They didn't get renewed right around the time of the PRIDE sale but have come to a new agreement. Its a good start, but nothing compared to some of the stuff they were planning for Japan not too long ago
Quote:
UFC Coming on TV in Japan!
There is an article on GBRing.com saying that UFC will be shown on WOWOW in Japan from 8/4, but starting for real 10/18.
Great news for all UFC fans in Japan!
Here is some WOWOW information:
UFC WORLD | WOWOW ONLINE
Just to avoid confusion, WOWOW is not free to air in Japan.
Current schedule:
8/4:
UFC 71: Chuck Liddell vs. Quinton Jackson
UFC 73: Heath Herring vs. Antonio Rodrigo Nogueira
UFC 72: Rich Franklin vs. Yushin Okami
8/11
UFC 74: Randy Couture vs. Gabriel Gonzaga
UFC 75: Mirko Filipovic vs. Cheick Kongo
UFC 75: Quinton Jackson vs. Dan Henderson
8/18
UFC 76: Kazuhiro Nakamura vs. Lyoto Machida
UFC 76: Forrest Griffin vs. Mauricio Rua
UFC 77: Anderson Silva vs. Rich Franklin
8/25
UFC 79: Chuck Liddell vs. Wanderlei Silva
UFC 79: Matt Hughes vs. Georges St. Pierre
UFC 78: Karo Parisyan vs. Ryo Chonan
9/8
UFC 81: Tim Sylvia vs. Antonio Rodrigo Nogueira
UFC 81: Frank Mir vs. Brock Lesnar
UFC 80: B. J. Penn vs. Joe Stevenson
9/15
UFC 82: Anderson Silva vs. Dan Henderson
UFC 82: Yushin Okami vs. Evan Tanner
UFC 83: Matt Serra vs. Georges St. Pierre
9/22
UFC 84: Wanderlei Silva vs. Keith Jardine
UFC 84: Tito Ortiz vs. Lyoto Machida
UFC 84: B. J. Penn vs. Sean Sherk
9/29
UFC 86: Forrest Griffin vs. Quinton Jackson
UFC 87: Brock Lesnar vs. Heath Herring
UFC 87: Georges St. Pierre vs. Jon Fitch
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Japan-MMA.com: UFC Coming on TV in Japan!
Note how a majority of the matches include either a Japanese fighter, or an old PRIDE mainstay. Lesnar has done some wrasslin in Japan so he is another logical pick. The only guys who are largely unfamiliar to Japanese MMA fans that pop up more than once are GSP, B.J. Penn and Lyoto Machida