Yuji Mizoguchi (溝口勇児), the 41-year-old entrepreneur who serves as COO of the mixed martial arts event Breaking Down, has admitted he feels “pathetic” about his current situation, opening up about the online backlash surrounding him in a YouTube video posted by his business partner, fighter Mikuru Asakura (朝倉未来), on July 5, 2026.
In the video, hosted by Asakura, who serves as CEO of Breaking Down, Asakura directly asked Mizoguchi whether he wanted to recover from the backlash he has been facing. Mizoguchi responded, “I’ve always operated on the basis that backlash is fine,” explaining that Breaking Down has never edited out the moments of its programming that tend to spark controversy.
However, he acknowledged that his recent controversy had gone further than before, causing trouble for people around him. “Because I’m the one in trouble, the people around me are seen as being in trouble too,” he said. “It’s fine if criticism is directed at me, but I don’t want the people around me to be misunderstood. I’m the only one who’s in the wrong.”
Mizoguchi went on to reference a quote attributed to samurai-era reformer Sakamoto Ryoma: “Let the world say what it will of me; what I do, only I know.” He said he had lived by that mindset for all of his 41 years, using it to justify his approach, but that a recent scolding from someone who genuinely cares about him made him reconsider. “I think I was quite arrogant,” he said.
According to the report, Mizoguchi closed the conversation by wondering aloud, through tears, whether he could still change at 41 years old.
Who is Yuji Mizoguchi?
Yuji Mizoguchi is a Japanese entrepreneur best known as the COO of Breaking Down, a YouTube-based mixed martial arts event that has drawn a large following—and frequent controversy—for pitting amateur fighters and internet personalities against each other. As COO, Mizoguchi takes part as a judge during the event’s fighter auditions alongside CEO Mikuru Asakura, a professional MMA fighter. Mizoguchi has become a recurring subject of online criticism, or “enjo” (炎上, digital backlash), tied to his outspoken public statements and business dealings.
