Ayaka Miura credits legendary coach Ryo Chonan for her MMA success

Ayaka Miura is set to compete in the biggest fight of her ONE Championship career so far.

At ONE: Heavy Hitters, the 31-year-old Japanese star has a chance to become the ONE women’s strawweight world champion. But that's only if she manages to defeat the dominant Xiong Jing Nan in their January 14 main event clash.

With close to a decade of experience in MMA, Ayaka Miura has amassed a 11-3 record, which includes a 4-1 run on the global stage of ONE Championship. This impressive resume has helped her earn the No. 4 rank in the women’s strawweight division and a shot at the world title.

In an interview with ONE Championship, ‘Zombie’ admitted that she would not have come this far if not for the guidance of her legendary coach, Ryo ‘Piranha’ Chonan.

According to Miura:

“As a coach, he gives us solid support through all the tough times. Because he actually knows the harshness [of the sport], he has to be strict with us. And because of that, it gives us discipline and willpower.”

Chonan is a former two-division DEEP world champion who started his career in 2001. He competed in various promotions, including the UFC, Pancrase, and Pride.

Most notably, Chonan secured a submission victory over former UFC middleweight champion Anderson Silva. The pout took place in 2004, just two years before ‘The Spider’ went on a 16-0 tear in the UFC.

The Japanese MMA legend has been an anchor for Ayaka Miura throughout her career, and she expressed her appreciation for him during the interview.

“There’s no way I could compete abroad without him. He’s strict, but he supports me in many aspects. I’m very thankful to him.”

---

Ayaka Miura recalls the turning point in her career

As a coach, ‘Piranha’ brought the work ethic and discipline he had from his fighting days and passed it on to his students, including Ayaka Miura.

However, she recalled that she may have taken Cho’s teachings lightly in 2017, when she failed to make weight against a Brazilian fighter. During the match, she was dominated and lost via submission.

“I just wanted to disappear,” she admitted. “But the day after the fight, I went with Mr. Chonan and Yuya Wakamatsu to our late team member [Iyori] Akiba’s grave.”

Ayaka Miura conquered 2018 with three straight victories and carried over her success the next year when she joined ONE Championship.

“I knew I couldn’t show myself like this to [Akiba]. So, from then on, I decided to raise more fighting spirit in me. Things changed from there.”

On January 14, Ayaka Miura’s martial arts journey could reach the pinnacle, especially if she stays true to the values her coach has imparted to her and assert her game plan against Xiong Jing Nan.