Here is some info I found floating around the net...
Mixed Martial Arts Brands Ready for Fierce Battle
By Park Song-wu
Staff Reporter
This year will likely see the biggest fight ever in mixed martial arts (MMA) between Bob Sapp and Mike Tyson, as the former NFL offensive lineman set his sights squarely on the former heavyweight champ after beating sumo wrestler-turned-fighter Akebono in their highly-touted K-1 bout in Japan on Dec. 31.
Tyson has signed a contract with K-1 but it remains to be seen if he will lace up the gloves. If he does it will be an extremely rare match between two giants of the fighting biz, but that is one of the biggest draws MMA can offer to fans who love to watch fighters from various backgrounds duke it out.
If the Sapp vs. Tyson match goes ahead, it will likely attract the attention of fight fans who have never heard of K-1, Pride FC or Ultimate Fighting Championship (UFC) _ the world's top MMA brands.
The fight could send shockwaves around the world and especially so in South Korea, an emerging MMA market where three local brands started up last year.
Judging that the market here is large and lucrative with youngsters exchanging cards and T-shirts of their favorite warriors, the Spirit MC blazed the trail in April. NeoFight and Strikick got started a few months later with a number of mediocre brands following on.
Everybody, however, knows that three major brands are more than enough in this small country. That is why organizers for each brand will likely make a risky wager this year by betting all their available resources to grab the lion's share of the market.
Despite such daring determination, few events are fixed for this year as the MMA market here is still in its infancy and it is a sort of off-season. Many of the projects are still on the drawing board.
Spirit MC _ a Korean version of Pride FC, a Japanese brand featuring open-finger gloves, allowing fighters both standing and grappling skills _ will launch an international amateur championship at the KBS 88 Stadium in Seoul on Feb. 7.
For the first time in its two-year history, non-Korean fighters can attend the amateur league, which will be offered to fans for free. Winners can earn a ticket to the main Spirit MC championships that will be held in Seoul four to six times this year.
NeoFight, which is similar in rules with Spirit MC but limits grappling time to speed up the bouts, will host about five championships this year, including the heavyweight title bouts in Seoul on March 20.
They also plan to hold an event in Pusan in April to reach out to MMA fans outside of Seoul.
Strikick is similar with K-1, allowing fighters to use only kicks and punches. No ground skills are permitted.
One noteworthy point is that Strikick hosts daily matches, except Sundays, from 9 p.m. at Gimme Five, a live sports and entertainment restaurant, located in the COEX Mall in Samsung-dong, southwestern Seoul.
Sitting at a table in the multi-purpose hall, fight fans may get a taste of what it was like to be a spectator at an amphitheater in Rome, eating bread and watching gladiators battle it out.
While the market here still developing the venues are varied, from the octagonal ring for Spirit MC to the dining table for Strikick.
The three domestic brands, however, face some stiff competition as fans can watch overseas fights on satellite broadcasters. The bar has been raised and the domestic brands have to provide the same level of excitement as the world's best.
With all major sports struggling financially, the big three MMA brands are not immune from money woes. The future is murky but the picture is expected to clear up this year as nobody will likely pour funds into a business that is a money-loser for long.
One year is a very short time for organizers to find ways to stay alive, but they know well that they are in a market where only the fittest can survive.
im@koreatimes.co.kr
01-06-2004 16:44