New Bellator chief Scott Coker has been in talks with former PRIDE FC head Nobuyuki Sakakibara, who is interested in getting back into promoting MMA. Coker had previously co-promoted with DREAM to integrate Japanese stars as part of his now defunct Strikeforce promotion. Sakakibara's links to the Yakuza and allegations of fight fixing crippled PRIDE in the 2000's leading to the sale of the promotion and it's library to the UFC. Since then DREAM and WVR/Sengoku have tried to fill the void but the Japanese MMA scene hasn't been the same.
I hope the plan isn't to put on some half-cocked Japanese show with leftovers. The legendary Japanese fighters are either with the UFC (Gomi, Yamamoto) or too old (Saku, Minowaman)... perhaps both. If they want to revive MMA in Japan they should be building new stars, bringing typical global talent to shows on the island, and trying to get the fad back up and going again in Japanese sports culture. I don't know if there is a goldmine waiting for Bellator in Japan or a money pit.
