Naoki Inoue seems to be to increase his reign as RIZIN bantamweight champion when he faces off with DEEP titleholder Ryuya Fukuda at Tremendous RIZIN 4, which matches down Sunday morning in Saitama, Japan
Plus, Inoue would additionally introduce him to worldwide viewers as one of many world’s greatest bantamweights and open doorways for larger challenges on the market.
“My dream struggle can be preventing the present UFC bantamweight champion,” Inoue advised MMA Combating by way of a translator. “Nonetheless, proper now the present bantamweight champion is Merab [Dvalishvili] and I used to coach him with him, so I don’t actually need to name him out as a result of we all know one another, we educated collectively. However my dream is to struggle the hardest man on the market, which might be the UFC bantamweight champion. That’s one factor that I might positively need to strive. Or anyone on the market in title rivalry.”
Inoue fought twice within the UFC again in 2018, when he was nonetheless competing as a flyweight, defeating Carls John de Tomas and shedding to Matt Schnell.
“There are plenty of robust guys within the PFL,” Inoue stated. “I’ve additionally preferred to face Sergio Pettis. He additionally fought in RIZIN as soon as, I believe that will be a enjoyable matchup. There’s plenty of robust guys on the market that I’d need to struggle.”
Successful a champion vs. champion conflict with Fukuda can be large for RIZIN’s native aspirations, however Inoue can be keen to face non-Japanese expertise sooner or later. RIZIN stars Kleber Koike and Roberto Satoshi advised MMA Combating previously they really feel like representing RIZIN in these conditions, however Inoue seems to be at it from a distinct perspective.
“I’ve at all times wished to struggle worldwide robust competitors to proceed to problem myself,” Inoue stated. “Clearly, it looks like Kleber and Satoshi each have a robust feeling the place they need to defend and defend Japan or, you understand, defend RIZIN and struggle for RIZIN in a method. However, for me, if I may very well be extraordinarily egocentric, I need to struggle robust fighters for myself. I need to face more durable competitors, more durable worldwide competitors, to boost my talents. And if that results in proving RIZIN is primary, that’s nice, it really works out. However for me, I’ve extra of a egocentric mentality. I do that for myself and I need robust competitors to boost my talents.
“I imagine RIZIN is the No. 1 group in Japan, and the RIZIN champion needs to be the most effective in Japan. That’s a no brainer. That’s my mentality. In current occasions, there was some more durable worldwide competitors, worldwide fighters coming into the RIZIN bantamweight division. With all that stated, my plan is to proceed to be the champion and proceed to show that RIZIN has the most effective fighters not solely in Japan, however they will go towards the worldwide world competitors as properly.”
The 28-year-old expertise stays centered on the duty forward this weekend, trying to go 10-2 contained in the RIZIN ring with a second profitable title protection after beating Soo Chul Kim and Yuki Motoya to win and defend the belt. Fukuda is 25-8-1 within the sport, and in addition 9-2 in his residence promotion, however already holds an ideal 3-0 beneath the RIZIN banner with a trio of stoppages over Masayuki Watanabe, Erson Yamamoto and Ryusei Ashizawa.
“He has been completed only a few occasions,” Inoue stated of Fukuda. “Clearly I’ve been coaching to complete him. I’ve been engaged on some conditions the place I can end him, submit him. I’ve sport plans the place I can edge him out by a call. I’ve been engaged on varied conditions towards Fukuda. However as you will have talked about, he’s a really robust fighter and he’s been completed only a few occasions. I’ve been analyzing the struggle the place he truly acquired completed, attempting to search for his weak spots. I’ve been learning him quite a bit. I can struggle him wherever the struggle takes it and I’m gonna attempt to end him.”
