Keiichiro Nakamura | Introducing Japan’s Newest Hopeful

The fact that there has yet to be a Japanese fighter that has held championship gold in the UFC remains a surprising reality given the country’s rich history with mixed martial arts.

Only seven athletes from Japan that have fought for a UFC title, and most of those challenges came more than a decade ago like when a young Kyoji Horiguchi battled Demetrious “Mighty Mouse” Johnson for the flyweight strap at UFC 186.

The introduction of the Road to UFC series, though, led to a slight uptick in the number of Japanese athletes competing inside the Octagon and provided a renewed sense that the country’s first UFC titleholder could emerge soon.

“If somebody becomes a champion from Japan, that would be…