Defeat cuts differently for 22-year-old fighters who’ve built their reputations on finishes. Ryugo Takeuchi tasted that failure in Tokyo, and the bitterness hasn’t left his mouth.
The Japanese knockout artist faces Ben Tynan in a heavyweight MMA bout at ONE Fight Night 40 on Friday, February 13, inside Lumpinee Stadium in Bangkok, Thailand.
Shamil Erdogan dropped Takeuchi in November at ONE 173 in Japan. The first-round TKO played on a loop in his mind. But frustration makes dangerous fighters even more reckless, and Takeuchi’s already walking that line.
His hands carry the kind of power that erases consciousness. Four of his five professional wins ended by knockout, all in the first round. The average fight time reads like a death sentence: 3 minutes and 26 seconds.
Still, power means nothing if you can’t land it. Tynan brings Canadian wrestling pedigree and a game plan designed to smother Takeuchi’s explosiveness before it detonates.
“After ONE 173 where I lost in that manner, I’ve had a lot of frustration building up inside me, dissatisfaction with how things went, all of that combined,” he said. “I have so much frustration accumulated, and I’m planning to make this the fight where I explode with all of it.”
Ryugo Takeuchi identifies fatal flaws in Ben Tynan’s approach
Ryugo Takeuchi watched the tape. He saw a wrestler who avoids exchanges, who ducks and shoots instead of standing in the pocket where real damage happens.
Tynan carries more than 10 kilograms over Takeuchi. The size advantage matters in grappling exchanges, where leverage and weight dictate position. But the Japanese striker isn’t concerned with playing the strength game.
He’s mapped out his defensive adjustments. When Tynan shoots, Takeuchi will transition immediately. No grinding battles on the canvas, no energy wasted fighting for underhooks. Takeuchi sees more than technical deficiencies when he studies his opponent. He sees a fighter who flinches, who retreats when pressure arrives.
Tynan will shoot. The Canadian’s entire strategy depends on closing distance and dragging Takeuchi into deep water. But wrestlers who chase takedowns against explosive strikers often pay for their persistence. The Japanese knockout artist envisions a scenario where technique dissolves into pure chaos, and in those moments, belief matters more than credentials.
“He’s pretty good at tackles, single-leg takedowns, so I’m watching out for that,” he said. “Also, he’s quite heavier than me — more than 10 kilos heavier — so he’s a big fighter. When we clinch up, I’m being conscious not to get into a strength battle. I’ve been practicing transitions and staying aware of that.
“Watching his fights, he’s a fighter who doesn’t get into striking exchanges at all. So his weakness is striking, and if I had to say more, I think he might be mentally weak.
“I don’t hate the ground game. I can do it. I’m not that great at it, but I can do it, so I don’t hate it. But I want to excite the crowd. How should I put it? I want to win in an impactful way, so if I get taken down, I won’t engage in ground fighting. I’ll immediately stand back up and beat him to a pulp.
“When it becomes a striking scramble, when it turns into a brawl, there’s absolutely no way I’ll lose. I don’t feel like I’ll lose any standup battle at all.
“If it becomes an intense battle, it will definitely end in the first round.”