UFC returning to Japan's Saitama Super Arena for 'major event' in September

The ghosts of Saitama Super Arena will be awoken once again, as the UFC intends to return to the legendary Japanese venue for a "major event" on September 20, 2014, according to UFC Asia Managing Director Mark Fischer.

Fischer announced the decision following the conclusion of Saturday night's TUF China Finale in Macau, China, although he did not offer any specifics regarding the event.

The Saitama Super Arena is a massive 37,000-seat arena located at the heart of Saitama, Japan. From 2000 to 2007, it served as the home for 24 Pride FC events.

The UFC first returned to the Saitama Super Arena in 2012 with a pay-per-view event headlined by then-lightweight champion Frankie Edgar versus Benson Henderson, as well as former Pride FC stars Quinton "Rampage" Jackson and Mark Hunt. 13 months later the promotion returned to Saitama with a UFC on FUEL card featuring one of Pride FC's biggest draws, Wanderlei Silva, as well as Hunt and former Pride champion Takanori Gomi.

In addition, Fischer announced that the UFC intends to return to Macau's CotaiArena, China on August 23, 2014 for yet another UFC Fight Night event.

The event would mark the UFC's third visit to Macau following Saturday night's TUF China Finale, which culminated in Dong Hyun Kim's dramatic third-round knockout win over John Hathaway, and 2012's UFC on FUEL offering which featured middleweights Cung Le and Rich Franklin.

http://www.mmafighting.com/2014/3/1/5460042/ufc-returning-to-japans-saitama-super-arena-for-major-event-in

Prediction. This is going to be a crap Fight Pass level card with Tuf rejects at Saitama with the smallest capacity for the arena.

Mark Hunt vs Matt Mitirone UFC Fight Night 43!!! LIVE ON FIGHT PASS!!!

Oh yes!!! I am so excited for this awesome match up!! Mitirone is a star in asia!!!

I'll just go ahead and make a better card than what the UFC will offer:

Tatsuya Kawajiri x Hatsu Hioki
Mark Hunt x Alistair Overeem II
Shogun Rua x Antonio Rogerio Nogueira II
Takanori Gomi x Josh Thomson
Kyoji Horiguchi x Joseph Benavidez
Yoshihiro Akiyama x Takenori Sato
Katsunori Kikuno x Yui Chul Nam
Doo Ho Choi x Maximo Blanco
Kazuki Tokudome x Tony Ferguson
Michinori Tanaka x Shunichi Shimizu

if its not a PRIDE revival show I don't give a shit the UFC couldn't sell Saitama out if they tried!

Mousasi should fight here. Middleweight rankings look boring, so he'd probably have to can Munoz or Carmont or something like that. Munoz at least has looked funny getting ko'd in the past.

  

PRIDE4EVER wrote:if its not a PRIDE revival show I don't give a shit the UFC couldn't sell Saitama out if they tried!

this

what MMA org could sell it out?

Nothing the UFC does excites me anymore

Major Fight Pass card going to Saitama. Sweet.

Uncle Red wrote:what MMA org could sell it out?

no one

Uncle Red wrote:what MMA org could sell it out?

none. MMA at the big stage in Japan is dead and buried.

japan likes real sports like boxing, judo and wrestling. mma is old and crusty.

eXtv wrote:
none. MMA at the big stage in Japan is dead and buried.

wow. just like in the united states.

adam wrote:Prediction. This is going to be a crap Fight Pass level card with Tuf rejects at Saitama with the smallest capacity for the arena.

My guess the headliner will be Michael Chiesa vs. Colton Smith II or some other scrub fight.

I rather see IGF in Saitama Super Arena.

^Same here

Golden Age wrote:I rather see IGF in Saitama Super Arena.

Yup. Classiness belongs in Japan. Not trashy Vegas product.

CDF47 wrote:^Same here

me too

Golden Age wrote:I rather see IGF in Saitama Super Arena.

I don't think we'll be getting that any time soon. December of this year, at the earliest. NJPW doesn't even attempt Saitama shows on the regular. That just spells trouble for any MMA org nowadays.

IGF just needs to start slow, honestly. Three weight classes and only build about six to eight fighters for the first year, kind of like Pancrase did their first year.

eXtv wrote:

Uncle Red wrote:what MMA org could sell it out?

none. MMA at the big stage in Japan is dead and buried.

This is pretty good... 22K, not to shabby.

"I don't know if we can top this, but we're certainly going to try" -Mark Fischer, in regards to recent UFC Macau. Hahahahahahaha. How could they possibly top the Kim vs Hathaway super fight and a co-main between a 6-5 and 7-7 fighter?

UFC will never achieve nor the same numbers nor that same epic feeling of grandeur production. An American company is too square compared to the Japanese level of production value.