Takeya Mizugaki

Takeya Mizugaki is a Japanese mixed martial artist who built a 21-11-2 professional record spanning fifteen years across some of the world's most respected bantamweight divisions. Emerging from the Japanese MMA scene in the mid-2000s, Mizugaki earned Shooto Rookie of the Year honors in 2005 and won the Cage Force Bantamweight Tournament before joining the WEC in 2009. There, he proved himself a durable contender, pushing five-time champion Miguel Torres all five rounds and posting clean wins over Rani Yahya and Jeff Curran.

When the WEC folded into the UFC in 2010, Mizugaki entered the Octagon as an established international fighter. Over six years in the UFC, he compiled a mixed but respectable record with standout victories over Cole Escovedo (TKO), Francisco Rivera (decision), and George Roop (decision), earning Dana White's respect for a controversial loss to Chris Cariaso in which the UFC president publicly awarded him a win bonus. However, Mizugaki's record tilted downward as he climbed the division, facing elite contenders like Dominick Cruz and Cody Garbrandt in 2014 and 2016 respectively. Both fights ended in first-round finishes against him, exposing the gap between a solid veteran and elite championship material.

Mizugaki's fighting style centered on crisp, technical striking rooted in his Japanese boxing foundation, paired with reliable takedown defense. He was a grinder and technician rather than a finisher, winning most of his bouts on points through consistent output and clean combinations. After a pair of devastating first-round losses late in 2016, Mizugaki was released from the UFC. He spent his final years competing in ACB and Rizin before retiring in 2020 at age 36, ending a career marked by respect for his craftsmanship and durability rather than championship glory.