The Doggy Bag: Inside King Mo’s Court Edition

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I admit this is a strange question but one that I am very curious about: could a promotion other than the UFC have the best event, or one of the best events, in a calendar year? Strikeforce or Bellator -- could they top a UFC card with an event full of finishes? It seems with the WEC gone, it's impossible. On a similar note, what are some of the best non-UFC events so far this year and are there are any others that could come together before the end of 2012? --Alex from Mexico City

Chris Nelson, associate editor: The great thing about MMA right now is also the really frustrating thing about MMA right now: there’s just so much going on everywhere, all the time, that it’s virtually impossible to keep track of. No matter how closely you keep tabs, you’re all but guaranteed to miss some great show. So, keeping in mind that the greatest non-Zuffa show so far this year could well have been a smoker in Malaysia or a little card at an armory in Kentucky, here’s what I’ve enjoyed.

Of course, the first name that has to be mentioned is Bellator. While their undercard bouts often leave something to be desired, their tournament matchups have ranged from solid to spectacular so far this season. The featherweight quarterfinals at Bellator 60 on March 9 were a great example, not to mention Pat Curran’s blistering knockout of Joe Warren. Last week’s Bellator 62 lightweight tourney fights were excellent, as well, and the event was perhaps even aided by the loss of the Season 5 heavyweight tournament final.

Outside of the US, one name that springs to mind when it comes to consistently entertaining cards is Shooto. Granted, one’s enjoyment of Japan’s longest-running MMA organization will always depend on how much you like the lower weight classes. Case in point: the March 10 “3rd Round” show at Korakuen Hall in Tokyo, which featured no fighter above 155 pounds. While it wasn’t packed with flashy finishes -- seven of nine bouts went to the judges’ scorecards -- it did offer some major shakeups. The org’s top bantamweight prospect, heavy handed Kyoji Horiguchi, proved himself in the main event by punching out experienced grappler Tetsu Suzuki. At flyweight, South Korea’s Nam Jin Jo edged former champ Shinichi Kojima and Shooto ranker Haruo Ochi topped reigning Pancrase champ Kiyotaka Shimizu.

As always, the problem is that people outside of Japan don’t get the chance to watch Shooto unless they’re scouring YouTube for weeks afterward. The same is true for any number of excellent cards which have taken place in Brazil so far this year, like Max Fight in Sao Paulo or the MMA Against Dengue benefits in Rio de Janeiro. One promotion this is never a problem for is the U.K.’s Cage Warriors Fighting Championship, which streams all of its events through MMAJunkie.com. In addition to interesting international matchmaking, CWFC events seem more often than not to be filled with brutal finishes and bloody scraps.

Looking forward, one has to like the direction that Asian orgs like One FC and Legend Fighting Championship are moving in. One FC has been coaxing bigger and bigger names to its cage, in part thanks to its ties with Dream, while Legend has continued to build exciting stars exclusively from the Asia-Pacific; both have put on solid events so far this year and promise more to come. Domestically, the “World Series of MMA” brewing in Las Vegas has potential, but it’s still too early to tell.

Then again, if you just want to see a dude roll to the ring in a tank, there’s always KSW in Poland.

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