Rei Tsuruya | A Big Opportunity For Flyweight Standout

“I was very surprised that he was able to come,” Tsuruya said of Nakamura, the current WWE United States champion, who owns a 3-1 record with one no contest  in MMA competition as well. “He was very supportive, it was really good to have him next to me, and I think it was really good for the event too.”

Nakamura’s presence in Tsuruya’s corner certainly generated additional interest in both his promotional debut and the UFC 303 fight card itself, with several outlets covering the fact that the “King of Strong Style” accompanied the debutant to the Octagon for his bout with Hernandez before the entire team struck a signature Nakamura pose for their celebratory photo following Tsuruya’s victory.

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This time around, however, Nakamura will not be able to accompany Tsuruya, so if you were hoping to sing along to his signature walkout song at UFC 313, you’re going to have to wait for another opportunity somewhere down the line.

"This one was quite last (minute) for this fight, so I did ask Shinsuke if he could come, but he couldn’t this time, so I won’t be using the same music,” acknowledged the laid back Tsuruya. "I do hope that someday he will come back to my corner so I can use that music.”

Because of the magnitude of some of the fights further up this weekend’s card, Tsuruya’s clash with Van, which sits as the penultimate bout on this weekend’s televised prelims, is flying a little bit under the radar, though it really shouldn’t be.

Not only are Tsuruya and Van the two youngest fighters in the flyweight division, but the latter has already amassed a 5-1 mark inside the Octagon to catapult himself into the rankings in the 125-pound weight class. Last time out, “The Fearless” frustrated and out-worked veterans Cody Durden, picking up his third win of the year and second straight victory since falling to Charles Johnson in the third round of a contest he was winning in the summer in Denver.

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Rarely do you see sophomores hustled into matchups with ranked fighters, and it’s even more seldom that the pairing involves two competitors that look primed to be major factors in the division for at least the next five years.

“I hope to focus on the win, as I always do,” began Tsuruya when asked about getting the chance to face a ranked opponent in just his second UFC appearance. “I’m not too focused on the fact that he’s ranked; just focusing on my fight is what I want to do.”

Though his focus is understandably on working towards a victory, it’s difficult not to see his placement opposite Van and the fact that each of Tsuruya’s first three assignments — he was scheduled to compete last month at UFC 312 before his opponent, Stewart Nicoll, was forced to withdraw — have come on pay-per-view events.

In concert, the two feel like a clear sign that the promotion recognizes the ascending Japanese fighter’s upside, and wants to make sure to put him in front of as many eyes as possible each time out.

“Yes, this will be my second straight numbered event that I’m fighting in and the UFC gave me a good opponent, so I do hope the UFC is respecting me a lot,” he said when asked about the opportunity in front of him. “My last fight was a decision, unfortunately, but looking at my career, I have a pretty good finishing rate, so I believe the UFC is also expecting me to finish.”

Van, who burst on the scene with a split decision win over veteran Zhalgas Zhumagulov two summers ago in Jacksonville, Florida, carries a 12-2 overall record into Saturday’s clash of young standouts, with each of those setbacks coming by way of stoppage.

Although he acknowledges that his adversary this weekend is a quality fighter and tough opponent, Tsuruya is hopeful that UFC 313 is just another step in his climb towards the top of the flyweight division.

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“He’s a very young, aggressive, good fighter,” he said of Van, who trains under UFC vet Daniel Pineda in Houston. “If I get a win here, it definitely helps me raise to the next level and hopefully soon getting even higher ranked (fighters) as an opponent.

"Work on my strength, my wrestling, maybe some strikes as well, but more focused on not getting (hit by) his strikes,” Tsuruya said when asked how he sees things playing out this weekend. “Hopefully I will get a finish in the second or third round.”

And from there, the 22-year-old would like to spend a little less time on the sidelines before the next one, and continue working his way forward in the division, of course.

“The time to this fight was quite long,” he said with a smile. “I’d prefer within two months or three months to have the next fight, and, of course, (fight someone higher in the rankings).”