shows.

"We are, naturally, in discussions to look at more for DREAM in Japan, but that has to be something that's decided after the show," Glory CEO Marcus Luer told MMAjunkie.com (www.mmajunkie.com).

GSI, which earlier this year purchased Dutch kickboxing promotions GLORY and It's Showtime, just wrapped a massive end-of-the-year event at Saitama Super Arena in Saitama, Japan. It featured the eight-bout DREAM.18 card as a lead-in to a one-night, 16-man kickboxing tournament, "GLORY 4: Tokyo." The kickboxing event, which sported modified rules to amp up the action, aired live on CBS Sports Network. DREAM.18 airs on the cable channel tonight at 10 p.m. ET.

Luer said the CBS partnership was a "one-off," though discussions are in place with multiple TV partners for future shows. The company plans to promote two to three kickboxing events in the U.S. in 2013 and hold a series of eight-man tourneys to cultivate new stars.

Luer said GSI's partnership with DREAM gave the company leverage with Japanese broadcasters while putting together the year-end event. That could be the promotion's saving grace for future events.

Cash-poor after several years of declining revenues, DREAM, which emerged in the wake of PRIDE's collapse, partnered this year with the upstart MMA promotion ONE FC but was widely reported to be defunct by June.

In DREAM's absence, the UFC returned to Japan for the first time in a decade when it promoted UFC 144 at Saitama Super Arena back in February. The promotion plans a return to the arena on March 2 for UFC on FUEL TV 8, which former PRIDE champion and star Wanderlei Silva co-headlines.

"Whatever the UFC does in the marketplace is great," Luer said. "They're the market leader; everybody looks at them in terms of how big they are as a brand. But we have good fighters here. We have guys that have fought in the UFC, Strikeforce and Bellator."

DREAM's stable includes several notable fighters, among them champ Shinya Aoki, Tatsuya Kawajiri and Bibiano Fernandes, who turned down a UFC contract to fight overseas in ONE FC.

Luer said GSI employed several employees from DREAM to matchmake the fight card and give the show a Japanese feel while Glory's card was designed to have international appeal.

The majority of big-name fighters on the kickboxing card are members of Dutch fight team Golden Glory, from which GSI takes its roots, though Luer said the management and promotion components of the new company have been separated.

Whether GSI keeps both MMA and kickboxing under its roof is a wait-and-see proposition.

"I wouldn't call it a one-off, but it was an interesting opportunity to take this unique slot on Dec. 31, which has a lot of tradition in this country and around the world," Luer said.


http://www.mmajunkie.com/news/2013/01/glory-ceo-says-kickboxing-primary-focus-no-plans-beyond-nye-for-dream

Let's wait and see, i was never too optimistic so im not that down. At least onefc have a long term commitment w/ mma but the fight cards needs to improve.

GLORY to run more DREAM events this year:

Source:

http://sportsnavi.yahoo.co.jp/fight/headlines/20130101-00000008-spnavi-fight.html

http://www.sherdog.net/forums/f61/glory-run-more-dream-events-year-2346783/

I read this is from an interview just after the GLORY/DREAM NYE event.

That's why they have the ONE FC partnership as well.

CDF47 wrote:GLORY to run more DREAM events this year:

Source:

http://sportsnavi.yahoo.co.jp/fight/headlines/20130101-00000008-spnavi-fight.html

http://www.sherdog.net/forums/f61/glory-run-more-dream-events-year-2346783/

I read this is from an interview just after the GLORY/DREAM NYE event.

That's why they have the ONE FC partnership as well.

Really hoping for more PRE-NYE DREAM shows this year! I really hope GLORY can follow up a few more events.

AudaxSmoke wrote:

CDF47 wrote:GLORY to run more DREAM events this year:

Source:

http://sportsnavi.yahoo.co.jp/fight/headlines/20130101-00000008-spnavi-fight.html

http://www.sherdog.net/forums/f61/glory-run-more-dream-events-year-2346783/

I read this is from an interview just after the GLORY/DREAM NYE event.

That's why they have the ONE FC partnership as well.

Really hoping for more PRE-NYE DREAM shows this year! I really hope GLORY can follow up a few more events.

Same here.

GLORY might be playing coy with their DREAM plans because there might be an outside chance that they will indeed relinquish their duties of running DREAM to former DSE employees, which has been rumored for next year for awhile.

Regardless of whichever happens, they need to focus on re-establishing familiarity of their fighters and introducing new stars. What better than a quick 8-man grand prix for each weight class or the ones they decide to showcase. Here's what i'd plan to do...

