Cage Force: 'Negotiating with UFC? Why Tournaments?'

PIC: Eiji Mitsuoka, Akira Kikuchi, Kotetsu Boku, with Caol Uno.
Photo by Yoshinori Ihara www.boutreview.com.

Many fans in the states might be surprised with this fact, but in the land of The Rising Sun, where MMA is a 'big professional sport' there is only one cage show in the entire country. Cage Force. This show used to be called the D.O.G.. but in November 2006, the organizer of the show, GCM Communication (Wajiu-tsu Keishu-kai), declared one of its goals as 'To produce Japanese fighters who can win in the UFC' and changed its show title. Appointed Caol Uno, one of the few Japanese fighters to have a successful career in the UFC, to serve as, sort of like a matchmaker / spokesperson. Better to describe it as a supervising role, perhaps like what Akira Maeda is doing in K-1 HERO'S. In Cage Force the weight classes are revised and now its exactly the same as the UFC. On top of that, elbow shots to the head are now allowed, just like what's taking place in the Octagon. Everything about the show became, apparently, the road to the UFC, almost looking like the promotion is hoping to form some kind of affiliation with the UFC.

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