Jorge Santiago Released

http://www.mmafighting.com/2011/02/08/jorge-santiago-released-from-sengoku/

The current Sengoku Middle Weight Champion, Jorge Santiago was released earlier today by the floundering promotion and is looking State side for a new contract and new challenges. 
Yes Santiago was KO'd by some mid to top level competition in the UFC a few years ago, but he has rounded out his game and can make a big addition to any promotion. While i feel he has a few more fights left before making the jump back into the UFC, Strikeforce's very thin middlewight class could use the added juice. And some interesting fights with Jacre and Mayham lie there, but id really like to see him smash through the bellator tourney and put some big hands on Hector Lombard and make a case as to who each of these fighters really are...

Good news to me. Sengoku and JMMA are in trouble and it would suck to see him stuck without interesting fights.

definately just another sign that the japanese MMA market is done, maybe not so much the market, but more or less the promotions. . . .  Perhaps the UFC and SF HW tournament can reinvigorate the japanese people.

@bklettke i agree completely, while i think there financial situation has them in bad shape, another investor/promotion will present themsleves eventually, 

@bklettkeI agree with you, while i feel the JMMA market is financially in really bad shape, another investor/promotion will present itself soon enough, hopefully. Its too ingrained into the japanese culture to not have fighting sports there, growing pains possibly....
BUT, good news for western fans as the influx of the japan only talent makes its way state side, this could be the year we see some big super fights that may not have been possible just a few years ago.

im really hoping some fighters come to the US. id be intersting to see who can compete and who lacks the necessary skills.