Decisions: The Difference Between Finishing In America and Japan

There are alot of differences between the MMA scene in Western countries (U.S., U.K., Canada...) and in Japan, but beyond the stomp kicks, elbows and crazy entrances, there is a major difference in the way that Japanese fans look at a fight record, particularly a single element of the record: decisions.

In Japan, there is a serious emphasis on finishing opponents, that goes way beyond the $5,000 you see Dana White offer Ultimate Fighter contestants for a finish. In Japan, there is a stigma on fighters who don't finish, and they rarely get any attention, any sponsorships or a title shot.

It's the reason why Mirko "CroCop" Filipovic took off quickly in the Japanese scene (first in K-1, then in Pride), while it took some fighters a little longer to establish themselves. The explosive KO or submission is something that Japanese fans see as absolutely necessary, not just bringing home the W, and a fighter who puts on an exciting fight and loses with a big finish at the end is more likely to be called back than a fighter who postpones defeat with a decision. This is one of the reasons for cult followings developing around fighters with lower records, like Yosuke Nishijima.

Losing by decision is considered more like a draw than an actual loss, and it is one of the reasons why fighters like Antonio Rodrigo Nogueira, who have never been finished, are so revered.

American MMA puts the focus on winning, at whatever cost. A champion has to be very unimpressive to be regarded as a pariah, where as in Japan, a champion who goes to decision once will instantly have his credibility questioned. If Tim Sylvia had been a champion in Pride when he fought Assuerio Silva to get back in line for a title shot after losing his title to Arlovski, the decision would have kept him out of contention and he would have had to take at least one more fight before getting another opportunity to prove himself.

If Sylvia had been unable to finish as a champion, like he was when he won back his title, a Japanese organization might have held a Grand Prix to determine whether he was suited to be a champion, putting him in a situation where he has a very high chance of failure.

It is also the theory behind the "freak matchups" that are more common in Japan. A fighter like Zuluzinho fighting Fedor is normal, because a finish is almost guarunteed. It is expected that a smaller, skilled fighter will either use his agility and skills to finish an opponent quickly, his larger opponent will crush him, or as the fight goes on one of the fighters will fatigue (either the smaller from being worn on by a heavier opponent, or the larger for lack of cardiovascular conditioning). This is where matchups like Butterbean and Minowa or Sapp and Nogueira come from, it isn't the bizarre nature of seeing someone three hundred pounds fight someone way smaller, but, rather, because the fans are hungry to see a finish.

There are exceptions to this rule, but it is a very common part of Japanese and American sport psychology and I don't see it going away any time soon.