Kenta Iwamoto has been bubbling under the surface of grappling's no-gi scene for a while, on the radar of the most hardcore fans but not yet breaking through to more mainstream appeal yet. Now with a short notice title opportunity for him to face Mica Galvão at WNO 22, he will get the chance to shock the world and knock off not just the #1 ranked athlete in his weight class but the #2 pound for pound on Earth.

Get your tickets here for WNO 22 in Costa Mesa, CA on Feb.9

Who Is Kenta Iwamoto?

Kenta is no stranger to big competition and elite opposition. In his young career, he is already a 3-time ADCC Worlds qualifier, having won Asian & Oceanic trials 3 times (he is set to compete in the 2024 Worlds in September after winning again in November of last year). He has faced off with opponents like Dante Leon, JT Torres, Paulo Miyao, Jozef Chen, Andrew Tackett, Luke Griffith, Keith Krikorian, and more.

How Does Kenta Compete?

Kenta brings a lot to this match that makes it really interesting stylistically. Before they lock up on February 9th, let's take a look at what makes Kenta Iwamoto so dangerous to the title reign of Mica Galvão.

Very Strong Wrestling

Kenta started his career as a guard player but has totally evolved his game since his initial ADCC run. As he moved up from -66kg to -77kg he also improved his takedowns a ton - so much so that he is now one of the best in the division.

Where Kenta really excels is his ability to get to the leg with a powerful initial penetration step. He changes levels and gets to the single leg often, and then works to finish from that middle position by switching off to double legs or sitting them into crackdowns. This also leads to a lot of body lock passing where he has developed a strong ability to pin.

While Kenta's entries are really strong, his finishes do often take a lot of time and can result in having to scramble to get the person down. Still, his standing skills have to be respected even against the best.

Elite Scrambling Ability

Like we alluded to, Kenta is very comfortable scrambling with opponents and comes out on top very often when he engages in 50/50 situations. Where his scrambling really shines is in his takedown defense though, where he uses reattacks to spin behind his opponent and hunt the back.

This ability to scramble on takedown entries also shows up when he's defending leg locking entries. In both contexts, he shows a talent for staying on top and turning their initial attack into either a back take or wrestling them down into a pin.

Heavy Pressure Top Game

After getting on top, Kenta tends to bring heavy pressure from the top position. While he has started mixing some loose passing into how he approaches the guard initially, often he is then committing to the knee cut or body lock where he can hold the opponent down a little more. This also works as a natural progression from his committed takedown work. Unlike a lot of competitors who prefer going directly to mount with tight passing, Kenta is often passing into side control - then working incrementally to the back.

He's An Escape Artist - Especially From The Guillotine

Kenta is tough for anyone to hold down and escapes from bad positions incredibly well. In 2023, he took on Keith Krikorian in EBI rules and was able to beat the 10th Planet athlete on escape time - a testament to how strong his ability to get away is.

One position that Kenta ends up defending often is the front headlock and guillotine - which makes sense given how often he is shooting. Still, even though he may end up in the guillotine he is rarely if ever getting finished there, instead turning that into his own eventual takedown. Kenta is also skilled at using the turtle without giving up his back, if an opponent goes behind him as he shoots.

Trains With Elite Talent

It can't be overlooked that Kenta trains at one of the best no-gi gyms on Earth with B-Team. While he does split time between them and the Igloo team in Japan, his time there is going to help ensure that Iwamoto has all the most up to date techniques and strategies necessary to be competitive with the best in the world.

All of this taken together is a problem for anyone in the world - and Kenta will get the opportunity of a lifetime on February 9th when him and Mica square off for the WNO Welterweight Championship. Catch that match and all of the action live on FloGrappling.