Inside a country historically steeped in mixed martial arts, the Japanese MMA community still feels small -- not small in a negative sense but rather tightly knit. Once you’re part of it, odds are you’re going to see the same faces every day you’re involved in the sport.

One such face belongs to Deep promoter Shigeru Saeki. You’ll often find him walking around backstage at any show in Japan, laughing it up with fighters or other bigwig promoters. He might also be on his cell phone, brokering some important deal. He’s always doing something.

Saeki’s hard to miss. Not only does he command attention as a rather hefty man, but he’s always tending to some kind of business -- even if he’s at a show that’s not his own. Unlike other promotional figureheads in Japan, the jolly, cherubic Saeki gives off a unique sense of genuine importance and involvement.

Think of him as cut from the same cloth as UFC President Dana White -- without the cursing and more open to spreading joy while getting the job done.

“Personally, I think that I have the most open mind in Japan as far as promoters go, and that my jokes are funny enough to help me relate to people,” Saeki says.

It’s a refreshing change in a country where everyone tends to fall in line. Such traits have made him successful, as Saeki’s Deep organization has become the busiest promotion in Japan.

“There are gyms with great fighters all over Japan who haven't had the spotlight, and that's why we travel a lot,” Saeki says. “It requires a great deal of cooperation from the different promoters and gyms throughout Japan, however, so my character has helped me develop strong relationships with them. I wouldn't be able to travel like this unless I had their help.”

Virtually all Japanese MMA shows take place in Tokyo, as the economics of adhering to the professional wrestling tradition of “traveling shows” has made events outside the capital prohibitively expensive. Still, Deep has carved out a niche in continuing to do so.

“Honestly, it isn't the best thing for business, but I think that if we keep this up, it will eventually pay off,” Saeki says. “There's been an influx of good new fighters recently, and I want them all to get at least four fights a year. The regional shows are good for that.”

Not only exceptional as a roving attraction, Deep also serves as a serious platform for women’s MMA. Despite popular belief, no Japanese promotion beyond Smackgirl and Deep has seriously showcased women’s MMA as a main attraction. With rumors of Smackgirl’s demise all but confirmed, the responsibility of carrying the women’s MMA banner could fall squarely on Saeki’s shoulders.

“It’s unfortunate about Smackgirl’s postponements, but there has been a big movement within Deep regarding this,” Saeki says. “We are now in the final stages of deciding on whether to go ahead with a female-only event within the Deep family and will announce our decision soon.”

However, Deep -- like Smackgirl -- does not employ full MMA rules for women’s fights, despite how prominently they are featured. While Saeki looks to spearhead the next big push for females in the sport, he remains unsure as to whether or not a full rule set would be a good idea.

“I don’t discriminate between men or women; I think we're all equal, unlike, say, Shooto, who tends to put women’s fights at the very beginning of their cards,” Saeki says. “We put women in big fights and in the spotlight of our main cards. But I'm really debating whether to allow punches to the face on the ground for female bouts. I'm hesitant at the moment. It depends on how the times are, what fans want and how they’d react to something like that.”

As a promoter who has found success where others have not -- with female fighters and nationwide touring -- one would be hard pressed to pinpoint why Saeki has flourished when many of his peers have failed. It’s difficult enough to survive as a regional fight show in Japan without accruing huge debt in the dark days that have followed the “kakutogi boom.” Still, Deep clings to its place in the local MMA scene.

“I wouldn't be able to comment because I never realized that there was [a boom],” Saeki says. “Maybe for K-1 and Pride there was, but for myself, Shooto, Pancrase, GCM and ZST, we didn't really feel one.”

So where then does the promotion’s success originate? Another ingredient in Deep’s triumphs comes from the time-honored tradition of spectacle, which appears to work well in Japan.

“This year will be Deep’s eighth, so Japanese fans probably know what we do best by now,” Saeki says. “We're an MMA promotion, but we're also an entertainment company.”

Deep’s roster of fighters is a wide-ranging mix of characters and competitors.

“We have all kinds -- funny fighters, serious fighters, fat fighters, small fighters, really tough fighters and not so tough fighters,” Saeki says. “We want people to enjoy our shows, so that's why our rules are the way they are, and why we book the fights the way we do -- like our female fights and things like the megaton grand prix.”

Deep serves as an extension of Saeki’s desire to enjoy and share the experience with fans.

Where history taught the savvy Pride Fighting Championship fan to expect at least one “freak show” bout per event, Saeki this year booked an entire tournament in the spirit of the “freak show” match. Curiously, the megaton tournament was a runaway hit with hardcore fans, despite traditional misgivings of similar bouts in Japanese MMA’s past.

“With all the fights in the megaton tournament, and women’s MMA fights like Miku [Matsumoto’s] in Deep 37, it’s not really technical skills that we are able to show people,” Saeki says. “It’s fighters’ spirit and passion. I think a lot of our success is being able to show people these feelings.”

In the same vein as the megaton tournament, Saeki has been known to insert himself into the picture, as the heavy-set promoter has donned the rash guard on several occasions for tag team grappling exhibitions with his promotion’s stars. This year, “Big Shige” has been in the ring with Hidehiko Hasegawa, Satoko Shinashi, Masakazu Imanari and Shinya Aoki.

“This kind of matchmaking happens whenever I feel like I need to be involved in an event,” Saeki says with a hearty laugh. “I just write myself in.”

Though most English-speaking MMA fans weren’t able to see Tito Ortiz and White butt heads in the ring, Japanese fans were afforded the opportunity to watch Imanari and Aoki go to town on their own boss. Saeki lost in cruel and torturous fashion each time.

“They can't really read the atmosphere very well,” Saeki says. “When I was grappling at the party, I was really gunning to tap Shinashi out, but then she tagged Aoki in and then I had to deal with him. I've already fought too much this year, but I will certainly fight again. Really, I'll do whatever I can to make an event fun and exciting. If that means stepping in the ring, too, I'm going to do it.”