Professional mixed martial artist Jake Heun has made it clear where he would like his next fight to take place: at Japanese promotion Rizin Fighting Federation’s next event, scheduled for September 25.
“Anybody who’s ever watched MMA at all has had a dream in the back of their head to go over to Japan and throw some soccer kicks in front of that crowd,” Heun told Rush Hour Daily. “I remember watching guys like Fedor [Emelianenko], Wanderlei [Silva] and [Mirko] Cro Cop fighting over there since I was young and it’s always something I’ve wanted to do.”
Heun would be eager to go over to Japan and join fellow American fighters Daron Cruickshank and Charles “Krazy Horse” Bennett on the event.
“From an American aspect, they need an influx of new blood,” Heun said. “They need people like Cruickshank and I to step up and bring that American style back to Japan.”
What does that style consist of? Heun said he would bring an aggressive, berserker style of fighting back to MMA, something that he feels has been lacking in the sport, lately.
Heun is still under contract with World Series of Fighting but hasn’t had a fight since April 2, where he had a two-fight winning streak snapped by Vinny Magalhaes. Still, he’s thankful to the promotion’s president, Ray Sefo, and WSOF as a whole for allowing him to look for a fight outside of the promotion. However, he is more than ready to step back into the cage.
“Man, I can’t tell you how eager I am,” Heun said. “I do this sport because I love to fight and that’s how I pay my bills. When I’m sitting out for 6-8 months at a time, I don’t get to do what I love and I don’t get to pay my bills, which is a real pain in the ass.”
If all goes well and Heun gets his wish to fight at Rizin, who would he like to fight in front of the Japanese crowd?
“I know they’re putting together that 16-man tournament,” he said. “Give me a Wanderlei or a Cro-Cop. But at the end of the day, anybody who would want to fight me would be great.”
