Rinya Nakamura makes vow: ‘I refuse to ever experience a feeling like this again’

Rinya Nakamura doesn’t want to relive what he went through against Brady Hiestand.

By Sayan Nag · Sherdog

Published: Monday, 28 September 2026 at 4:41 AM

Key Things to Know

Brady Hiestand defeated Rinya Nakamura via second-round rear-naked choke at UFC Vegas 121.
Nakamura entered the bantamweight contest in Las Vegas as a heavy -325 betting favorite.
Following the defeat, Nakamura posted on social media vowing to return with an improved martial arts style.

The Story in 60 Seconds

Rinya Nakamura has pledged to rebound after suffering a second-round submission loss to Brady Hiestand at UFC Vegas 121 on September 26 in Las Vegas. Entering the bantamweight bout as a -325 favorite, Nakamura was controlled by Hiestand's wrestling before ultimately tapping to a rear-naked choke. Following the defeat, Nakamura stated on social media that he refuses to ever experience such a feeling again.

The 31-year-old fighter, who originally entered the promotion undefeated after winning the "Road to UFC" Season 1 tournament in 2023, now holds a professional record of 10-2. He has gone 3-2 during his UFC tenure and has lost two of his last three appearances.

Read the full article on Sherdog

Rinya Nakamura makes vow: ‘I refuse to ever experience a feeling like this again’

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