Masanori Suda (born July 7, 1973) is a Japanese mixed martial artist. He competed in the Welterweight, Middleweight and…Masanori Suda (born July 7, 1973) is a Japanese mixed martial artist. He competed in the Welterweight, Middleweight and Heavyweight divisions. Suda is known primarily for his time in Shooto, where he is a former Light Heavyweight Champion.
Yōsuke "Yōsukezan" Nishijima (西島 洋介, Nishijima Yōsuke; born May 15, 1973) is a Japanese professional boxer who has also…Yōsuke "Yōsukezan" Nishijima (西島 洋介, Nishijima Yōsuke; born May 15, 1973) is a Japanese professional boxer who has also competed in kickboxing and mixed martial arts.
Takayuki Okada (岡田 貴幸, Okada Takayuki; May 8, 1973 – August 8, 2003), more widely known as Giant Ochiai (ジャイアント落合…Takayuki Okada (岡田 貴幸, Okada Takayuki; May 8, 1973 – August 8, 2003), more widely known as Giant Ochiai (ジャイアント落合, Jaianto Ochiai), was a Japanese professional wrestler and mixed martial artist. Okada's MMA record was 3-3-2 (win–loss–draw).
Yoko Takahashi (高橋 洋子, Takahashi Yōko; born on (1973-04-20)20 April 1973) is a Japanese female mixed martial arts (MMA)…Yoko Takahashi (高橋 洋子, Takahashi Yōko; born on (1973-04-20)20 April 1973) is a Japanese female mixed martial arts (MMA) fighter and kickboxer and former boxer and professional wrestler. Takahashi is a former Smackgirl open weight champion. She is considered Japan's first female mixed martial artist.
Masayuki Naruse (Japanese: 成瀬 昌由, Hepburn: Naruse Masayuki) (born March 15, 1973) is a Japanese mixed martial artist…Masayuki Naruse (Japanese: 成瀬 昌由, Hepburn: Naruse Masayuki) (born March 15, 1973) is a Japanese mixed martial artist and professional wrestler, competing in the light heavyweight division who fought most of his career in Fighting Network RINGS (RINGS). As a professional wrestler, he notably competed in New Japan Pro Wrestling (NJPW) and All Japan Pro Wrestling (AJPW). In MMA, Naruse was the first and only RINGS Light-Heavyweight Champion and a former IWGP Junior Heavyweight Champion in professional wrestling.
Wataru Sakata (坂田 亘, Sakata Wataru; born March 11, 1973 in Inazawa, Aichi, Japan) is a Japanese retired mixed martial…Wataru Sakata (坂田 亘, Sakata Wataru; born March 11, 1973 in Inazawa, Aichi, Japan) is a Japanese retired mixed martial artist and professional wrestler. A professional MMA competitor from 1994 until 2016, Sakata fought for Fighting Network RINGS, Pride FC, Deep and Rizin Fighting Federation, and holds notable victories over RINGS King of Kings 2000 Tournament runner up Valentijn Overeem, UFC 23 Middleweight Tournament winner Kenichi Yamamoto, ADCC bronze medallist and RINGS Light Heavyweight title contender Chris Haseman, and NCAA All-American and UFC veteran Branden Lee Hinkle.
Daijiro Matsui (Japanese: 松井 大二郎, Matsui Daijirō; born December 5, 1972 in Okayama) is a Japanese mixed martial artist…Daijiro Matsui (Japanese: 松井 大二郎, Matsui Daijirō; born December 5, 1972 in Okayama) is a Japanese mixed martial artist and professional wrestler. A professional MMA competitor since 1998, he has competed for the PRIDE Fighting Championships, Cage Rage, DEEP, Pancrase, and King of the Cage. As a professional wrestler, Matsui has wrestled for UWF International, Battlarts, New Japan Pro Wrestling, Inoki Genome Federation and most recently GLEAT. A former longtime training partner of Kazushi Sakuraba, Matsui is known for his toughness, conditioning, wrestling prowess and unorthodox offense. Despite his mixed success, he holds notable victories over former UFC Light Heavyweight Champion Quinton Jackson, former BAMMA World Middleweight Champion Tom Watson, former world kickboxing champion Jose Landi-Jons, BJJ black belt Rory Singer, and a draw against former Pancrase Light Heavyweight Champion and ADCC gold medallist Sanae Kikuta.
Takaharu Murahama (Japanese: 村濱 天晴, Murahama Takaharu; born September 9, 1972) is a Japanese mixed martial artist. He…Takaharu Murahama (Japanese: 村濱 天晴, Murahama Takaharu; born September 9, 1972) is a Japanese mixed martial artist. He competed in the Lightweight division. He is the brother of professional wrestler and kickboxer Takehiro Murahama.
