Rivalries: Goiti Yamauchi

A spotlight Goiti Yamauchi has long sought now shines upon him.

The 29-year-old Bellator MMA mainstay will draw his first headlining assignment when he locks horns with Neiman Gracie in the Bellator 284 main event on Friday at the Sanford Pentagon in Sioux Falls, South Dakota. Yamauchi enters the cage on the strength of back-to-back victories. He last competed at Bellator 279, where he submitted Levan Chokheli with an armbar in the first round of their April 23 encounter. Yamauchi, now fighting at 170 pounds, has appeared in three different weight classes with the organization.

As Yamauchi sets his sights on Gracie, a look at a few of the rivalries that have helped shape his career to this point:

Isao Kobayashi

Yamauchi dispatched the former Pancrase champion with a rear-naked choke in the third round of their Bellator 144 featherweight showcase on Oct. 23, 2015 at the Mohegan Sun Arena in Uncasville, Connecticut. Kobayashi, who had never before been submitted, checked out 3:50 into Round 3. Just 22 years of age at the time, Yamauchi could not have been more impressive. Kobayashi was outclassed in every phase—a startling revelation for a man who had lost only once in his previous 15 outings. Yamauchi ran circles around him on the ground throughout the first two rounds—their exchanges included several near finishes—and then dropped him with a counter left hand in the third. The Brazilian jiu-jitsu black belt swooped into top position and eventually advanced to the back. Once there, Yamauchi patiently hunted for the rear-naked choke, closing the deal with a palm-to-palm grip and crushing squeeze.

Bubba Jenkins

The two-time NCAA All-American wrestler made significant strides with his development and laid claim to a unanimous decision over Yamauchi in their Bellator 151 featherweight attraction on March 4, 2016 at the Winstar World Casino in Thackerville, Oklahoma. Jenkins swept the scorecards with 29-28, 30-27 and 29-27 marks from the cageside judiciary. Yamauchi had his counterpart under duress throughout the first round, where he climbed to the decorated American wrestler’s back in a standing position and hunted rear-naked chokes. Jenkins survived the exchanges and pushed the fight deeper, finding more favorable conditions as the minutes passed. He struck for takedowns in the second and third rounds, paired a suffocating top game with ground-and-pound and avoided Yamauchi’s armbar and triangle attempts from the bottom.

Adam Piccolotti

Yamauchi disposed of the previously unbeaten prospect with a rear-naked choke in the first round of their Bellator 183 lightweight feature on Sept. 23, 2017 at the SAP Center in San Jose, California. Piccolotti conceded defeat 3:19 into Round 1. Yamauchi connected with a hook kick, snapped down on a guillotine choke and set the events in motion that would lead to his latest conquest. He drew Piccolotti into a scramble, moved to a rear waistlock position and jumped to the back, setting his hooks in one fluid motion. Yamauchi snaked his arms in place and tightened his squeeze, his opponent collapsing in retreat at the base of the cage. Piccolotti struggled to free himself, came to the realization that his situation was hopeless and offered a reluctant tapout.

Michael Chandler

Repeated takedowns, suffocating control and damaging ground-and-pound carried the onetime NCAA All-American wrestler to a lopsided unanimous decision over Yamauchi in their Bellator 192 lightweight showcase on Jan. 20, 2018 at The Forum in Inglewood, California. Scores were 30-26, 30-26 and 30-25. Chandler may not have been perfect—the former lightweight champion staggered backward after eating a head kick in the middle stanza—but he was close enough. He roughed up Yamauchi with superior physicality, athleticism and technique for much of the match but did real damage in the third round. There, Chandler executed another takedown before exploiting the exhaustion and despair that had set in on his opponent. Elbows and short punches battered Yamauchi bloody and left little doubt as to who deserved to get his hand raised. It was simply a bridge too far for the longtime Brazilian jiu-jitsu black belt.

Saad Awad

Yamauchi turned away the respected former Gladiator Challenge champion with an armbar in the first round of their Bellator 229 co-main event on Oct. 4, 2019 at the Pechanga Resort and Casino in Temecula, California. Awad offered a verbal tapout 1:40 into Round 1, submitting for the first time in more than eight years. Yamauchi remained calm under considerable duress. After eating a right hand from the notoriously heavy-handed Awad, the Brazilian jiu-jitsu black belt snatched a single-leg, pulled guard and drew the Millennia MMA rep further into his web. From there, he isolated an arm, activated his hips and closed the deal.