Prior to each UFC card, Jay Primetown takes a close look at debuting fighters. In the latest installment, we look at Japanese lightweight Yusuke Kasuya as he takes on Nick Hein at UFN 75 in Saitama, Japan. Yusuke “Young Gun” Kasuya Hometown: Sagamihara, Kanagawa, Japan Age: 25 Height: 5’7” Reach: N/A Weight Class: Lightweight Camp: Akimoto Dojo Jungle Junction Career Record: 9-1 Key Wins: None Key Losses: None Background A veteran of Japanese promotions Legend FC and Shooto, Kasuya brings a solid record of 9-1 into the UFC. Of his nine wins overall, eight of them come by submission. Strengths
- Good footwork
- Decent boxing
- Creative submission ability
- Can latch on submissions in multiple different ways
Weaknesses
- Lacks power to hurt opponents
- Very hittable on the feet
- Can be overwhelmed in the standup
- Bad chin
- Poor wrestling
Matchup with Nick Hein This is a pretty straight forward fight for Nick Hein to get the first win of his career outside of his native Germany. The German fighter has a significant edge in the standup with better technique and significantly more power in his hands. If Hein wanted to do so, he could look to score takedowns with his solid offensive judo. However, that is the one place and the only way Kasuya can win this fight. Kasuya is a crafty submission grappler capable of latching on to a limb while in a ground exchange and scoring a win. Hein’s a smart fighter and I expect him to keep this fight on the feet peppering his opponent with strikes either scoring a knockout win or a 30-27 decision. This matchup is fully dependent on how Hein fights as he has all the weapons in this situation to dictate how the fight should play out. At -270 at time of publication, there is still value in this line for Hein as a winner. He’s a strong parlay piece on this card. UFC Ceiling Yusuke Kasuya is just the latest example of why Japanese MMA has struggled over the last handful of years. As the sport has evolved, JMMA has not. Kasuya is unable to compete in the standup and doesn’t have the wrestling chops to force UFC caliber opponents into the kind of fight he wants to have. Instead, he’s forced to fight from behind and hope opponents make a mistake where he can transition into a submission opportunity and score a quick victory. I don’t expect Kasuya to do well in the organization as he’ll likely get beat up on the feet for as long as his fights last. At only 25, he certainly has time to improve, but the blueprint for failure is there and it’s hard to ignore. Fight Film Check out Yusuke Kasuya in some of his most recent fights: Yasuke Kasuya vs. Frank Camacho Yasuke Kasuya vs. Nobumitsu Osawa