Rin Nakai facts for kids

Quick facts for kids Rin Nakai 中井 りん
Born	(1986-10-22) October 22, 1986 (age 38) Matsuyama, Ehime Prefecture, Japan
Height	5 ft 1 in (155 cm)
Weight	125 lb (57 kg)
Division	Flyweight
Reach	60.5 in (154 cm)
Style	Judo
Fighting out of	Japan
Team	Pancrase Venus
Years active	2006–Present (MMA)
Mixed martial arts record
Total	32
Wins	28
By knockout	10
By submission	12
By decision	6
Losses	2
By decision	2
Draws	1
No contests	1
last updated on: March 04, 2022

Rin Nakai (中井 りん, also なかい りん, Nakai Rin, born October 22, 1986) is a Japanese professional mixed martial artist. She started her MMA career in 2006. She has fought in big organizations like Pancrase, Smackgirl, Valkyrie, and the UFC.

Rin Nakai was often ranked among the top ten women's Flyweight and Bantamweight fighters. This was between 2006 and 2018.

About Rin Nakai

Rin Nakai was born on October 22, 1986, in Matsuyama, Japan. She began training in judo when she was just three years old. In middle school, she was ranked #5 in judo across all of Japan. Later, in senior high school, she achieved a #3 ranking. She went to Takanawadai High School and later attended Teikyo University.

Starting Her MMA Journey

Rin Nakai's first professional fight was on October 1, 2006. She won against Asuka Ito by TKO (technical knockout). This means the referee stopped the fight because Ito's nose was broken. This exciting win happened at an event called Pancrase 2006 Blow Tour.

Fighting in Smackgirl

On May 19, 2007, Rin Nakai had her first fight for the Smackgirl organization. She fought Kazue Matake and won by decision. This means the judges decided she won. Later, on September 6, 2007, she faced Asha Ingeneri in Smackgirl. Nakai won quickly in the first round, after just 1 minute and 3 seconds. She used an armbar, which is a move to make an opponent give up. Her final fight for Smackgirl was on April 25, 2008, where she defeated Kanako Takeshita.

Her Time in Valkyrie

On December 7, 2008, Rin Nakai fought WINDY Tomomi. She won by TKO using mounted punches. After a break, she returned to fighting on February 11, 2010. This was her first fight for the VALKYRIE organization. She defeated Mizuho Sato using a Kimura Lock, another submission move. On June 19, 2010, she won against Megumi Yabushita by a 3–0 decision. On September 26, 2010, she fought Mayumi Aoki in a tournament semi-final. Nakai won with an armbar, moving closer to the championship. On November 28, 2010, she met Mizuho Sato again in the tournament final. Rin Nakai won the fight when the doctor stopped it due to an injury to Sato's eye. This victory made Nakai the Valkyrie tournament champion. On December 30, 2010, she fought Mika "HARI" Harigai and won with a Keylock submission. This win extended her winning streak to 10 fights. It was such a big achievement that it made the front page of a Japanese sports newspaper!

Back to Pancrase

On September 4, 2011, Rin Nakai fought Danielle West. The fight ended in a split-decision draw. On December 1, 2012, Nakai had a rematch with Danielle West. This time, Nakai won by unanimous decision. She also returned to Pancrase on May 20, 2012, defeating Kyoko Kimura with an armbar. Nakai faced Mayumi Aoki again on September 1, 2012. This fight was part of a tournament to find the Queen of Pancrase in the bantamweight division. Nakai won by TKO in the second round. On December 1, 2012, Nakai fought Danielle West for the bantamweight Queen of Pancrase title. She won by unanimous decision, becoming the first bantamweight Queen of Pancrase. There were some unusual rules for this fight. West had to cut weight twice and was told she couldn't use certain moves. Nakai, however, had no such restrictions. On May 11, 2014, she fought Sarah D'Alelio in Pancrase and won by decision. She also fought Tara LaRosa on September 29, 2013, winning by a 2–0 decision.

Her Time in the UFC

In 2014, Rin Nakai moved to the American UFC organization. At that time, the UFC did not have a women's flyweight division. So, she had to compete in the heavier bantamweight division. Her UFC debut was on September 20, 2014, at UFC Fight Night: Hunt vs. Nelson. She fought Miesha Tate, who was a top-ranked fighter. Nakai lost this fight by decision, which was her first loss in MMA. On March 19, 2016, at UFC Fight Night: Hunt vs. Mir, she faced Leslie Smith and lost by decision.

After the UFC

After her time in the UFC, Rin Nakai continued to fight in other promotions. On July 24, 2016, she fought Emiko Raika at Pancrase 279. She won by TKO with elbows on the ground. On September 29, 2016, Nakai competed at Rizin World Grand Prix 2016: 2nd Round. She defeated the skilled wrestler Kanako Murata in the third round using a Rear Naked Choke. On February 24, 2018, she returned to DEEP 82 IMPACT. She fought Kim Ji-young and won by TKO with elbow strikes. At Deep Jewels 24, Nakai defeated Kaewjai Prachumwong by TKO in the second round. On October 22, 2019, she fought Titapa Junsookplung at Deep Jewels 26. Nakai won this fight with an armbar. She fought Shoko Fujita in a quarterfinal match at Deep Jewels 36 on March 12, 2022. Nakai won by TKO. On May 8, 2022, she fought Tae Murayama in the semi-final of the DEEP JEWELS Flyweight Grand Prix. She won by armbar in the second round. On the same day, she advanced to the final and defeated Shizuka Sugiyama with an armbar in the first round. This win made her the first Deep Jewels Flyweight Champion. Nakai faced Aoi Kuriyama on February 18, 2023, at Deep Jewels 40. She won the fight by submission in the second round. On May 26, 2024, Nakai was set to defend her Deep Jewels Flyweight championship against Aoi Kuriyama. Kuriyama had to withdraw due to an injury, and Namiko Kawabata took her place. Nakai won the fight by technical submission in the third round. Her most recent fight was on November 23, 2024, at Deep Jewels 47, where she defeated Haruka Suzuki by TKO.

Championships and Awards

Rin Nakai has won several important titles and awards in her career:

• VALKYRIE
  • First VALKYRIE Open Weight Championship (2010)
• Pancrase
  • First Bantamweight Queen of Pancrase Championship (2012)
• Fight Matrix
  • Highest Quarterly Ranking: 1/01/2010, #2 Women Flyweight

Mixed Martial Arts Record

See also

In Spanish: Rin Nakai para niños