Rinya Nakamura bounced back from his first career loss in a big way.
On Saturday, Nakamura squared off with Nathan Fletcher in the final preliminary fight of UFC Vegas 108. It was Nakamura’s first fight since losing to Muin Gafurov at UFC 311 and the Japanese prospect returned to form in spectacular fashion, stopping Fletcher in the first round with a nasty body kick.
A former U23 world champion wrestler, Nakamura has been working on his striking game since coming to the UFC, and it was on full display against Fletcher as “Hybrid” bounced in and out, flashing big punches that didn’t quite connect. What did connect was a nasty front kick as Fletcher stepped in, with Nakamura digging the toes into the liver, causing Fletcher to double over. Nakamura saw the reaction and pounced, finishing Fletcher with strikes just 62 seconds into the fight.
Check out Nakamura’s highlight win below.
Rinya Nakamura with the TKO one minute into the fight #UFCVegas108 pic.twitter.com/bFvoRGVijV
— ESPN MMA (@espnmma) August 3, 2025
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