Rinya Nakamura

Hybrid

Japan

Leans on wrestling in victory
BantamweightUFC
February 17, 2024
Nakamura defeated Carlos Vera via unanimous decision (30-27, 30-27, 30-27) at UFC 298 on Saturday in Anaheim.
ANALYSIS
Nakamura won this fight going away. He landed all three of his takedown attempts and was credited with 13:03 worth of control time -- a ridiculous number for a 15-minute bout. That said, it would have been nice to see Nakamura fight with some urgency and earn the finish given he entered as upwards of a -1300 favorite. The result here was never in doubt. When facing lower-level opponents, it's more about making a statement than anything else, and this felt like a missed opportunity for the 28-year-old. That said, Nakamura remains one of the most promising fighters in the sport today. The UFC is going to have to give him a bump up in competition his next time out.
Read More News
Fight Log
Loading Fight Log...
Recent RotoWire Articles Featuring Rinya Nakamura See More
UFC 298 Preview and Predictions: The MMA Mashup
84 days ago
The most intriguing MMA bets, top DFS picks across multiple sites, and predictions for this weekend's UFC 298 card are live before Saturday's event, courtesy of Chris Olson.
Drake's Takes: UFC 298 Volkanovski vs. Topuria
84 days ago
The top MMA betting and DFS plays for this weekend's UFC 298 card are up and courtesy of Drake Burden, who breaks down betting and lineup strategy, as well as offers predictions for the entire event.
DraftKings MMA: UFC 298 DFS Preview
86 days ago
UFC 298 takes place Saturday, and Jon Litterine is back to break down the top fights, plus offer his DFS picks and predictions for the key matchups on the card.
UFC Singapore Preview and Predictions: The MMA Mashup
259 days ago
The most intriguing MMA bets, top DFS picks across multiple sites, and predictions for this weekend's UFC Singapore card are live before Saturday's event, courtesy of Chris Olson.
Drake's Takes: UFC Singapore Holloway vs. The Korean Zombie
259 days ago
The top MMA betting and DFS plays for this weekend's UFC Singapore card are up and courtesy of Drake Burden, who breaks down betting and lineup strategy, as well as offers predictions for the entire event.
More Fantasy News
Receives new opponent
BantamweightUFC
January 20, 2024
Nakamura will fight Carlos Vera at UFC 298 on Feb. 17, Marcel Dorff of Eurosport.nl reports.
ANALYSIS
Nakamura was originally slated to fight Brady Hiestand, but Hiestand was forced to withdraw for unknown reasons. Nakamura cruised to a victory over Fernie Garcia during his last fight in August, improving to 9-0 as a professional. He'll face Vera in what will be Vera's UFC debut.
No longer fighting Hiestand
BantamweightUFC
January 11, 2024
Nakamura is not fighting Brady Hiestand at UFC 298, according to Nolan King of USA Today.
ANALYSIS
Hiestand withdrew from the fight, citing undisclosed reasons. Hiestand's withdrawal leaves Nakamura in a state of limbo as the UFC tries to find a replacement for him to fight.
Scheduled against Hiestand
BantamweightUFC
December 18, 2023
Nakamura is scheduled to compete against Brady Hiestand in a bantamweight fight at UFC 298 in Anaheim on Feb. 17, according to Marcel Dorff of Eurosport.nl.
ANALYSIS
Nakamura will look to improve his UFC record to 3-0 and MMA record to 9-0. Hiestand is 2-1 across his last three fights and 7-2 in MMA, giving both fighters bantamweight opponents on relatively equal form and with nine bouts of experience each.
Cruises as biggest favorite on card
BantamweightUFC
August 26, 2023
Nakamura defeated Fernie Garcia via unanimous decision (30-26, 30-27, 30-27) at UFC Fight Night on Saturday in Singapore.
ANALYSIS
Nakamura got his wrestling game going early and often in this one. He finished with just a 56-50 edge in terms of total strikes landed, but he also connected on at least one takedown in each round and was credit with 9:26 worth of control time over course of the 15-minute bout. It was the exact type of dominant effort you would expect from a -1000 favorite. Nakamura is short of where he needs to be in terms of experience at age 28, with just eight professional bouts under his belt, so it's imperative he get back in the Octagon as soon as possible, especially following fights such as this one in which he sustained little damage.
Remains undefeated as pro
BantamweightUFC
February 5, 2023
Nakamura defeated Toshiomi Kazama via KO (punches) at 0:33 of Round 1 at UFC Fight Night on Saturday in Las Vegas.
ANALYSIS
Of all the fighters competing in the "Road to UFC" finals this evening, Nakamura appears to be the guy with the most long-term potential by a country mile. It was on display here. Known as a wrestler by trade, Nakamura went out and destroyed Kazma on the feet, landing two massive knockdowns and one vicious follow-up shot before referee Keith Peterson could jump in to save Kazama. Nakamura improves to a perfect 7-0 as a professional, with six of those wins coming via stoppage. This particular stoppage would also go on to earn him one of four $50,000 Performance of the Night bonuses awarded on the evening.