Introduction
Saturday, July 29th, Japanese flyweight prospect Makoto Takahashi will be in action for Bellator vs. Rizin, where he will be looking continue his winning ways against Kyoji Horiguchi. He will be looking for another win, as Takahashi looks to strike gold with the Rizin organization. He represents Paraestra Matsudo, an underrated camp in MMA. Let’s take a closer look at this prospect as this week’s “Prospect Spotlight.”
Strengths
Submission Grappling: Takahashi is a wizard on the mat that is a throwback to Japanese fighters of the early Pancrase/MMA days. Though his finish rate is low, with just four submission wins, his transitions, advancements and control on the mat are hard to deal with. He has good grip strength and strangling ability, which is why all of his submissions are by choke. Three of his last four wins are by submission, showing he may be turning the corner on being a “decision fighter.”
Experience: For being just 22 years old, Takahashi has 18 professional fights, which is wild. He has more experience than many fighters with 7-10 years of age on him, and experience isn’t something you can buy. It’s very important in the cage. On top of that, he’s fought notable fighters with experience as well, so he hasn’t been solely crushing cans.
Needs Improvement
Counter-Wrestling: While Takahashi is on the mat, I have a sneaking suspicion that he will be somebody that struggles when going up to the highest levels of MMA. Especially in the UFC, the highest levels have top-notch wrestlers who have competed their entire life in that sport. Takahashi is a good mat fighter, but getting overpowered by dominating wrestlers and held on the mat could be something Takahashi would see under a promotion like the UFC.
Outlook
UFC Top-15: With how thin the flyweight division is and how young/skilled Takahashi is, I can see him being in the top-15 in the next couple years if he joins the UFC. He’s already had success under the Bellator, Rizin and CFFC banners. His grappling will give many people problems, as he’s shown to be well versed in the submission game. He has a massive test in front of him now in Kyoji Horiguchi, which is easily his toughest fight to date. Win or lose, I am high on Takahashi and think he’ll be a major problem in a few years.
MMA Intel 