Japanese Knockout Artist Ryugo Takeuchi Promises “Intense Battle” Against Ben Tynan At ONE Fight Night 40
Ryugo Takeuchi has carried the weight of his November first-round TKO loss to Shamil Erdogan at ONE 173 for months now, the frustration building with each passing day. The 22-year-old Japanese knockout artist finally gets his chance to unleash that accumulated rage when he faces Canadian wrestler Ben Tynan in a heavyweight MMA clash at ONE Fight Night 40: Buntan vs. Hemetsberger II on Prime Video on Friday, February 13, live from Lumpinee Stadium in Bangkok.
The defeat shattered Takeuchi completely — not just losing but how he lost, getting stopped before showcasing months of preparation. That kind of ending doesn’t fade quietly. It festers.
“After ONE 173 where I lost in that manner, I’ve had a lot of frustration building up inside me, dissatisfaction with how things went, all of that combined,” Takeuchi said. “I have so much frustration accumulated, and I’m planning to make this the fight where I explode with all of it.”
That explosion could arrive early against Tynan, a fighter Takeuchi believes is perfectly suited for the statement-making finish he desperately needs. The Japanese standout has studied the Canadian’s approach extensively, acknowledging his wrestling credentials while identifying specific adjustments necessary to keep the fight standing where his advantages become overwhelming.
“He’s pretty good at tackles, single-leg takedowns, so I’m watching out for that,” Takeuchi explained. “Also, he’s quite heavier than me — more than 10 kilos heavier — so he’s a big fighter. When we clinch up, I’m being conscious not to get into a strength battle. I’ve been practicing transitions and staying aware of that.”
Rather than viewing the size and wrestling advantages with concern, Takeuchi has identified what he perceives as fatal flaws in both Tynan’s technical game and his mental fortitude. The scouting report reveals a fighter who actively avoids chaotic striking exchanges, and the Japanese athlete believes that reluctance betrays deeper weakness.
“Watching his fights, he’s a fighter who doesn’t get into striking exchanges at all,” Takeuchi said. “So his weakness is striking, and if I had to say more, I think he might be mentally weak.”
The classic grappler-versus-striker matchup often favors the wrestler who can impose their game plan, but Takeuchi refuses to play by conventional rules. While acknowledging Tynan will likely attempt takedowns throughout, the Japanese knockout artist has made a bold declaration about how he’ll respond if the fight hits the canvas — immediate scrambles back to standing, forcing the Canadian into striking exchanges where every advantage belongs to him.
“I don’t hate the ground game. I can do it. I’m not that great at it, but I can do it, so I don’t hate it,” Takeuchi said. “But I want to excite the crowd. How should I put it? I want to win in an impactful way, so if I get taken down, I won’t engage in ground fighting. I’ll immediately stand back up and beat him to a pulp.”
The confidence stems from absolute belief in his striking superiority. At just 22 years old, Takeuchi has compiled a perfect 100 percent finishing rate across five professional victories — four knockouts coming in the first round, his average fight time just 3 minutes and 26 seconds. That’s the destructive power waiting for Tynan if he makes the mistake of standing and trading.
“When it becomes a striking scramble, when it turns into a brawl, there’s absolutely no way I’ll lose,” Takeuchi said. “I don’t feel like I’ll lose any standup battle at all. If it becomes an intense battle, it will definitely end in the first round.”
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