Rinya Nakamura

Hybrid

Japan

Added to UFC 311
BantamweightUFC
October 9, 2024
Nakamura will take on Muin Gafurov in a bantamweight matchup at UFC 311 on January 18, Marcel Dorff of Eurosport.nl reports.
ANALYSIS
Since getting his opportunity via Road to the UFC and cruising with a POTN-winning effort, Nakamura has cruised to a 3-0 record with the company and 9-0 record overall. Instead of giving him a step up in opponent, the UFC will hand him an Gafurov, who is coming off a win but is 1-2 with the company overall (1-3 if you count his Contender Series defeat). Both men have an identical height and reach on paper, but just about every other striking and grappling statistic lies in favor of Nakamura, who will likely find himself a sizable betting favorite.
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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.
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.