UFC: Japan’s Kanako Murata draws Khabib comparisons with dominant debut victory
- ‘I don’t mind fighting anyone. I just want to keep winning and climbing step by step,’ says rising Japanese star
- Unanimous points decision over veteran Randa Markos launches Kanako Murata’s UFC career
Kanako Murata’s laid out her supreme wrestling pedigree for the wider world to see on Sunday, grinding down the veteran strawweight Randa “Quiet Storm” Markos over three rounds to take a unanimous decision on debut at UFC Vegas 14.
It was an effort that had the UFC’s cageside commentary team buzzing, most vocally of all Hall of Famer Michael Bisping, who claimed he was having “Khabib Nurmagomedov flashbacks” as the Japanese fighter went to work.
There were certainly echoes of the now-retired Russian lightweight king at his finest as Murata (12-1) monstered Markos (10-11-1) to the mat, and then went to work.
A 4-0 takedown count by the end told the tale, as did more than nine minutes of control for Murata, and a whopping 17 of 18 significant strikes landed on the ground, in between the relentless pressure, and a stream of submission attempts.
“Just to win my UFC debut makes me so happy,” Murata said. “I learned a lot fighting a veteran with experience like Randa Markos. I don’t mind fighting anyone, I just want to keep winning and climbing step by step.”
The 27-year-old Murata was signed by the UFC after last year claiming the Invicta strawweight title and rode a 7-0 run into Las Vegas on Sunday.