Why Asian MMA Needs a Global Platform

I can confidently say that I know a thing or two about the mixed martial arts business.

For the last couple of years, I’ve been working for the fastest growing sports league in the world, and it has been an exciting experience. Believe me, we’re just getting started.

But that’s not what I wanted to talk about today.

What I do want to touch on today, is the situation of MMA in Asia. Why Asia? Because it’s one of the biggest MMA markets in the world, and it’s home to some of the best fighters in the world, who unfortunately aren’t getting a ton of attention due to the lack of promotions on a global scale.

I’ve lived and worked in Asia for a decade, and during my time there, I got to see how big the sport of MMA is and how passionate the fans are over there. Truly, it’s an amazing experience, and I’m happy that I got to see all of that first hand.

But truth be told, Asian MMA isn’t getting the push it should be getting.

Here’s the real situation in Asian MMA, the way I see it.

As big as MMA could be in Asia, there really aren’t a lot of promotions that can call themselves a global platform.

No question that the top dog in Asian MMA is an outfit out of Japan called Rizin. Don’t let anyone tell you otherwise.

Japan is perhaps the most MMA-crazy country in Asia, and they have a rich history to back that up. Rizin has done a great job of following in the legendary footsteps of PRIDE FC, and the legacy of the sport of MMA has definitely given Rizin a good foundation to grow on.

Rizin is at the top because of their distribution on Fuji TV - one of Japan’s biggest (Free to Air (FTA) broadcasters - as well as their continuous expansion outside of The Land of the Rising Sun.

Furthermore, Rizin’s ticket sales - which are from fans actually buying tickets - is a good indication of the demand for their product. This is because the company is building local stars, and their level of production is topnotch. As long as they hold onto their broadcast deal in Japan, they will be set to expand in a high-Per Capita GDP country.

The only issue is how they will be able to leave their comfort zone and take their show on the road to expand and break into additional markets outside of Japan. As good as Rizin’s product already is, their product still comes off as very localized, which may be a big hit on home soil, but might not be the case elsewhere.

After Rizin, I believe that the clear number-2 player in Asia is OnePride in Indonesia. That’s because they’ve managed to lock-up distribution on TVOne. The promotion is broadcast to 100 percent of the country in primetime. They also air shoulder programs that resonate well with the Indonesian audience. Obviously, it’s always a good thing when you’re very visible in the biggest population and economy in Southeast Asia.

Indonesia is the fourth-largest country in the world based on population, and they have a young demographic. TVOne has put a considerable amount of resources in powering OnePride, which has given it a strong brand presence in the country. Plus, it doesn’t hurt that there is zero competition from any Asian MMA promotions in the country as well.

For a while, One FC had a deal with SCTV that eventually fizzled out because there was simply a lack of demand for their promotion, and their ratings in the country were insignificant.

Probably the only issue with OnePride is that they need to become more international in terms of their roster of fighters and their broadcast team if they have any intentions of expanding outside of Indonesia. That being said, OnePride could be content with just focusing on the Indonesian market.

The third level is where it gets a bit crowded.

On this level we have promotions like One FC, Rebel FC, and Road FC.

As much noise as One FC has tried to make, the reality is that they’ve failed at securing a relevant long-term television deal in any Asian market in their decade-long existence. Plus, they’ve also been unable to sell tickets because there’s just simply no demand for their product. Essentially the company has been relegated to airing their content for free on YT. It’s also believed that the number of people tuning into their free content is very low.

The one place that One FC has found success is Myanmar, but right now, it’s quite unclear if One FC is still broadcast there, given that the country is under political turmoil.

The company tried to enter the US market a couple of years back, but it yielded little success. Their mediocre production quality, coupled with the minimal relevance of their product and inability to break through to the American consumer was a big part of their failure in the United States.

As for Rebel FC, they’ve been trying to diversify and shift their focus to China. It hasn’t been an easy road for them, as China has always been a challenging market - for any company. Currently, Rebel FC is still at it, and looking to diversify their product offerings.

Road FC, meanwhile, started out strong, but has since decided to keep their focus solely on South Korea. Unfortunately, the truth is that a promotion can only go so far if they decide to focus on just one country. The MMA talent in South Korea is awesome, and the best of the best are testing themselves on bigger platforms and global arenas that are far from home.

As you can see, there’s no shortage of promotions in Asia. The thing is, none of these promotions are considered global organizations. Fortunately, more and more global organizations are beginning to see Asia for what it is: a goldmine of MMA talent. I’m confident that it won’t be long before all these great Asian fighters get a chance to showcase their skills on a much bigger stage.

Like I said, I’ve gotten to see MMA in Asia up close, and I’m not even exaggerating when I say that some of the best fighters in the world are from Asia. Some of these guys can be world-ranked talents, but simply don’t get to showcase their skills to a big enough audience.

Asian MMA isn’t the next big thing, because it’s always been a big thing.

These days however, the industry just needs a global push.?