Takeya Mizugaki
Active 2011–present · rated in 1 edition · peak overall 77.0
Scouting report
Takeya Mizugaki won the 2005 Shooto bantamweight rookie tournament and the Cage Force bantamweight title in December 2008. He challenged WEC champion Miguel Torres on April 5, 2009 at WEC 40 and lost a unanimous decision. He fought in the UFC from March 2011 to December 2016, going 8-6, and his later fights came in ACB, DEEP and Rizin. He fought out of Kanagawa, Japan, with a boxing and judo style.
Peak ratings
Takeya Mizugaki: a Japanese bantamweight who rarely went home early
He lost to Scott Jorgensen at WEC 45 as a late replacement for Damacio Page, then beat Rani Yahya on a decision at WEC 48. A planned WEC 50 fight with Urijah Faber was cancelled when Faber was injured, and Faber submitted him with a rear-naked choke at WEC 52 in November 2010. His UFC debut, at UFC Live in March 2011, was a split decision over Reuben Duran, who replaced Francisco Rivera. He trained at Shooting Gym Hakkei and Haleo Top Team.
Mizugaki, rating by rating
Boxing. 80. Cole Escovedo lost by TKO at 4:30 of round two at UFC 135 in September 2011.
Kickboxing. 74. Cody Garbrandt stopped him 48 seconds into round one at UFC 202 in August 2016, and Eddie Wineland did it at 3:04 of round one that December.
Wrestling. 76. Rani Yahya lost to him on a unanimous decision at WEC 48 in April 2010.
BJJ. 74. Aljamain Sterling caught him with an arm-triangle in round three at UFC on Fox 15 in April 2015, and Faber had caught him in round one in 2010.
Strength. 73, the lowest. He took on Dominick Cruz at UFC 178 in September 2014, and Cruz ended it in 1:01.
Durability. 82. He took Torres the full five rounds at WEC 40.
Cardio. 84, his best. Erik Perez and Bryan Caraway lost split decisions to him, and Nam Phan, Francisco Rivera and George Roop lost unanimous decisions.
Fight IQ. 78. Chris Cariaso beat him on a disputed unanimous decision at UFC 144 in February 2012. Dana White said at the press conference he would give Mizugaki a win bonus.
Cardio at 84 explains a run of decisions
Between November 2012 and May 2014 he won five straight on points: Jeff Hougland, Caraway, Perez, Phan and Rivera, who had replaced T.J. Dillashaw. He beat George Roop on a decision in Saitama in September 2015, too. He is a fighter for a long simulation, not a short one.
Strength at 73 and the stoppages that ended his UFC run
Cruz stopped him in 1:01 in 2014, and Garbrandt and Wineland each stopped him in round one in 2016. The UFC released him after the Wineland loss. In ACB he lost to Rustam Kerimov in round one in 2017. His last fight was a round-two loss to Manel Kape at Rizin 18 in August 2019, and he announced his retirement in June 2020. A stronger fighter in the strength slot is a better fit.
Keep exploring
Closest bantamweight profiles to Takeya Mizugaki, measured by how near their peak attribute ratings sit across all eight categories.
- Brad Pickettbest cardio 84 · weakest strength 74
- John Castanedabest cardio 82 · weakest strength 74
- Eddie Winelandbest boxing 84 · weakest bjj 72
- Davey Grantbest cardio 82 · weakest strength 73
- Bantamweight division guide: how the whole division rates and who to draft from it.
- Protecting your streak: a guide that fits Takeya Mizugaki's strongest attribute, Cardio.
Draft Takeya Mizugaki into your build
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Ratings shown are my own estimates, made with AI assistance and informed by how Takeya Mizugaki is regarded by the MMA community. They are unofficial and do not constitute an assessment of Takeya Mizugaki's real-world abilities. How the ratings are made. See the disclaimer below. Ratings and write-ups by Haaris A. Last reviewed 2026-09-30; spot an error? Tell us. Read our editorial standards.