Today Ryo Hasegawa of Sportsnavi interviewed Rin Nakai in advance of her UFC debut against Miesha Tate Sept. 20 at Saitama Super Arena. One of the things that most fans don't understand is that most Japanese fighters train in Tokyo even if they are from a remote area in Japan. Rin not only grew up in the northern island of Shikoku, she still trains at Shooto Shikoku with her coach Wild Usami. PANCRASE tried to get her to move to Tokyo but she chose to go home. It's such a remote place that it is impossible for her to get sparring partners. They would have to be flown in. It's expensive. So that's the first thing Hasegawa asked her. Rin says she would still like to train in the US but that takes money that she doesn't have. But she believes she could improve a lot if she got to train in the US. In her PANCRASE fights, Rin fought gaijin fighters. Hasegawa asks her about that. Rin says gaijin fighters are stronger than Japanese fighters. She says they are more physical and that all the women in the UFC are strong. That she is used to stronger fighters has helped her. As the first female to fight in the UFC, Rin hopes to pave the way for other Japanese female fighters. Hasegawa asked her about the dress she wore at the press conference. Rin said the dress was a last minute decision and only UFC president Dana White knew about the dress. Usami tried to talk her out of wearing it. She says the dress was a tribute to Madonna's Like A Virgin. She feels that the UFC is a new beginning for her. They talk about Rin's love of cosplay. She once wore a bunny rabbit bikini to a weigh in. Hasegawa says he enjoys her cosplay. A lot of Japanese fans do. She ends the interview by telling fans that she is working hard to have an exciting fight. All fans should come to the Saitama Super Arena and cheer for her.
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