Athletes
The Yamato-Damashii of Rinya Nakamura
Japanese Bantamweight Discusses Fighting Inspirations, Showcasing His Spirit In The Octagon, And Facing Brady Hiestand On Saturday
Rinya Nakamura grew up around icons of mixed martial arts, as his father Kozo was instrumental in the foundation and rise of Shooto, the Japanese promotion that hosted Vale Tudo Japan events and served as a precursor to Pride.
A quick scan through his Instagram features pictures of the UFC bantamweight as a child with luminaries including Carlos Newton and Rickson Gracie, as well as figurines of Wanderlei Silva, “Minotauro” Nogueira, Benson Henderson, and Mirko Cro Cop, and glimpses of his younger self at different stages along the path that was always going to lead to his competing in mixed martial arts.
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Not pictured is the night that really solidified his desire to compete inside the Octagon.
“I was in the arena when the UFC was held in 2012 in Saitama Super Arena,” began Nakamura, who returns to action this weekend in a fascinating clash with fellow returnee Brady Hiestand. “I was in the audience, watching Benson Henderson versus Frankie Edgar. It was a really competitive fight, and when I saw that, I decided to be champion of this organization. I was dreaming of being Pride champion when I was a child, but it had gone somewhere when I was a child, and I was thinking, ‘What should I do?’ Then after I watched UFC, I was really inspired by that event.”
Rinya Nakamura Finishes Nathan Fletcher In Round One | UFC Fight Night: Taira vs Park
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Rinya Nakamura Finishes Nathan Fletcher In Round One | UFC Fight Night: Taira vs Park
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Tremendous success on the wrestling mats momentarily shifted his focus to representing his country in the Olympics, but when the 2020 Summer Games were delayed, Nakamura went all-in on MMA and began a rapid ascent through the ranks.
He won four fights in 12 months to earn a place in the inaugural Road to UFC bantamweight tournament, going on to claim the tournament title and a place on the UFC roster. In four appearances inside the Octagon, Nakamura has gone 3-1, showcasing his tremendous grappling and underrated striking in wins over Fernie Garcia, Carlos Vera, and Nathan Fletcher.
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Now, after just over a year on the sidelines following a knee injury, the 31-year-old is poised to return at a time when the small but talented group of Japanese athletes on the roster are having a great deal of success.
“I’m really happy to be part of the (group) that brings it back to Japan,” said Nakamura. “I need to show a f****** nice performance!”
Nakamura laughed at his excited declaration, but there is a sense of importance and expectation that he carries into every contest that relates to desire to have a “f****** nice performance.”
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The literal translation of Yamato-damashii is “Japanese spirit” and is accepted as referring more broadly to the cultural values and characteristics of the Japanese people; things like bravery, resilience, perseverance, and their unique spiritual strength.
The phrase became more known globally in MMA through Enson Inoue, who fought in the UFC, Shooto, Pride, and Vale Tudo Japan, and used it as an alternate name or nickname at different points throughout his career.
For Nakamura, every trip into the Octagon is an opportunity to share his Yamato-damashii, and it’s something he not only takes very seriously, but that brings about great emotion in him to discuss.
“We’re representing strongness in this planet by fighting in the UFC. How to use this strength is the most important thing for us, so I want to (spread) love and harmony and good energy to everyone…”
“It’s hard to explain,” he said, apologizing as he was suddenly overcome with emotion and took another couple of beats before continuing.
“Yamato-damashii means a lot for me; it’s kind of hard to explain,” resumed Nakamura. “Love and harmony, dedication has a lot of meaning, so through my fight, I can show what is yamato-damashii.
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“Sometimes I felt a heavy pressure on me, but I got through it. My mind is like, ‘Okay, I will show how I love this sport, how I feel gratitude for this sport, for my family, teammates through my movements, breathing, everything; every part of me.’ I want all of the audience to catch my energy.”
While he wants the audience to catch his energy on Saturday, when he’s in the Octagon with Hiestand, Nakamura will be trying to remain calm and prioritize his own experience over anything else.
“I need to keep my inner peace while fighting,” he said with a smile. “I shouldn’t focus on finishing him. There is a big difference between focus on finishing him and focusing on showing my best performance to myself, and if I am able to keep my mind at peace, focusing on just fighting, the finish comes.
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“He’s away for over two years, but he’s still young, so I prepared for a lot of different versions of him,” continued Nakamura. “He has also gone through a tough situation of getting back after injury, so I respect him. He has nice cardio, a ‘never give up’ spirit, so I think he wants to bring me into the scrambles and drag me into the deep ocean, make me fight in the deep ocean, so I’m prepared for that.”
Nakamura paused and then smiled.
“In my opinion,” he said, “the fight doesn’t get long.”
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