Latest news with #RinyaNakamura
Yahoo
03-08-2025
- Sport
- Yahoo
UFC on ESPN 71 video: Every finish from Vegas, including some body shot history
Why does it seem like whenever a UFC card is super unheralded and slept on, it turns into a banger? Nobody cared much about UFC Fight Night 254 in March in Las Vegas, and that show turned in nine finishes in 13 fights, including history with back-to-back women's first-round knockouts and back-to-back kimura submissions. Saturday, at UFC on ESPN 71, the main event was a flyweight replacement fight put together only about a week prior. And by the metrics we see behind the scenes, it was set to be one of the least paid-attention-to UFC events of the year. But then we got two Fight of the Night winners, plus five killer stoppages in the desert. And now you can relive all of them above. UFC on ESPN 71 finishes Tatsuro Taira def. HyunSung Park via submission (rear-naked choke) – Round 2, 1:06 Neil Magny def. Elizeu Zaleski dos Santos via TKO (strikes) – Round 2, 4:39 Rinya Nakamura def. Nathan Fletcher via TKO (strikes) – Round 1, 1:02 Andrey Pulyaev def. Nick Klein via TKO (strikes) – Round 2, 1:31 Austin Bashi def. John Yannis via submission (rear-naked choke) – Round 1, 3:39 This article originally appeared on MMA Junkie: UFC on ESPN 71 video: Every finish, including some body shot history
USA Today
03-08-2025
- Sport
- USA Today
Rinya Nakamura surprised by quick TKO finish at UFC on ESPN 71
What a nice surprise for Rinya Nakamura. LAS VEGAS – Many expected Rinya Nakamura to get a quick stoppage win over Nathan Fletcher, but don't count Nakamura as part of that group. Nakamura (10-1 MMA, 4-1 UFC) was surprised he only needed 62 seconds to stop Fletcher (9-3 MMA, 1-2 UFC) at Saturday's UFC on ESPN 71 – which took place at the UFC Apex in Las Vegas. Nakamura hit Fletcher with a body kick that folded him and sent him down on the canvas, and then just needed a few follow-up shots to his fourth UFC win. The Japanese prospect is happy with the victory, but admits it wasn't part of his game plan. "I'm so happy and surprised because I expected this fight to be more scramble game, more grappling game, so I prepared for it, and it didn't happen," Nakamura said at the UFC on ESPN 71 post-fight press conference. "I feel kind of surprised." Nakamura's plan was to use his high-level wrestling – which he underutilized in his last fight in January. However, a few seconds in the fight, he saw an opening for the fight-ending shot. "I didn't try to knock him out by kicking his liver," Nakamura said. "I just saw his stomach was kind of open, so I just lift my hand, so he tries to come into me and the timing was good." Nakamura feels renewed with his move to American Top Team in Coconut Creek, South Florida. This was the first camp under this new gym, and he's already feeling the effects of it. "After my first loss in my MMA career, I was talking to myself, 'What are you going to do in your life? What are you going to achieve in your life?' I repeat that again and again,' Nakamura said. "I want to be a UFC champion to show my love and harmony. That made me decide to move to Florida to train at American Top Team. I trained in one of the highest levels in the gym. I'm taking back my confidence, and that showed tonight."
Yahoo
03-08-2025
- Sport
- Yahoo
UFC on ESPN 71 video: Rinya Nakamura runs through Nathan Fletcher in 62 seconds
Rinya Nakamura rebounded from his first octagon loss Saturday at UFC on ESPN 71 with a quick finish of Nathan Fletcher. Nakamura (10-1 MMA, 4-1 UFC) needed just 62 seconds to stun Fletcher (9-3 MMA, 1-2 UFC) with a body kick, drop him with a punch, then land a few shots on the ground for the TKO win in the bantamweight bout at the UFC Apex in Las Vegas. Check out the replay of the final sequence below (via X): After his hand was raised, Nakamura said he is keen to get back in the octagon again in 2025 and keep his momentum going. "The end of this year, I want to make it happen again," Nakamura said in his post-fight interview. "I think I need two straight wins to call out anybody in the bantamweight division." Up-to-the-minute UFC on ESPN 71 results: Rinya Nakamura def. Nathan Fletcher via TKO (strikes) – Round 1, 1:02 Rodolfo Vieira def. Tresean Gore via unanimous decision (29-28, 30-27, 30-27) Andrey Pulyaev def. Nick Klein via TKO (strikes) – Round 2, 1:31 Austin Bashi def. John Yannis via submission (rear-naked choke) – Round 1, 3:39 Rafael Estevam def. Felipe Bunes via unanimous decision (29-28, 29-28, 29-28) Piera Rodriguez def. Ketlen Souza via split decision (29-28, 28-29, 29-28) This article originally appeared on MMA Junkie: UFC Vegas 108 video: Japan's Rinya Nakamura scores 62-second TKO win
USA Today
03-08-2025
- Sport
- USA Today
UFC on ESPN 71 video: Rinya Nakamura runs through Nathan Fletcher in 62 seconds
Rinya Nakamura finishes Nathan Fletcher #UFCVegas108 Rinya Nakamura rebounded from his first octagon loss Saturday at UFC on ESPN 71 with a quick finish of Nathan Fletcher. Nakamura (10-1 MMA, 4-1 UFC) needed just 62 seconds to stun Fletcher (9-3 MMA, 1-2 UFC) with a body kick, drop him with a punch, then land a few shots on the ground for the TKO win in the bantamweight bout at the UFC Apex in Las Vegas. Check out the replay of the final sequence below (via X): After his hand was raised, Nakamura said he is keen to get back in the octagon again in 2025 and keep his momentum going. "The end of this year, I want to make it happen again," Nakamura said in his post-fight interview. "I think I need two straight wins to call out anybody in the bantamweight division." Up-to-the-minute UFC on ESPN 71 results:
