Nghiem Van Y before a new milestone in his MMA career

Nghiem Van Y attends Road to UFC 2025 - Photo: FBNV .

On May 23, Nghiem Van Y will face Rui Imura, the champion of the Japanese Pancrase tournament at Road to UFC 2025. This is not only a clash between two contrasting styles, but also a "test of fire" for the Vietnamese representative at the prestigious international MMA arena.

Nghiem Van Y is the current featherweight champion of the Lion Championship. With a record of 5 wins and 1 loss, he stands out thanks to his fierce standing style, speed and high accuracy in his punches.

Meanwhile, Imura is the Pancrase bantamweight champion, famous for his superb grappling techniques, especially his ability to strangle and break his arms, causing many opponents to submit.

Before stepping into the octagon, Nghiem Van Y had a conversation with Tri Thuc - Znews . He highly appreciated Rui Imura's striking skills, which is why he prepared for 2 months for this important match.

“My mentality is quite comfortable. I have been waiting for this match for a long time. My opponent is someone who has competed more than me, and has good grappling skills. Rui Imura's wins all came from chokeholds and arm twists. To prepare for the match, I have 2 months to improve my physical strength and tactics according to the coach's training program,” Nghiem Van Y shared.

In the octagon, every situation is measured in seconds, any mistake will cost any fighter. However, as a young face, Van Y said, if the result is in line with the set goal, it will be a milestone in his career. In the opposite case, this will be an experience, a useful lesson on the journey to conquer the peaks of MMA.

Nghiem Van Y's opponent is Rui Imura, the bantamweight champion - Photo: FBNV.

“Honestly, I have gone through many matches in my career. For me, every match is a big match. Of course, with the stature of Road to UFC, the mentality must be carefully adjusted. I try to keep my mind relaxed, ready to strike when the opportunity arises, because I believe that a strike at the right time will make a difference. More importantly, I believe in myself, believe in the serious training journey, the guidance of good coaches and the unconditional support of family and friends,” the boxer born in 1999 continued.

Besides preparing mentally and physically, Nghiem Van Y has studied his opponent very carefully. He hopes that the preparation in the past 2 months will have a real "place to show off".

With his fast standing style, Nghiem Van Y understood that the important thing was to grasp the timing, avoiding getting caught up in ground combat situations where Rui Imura had the advantage.

Nghiem Van Y was born in 1999 in a family with no one involved in sports in Bac Giang. He came to martial arts at the age of 13, later than many people. However, Van Y is also a rare face that quickly caught up and achieved success quite early. At the age of 16, he participated in the world youth tournament.

After that push, Nghiem Van Y achieved a number of achievements such as being the national champion in Sanshou for 4 consecutive years, the bronze medal in Wushu Sanshou at the 2018 ASIAD, and the bronze medal in Sanshou at the 2019 SEA Games. In 2022, he switched to MMA and now, being present at Road to UFC is not only an honor for this fighter, but also a significant step forward for Vietnamese MMA on the Asia- Pacific map.

Entering a harsh journey where every fighter aims for the top of UFC, Nghiem Van Y is not alone. He carries the expectations of fans, the pride of Vietnamese MMA and the courage of a fighter ready to face the biggest challenge of his career.

Source: https://znews.vn/nghiem-van-y-truoc-cot-moc-moi-cua-su-nghiep-mma-post1554705.html