UFC 144: Dana White Says It Was a "Long, Hard-Fought Battle" to Return to Japan

It's been over a decade since the UFC made their last trip to Japan, but they finally return this weekend with one of the most anticipated cards of the year.

However, like most of their international-expansion efforts, it wasn't necessarily an easy task.

UFC President Dana White spoke to MMAFighting about the upcoming event this Saturday and admitted the company's hopes of a Japan return were jeopardized at one point.

"There's a lot of obstacles you have to jump over when you go and do business in other countries," White said. "This is a tough place to do business, and especially when the MMA scene just all of sudden collapsed here."

Mixed martial arts has been a mainstay in Japan for many years, with organizations such as PRIDE FC and DREAM  becoming a fixture within the culture. For a short period of time, PRIDE FC was arguably considered the best organization in the sport, boasting world-class talent such as Wanderlei Silva, Quinton "Rampage" Jackson and Fedor Emelianenko.

UFC 144 will feature seven fights on the main card, headlined by a lightweight championship bout between Frankie Edgar and Benson Henderson. And on such an occasion as this weekend, the UFC is hoping to not only promote some of their own talent, but also to attract a new fanbase and begin a long-lasting relationship with the Japanese fans.

White said it's only a matter of time before they generate the same success in Japan, as they did in other countries such as Canada, England and Brazil.

"Japan has been a long, hard-fought battle," he said. "Look at us in the United States. Look how long we were around before we got on television there. The same thing is going to happen here."