Joshua Van and Rei Tsuruya, UFC 313 ceremonial weigh-in Credit score: Gabriel Gonzalez/Cageside Press
Undefeated flyweight prospect Rei Tsuruya regarded to keep up his excellent file at UFC 313 on Saturday, the place he was paired up with Myanmar’s Joshua Van. The Japanese wrestling sensation entered the UFC by successful final 12 months’s season of Highway to the UFC.
As for Van, the at all times entertaining fighter entered the struggle off back-to-back unanimous resolution wins over Edgar Chairez and Cody Durden.
In a enjoyable piece of potential future trivia, this struggle represented the very first case of two fighters born within the twenty first century going through off beneath the UFC banner. Coming into the competition, Tsuruya and Van had been the third and eighth youngest fighters within the promotion respectively.
Van at the moment holds the very best important strikes charge within the UFC at over 9 per minute and he landed a physique jab proper because the opening spherical began. Tsuruya wasted no time to get his wrestling going, taking pictures twice in a row, however each makes an attempt had been stuffed by Van. They clinched and each landed knees to the physique. Tsuruya faked a level-change that drew a response out of Van after which fired a left straight that obtained residence. As Van was pressuring, he landed two good left arms. A slip-counter by Van pressured an instinctive shot by Tsuruya that Van defended properly. They clinched once more for a short time, however ultimately broke it off. Van used his pattented strain as soon as once more and caught the Japanese fighter with a clear proper. Tsuruya lastly obtained a takedown within the remaining minute, however Van wasted no time to get again as much as his toes. One other slip-counter proper hand from Van pushed Tsuruya to the fence. Van then fired a head kick that Tsuruya caight and used to get the struggle to the bottom, however Van as soon as once more obtained again up. A transparent 10-9 for Van within the opener.
Spherical 3 began precisely like the primary two, as Tsuruya stored taking pictures takedowns however Van stored stuffing them. As Van’s confidence in his takedown defence was clearly rising, he began to search out offense whereas stuffing the pictures. He even countered a takedown try with a nasty elbow on the break. There was a cease to the motion after a kick from Van glanced Tsuruya’s cup. Tsuruya took a minute to get well after which instantly shot a takedown after they went again to it. Van’s textbook defence allowed him to land clear physique pictures with he was diving on his legs. Van landed a pleasant one-two from the southpaw stance from Van as Tsuruya was retreating. The fighter from Japan replied with a desperate-looking spinning back-fist that missed the mark. One other kick that originally appeared to look Tsuruya’s cup pressured one other cease to the motion, however the replay confirmed that Van’s toes clearly dug to the physique. Because the motion instantly restarted, Van opted to complete the spherical even stronger than he began and partially dropped Tsuruya within the remaining seconds. This was Van’s greatest spherical of the struggle.
This was one in all Van’s most interesting performances up to now within the UFC. Displaying stellar takedown defence in opposition to a credentialed wrestler in Tsuruya. It’s a win that ought to age very properly because the 22-year outdated Japanese fighter ought to be taught an amazing deal from this. These two highly-touted flyweights might rematch later of their careers.
Official Consequence: Joshua Van def. Rei Tsuruya by Unanimous Resolution (30-27, 30-27, 30-27)