Katsuhisa Fujii (藤井 克久, Fujii Katsuhisa; born August 15, 1972), also known under the ring name Shamoji Fujii (藤井軍鶏侍…Katsuhisa Fujii (藤井 克久, Fujii Katsuhisa; born August 15, 1972), also known under the ring name Shamoji Fujii (藤井軍鶏侍, Fujii Shamoji) is a Japanese retired mixed martial artist and professional wrestler, mostly known for his work in Pro Wrestling Zero1 and Hustle. A professional MMA competitor from 1996 until 2010, he competed for the UFC, Pride Fighting Championships, Pancrase, Deep, Fighting Network Rings, and M-1 Global.
Keiichiro Yamamiya (born July 12, 1972) is a Japanese former professional mixed martial artist. A veteran of 90 fights…Keiichiro Yamamiya (born July 12, 1972) is a Japanese former professional mixed martial artist. A veteran of 90 fights who began his career in 1996 and last competed in 2015, he fought in the UFC, Pancrase, DEEP, and World Victory Road. He was the inaugural King of Pancrase Light Heavyweight Champion.
Mari Kaneko (金子 真理, Kaneko Mari; born on (1972-06-24)June 24, 1972) is a Japanese female karateka and mixed martial…Mari Kaneko (金子 真理, Kaneko Mari; born on (1972-06-24)June 24, 1972) is a Japanese female karateka and mixed martial arts (MMA) fighter. Kaneko has competed for MMA promotions Ax, Smackgirl, Deep and Jewels.
Ryūshi Yanagisawa (柳澤 龍志; born June 22, 1972) is a Japanese professional wrestler, mixed martial artist and kickboxer.…Ryūshi Yanagisawa (柳澤 龍志; born June 22, 1972) is a Japanese professional wrestler, mixed martial artist and kickboxer. His real name is Atsushi Yanagisawa (柳澤 敦史). As a martial artist, he competed in K-1, Pancrase Hybrid Wrestling (Pancrase) and Fighting Network RINGS. As a professional wrestler he competed in New Japan Pro-Wrestling (NJPW) and Inoki Genome Federation (IGF).
Megumi Yabushita (藪下 めぐみ, Yabushita Megumi; born on (1972-03-02)March 2, 1972) is a retired Japanese female mixed…Megumi Yabushita (藪下 めぐみ, Yabushita Megumi; born on (1972-03-02)March 2, 1972) is a retired Japanese female mixed martial artist, kickboxer, professional wrestler and judoka. She has participated in several Japanese professional wrestling and mixed martial arts promotions. She is a Japanese national judo champion and a former Smackgirl open weight champion and tournament winner.
Uchu Tatsumi (born January 23, 1972) is a retired Japanese mixed martial artist. He competed in the Bantamweight and…Uchu Tatsumi (born January 23, 1972) is a retired Japanese mixed martial artist. He competed in the Bantamweight and Featherweight division. Tatsumi fought in Shooto and is known for his series of fights against Alexandre Franca Nogueira, from whom he suffered his only defeat ending his five year undefeated streak.
Ryuta Sakurai Japanese: 桜井隆多(born September 8, 1971) is a Japanese mixed martial artist who currently competes in the…Ryuta Sakurai Japanese: 桜井隆多(born September 8, 1971) is a Japanese mixed martial artist who currently competes in the middleweight division. A veteran who fought for many companies such as Shooto, Pancrase and PRIDE. Nicknamed Mr. DEEP, he is best known for spending most of his fighting career in DEEP, where he is a former DEEP Middleweight champion.
Sanae Kikuta (Japanese: 菊田 早苗, Kikuta Sanae; born September 10, 1971) is a Japanese mixed martial artist currently…Sanae Kikuta (Japanese: 菊田 早苗, Kikuta Sanae; born September 10, 1971) is a Japanese mixed martial artist currently competing in the Welterweight division. A professional competitor since 1996, he has competed for the UFC, PRIDE Fighting Championships, Pancrase, DREAM, World Victory Road, DEEP, Shooto, and Vale Tudo Japan. He is the former Pancrase Light Heavyweight Champion (2001–2003) and the winner of the ADCC 88 kg class in 2001.
Takashi Otsuka (Japanese: 大塚 崇, Ōtsuka Takashi; born July 17, 1971), known by the ring name Alexander Otsuka, is a…Takashi Otsuka (Japanese: 大塚 崇, Ōtsuka Takashi; born July 17, 1971), known by the ring name Alexander Otsuka, is a Japanese professional wrestler and former mixed martial artist. Having competed for multiple pro wrestling organizations in his career, he is known for his work in the Battlarts promotion, as well as Dradition and the Japanese independent circuit. Otsuka made the move from a successful professional wrestling career to mixed martial arts competition in 1995. He earned a notable victory over Vale Tudo pioneer Marco Ruas in 1998. Though Otsuka finished his career in 2006 with a 4–13 record, he mostly faced very high-ranked opponents, including all-time greats Renzo Gracie, Ken Shamrock, Igor Vovchanchyn, Quinton Jackson, Wanderlei Silva, and Anderson Silva, all of whom defeated him. Otsuka was famous for his toughness in the ring.
