The iconic Japanese MMA staple makes his long awaited UFC debut on Saturday, on the UFC Fight Pass-streamed Fight Night 34 card that’s set for the Marina Bay Sands Expo and Convention Centre in Singapore.
Tatsuya Kawajiri (32-7-2) is considered a Mixed Martial Arts legend in Japan having made appearances in a myriad of promotions in the country.
Five Questions with Tatsuya Kawajiri ahead of UFC Fight Night 34
He was recruited, along with a host of other Asian talents, as part of the organization’s expansion in the Asian region.
The 35-year-old holds notable victories over Joachim Hansen, Michihiro Omigawa, Drew Fickett and Gesias Cavalcante among many others, and with over 40 pro MMA bouts to his credit, Kawajiri will undeniably be the most experienced Featherweight on the roster.
His drop to 145-lbs has been successful too, with four wins out of four underlining a great start for the Japanese fighter. And yet, despite facing the likes of Shinya Aoki, Eddie Alvarez and Gilbert Melendez in his iluustrious career, the biggest match-up of his life still awaits him on Saturday.
“The Crusher” is set to meet Sean Soriano (8-0) in the co-main event of UFC Fight Night 34. His original opponent was Nova Uniao’s Hacran Dias, but the Brazilian was forced to withdraw from the bout due to injury. So in stepped Soriano who trains out of Boca Raton, Florida with the Blackzilians, possessing an unblemished record of 8-0.
While not much is known of Soriano, the American, 24, does hold some credentials in the wrestling department, and is thought to be unbelievably slick with his skill-set. His age may be a huge factor in this fight as well.
But with experience set firmly in his corner, Kawajiri will be seen as a huge favorite in this encounter.
MMASucka.com caught up with Kawajiri ahead of his fight this weekend, and the Japanese vet partook in five questions (with the help of a translator):
…on how vital his experience is now that he’s in the UFC:
“Although I’ve not fought for over a year, I’ve fought in over 40 fights so my experience will prevail.”
…fighting at 145-lbs as opposed to Lightweight:
“I’m in good condition at 145-lbs so my intentions are to continue fighting in this weight class. But if the UFC gives me a dream-like offer to fight at 155-lbs, sure I’ll consider that.”
…on getting a successful run in North America:
“I couldn’t produce results in America last time out so yes I would like to win there and I want American fans to recognize me as a top fighter.”
…on the change of his opponent:
“I don’t really care about my opponents. It’s all about how I’m going to execute my game plan and how I’m going to perform. So I don’t really care about the change of opponent.”
…on how far he plans to go in the UFC:
“I’ve seen the UFC roster and honestly, nobody in the Featherweight division has more fights than me. And I’ve said this before in previous interviews – I’ve fought K-1 champions, PRIDE champions and I don’t think anyone in the Featherweight division has that sort of experience. So I’m going to utilize that make sure I can get good results and a shot at the championship belt.”
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UFC Fight Night 34 takes place at the Marina Bay Sands Expo and Convention Centre in Singapore. The event will only be available on the all-new “UFC Fight Pass” network, which will stream proceedings LIVE starting with prelims at 6 a.m. ET, and the main card at 9 a.m. ET.
Visit UFC.TV/FightPass to start your subscription today.
Here’s the full fight card:
MAIN CARD
- Tarec Saffiedine vs. Hyun Gyu Lim
- Tatsuya Kawajiri vs. Sean Soriano
- Luiz Dutra Jr. vs. Kiichi Kunimoto
- Kyung Ho Kang vs. Shunichi Shimizu
PRELIMS
- Will Chope vs. Max Holloway
- Katsunori Kikuno vs. Quinn Mulhern
- David Galera vs. Royston Wee
- Tae Hyun Bang vs. Mairbek Taisumov
- Dustin Kimura vs. Jon delos Reyes
- Russell Doane vs. Leandro Issa
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