Category: Opinion

JMMA Monday: Breaking Down The ‘Road To UFC’ Tournament

Many Japanese MMA names will get the biggest opportunity of their career thus in a month's time. As part of a big tournament that is kicking off in June, many prospects will get the chance to compete and possibly earn a spot in the UFC. For this week's "JMMA Monday," we'll go over what this … Continue reading JMMA Monday: Breaking Down The ‘Road To UFC’ Tournament →

JMMA Monday: ‘LANDMARK’ Reactions, A Busy Weekend For DEEP, And More!

Welcome to "JMMA Monday," the weekly column that provides news and insight on the Japanese MMA scene. Final Thoughts On 'LANDMARK' The MMA world goes so fast. Too fast? Maybe. RIZIN's "LANDMARK" card from Thursday already feels like a distant memory, as numerous big events in the sport followed it in the days afterward. But … Continue reading JMMA Monday: ‘LANDMARK’ Reactions, A Busy Weekend For DEEP, And More! →

JMMA Monday: Final Thoughts Before ‘LANDMARK’, Announcement of ‘THE MATCH’ Projects

Welcome to the latest edition of "JMMA Monday," the weekly column where we discuss the biggest topics in Japanese MMA. I have a couple of things to talk about, along with other news and notes from the week. Some Final Thoughts Before 'LANDMARK' RIZIN is back this week with a brief "LANDMARK" card on Thursday. … Continue reading JMMA Monday: Final Thoughts Before ‘LANDMARK’, Announcement of ‘THE MATCH’ Projects →

JMMA Monday: The Case For Kota Miura, Horiguchi’s Early Exit, More

Kota Miura might be one of the more interesting low-key things happening in RIZIN right now. While his entrance into the promotion came with a strongly marketed gimmick, we'll now get to see if he has the skills to back it up. Miura joined RIZIN last year to make his pro debut. He, himself, isn't … Continue reading JMMA Monday: The Case For Kota Miura, Horiguchi’s Early Exit, More →

JMMA Monday: Takeaways From A Busy Weekend

It was a busy weekend for the Japanese MMA scene over the past few days. While regional promotions took the week off, RIZIN had the spotlight for two consecutive nights with events from Tokyo. These shows included many big fights and marked the full return of international fighters in the promotion. Between the two cards … Continue reading JMMA Monday: Takeaways From A Busy Weekend →

JMMA Monday: The Focus of Seika Izawa

Is Seika Izawa heading into the biggest fight of her career? It could be argued that she is. This weekend she’ll be facing RIZIN Super Atomweight Champion Ayaka Hamasaki, fighting for a chance to earn a major title in just her sixth pro appearance. But maybe Izawa’s biggest fight actually already happened. The 24-year-old made … Continue reading JMMA Monday: The Focus of Seika Izawa →

JMMA Monday: The Most Intriguing (And Underrated) Things We Know About The RIZIN Doubleheader

We're quickly approaching what could be one of the busiest JMMA weeks of the year. Later this month, RIZIN will present a doubleheader of events. On the first night, they'll hold one of their "TRIGGER" shows, including some of the lower-tier matchups they can make. Then a night later they will have three title fights … Continue reading JMMA Monday: The Most Intriguing (And Underrated) Things We Know About The RIZIN Doubleheader →

JMMA Monday: Is The RIZIN Vibe Shift Happening?

Do you sense a change coming? I certainly do. RIZIN has definitely been an interesting promotion to cover in recent years. They have experienced drama, made stars, and continued to be a backbone for one of the strongest ecosystems in the sport. But to say things have been flawless would, of course, not be true. … Continue reading JMMA Monday: Is The RIZIN Vibe Shift Happening? →

JMMA Monday: Three Questions Heading Into RIZIN 34, Thoughts on DEEP Jewels and More!

Welcome to another issue of JMMA Monday." Today's an incredibly busy one. To preview RIZIN 34, I wrote up three questions I have heading into the event. Also, I have a short piece later in the article discussing how DEEP Jewels went this weekend. All of that plus the usual smaller notes and thoughts from … Continue reading JMMA Monday: Three Questions Heading Into RIZIN 34, Thoughts on DEEP Jewels and More! →