Over the in the bantamweight finals of Road to UFC we have a pair of Japanese prospects.
Toshiomi Kazama (10-2) is a decorated jiu jitsu competitor who has won many a tournament inside Japan and throughout Asia, including the IBJJF Asian Games. Having only started his career in 2020, he’s stayed active and has put together a great start to his career. The Pancrase veteran will fight for that UFC spot this Saturday (Feb. 4) at UFC Fight Night: Lewis vs. Spivac when he faces for Japanese wrestling team member Rinya Nakamura (6-0).
In terms of credentials, there are few fighters who enter MMA with better ones than Rinya Nakamura (6-0). He is a U23 Freestyle world champion, a 2018 World Cup bronze medalist, and a multi-time medalist at the Japan National Championships. And he has looked like a blue chip prospect as a part of the Road to UFC tournament series. He has reached the finals of the bantamweight tournament on the strength of back to back first round finishes.
Rinya Nakamura will face off fellow Japanese grappler, BJJ ace Toshiomi Kazama (10-2) in the finals this Saturday (Feb. 4) at UFC Fight Night: Lewis vs. Spivac.