Heavyweight Grand Prix:

Mirko Cro Cop x Jerome LeBanner
Satoshi Ishii x Levan Razmadze
Sergei Kharitonov x Alexander Lungu
Tim Sylvia x James Thompson

Cruiserweight Grand Prix:

Tyrone Spong x Tatsuya Mizuno
Yoshiyuki Nakanishi x Hans Stringer
Hiroshi Izumi x Sokoudjou
Jason Jones x Yoel Romero Palacio

Middleweight Grand Prix:

Kazuhiro Nakamura x Rumen Dimitrov
Melvin Manhoef x Magomed Sultanakhmedov
Ryuta Sakurai x KEI Yamamiya
Nobutatsu Suzuki x John Phillips

Welterweight Grand Prix:

Hayato Sakurai x Tommy Depret
Takenori Sato x Yuya Shirai
Ryo Chonan x Eiji Ishikawa
Taisuke Okuno x Yan Cabral

Lightweight Grand Prix:

Shinya Aoki x Daisuke Nakamura
ISAO x Doo Won Seo
Takasuke Kume x Kamal Shalorus
Katsunori Kikuno x Will Brooks or Diego Gonzalez

Featherweight Grand Prix:

Tatsuya Kawajiri x Hiroyuki Takaya
Kazuyuki Miyata x Georgi Karakhanyan
Michihiro Omigawa x Doo Ho Choi
SHOJI x Jon Shores

Bantamweight Grand Prix:

KID Yamamoto x Hideo Tokoro
Kyoji Horiguchi x Yoshiro Maeda
Shintaro Ishiwatari x Miguel Torres
Tatsumitsu Wada x Hiromasa Ogikubo

Flyweight Grand Prix:

Mamoru Yamaguchi x Kiyotaka Shimizu
Alexis Vila x Ali Bagautinov
Manabu Inoue x Zach Makovsky
Haruo Ochi x Yuki Motoya

I don´t expect Glory to put on many DREAM shows. Glory co-promotes with different promotions and it´s best if DREAM finds a way to make it on their own.

wekka wrote:GLORY might be playing coy with their DREAM plans because there might be an outside chance that they will indeed relinquish their duties of running DREAM to former DSE employees, which has been rumored for next year for awhile.

Regardless of whichever happens, they need to focus on re-establishing familiarity of their fighters and introducing new stars. What better than a quick 8-man grand prix for each weight class or the ones they decide to showcase. Here's what i'd plan to do...

Heavyweight Grand Prix:

Mirko Cro Cop x Jerome LeBanner
Satoshi Ishii x Levan Razmadze
Sergei Kharitonov x Alexander Lungu
Tim Sylvia x James Thompson

Cruiserweight Grand Prix:

Tyrone Spong x Tatsuya Mizuno
Yoshiyuki Nakanishi x Hans Stringer
Hiroshi Izumi x Sokoudjou
Jason Jones x Yoel Romero Palacio

Middleweight Grand Prix:

Kazuhiro Nakamura x Rumen Dimitrov
Melvin Manhoef x Magomed Sultanakhmedov
Ryuta Sakurai x KEI Yamamiya
Nobutatsu Suzuki x John Phillips

Welterweight Grand Prix:

Hayato Sakurai x Tommy Depret
Takenori Sato x Yuya Shirai
Ryo Chonan x Eiji Ishikawa
Taisuke Okuno x Yan Cabral

Lightweight Grand Prix:

Shinya Aoki x Daisuke Nakamura
ISAO x Doo Won Seo
Takasuke Kume x Kamal Shalorus
Katsunori Kikuno x Will Brooks or Diego Gonzalez

Featherweight Grand Prix:

Tatsuya Kawajiri x Hiroyuki Takaya
Kazuyuki Miyata x Georgi Karakhanyan
Michihiro Omigawa x Doo Ho Choi
SHOJI x Jon Shores

Bantamweight Grand Prix:

KID Yamamoto x Hideo Tokoro
Kyoji Horiguchi x Yoshiro Maeda
Shintaro Ishiwatari x Miguel Torres
Tatsumitsu Wada x Hiromasa Ogikubo

Flyweight Grand Prix:

Mamoru Yamaguchi x Kiyotaka Shimizu
Alexis Vila x Ali Bagautinov
Manabu Inoue x Zach Makovsky
Haruo Ochi x Yuki Motoya

That would be amazing. Nice GP selections there!

I really love DREAM and wish it continue but is anyone concerned at the lack of any up coming talent? I'm talking about hungry young fighters .... the next generation!

Dream have got so many veterans fighting like omigawa/ Mach/ Kawajiri but we aren't seeing any new JAPANESE talent come through. It's been like this for years now. How much longer can these vets be fighting each other.

Is the economy that bad that people aren't turning to MMA as a career like before....or is there just a complete lack of interest from the public for MMA?

Theres no point of DREAM continuing if theirs no market for it. Sad but true....

I'm guessing Kickboxing is still popular and people are interested right?

stu3ufc wrote:I really love DREAM and wish it continue but is anyone concerned at the lack of any up coming talent? I'm talking about hungry young fighters .... the next generation!

