In Photos: Ryujin, Kumura, And Gump Put On A Show At ONE SAMURAI 5 Open Workout
· Yahoo Sports
Three of Team Teppen’s brightest kickboxing talents are locked in and ready to make a statement on home soil.
Japanese stars Ryujin “SHINDO” Nasukawa, Masashi “The Flash” Kumura, and “Mr. No Damage” Gump took part in an open workout at the Team Teppen gym last week, showing off their skills ahead of ONE SAMURAI 5.
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All three are currently scheduled for action on the card, which broadcasts live from EBARA WAVE Arena Ota in Tokyo, Japan, on Wednesday, November 18.
Photo Credit: ONE ChampionshipRyujin: Bigger Goals In Sight
The 20-year-old Ryujin, who is the younger brother of legendary kickboxing megastar Tenshin Nasukawa, will face Elmehdi “The Sniper” El Jamari in a strawweight kickboxing clash.
Introduced to martial arts by his father, the ISKA World Champion holds a 20-3 career record and made a statement in his ONE Championship debut at The Inner Circle 23 in July, where he knocked out Thai veteran Thongpoon PK Saenchai.
Now he has his sights set even higher, with future plans to challenge for the ONE Atomweight Muay Thai World Title, which is currently held by his compatriot, Nadaka Yoshinari.
Asked about the atomweight king, Ryujin said he feels people are overlooking him:
“I don’t know, but I kind of feel like I’m being underestimated somewhere. There’s a part of me that’s thinking, ‘Don’t look down on me.’ But I’m not in a position to say anything yet, so I want to keep that feeling with me as I head into my fight in ONE.”
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Kumura: Ready For The Global Stage
Kumura makes his ONE Championship debut against former ONE Strawweight Muay Thai World Title challenger “El Jefe” Ellis Badr Barboza in another strawweight kickboxing matchup.
The 27-year-old Osaka native started his martial arts journey with karate and turned pro in kickboxing at the age of 15. He enters the contest with a 26-8 career record and has a chance to send a strong message to the entire division with a victory over a former contender.
Kumura said:
Photo Credit: ONE Championship“Barboza has already fought for a Muay Thai title in ONE, so there is no doubt he is one of ONE’s top fighters. If I can beat a fighter like that in a convincing way, it will raise my stock. I want to win without taking any damage.”
Gump: Riding The Momentum
Rounding out the trio, the 23-year-old Gump meets Shuto “Atomic Bomb” Inui in an all-Japanese bantamweight kickboxing showdown.
Gump is 19-5 overall and 2-0 in ONE Championship, with both promotional victories coming by decision. He aims to extend that run to three straight wins and believes his recent experience on the organization’s weekly Asia primetime event series has given him an edge.
He said:
“I fought at ONE Friday Fights last time, so I have recent experience with the rules. I have been training well with the team, and I feel like I am in great shape.”
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Ryujin, Kumura, and Gump are all motivated heading into the ONE SAMURAI 5 event.
Before these three kickboxing stars look to make their stable proud on home soil, they participated in an open workout at the world-famous Team Teppen gym.
Take a look at this photo gallery from that session.
Photo Credit: ONE ChampionshipPhoto Credit: ONE ChampionshipPhoto Credit: ONE ChampionshipPhoto Credit: ONE ChampionshipPhoto Credit: ONE ChampionshipPhoto Credit: ONE ChampionshipPhoto Credit: ONE ChampionshipPhoto Credit: ONE ChampionshipPhoto Credit: ONE ChampionshipPhoto Credit: ONE ChampionshipPhoto Credit: ONE ChampionshipPhoto Credit: ONE ChampionshipPhoto Credit: ONE ChampionshipPhoto Credit: ONE ChampionshipPhoto Credit: ONE Championship