Omigawa’s Holy Homework

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Only a handful of Japanese fighters -- particularly Yushin Okami after his defeat at the hands of Chael Sonnen -- have acknowledged the need to train with North American fighters to improve their cage game. However, Omigawa sees both stateside training and Japan’s difficulties in the Octagon differently than the MMA community at large.

Omigawa is open to the notion of training abroad, but he does not feel compelled to do so. Broaching the idea that the best training is in the U.S., he does bring up a crucial point.

“What about [UFC featherweight champion] Jose Aldo? He doesn’t have to leave Brazil or Nova Uniao to train, does he? If Jose doesn’t need to, why do I have to leave?” he asks with a grin.

“Probably one of the reasons is the cage itself, but more than that, I think it comes down to a fighter’s mental state. Going abroad, fighting in a cage, hearing a different audience than Japan’s -- all these things play a factor,” he continues.

His assertion is one that highlights the fact that Japan is a highly advanced island nation in which the need to travel abroad rarely occurs for its inhabitants. For many Japanese fighters, competing in the states is their first experience abroad. Culture shock and jet lag exacerbate Octagon jitters, making for a deadly cocktail come fight time. To further illustrate his point, Omigawa takes a moment to consult his cell phone’s Japanese-English dictionary to find a particular phrase to convey what exactly it is he feels he needs most to succeed in a North American cage. The phrase he chooses is “comfort zone.”

“Don’t you think that non-Japanese fighters that come to Japan face similar problems? They win and lose just the same as Japanese fighters going abroad, I think. The key is to find out how to create a comfort zone for myself in enemy territory,” he says.

In so doing, Omigawa will be bringing a large entourage with him to Las Vegas. Including the likes of high school friend and Olympic wrestler-turned-mixed martial artist Kazuyuki Miyata, Omigawa will be well-insulated by the company of many close friends, his immediate family and Yoshida Dojo training partners. To assure that he acclimates to the dry Vegas weather, they all arrived a week out from the fight.

Further still, Omigawa views the inclusion of fellow Japanese fighter Norifumi “Kid” Yamamoto on the card as a contributing factor in creating a comfortable and encouraging environment for both men to perform in.

“I think we can help each other feel comfortable there. I know there will be a lot of people going to cheer for him, too, just as my friends and family will be there to cheer for me. Hopefully, they can make a good atmosphere for the both of us and cheer us both on,” he says.

Of course, with so many supporters in attendance and a campaign by the UFC’s Japanese broadcast partner, WOWOW, to spotlight both Omigawa’s and Yamamoto’s bouts, there exists the potential that the people that comprise this comfort zone could create no small amount of performance pressure. Add to that the fact that the UFC roster has become much more competitive to stay in since the merger with the WEC, and it is conceivable that the pressure may become debilitating. However, Omigawa is undaunted. Besides his belief that a greater power has brought him back to the Octagon for a reason, he has an iron resolve tempered by the mismatches of his early career. In fact, he finds Zuffa’s stringent pink slip policy refreshing.

“It’s been a theme in my life for these past few years that once I lose, there’s nothing else for me coming up in the future from these promotions. I’m coming into the UFC now with that mentality. It’s just so much clearer and obvious that once you lose, you can and will get cut,” he says.

It happened to Omigawa once already, but he does not seem so concerned with it now. Perhaps it was all the studying and all the homework he has done to ace his next test in the Octagon.

Interpreted by Mizuka Koike