There’s no logic behind mixed martial arts events like last Tuesday’s Dream 9 in Japan. None.
On the same night and in the same ring the former Major League slugger JoseCanseco made his MMA debut against an experienced Korean kickboxer (who’s built like an out-of-season Shaquille O’Neal), former Olympic wrestling hopefuls and world-class mixed martial artists fought spirited campaigns in front of an appreciative audience.
Nowhere is the schism between what casual and diehard audiences expect from MMA clearer than Japan. And nowhere do promoters and TV networks more willingly capitalize on that rift.
MMA in Japan: sport or spoof?
There’s no logic behind mixed martial arts events like last Tuesday’s Dream 9 in Japan. None. On the same night and in the same ring the former Major League slugger JoseCanseco made his MMA debut against an experienced Korean kickboxer (who’s built like an out-of-season Shaquille O’Neal), former Olympic wrestling hopefuls and world-class mixed martial…
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