What Bob Sapp Can Teach the UFC

When it comes to Mixed Martial Arts, the Japanese seem to possess an admirable indifference towards the trivialities of the west. Menial matters such as determining the finest 155 lb fighter in the world are allayed in favour of pitting a 6’4" former American footballer against the fictional 59th Prince of "Planet Muscle" in a battle to the metaphorical end.

It is the spectacle. It is the cartoon. It is the reason that Bob Sapp and not Chuck Liddell adorn the advertisement boards of Tokyo City.

On December 31, 2008, American Bob Sapp, a fighter of size and little else, defeated Kinniku Mantaro, the aforementioned animated royalty, via strikes after five minutes and twenty-two seconds in front of a capacity crowd of 25,634 in the Saitama Super Arena. 

Understandably, dimensional limitations prohibited Sapp from actually fighting Mantaro and so in his stead stood Japanese wrestling standout, Akihito Tanaka pretending to be the cartoon hero, in a mask.

It was an unusual fight. Introduced by what appeared to be an Asian Leo Sayer complete with resplendent blonde afro and pink suit, it was immediately clear that Tanaka was taking his role very seriously.

Despite heavily outweighing his opponent, Sapp was taken down within the opening ten seconds. Tanaka could do little more than land futile punches against the comparative bulk of the American’s head, however and when they eventually stood up, several wild blows from Sapp forced the referee to mercifully intervene. The victor celebrated with an impromptu and surprisingly nimble performance of the robot. 

Sapp’s career in combat sport began in fittingly auspicious circumstances. In 2000, the Oakland Raiders became the fourth NFL team in successive seasons to deem him surplus to requirements. Low in both confidence and funds he took a job within a funeral parlour, moving coffins. The 380-pound former offensive lineman found himself at a crossroads.  

Struggling to find a suitable outlet for his enormous frame and charisma, Sapp approached the now-defunct professional wrestling organisation WCW, with a character that would serve him well from that day forth: "The Beast." Known for his primitive fighting style and haunting laugh, it became the prototype for his characterisation in Japan.

Alas, Sapp’s stay in the WCW would prove to be as fruitful as his tenure in the NFL and it wasn’t long before he once again found himself directionless. Through despondency as much as anything else Sapp agreed to the fight that would shape his eastern odyssey.

The FX network in America were putting together a curious card of "Toughman" fights, in which largely untrained celebrities and former athletes partook in a series of boxing bouts. Sapp was matched against former NFL superstar William "The Refrigerator" Perry and duly dispatched of his woeful opponent in the second of three scheduled rounds.

Largely dismissed by nearly all who watched as little more than a further example of trash TV, the fight did however attract the attention of one discerning viewer, K-1 founder Master Kazuyoshi Ishii.

Ishii saw in Sapp a potential marketing phenomena unlike any previous in Japan. Cartoonish in both appearance and personality, he looked like no other fighter, spoke like no other fighter and acted like no other fighter. In the build-up to his third fight against Cyril Abidi, Sapp stared intently into the camera and promptly continued to devour a picture of his opponent, before unleashing his trademark ghoulish laugh and Japan was hooked.

To date Sapp is believed to have accrued more than $10 million dollars from his stint in Japan. He is the face of over four hundred products ranging from the mundane ("Bob Sapp caramel corn") to the disturbing (Bob Sapp sex toys). He hosts his own hidden camera show and saw his debut rap album, the inventively titled, "Sapp Time" reach a respectable number fourteen in the Japanese popular charts.

What makes Sapp’s success all the more spectacular is that it has been achieved with a highly questionable fighting ability. Sapp has always lost against the faintest hint of a high calibre opponent.

Nogueria quickly solved the puzzle his giant mass poses and subsequently caught him with an armbar, Filipovic delivered an orbital bone shattering knockout within 86 seconds and Jan "The Giant" Nordte took under a minute to end their fight in February, 2008.

He holds a record padded out with questionable wins over undersized fighters, and yet Sapp remains one of the most influential figures in world MMA. The UFC would do well to take notice of the route Sapp has taken to success in the Asian market. He highlights that in Japan, popularity is a by-product of entertainment rather than success.

Speaking after UFC 94, Dana White, in typically brash form, expressed his desire to return the enterprise to the east, some nine years after their last excursion.

"The Japanese market has always been important to me. It's a very, very, very tough place to navigate and do business. But, fuck 'em. We're going to do it anyway. They will not stop me from going into Japan"

One way in which the UFC will attempt to do this, is by introducing a greater number of Japanese fighters. The high profile courting and signing of Olympic gold medallist, Satoshi Ishii may go some way to achieving this ambition, but the vast differences between the MMA promotions currently operating in the east and west suggest that a more encompassing approach may be required.

Japanese MMA can at times resemble the hammed theatrics of professional wrestling. Fighters are often attributed gimmicks, whether wanted or not, and the use of Titan-trons and colourful managers could have been lifted directly from the WWE. Ultimately the UFC may have to slightly adjust their, ‘‘As Real as It Gets’’ mantra when it comes to the promotion of their organisation in Japan.

The incredible success of Sapp, points to cultural differences which revolve around the promotion and marketing of MMA, rather than variants in rules or quality of roster. The UFC may have to incorporate some of the more theatrical aspects of these Japanese promotions if they are to prove successful over there.

It is the spectacle. It is the cartoon. It is the difference between Anderson Silva descending a metallic ramp impersonating Michael Jackson in Pride and his altogether more menacing entrance to DMX in the UFC.

On December 30, 2008 during a pre-fight speech worthy of the veteran showman, Sapp, postured menacingly upright, chest fully inflated, staring intently at his masked opponent, delivered the poignant line: "Tomorrow, my opponent will face his worst nightmare: reality!" Ironically given the wonderfully eccentric nature of Japanese MMA, reality may always play a secondary role.