The Road to UFC bantamweight final consisted of an all-Japan match-up, as countrymen Toshiomi Kazama and Rinya Nakamura faced off. The bout went down Saturday as part of the UFC Vegas 68 preliminary card, an event that had originally been expected to take place in South Korea.
On the line in Kazama vs. Nakamura was a UFC deal, one of four that would be handed out on the night.
This one didn’t take long to get going. And it didn’t take long to wrap up, either.
In the opening round Kazama rushed forward right out of the gate. He went right into a buzzaw in the form of Nakamura, however, getting tagged with flurries. He sat Kazama down with a check right hook and moments later he landed a pull-counter left hook knocking Kazama out cold. What a performance and knockout from Rinya Nakamura.
OUT. COLD.
Rinya Nakamura is your #RoadToUFC bantamweight winner! #UFCVegas68 pic.twitter.com/6ULxnIOaxi
— UFC (@ufc) February 5, 2023
The win was later announced as the second-fastest finish by a debuting bantamweight in the UFC. The victory sees Nakamura remain undefeated, improving his record to 7-0 as a pro — while maintaining his 100% finish rate. It’s safe to say Rinya Nakamura has arrived in style, and should be one to watch moving forward.
Official Result: Rinya Nakamura def. Toshiomi Kazama by knockout (left hook), Round 1, 0:33
