Trained In Japan, Maximo Blanco Looking For Success In America

Venezuelan born lightweight, and former King of Pancrase Champion, Maximo Blanco (8-2-1, 1NC) has taken a route to the world of mixed martial arts, similar too, but very different from, many of the peers he has found, and will find himself competing against.
The Japanese product, yes Japan, is set to make his North American debut this September when he faces former Strikeforce champ Josh ‘The Punk’ Thomson at an upcoming Strikeforce event expected to take place on Sept. 10.
Blanco grew up in Venezuela, trading Tae Kwon Do for wrestling, which led him to being offered a full scholarship on the Sendai Ikuei Gakuen High School’s inaugural wrestling team in Japan. While wrestling in Japan he was scouted a second time, this time by the Nihon University who offered him another full scholarship to wrestle for them.
Certainly growing into adulthood in a foreign country can be difficult for any young person, especially in a place like Japan where certain moral codes are all but alien to those who have never lived in the land of the rising sun.
Tony Loiseleur of Sherdog.com helps to detail some of Blanco’s life in this great article (it’s a bit of a long read but very interesting) on the fighter and his time in Japan, who made the easy transition from wrestling to mixed martial arts.
Throughout that time, he had always had sponsors to help support his training. With the decline of mma in Japan, those sponsors have since dried up and Blanco is now looking to come to America to continue his career.
He has one thing in mind, “My goal is to get the UFC title.”

“I don’t have any family in the States, but I do know there’s a large Latin American community there. I hope that they’ll put their support behind me,” he says, suddenly realizing that he will be less of a foreigner in the U.S. than he was in Japan. “Also, since I’ll be nearer to Venezuela, I’ll hopefully be able to see my family more often and maybe have them come visit me.”
“I’m going [to the U.S.] to win, no matter who I face. I’m excited about it. You can use the cage to do techniques that you’re just not able to do in the ring, like walking on the cage before throwing a kick.”
“My goal is to get the UFC title.”
I remind him that the lightweight division remains the most competitive division in the world and that making his way to a title shot in the UFC — let alone capturing the gold — will be no small feat.
“Yes, it is,” he says, still smiling from ear to ear, “but even if it’s competitive, give me two years. I will be the champion.”

As I stated, the article is certainly worth the read and it helps to build the anticipation for Blanco’s Strikeforce debut.
With so many Japanese fighters finding little success in North America, it begs the question, can a fighter like Blanco who was not born in that country but trained exclusively there, find success on this side of the Pacific Ocean? I guess we’ll find out on Sept. 10.