Here we go. I began this series in 2012, so it has now been 14 years and it can be nostalgic to look back. From last year’s list, Kazuki Aimoto went on to fight for Rizin, and I will bring Yuji Ephoevi-Ga back if he has good wins this year. Enjoy!
Nagai showed a nice mix of takedowns and striking leading up to his September fight against Shoji Saito, who is known primarily as a striker. Nagai finished Saito with a rear-naked choke and unified the Shooto bantamweight titles. He does need to further improve his striking, but he has only just entered his 20s and will have a good future.
Fight start at 31 minutes 54 seconds
Yanagawa pulled off the biggest upset in Japanese MMA in 2025 when he knocked out Rajabali Shaidullaev’s training partner, Kalybek Arzykul Uulu, on December 21. He has varied striking and a good ability to read his opponent’s movements and set up finishes. Yanagawa has asked the UFC to give him a chance, even if it is on short notice.
Fight start at 7 minutes 47 seconds
DEEP’s prospect this year is Sugiyama, who was a NKB (kickboxing) champion before he made his MMA debut. He defeated Haruo Ochi in his third fight after just eight months of MMA training. Both fighters had knockdowns in the fight, which was a competitive one. At just 20 years old, Sugiyama clearly has a lot of potential. DEEP may do a strawweight grand prix, and there are other potential rivals for Sugiyama such as grappler Sukai China, so the strawweight division should continue to take shape. Shooto has Kazusa Kurobe as a strawweight prospect as well, so this year should be a good one for young prospects.
In November, Minami defended his Gladiator bantamweight title against Rukiya Mukai, who is known for his aggression and explosiveness. Minami found holes in Mukai’s game and repeatedly took him down, then pounded him out for the TKO finish. Minami is Gladiator’s best young prospect now.
Fight start at 5 hours 21 minutes 52 seconds
Big thanks to Robert Sargent (MMA Rising) for English editing.
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