Dream have got so many veterans fighting like omigawa/ Mach/ Kawajiri but we aren't seeing any new JAPANESE talent come through. It's been like this for years now. How much longer can these vets be fighting each other.

Is the economy that bad that people aren't turning to MMA as a career like before....or is there just a complete lack of interest from the public for MMA?

Theres no point of DREAM continuing if theirs no market for it. Sad but true....

I'm guessing Kickboxing is still popular and people are interested right?

There is new Asian talent in MMA as ONE FC has shown. I think the ONE FC Network concept is the way to go. ONE FC and DREAM are the major Asian orgs. with URCC, DEEP, DARE, CFC, ROAD FC, and Pancrase as the feeder orgs.

They had a good crowd on NYE. Wish the attendance numbers would come out. If they go full Asian rules with soccer kicks, stomps, knees, and elbows in the DREAM ring, run about 6 events a year with fighter sharing with ONE FC to crown Asian champs I think the interest would be there. They need to get this back on TV in Japan as well and fire up the marketing machine.

stu3ufc wrote:I really love DREAM and wish it continue but is anyone concerned at the lack of any up coming talent? I'm talking about hungry young fighters .... the next generation!

Dream have got so many veterans fighting like omigawa/ Mach/ Kawajiri but we aren't seeing any new JAPANESE talent come through. It's been like this for years now. How much longer can these vets be fighting each other.

Is the economy that bad that people aren't turning to MMA as a career like before....or is there just a complete lack of interest from the public for MMA?

Theres no point of DREAM continuing if theirs no market for it. Sad but true....

I'm guessing Kickboxing is still popular and people are interested right?

I think one of the biggest problems are their insistence with booking shows in large scale venues like Saitama and Yokohama Arena. The only guys that can sell half those tickets are veterans and freakshows. That's DREAM's job with putting prospects and the unknowns on the undercard so they can build their star power up. Sengoku did this first and you see where that took them. They started too late.

DREAM was lucky enough to get a Mulligan and instead of picking back up where they left off, they need to take off from where Sengoku left off. Put your veterans and established stars on the top billings, take your other veterans and make them expendable and put them against the up and comers. It also wouldn't hurt to start booking shows at the Ryogoku and Yoyogi 2ñd.

agreed, time to put smaller shows in smaller venues, save your big events for saitama. At least untill things get back to similiar to the old days.

PRIDE NEVER DIE wrote:agreed, time to put smaller shows in smaller venues, save your big events for saitama. At least untill things get back to similiar to the old days.

Sounds right to me. Save Saitama for NYE super shows. They should also expand out a bit in Asia like ONE FC and continue working closely with them.

CDF47 wrote:

PRIDE NEVER DIE wrote:agreed, time to put smaller shows in smaller venues, save your big events for saitama. At least untill things get back to similiar to the old days.

Sounds right to me. Save Saitama for NYE super shows. They should also expand out a bit in Asia like ONE FC and continue working closely with them.

I don't they should expand anytime soon. They need to focus only on Japan for the time being. I'd schedule it out like this: APR: Yoyogi 2nd, JUN: Ryogoku Kokugikan, AUG: Yokohama Arena (Mid-Year Special), OCT: Nippon Budokan, DEC: Saitama Super Arena (NYE).

They need to just spend smart and venturing outside of the country wouldn't do so well. If they must lose money, i'd rather them keep in check domestically than pile up the losses by doing mainland shows.

Although DREAM was rumored for a Korea show years back, I don't think the time is right for such a thing. I believe they need at least two years of steady ownership before starting to think about outside the box.

wekka wrote:

CDF47 wrote:

PRIDE NEVER DIE wrote:agreed, time to put smaller shows in smaller venues, save your big events for saitama. At least untill things get back to similiar to the old days.

Sounds right to me. Save Saitama for NYE super shows. They should also expand out a bit in Asia like ONE FC and continue working closely with them.

I don't they should expand anytime soon. They need to focus only on Japan for the time being. I'd schedule it out like this: APR: Yoyogi 2nd, JUN: Ryogoku Kokugikan, AUG: Yokohama Arena (Mid-Year Special), OCT: Nippon Budokan, DEC: Saitama Super Arena (NYE).

They need to just spend smart and venturing outside of the country wouldn't do so well. If they must lose money, i'd rather them keep in check domestically than pile up the losses by doing mainland shows.

Although DREAM was rumored for a Korea show years back, I don't think the time is right for such a thing. I believe they need at least two years of steady ownership before starting to think about outside the box.

Yeah, that sounds right. They will be venturing out a bit in Asia anyway when they allow their fighters to fight in ONE FC. I like that plan of 5 shows in those venues. Hope this happens.