Restless Mizugaki Ready for Yahya

By Frank Curreri

It’s good to be king, unless you happen to be the royal leader of the bantamweight division. These days, reigning over that kingdom means a coup d’etat is probably right around the corner. At least that’s been the curious trend in the 135-pound weight class over the past eight months.

The bantamweight championship belt has become a hot potato and changed hands three times. Equally shocking, the once-indestructible Miguel Torres has now dropped two fights in a row and suddenly appears human. Brian Bowles has suffered a broken hand in two straight fights, underwent rehab for a serious back injury, suffered his first loss and was unable to successfully defend the title. Dominick Cruz, a dark horse in the weight class, now boasts the prestigious strap around his waist and awaits his next challenge.

“Everything changes so much, so fast,” Japanese standout Takeya Mizugaki said of the dog-eat-dog 135-pound weight class. “A top fighter like Miguel Torres loses two in a row? I can’t take a break at this level.”

Mizugaki made his own mad rush for the throne last year, losing a five round decision to then-champ Miguel Torres in a sizzling standup war that earned Fight of the Year consideration. A stout wrestler with heavy hands, Mizugaki has himself had to cope with the ups and downs of competing against the world’s best. He beat Jeff Curran in a close and controversial split decision, and was upset by Scott Jorgensen in his last fight.

“I’m so mad at myself for losing and since then I have been training harder than ever,” Mizugaki said. “So I know for sure that I am getting stronger this year.”

It is common for fighters, especially following a loss, to overhaul parts of their training regimen. Count Mizugaki as an exception to the rule.

“I didn’t change my menu because of that loss against Jorgensen,” he said.

With Rani Yahya on board as his next opponent, Mizugaki (12-4-2) sees no reason to disguise his intentions. He knows that come April 24 in Sacramento he can ill afford a ground war with one of MMA’s foremost submission artists.

“He’s tough on the ground and persistent on takedowns,” Mizugaki said. “As long as I keep this fight standing I believe there will be more possibilities that I can win.”

Yahya (15-5) is formidable, as evidenced by the fact that 14 of his wins have come via submission, including signature victories over former bantamweight kingpin Eddie Wineland, Mark Hominick and Yoshiro Maeda. Of particular note, the Brazilian Yahya has previously faced seven pro Japanese fighters, losing only to Norifumi “Kid” Yamamoto.

In many ways, Mizugaki’s wrestler/boxer fighting style mirrors that of Yamamoto and Joseph Benavidez, who conquered Yahya by first-round TKO last December. So it will be interesting to see if Mizugaki can pose similar matchup problems for Yahya and prevent the Brazilian from taking him down.

Trained in electrical engineering and owner of a master’s degree, Mizugaki said competing in swordfighting competitions in his youth have sharpened his counterpunching skills and ability to judge distance on his feet. He will be making his second-ever trip to California, a place he enjoys because, as he put it, “it’s nice and warm there.”