[Monthly Best Fighter / April]A calm plan change to a reversal play! Kana Watanabe who won the MMA overseas debut match ｜ Gadget Tsushin GetNews

The Best Fighter Award for Martial Arts Month, which is decided from the tournaments covered by E-Fight every month. The best fighter in April 2021 was Alejandra Lara (26), who ranked 4th in the women’s flyweight division at “Bellator255” held at Mohigan Sun Arena, Connecticut, USA on April 2 (3rd Japan time). = USA) was defeated and Kana Watanabe (32 = FIGHTER’S FLOW) who won the MMA overseas debut match was decided.

PROFILE

Kana Watanabe
Born in Tokyo on August 21, 1988
Height 167 cm
FIGHTER’S FLOW belongs

He is an elite in the judo world, having been selected as a judo 4th dan, all-Japan designated strengthening player for 7 years, and participating in the Olympic selection three times.
He made his debut in mixed martial arts in 2017, and at RIZIN at the end of last year, he participated in the next battle against Bellator. The rising star Irara Joani, who is expected to be a flyweight for the Verator women, has won the TKO by making full use of the inner thighs of judo training. Currently boasting 10 wins and undefeated MMA battle history.

Reason for selection
1. Judgment victory over Lara, who is 4th in the same class in the US debut match
2. Get through the pinch in the early stages, calmly change the plan and win the game in reverse
3, MMA record 10 wins and undefeated

Selection committee
All staff of martial arts magazine Fight & Life and Efight

The award-winning player Watanabe will receive the following prizes (1 Ultimate Flexi Joint UC-II, 1 Multivitamin & Mineral, 1 Amino 12 Powder) from Gold’s Gym and a commemorative plaque from Efight.

Ultimate Flexi Joint UC-II®

A supplement containing MSM, Univestin, and Cat’s claw in non-denatured type II collagen (UC-II®).
Multivitamins & Minerals

Vitamin & mineral supplement using 100% natural ingredients. No colorings, fragrances or preservatives are used.
Amino 12 powder

Contains 8 types of essential amino acids such as BCAA that cannot be synthesized in the body. Contains arginine, ornithine, glutamine, and glycine, which are suitable for body building. Easy-to-drink orange flavor.
Click here for details
Click here for details
Click here for details

Presentation: Gold’s Gym

Best Fighter Commemorative Interview

Watanabe’s previous day’s weighing figure challenging the US debut © ️ Bellator

As we all know, Watanabe’s backbone is judo, which he started at the age of seven. During his time at Tokai University, he played an active role in winning all-Japan juniors, and after working in judo, he switched to mixed martial arts in 2017. He suddenly showed his strength in RIZIN and DEEP JEWELS, and has continued his undefeated advance in domestic games with 9 wins, 0 losses and 1 draw.
At the Bellator Japan tournament on December 29, 2019, he won a contract with Bellator in December last year after winning a three-round TKO against Ilara Joani (Brazil), and his long-awaited debut in the United States was decided.

Alejandra Lara played against Watanabe © ️ Bellator

Lara, on the other hand, made her MMA debut in 2011. In 2018, he is also challenging the flyweight title of Ilima-Lei Macfarlen (USA) (losing one in a three-round arm cross). In December of the same year, he also played against Juliana Velasquez (Brazil), who later defeated McFarlane and became the champion, and a 1-2 split decision and a good fight were shining.
Lara, who has won two consecutive victories, wants to use the victory over Watanabe as a touchstone for the re-challenge of the throne. Both Watanabe and Lara had the first match in about one year and three months due to the influence of Corona, but if they won, it was inevitable that they would be involved in the title match, and both were highly motivated.

■ At Triforce Akasaka, we are also learning the research and creativity of Mikuru Asakura.

There are many players who are physically strengthening for the match with overseas players, but when I asked Watanabe, he answered, “There is nothing specially strengthened this time in terms of physicality.” However, it does not mean that “strengthening is not necessary”, but that in the case of Watanabe, the usual amount of practice and practice menu are sufficient.

Watanabe (right) and Lara facing each other by weighing the day before © ️ Bellator

In addition to daily practice at the gym I belong to, I do muscular strength and agility training twice a week under the guidance of a personal trainer, as well as endurance dojo at HALEO once a week and professional training at Triforce Akasaka once a week. Twice, paraestra Urayasu, training at the toy cutlet dojo, and then putting in a voluntary training to sew these gaps. “I love training, so I don’t have to worry about it at all,” he said, but people around him are always worried about overwork.

“I think I’ve been working on physical training since last summer, and I think I’ve gained strength in the buttocks and legs, but the best thing about doing personal training is to use the right amount of practice and the right form. You can see it. When I was doing it every day in my own way, I couldn’t recover from my fatigue, and on the contrary, it was difficult for me to build muscles. I couldn’t take a rest myself, but thanks to the time I took a rest, I was able to work efficiently. “

©️Bellator

At Triforce Akasaka, which has a full-size wire mesh, we mainly do general sparring with Mikuru Asakura and other male professional players, but it seems that the harvest we have gained both physically and mentally is great.