Hiroshi Tsuruya (born December 8, 1970) is a Japanese mixed martial artist. He competed in the Lightweight and…Hiroshi Tsuruya (born December 8, 1970) is a Japanese mixed martial artist. He competed in the Lightweight and Welterweight divisions.
Jutaro Nakao Japanese: 中尾受太郎 (born November 30, 1970) is a Japanese mixed martial artist. He competes in both the…Jutaro Nakao Japanese: 中尾受太郎 (born November 30, 1970) is a Japanese mixed martial artist. He competes in both the Lightweight and Welterweight divisions. A judo based fighter, Nakao is known for his chiseled physique and high defensive abilities on the ring, being difficult to finish off by his opponents. He is also famous for his prowess with the triangle choke, having received the nickname of "King of Triangle" by the Japanese press due to his multiple victories through said technique. He is also one of the few fighters who have a legal win through the popularly called "rape choke" or two-handed stranglehold, after defeating Thomas Denny with it.
Kazuyuki Fujita (藤田 和之, Fujita Kazuyuki; born October 16, 1970) is a Japanese professional wrestler, former mixed…Kazuyuki Fujita (藤田 和之, Fujita Kazuyuki; born October 16, 1970) is a Japanese professional wrestler, former mixed martial artist and freestyle wrestler, currently signed to Pro Wrestling Noah, where he is a one-time GHC Heavyweight Champion. He has most recently fought in Road FC, but is also known for his work in the PRIDE Fighting Championships, K-1, Rizin Fighting Federation, and World Victory Road. Fujita began his career as a professional wrestler in 1993, joining the New Japan Pro-Wrestling (NJPW) dojo, while still competing as an amateur wrestler. Debuting in 1996, Fujita would put his wrestling career on hiatus in early 2000 to train in MMA. Returning the following year with a new shoot based offence, Fujita won the IWGP Heavyweight Championship immediately and went on to hold it two more times before leaving the company in 2005. After a six-year hiatus, Fujita returned to pro wrestling in 2011 for Inoki Genome Federation (IGF), and continues to make occasional appearances as a freelancer, most recently for Pro Wrestling Noah and Real Japan Pro Wrestling (RJPW).
Hiromitsu Kanehara (Japanese: 金原弘光, Kanehara Hiromitsu; born Kim Wang-hong on October 5, 1970 in Owariasahi, Aichi) is…Hiromitsu Kanehara (Japanese: 金原弘光, Kanehara Hiromitsu; born Kim Wang-hong on October 5, 1970 in Owariasahi, Aichi) is a former Japanese mixed martial artist and professional wrestler of Korean descent. A professional MMA competitor from 1998 until 2012, he found success in Fighting Network RINGS, gaining notable victories over Valentijn Overeem, Alexandre Ferreira, former King of the Cage Light Heavyweight Champion Jeremy Horn, former RINGS Light-Heavyweight Champion Masayuki Naruse and former UFC Middleweight Champion Dave Menne. He later competed for PRIDE Fighting Championships, DEEP, Pancrase and K-1 HERO'S to mixed success. Kanehara also once competed in professional kickboxing. Kanehara initially started his career as a professional wrestler and competed mostly in shoot style wrestling with UWF International and its successor Kingdom. He later made appearances for Pro Wrestling Zero1 and Real Japan Pro Wrestling before retiring in 2020.
Yuki Nakai (born 18 August 1970, Japanese: 中井祐樹) is a retired Japanese mixed martial artist. He currently teaches…Yuki Nakai (born 18 August 1970, Japanese: 中井祐樹) is a retired Japanese mixed martial artist. He currently teaches Shootfighting and Brazilian Jiu-Jitsu, and is the president of the Japanese Confederation of Jiu-Jitsu. He competed in Shooto, an early MMA promotion where he won the Shooto World Welterweight Championship, as well as Vale Tudo Japan 1995, where he was outweighed by every opponent in the tournament. Despite this, and despite suffering a severe eye injury in the first bout, Nakai managed to make it to the finals where he lost to Rickson Gracie. Nakai is considered a legend of Shooto by many fighters and fans. He is the founder of the Paraestra Shooto Gym and coaches fighters such as PRIDE and DREAM stand out Shinya Aoki, who also earned his A-Class Shooto rank and jiu-jitsu black belt from Nakai.
