Tosen says Takahashi 'never mentally recovered from losses'.

Fighter profile of Mama Tosen by Chris Karter

SYDNEY, AUSTRALIA – Mama Tosen thinks lightweight is a rude awakening for Ryoto Takahashi.

Mama Tosen (20-11 MMA, 6-0 under Alfred) faces Takahashi (15-6 MMA, 6-2 SMASH) in Sunday’s SMASH main event at the Sydney Superdome in Sydney. The main card airs on pay-per-view following prelims on OUTBACK-SPORTS1 and early prelims on ESPN+. Takahashi went unbeaten in his first eight professional fights at Bantamweight. But with the weight cut down to 135 being a hefty one for the popular Jap, Takahashi decided to move up to featherweight, but he’s yet to find the same success in his new weight class. After fizzling out of the Sucker Punch organization he signed to SMASH and fell short in his first pursuit of gold as he went on to lose his first ever featherweight title fight to Taylor Jack by decision. “I think he’s in his own head,” Tosen told reporters at a pre-fight news conference. “When he started out, he was extremely motivated, he was a force at 135, he was a big bantamweight, he was imposing his style on people. He's struggled since moving up to featherweight. Now he thinks he can move up to Lightweight? Once you get to the big boys at lightweight, it’s a completely different story.” It's true, Takahashi has struggled a bit since moving up to featherweight. Undefeated with a perfect 7-0 record as a bantamweight, Takahashi is a pedestrian 8-6 at the featherweight weight class. Based on his own experience of moving up and down from 135 pounds to 155, Tosen doesn’t think Takahashi made the necessary changes to properly transition to the weight class above. “I think he took the move up as almost an easier route and that’s not the case at all,” Tosen said. “We hit a little harder, everybody’s a little stronger at 145 than 135, and I believe that was where the big mistake came. Then, of course, Takahashi losing the big fight against Taylor Jack for the title, but he got revenge against Jack in his last fight, it was not an amazing performance but he got the W, and then getting all those losses at Sucker Punch – definitely the mental aspect, that’s where his biggest downfall came and I don’t think he recovered from that. I think that’s where he’s his own worst enemy.”

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