“Sparring with wire mesh can be practiced as if it were a match, and everyone is good at batting, so it will be a great learning experience. Also, Asakura (Mirai) is practicing with special thought, imagination, research ability, There are many things you can learn just by looking at or listening to a part of your imagination. It’s still difficult for me to put it into practice in a match, but I want to do something that I can absorb. “

A dense practice period of 1 year and 3 months. Watanabe stood in Bellator’s ring to hit all of them, but he was forced to struggle early in the game.

■ Sudden pinch to a reversal play with a calm plan change

In 1R, there was a scene where he succeeded in taking down with Osotogari, but there was also a scene where Lara was hit by a one-two shot from a southpaw or a right hook.

“I was farther from my opponent than I expected. In practice, I don’t swing through the punches, so I end up sparring at a short distance. After a long time, I realized that again. Was

Watanabe (right) who defeated Lara and decorated the US debut match with a white star © ️ Bellator

Although I received a clean hit, I didn’t feel the power to divide my consciousness. However, if nothing is done, it will continue to be easy for judges to score points for their opponents. There was an urge to shoot with a blow to test the results of the practice, but I gave up my greed and decided to change the plan.

“Actually, I was thinking of hitting the jab more firmly, scattering it with the body and front kick, and then going inside, but the opponent’s momentum was great and the hit was strong. In the end, I took down. Controlling on the ground is a way of fighting that has a high winning percentage in me, so I shifted to that direction. Let’s go, “I felt like I turned on the switch.”

It is said that he still remembers every corner of the game even after more than a month. Watanabe self-analyzed, “I had a lot of time to be up in the second round,” when asked to give points that divided the victory and defeat by a close match.

“I was able to take the back and pound, and even when I was escaped once, I had been practicing from the bottom a lot, so I was able to recover the top without rushing. I think it was a big point in the sense that it became easier to go to the team that I was able to hit back even if I got a hit from the second round. “

≫ The next page is “A chance to the world that I finally seized. I definitely don’t want to regret it. “

■ A chance to the world that I finally grasped.I definitely don’t want to regret

“I’m relieved to win, but I’m disappointed that I couldn’t do what I’ve been practicing for a year.”

He had spoken of remorse immediately after the match, but he also said that he gained a lot of awareness that would lead to the “next” in the battle with foreign fighters who were competing on the top front.

©️Bellator

“First of all, the power of the momentum to attack while swinging (punch) in the first round, the explosive power of the first half is not so much for the Japanese. That’s why the Japanese are superior in stamina. If you don’t pay attention to that start dash, you will be pushed.
After all, it’s an elbow. There are many overseas players who can elbow at the same level as boxing, so I think that if we do not respond to that, we will not be able to win. “

By defeating Lara in 4th place this time, she suddenly came in 3rd place in the ranking. Looking up, Liz Carmouche (USA), second in the UFC women’s flyweight division, has defended the Bellator flyweight title four times before losing to Velasquez last December. Only McFarlane (USA), who ranks first in the class, and Velasquez (Brazil), the current champion. Expectations for the next race are only rising.

Many people say that the world road is too smooth, but Watanabe says, “It’s neither smooth nor judo elite.”

“In mixed martial arts, I’ve been undefeated so far, and I’m often asked,’Are you particular about being undefeated?’ I’m not an elite.
In judo, I’ve been aiming for the Olympics for a long time, and that dream didn’t come true, but now that I’ve been able to change the competition and aim for the world. Even if it’s a short time since I became a general, I feel that it’s an opportunity I finally seized and I can finally challenge the world, so I definitely don’t want to regret it. “

33 years old in August this year. There is also a determination that it will be the last chance to aim for the world as an athlete. That’s why one day is a serious game. If someone doesn’t stop, trying to hone themselves until they break is a sign of their determination, not to mention their practicing habits.

Award comment

I am very honored to be selected as the best fighter this time. I would like to do my best to become a player who is happy to choose, which is commensurate with what you have chosen.

About supplements

My favorite supplements are HALEO and BULK SPORTS. Before practice, I take creatine supplements such as “IGNITE” and “CREAVOL” that have a sweating effect, and during practice I take proteins such as “C3X” and “BLUE DRAGON” that can take BCAAs. Multivitamin “VIVO” and “glutamine” to boost immunity are also indispensable. Especially during the weight loss period, I often take vitamins and minerals as a dietary supplement.

Related article link (external site)

Kana Watanabe enthusiastically signs a contract with Berator “I will carry RIZIN on my back and aim to be the champion”
[BELLATOR JAPAN]As a result of all weighing, all games will be held with an agreement to increase the contract weight even for over 2 people
[BELLATOR JAPAN]Kanna Asakura smiles with a weighing pass Muscle pose “Switched on”