Japan’s and the Axis’ success and failure was Siberia. Siberia contained all of the land, mineral, timber, and oil resources coveted by Japan. Invading it would have distracted the soviets enough to have allowed the Germans to destroy its armies in the west. In the end it was Japan’s racism towards the Chinese that did not permit them to disengage and turn their armies and ambitions northward.
Racism played a great part in war planning and execution(And Still plays in the East to a great deal today)
I’m not saying that MMA is analogous to war, but the will to win is there. In North America, the Will to Win is at the top of competition. In Japan, Korea, and China, it tends to be a lets see our Race beat the foreign can. The idea of who is the best fighter is center here, there who is the better Race is center.
Hell we didn’t think a buncha “Chink Laundrymen” couldn’t thump us in Korea until they sent two million of them at us. No, they couldn’t thump us, but it was bloody as hell and a rough f’ng war