Athletes
Rinya Nakamura: 'It Is My Destiny'
Undefeated Bantamweight Rinya Nakamura Aims To Continue His Rise With A Statement Win Over Muin Gafurov At UFC 311: Makhachev vs Moicano
Undefeated Japanese bantamweight Rinya Nakamura (9-0-0) competes at his first numbered UFC event on Saturday when he battles the vastly more experienced Tajikistan fighter Muin Gafurov (19-6-0) at UFC 311 in Inglewood, California.
The 29-year-old from Saitama is one of his country’s brightest prospects and brings a world-class amateur wrestling pedigree and a hybrid style to the Octagon.
Order UFC 311: Makhachev vs Moicano
Nakamura was a standout freestyle wrestler on the Japanese team and, after winning the u23 World Championships in 2017, was tipped for glory at the senior level and was in contention to qualify for the Tokyo 2020 Olympic Games.
When the Olympics was postponed due to the COVID-19 pandemic, Nakamura boldly opted to hang up his wrestling boots at the age of 25 to pursue mixed martial arts and chase his boyhood dream of becoming a UFC champion.
“Ever since I can remember, the only job I wanted was to be a professional fighter,” Nakamura told the UFC.
“I'm so happy that I can move people's hearts by competing and flying the flag for Japan that I even cry about it sometimes during my training.
“I believe that the Olympic challenge was good motivation, but I believe that it is my destiny and mission to compete here in the UFC and that it is a challenge given to me by God.”
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Leaving wrestling, a sport he had practiced for 20 years since the age of five and had excelled at, was a surprisingly easy decision.
“I didn't think all that long about it; I had already been practicing different martial arts while I was still wrestling.”
Nakamura grew up in Saitama, 30km outside of Tokyo, and was an avid fan of the colossal PRIDE Fighting Championships, which held their famed events nearby at Saitama Super Arena.
Rinya Nakamura Knocks Out Kazama | UFC Fight Night: Lewis vs Spivac
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Rinya Nakamura Knocks Out Kazama | UFC Fight Night: Lewis vs Spivac
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Many Japanese fighters have competed in both PRIDE and UFC, such as UFC Hall of Famer Kazushi Sakuraba and Yushin Okami and Nakamura was never short of inspirational fighters to idolize.
“I grew up watching PRIDE, so it's very strange and exciting for me to be on this stage, in the world’s number one organization, where many of my predecessors who I admired have fought.”
How To Watch UFC 311 In Your Country
The most vivid memory of Nakamura’s childhood was a life-changing time when his family invited then-UFC star Carlos Newton to live with them.
“Carlos used to live at our house when I was little,” Nakamura recalls gleefully.
“He often trained and fought in Japan and the belt he took from Pat Miletich (UFC welterweight championship), he gave to us a gift and it was in our home.
“When I was a child, I used to watch videos of that title fight all the time to motivate me and to visualize myself winning a UFC title.
“Carlos used to take me out to places, was very kind to me, and we still speak regularly.”
While Nakamura has adopted some of Newton’s poses and mannerisms, including the famous Dragon Ball scream, he has developed his own fighting style, one which has earned him the nickname “Hybred.”
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A student of the fight game, the Japanese star competed all over the world in wrestling and has recently trained in South Korea and Mongolia as he develops his ever-growing skillset.
Despite only making his MMA debut in 2021, Nakamura’s accelerated route to the upper echelons of the sport saw the UFC come calling just 12 months into his new career in 2022 to invite him to compete in the Road to UFC tournament.
He won two fights in the tournament before sensationally stopping his compatriot Toshiomi Kazama by knockout in just 33 seconds to the win the series and a place in the UFC in 2023.
Japan’s blossoming UFC newcomer followed up with a unanimous decision victory over Fernie Garcia in August 2023 and bested Carlos Vera via the same manner in February 2024.
Nakamura has had to wait 11 months since then to get back into the Octagon after fracturing his wrist last year.
"I opted for conservative treatment without surgery. I didn't think it would take this long at all and it was a really stressful year for me, not being able to move actively.”
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Now, aiming to make up for lost time and coming back from the longest period of inactivity of his burgeoning career, the humble Japanese hope, whose English skills are also notable, is aiming to go 10-0 at the Intuit Dome on the biggest stage of his career.
“I'm so happy to be fighting on such a big event. There are two UFC title fights on the card but I'm not thinking about it too much because I want to stay focused on my opponent. Although, it has gone through my mind that a win over Gafurov, who also trains with the champion Merab Dvalishvili, could catapult me into bigger fights.”
Tajik fighter Gafurov, 28, who boasts a strong combat sambo background, is coming off a decision win – his first triumph in the Octagon – over South Korea’s Kyung Ho Kang from June 2024.
Nakamura has studied Gafurov’s style and is wary of his finishing ability.
“As you can see in his finishing percentage, he always aims to finish and hits with big punches and kicks, using good combinations, as well. He is also good at guillotine submissions.”
As for a potential clash of sambo against wrestling, the unbeaten fighter believes that he has the edge.
“The Japanese style of wrestling is strong, and my wrestling is powerful, so I think it will be a level of wrestling that he has never experienced before. I'm going to show everyone all the things I’ve been working on in my camp.”
Nakamura has prepared for his eagerly awaited return by training at LDH Martial Arts and retired ex-PRIDE fighter Hiroyuki Takaya’s FIGHT FARM dojo in his homeland, as well as a two-month spell at American Top Team.
As he lives out his dreams on Saturday, and bids to edge closer to a potential UFC title shot, Nakamura will do so empowered with what he holds dearly as the most cherished piece of advice that he has received.
Fellow wrestler-turned fighter Erson Yamamoto, the nephew of the late great, ex-UFC fighter and Japanese legend Kid Yamamoto - and someone who Nakamura has trained with extensively – offered four words of encouragement to his close friend.
"Live in the moment”
By doing exactly that, Nakamura believes he can win and entertain the fans in the process.
"Fans can definitely expect a finish win from me on Saturday,” he says with a smile.
"My career is still young, but I want to show everyone how much I've evolved, and I want to make everyone at home in Japan proud.”
UFC 311: Makhachev vs Moicano took place live from Intuit Dome in Inglewood, California on January 18, 2025. See the final Prelim & Main Card Results, Official Scorecards and Who Won Bonuses - and relive the action on UFC FIGHT PASS!