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By: Jamie Penick, MMATorch Editor-in-Chief
Strikeforce has taken a step towards building a presence in Japan, as Fighter's Only reports that they have secured a deal to broadcast their Heavyweight World Grand Prix events on pay-per-view in the country.
Per the report, the deal is with SkyPerfect, and will begin with the February 12 event in New Jersey, headlined by the quarterfinal bout between Fedor Emelianenko and Antonio "Bigfoot" Silva.
With the organization publicly discussing the possibility of running one of the World Grand Prix events in Japan, this is a step towards gaining a foothold. How successful a step remains to be seen, but it gets them exposure on television with a few names who have been notables in Japan, the biggest of which are Fedor and Josh Barnett.
The February 12 event also features the quarterfinal bout between Andrei Arlovski and Sergei Kharitonov, while the remaining two quarterfinals - Alistair Overeem vs. Fabricio Werdum and Josh Barnett vs. Brett Rogers - have yet to be scheduled.
Penick's Analysis: This is a positive move for Strikeforce to gain visibility, though how much visibility this type of thing will gain in Japan is up for debate. But with FEG's troubles and the viewership dropping for other events in Japan, an alternative with names known to the Japanese fans could get them some positive numbers. At any rate, it's a good move for Strikeforce.
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Jamie Penick, editor-in-chief
(mmatorcheditor@gmail.com)
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