By Tam Nguyen, Nguoi Viet
GARDEN GROVE, Calif. – Nam Phan of Garden Grove will travel to Tokyo early next year to take on Takumi Nakayama of Japan for the Pancrase featherweight championship belt.
Nam Phan (left) fights Mike Richman at Bellator 131 on Nov. 15. Photo by Tam Nguyen/Nguoi Viet.
The fight is scheduled for Feb. 1 at Differ Ariake Arena. Pancrase is a Japan-based promoter of mixed-martial arts, a full-contact combat sport that allows the use of both striking and grappling techniques, both standing and on the ground, from a variety of other combat sports and martial arts.
Phan, 31, was born in and grew up in California. He started studying martial arts when he was 8, turning professional at 18. He competed on the UFC circuit and has been with Bellator MMA since October. His professional record is 20 wins and 14 losses.
Nakayama, 41, has been the Pancrase featherweight champion since September 2011. He also competed on the UFC circuit and has a professional record of 19 wins and 14 losses.
The championship fight will be Phan’s second fight for Pancrase. His first fight for Pancrase was in October against Yuki Baba, and Phan defeated him by submission in the first round, earning him a title shot.
This will be Phan’s sixth fight in Japan, including the key win against Baba. He said the atmosphere is so much different there from fighting in the United States.
“This sport is more popular in Japan than here, and you see the fans over there get a lot more rowdy than fans over here. It’s great to be fighting there,” Phan said.
Phan’s strategy against Nakayama is “to just beat him up.”
“I feel good coming into this fight, and I think I will do well with Nakayama,” Phan said.
The two were buddies in their younger days, and Phan knows a little bit about him.
“He is good at jujitsu and a good at grappling. He is a tough guy,” Phan said.
Phan lost his previous fight in a first-round knockout against Mike Richman at Bellator 131 last month. Nakayama is looking for his second straight win after defeating Wataru Miki at Vale Tudo, Japan.
