If you’re looking for closeouts or quitters, you won’t find them at Fight 2 Win. The promotion has had people from all walks of life competing against each other on the big stage (including a blind athlete and his opponent, who competed blindfolded). Tonight, though, two competitors who come from very similar backgrounds will be doing their best to slam and submit each other in front of a very excited crowd, and in doing so, they’ll be showing the martial arts world why there’s no excuse for closeouts.
Before big BJJ names like Edwin Najmi, Mayssa Bastos, and Josh Hinger put it all on the line later in the evening, Taylan and Tegan Yuasa will be stepping up. The fact that they share a last name is no coincidence — the two are brothers, and they’re basically fulfilling every childhood dream of being able to beat up your sibling in front of a lot of people.
Both of the Yuasa brothers are accomplished judokas, with both Taylan and Tegan being two-time World Team members and national champions. If Taylan’s name sounds particularly familiar to you, it may be because he’s also a CJJ veteran and professional MMA fighter. They’ve certainly earned their place on the very stacked F2W card tonight, and the fact that they’re siblings doesn’t mean they’ll be holding anything back.
So why face off against each other specifically? There are plenty of other high-level judokas out there (many of whom have competed at F2W, in fact), so why choose to fight against your own brother? According to F2W CEO Seth Daniels, the answer was simple: “They felt they are the toughest fight for each other — that no one else stands a chance,” he says.
Daniels, a judo black belt himself, seemed impressed, but not surprised by the Yuasa brothers’ desire to throw each other around. “While BJJ guys will bow out to someone they have never met from a different state or country because of affiliation, judo guys don’t give a f*ck and will try to kill each other,” he says.
Which Yuasa will take home the win? Well, you’ll just have to see for yourself when Fight 2 Win 124 streams live from Seattle tonight on FloGrappling!
