Why Tofiq Musayev Considers Japan ‘Home Territory’

Tofiq Musayev feels more than comfortable in Japan, given his experience with Rizin Fighting Federation.

Musayev (20-5, 1-1 Bellator) is one of the fighters who will represent Bellator MMA on the upcoming Super Rizin 2 card set to go down at the Saitama Super Arena in the suburbs of Tokyo on July 30. The Azerbaijani takes on Akira Okada in an anticipated 155-pound clash. Musayev is accustomed to fighting in Japan and the ring as he spent part of his career under the Rizin FF banner, picking up five victories and a defeat to date. In 2019, Musayev won the Rizin lightweight grand prix after defeating Johnny Case and Patricky Freire in a four-man, one-night tournament. Ahead of his assignment, Musayev confessed he feels pressure to return to Japan and represent Bellator in the inter-promotional clash as he considers Japan “home territory.”

“There's no pressure. Of course, it's a team thing. If you look at it from a team perspective, you want to live up to the expectations, but I'm only focused on my own fight and on winning. That place, Japan, is home territory to me, so I think I'm going to be very comfortable there.”

Timestamps:

(00:00) Intro
(00:45) Leaving for Japan
(01:40) Not caring about jet lag
(02:23) Winning the Rizin lightweight grand prix in 2019
(03:48) Losing to Shabliy
(05:07) His weight cut
(06:05) Facing Okada
(07:40) Whether he prefers competing in the ring or the cage
(08:16) The status of MMA in Azerbaijan
(09:57) Outro