SINGAPORE – Bantamweight UFC hopeful Rinya Nakamura turned some heads with his impressive performance in the opening round of Road to UFC, but hopes the next round and beyond will continue to elevate interest in his home country.
At Episode 3 of “Road to UFC” on Friday, Nakamura (5-0) tapped Gugun Gusman in the first round with a deep keylock that looked extremely painful and could have potentially caused damage.
“He might have sprained his shoulder, but I didn’t hear a sound,” Nakamura said in English during the post-fight news conference.
The win keeps Nakamura’s record unblemished and sets up a semifinal matchup against fellow countryman Kazama Toshiomi in a bout that he hopes will get the Japanese fanbase energized.
“I’m excited this is going to be a Japanese vs. Japanese fighter,” Nakamura told reporters through an interpreter during the post-fight news conference. “This is a good chance to revitalize the Japanese MMA community, so I’m really excited about that also.”
Depending on how the other semifinal matchup goes, there is potential for an all-Japan final in the bantamweight tournament bracket if Shohei Nose defeats South Korea’s Kim Min Woo. Japan also has a featherweight representative alive in the tournament as well, with Koyomi Matsushima set to face China’s Yi Zha in the semifinal.
Check out Nakamura’s full post-fight interview in the video above.
