News Road to UFC Tournaments June 9-10

So I was listening to the Let's Talk JMMA podcast with Shu Hirata who is the agent for many japanese fighters, and he was saying how the UFC organized this all last minute and had trouble getting any top Japanese fighters since they didn't know how to reach them (going as far as a UFC official messaging one of the hosts asking him to get in contact with them)
 
JustHereToLurk said:
I was wondering if Shu would recommend getting Makoto Shinryu Takahashi into one of those events to fight a non-Asian fighter before 2022 Bellator Japan. He has only fought Japanese fighters so far and they're not relatively as big as other flyweights. I figure that Shu would want to showcase against bigger foreign guys like Rilley Dutro (who I think Shu or someone in his company also manages) or UFC vet Bruno Mesquita. Guys that have okay records but would provide a challenge to see where Makoto is at with the level of competition that they faced and their size. I was also thinking of Eric Shelton, but he might be too much for Makoto at this point.
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We shall see what the status of Rizin New Years is with all this new Fuji TV fall out.
 
TorontoTO said:
So I was listening to the Let's Talk JMMA podcast with Shu Hirata who is the agent for many japanese fighters, and he was saying how the UFC organized this all last minute and had trouble getting any top Japanese fighters since they didn't know how to reach them (going as far as a UFC official messaging one of the hosts asking him to get in contact with them)
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Tbf I think considering that they've done okay. Hopefully this becomes an annual thing.
 
Hellowhosthat said:
Tbf I think considering that they've done okay. Hopefully this becomes an annual thing.
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Rinya was the big get, but all the other Japanese guys are coming off losses in their last bouts or can crushers

it's funny to imagine Shelby furiously trying to get into contact with anyone who understands Japanese or scrolling through the fighter instagrams and messaging people.

Also sidenote, Merab is supposedly pretty popular in Japan because of his appearances in Kai's youtube videos.
 
TorontoTO said:
Rinya was the big get, but all the other Japanese guys are coming off losses in their last bouts or can crushers

it's funny to imagine Shelby furiously trying to get into contact with anyone who understands Japanese or scrolling through the fighter instagrams and messaging people.

Also sidenote, Merab is supposedly pretty popular in Japan because of his appearances in Kai's youtube videos.
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God I hope Rinya can keep winning, as described by Enson, he seems like a fearless warrior taking on a solid guy with only 3 wins in his bag. Japan needs an undefeated guy like him in the UFC to rebuild their confidence. Some of the other Japanese fighters aren't half bad as well. Yuma Horiuchi is one of the guys to look out for in his bracket and should realistically be 11-2 if the LFA judges were competent. Keisuke Sasu is on a streak and Koyomi Matsushima has solid experience in one with a win over Gafurov.

If a Japanese guy can't win a tournament though, I have a bad feeling that the setback for JMMA will be quite long.

Hellowhosthat said:
Tbf I think considering that they've done okay. Hopefully this becomes an annual thing.
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What divisions would look at for the next one based on the talent at asia?
 
JustHereToLurk said:
God I hope Rinya can keep winning, as described by Enson, he seems like a fearless warrior taking on a solid guy with only 3 wins in his bag. Japan needs an undefeated guy like him in the UFC to rebuild their confidence. Some of the other Japanese fighters aren't half bad as well. Yuma Horiuchi is one of the guys to look out for in his bracket and should realistically be 11-2 if the LFA judges were competent. Keisuke Sasu is on a streak and Koyomi Matsushima has solid experience in one with a win over Gafurov.

If a Japanese guy can't win a tournament though, I have a bad feeling that the setback for JMMA will be quite long.


What divisions would look at for the next one based on the talent at asia?
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I'd just stick with these divisions and do the odd non tournament fight for guys who are outliers like Kinoshita. Most talent from that part of the world seems to be 125 to 155.
 
TorontoTO said:
So I was listening to the Let's Talk JMMA podcast with Shu Hirata who is the agent for many japanese fighters, and he was saying how the UFC organized this all last minute and had trouble getting any top Japanese fighters since they didn't know how to reach them (going as far as a UFC official messaging one of the hosts asking him to get in contact with them)
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I completely believe this. The roster seems like a complete mishmash. The overall quality of guys seems much higher on DWCS.
 
Damn, I heard that Lajin Ba was the supposed dark horse for that bracket. Seki also barely won over Haraguchi, but congrats to him and Shu for having another fighter on that tournament.
 
JustHereToLurk said:
I was wondering if Shu would recommend getting Makoto Shinryu Takahashi into one of those events to fight a non-Asian fighter before 2022 Bellator Japan. He has only fought Japanese fighters so far and they're not relatively as big as other flyweights. I figure that Shu would want to showcase against bigger foreign guys like Rilley Dutro (who I think Shu or someone in his company also manages) or UFC vet Bruno Mesquita. Guys that have okay records but would provide a challenge to see where Makoto is at with the level of competition that they faced and their size. I was also thinking of Eric Shelton, but he might be too much for Makoto at this point.
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He said his philosophy is to get into the UFC as early as possible, because even if you get cut at 24/25, you can come back at 28/29. Plus having the label of "former UFC fighter" gets you better money on contracts.
 
TorontoTO said:
He said his philosophy is to get into the UFC as early as possible, because even if you get cut at 24/25, you can come back at 28/29. Plus having the label of "former UFC fighter" gets you better money on contracts.
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Well at the rate of pullouts and injuries, Makoto Shinryu Takahashi just might sneak in at some point. I do wonder if he can beat the mid level competition in the UFC though. Hell I'm wondering if he can even beat Horiuchi.
 
this tournament went to shit real quick
 
Now that was just voilence. Brutal KO.
 
TorontoTO said:
Lol what a shitty tournament lol.
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I honestly don't know why anyone would give a flying fuck about these 'tournaments' or the fighters involved.

Apparently that Chinese LHW landed a brutal non-tourney KO though.
 
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