When DREAM and PRIDE were in their heyday about 10 to 15 years ago, Japan might have been considered the epicenter of mixed martial arts around the world.
Those days are mostly over now. A number of organizations still remain, but the world's most important MMA circuit is probably the U.S.-based Ultimate Fighting Championship, which purchase PRIDE in 2007, headed by president Dana White.
There is a considerable amount of talent still coming out of Japan, however, and the market remains important on a global scale. This is why White has brought a UFC event to Japan each of the past two years and will do the same again in September. It's also part of the reason UFC has joined with Vale Tudo Japan, in what the company calls a "ground-breaking deal," to produce a tournament series that will air on Japanese television.