Takashi Sugiura (杉浦 貴, Sugiura Takashi; born May 31, 1970) is a Japanese professional wrestler and former freestyle…Takashi Sugiura (杉浦 貴, Sugiura Takashi; born May 31, 1970) is a Japanese professional wrestler and former freestyle wrestler. As of 2000, he is signed to Pro Wrestling Noah (Noah). Known mostly as the "Killing Machine", he is a four-time, longest reigning and most successfully-defensive GHC Heavyweight Champion. He is currently a member of Team 2000X. Sugiura, an accomplished amateur wrestler, joined the AJPW dojo in 1999, and later the Noah dojo after the exodus, making his professional debut on December 23, 2000, and thus becoming the first wrestler to make their debut in Noah. He has also competed in mixed martial arts with a notable victory over Giant Silva. Sugiura wrestled as a junior heavyweight in his earlier pro career and is a former GHC Junior Heavyweight Champion. Sugiura moved up to heavyweight and became the second longest reigning GHC Heavyweight Champion in his first reign, having held the title for 581 days between December 2009 and July 2011.
Junji Ikoma (Japanese: 生駒純司)is a retired Japanese mixed martial artist from Osaka, Japan, who competed in the…Junji Ikoma (Japanese: 生駒純司)is a retired Japanese mixed martial artist from Osaka, Japan, who competed in the strawweight and flyweight division. He has fought throughout his career exclusively for the Shooto organization and is currently a part of Shooto's provisional association. Ikoma is a former Shooto World Flyweight (114 lb) Champion. Fight Matrix ranks him as the #15 all time strawweight.
Tsuyoshi Kosaka (Japanese: 高阪 剛, Kōsaka Tsuyoshi; born March 6, 1970) is a retired Japanese mixed martial artist…Tsuyoshi Kosaka (Japanese: 高阪 剛, Kōsaka Tsuyoshi; born March 6, 1970) is a retired Japanese mixed martial artist, submission grappler and professional wrestler who competed in the Heavyweight division. A professional MMA competitor from 1994 till 2022, he has competed for the UFC, PRIDE Fighting Championships, RIZIN, RINGS, Pancrase, and DEEP. Kosaka is the former King of Pancrase Super Heavyweight Champion. Kosaka is considered to be one of the early pioneers of mixed martial arts and was one of the top ranked Japanese fighters for several years. Known for his grappling skills, Kosaka is trained in Judo and Shoot Wrestling, His "TK guard" position, a precursor to modern butterfly guard, is famous for its efficiency; former UFC champions Frank Shamrock and Maurice Smith have both credited him with having vastly improved their grappling from that particular position.
Hiroyuki Abe (Japanese: 阿部裕幸, Abe Hiroyuki; born February 9, 1970), also known as Abe Ani, is a Japanese mixed martial…Hiroyuki Abe (Japanese: 阿部裕幸, Abe Hiroyuki; born February 9, 1970), also known as Abe Ani, is a Japanese mixed martial artist currently fighting in the featherweight division for Shooto as well as teaching at his gym, Abe Ani Combat Club. Abe is most notable for training female mixed martial arts veteran and Bellator Fighting Championships finalist, Megumi Fujii. Abe has fought in many high-level MMA organizations, including Shooto, Pride FC, Deep, King of the Cage and Cage Rage. He has also competed at ADCC. He holds notable bouts against UFC standouts Urijah Faber and Brad Pickett, as well as Pride veteran Luiz Firmino. He made his return to Shooto after 5 years on September 30, 2012, vs. Shigeki Osawa. He lost the bout via TKO.
Kiyoshi Tamura (田村潔司, Tamura Kiyoshi; born December 17, 1969 in Okayama, Okayama) is a Japanese retired professional…Kiyoshi Tamura (田村潔司, Tamura Kiyoshi; born December 17, 1969 in Okayama, Okayama) is a Japanese retired professional wrestler and mixed martial artist. Once a student of legendary professional wrestlers Billy Robinson, Lou Thesz and Akira Maeda, Tamura was known for his skills in catch wrestling and is considered to be one of the greatest shoot wrestlers of all time. Competing exclusively in shoot style wrestling, Tamura began his career with UWF Newborn and later joined its successor group UWF International before transitioning to mixed martial arts. A professional MMA fighter from 1995 until 2008, he competed for the PRIDE Fighting Championships, RINGS, DEEP, DREAM, and fought at K-1's 2007 and 2008 Dynamite!! events. He is a two-time RINGS Openweight Champion and holds notable wins over Renzo Gracie, former UFC Welterweight Champion Pat Miletich, former UFC Middleweight Champion Dave Menne, former Pancrase Super Heavyweight Champion Tsuyoshi Kosaka, former Pancrase Openweight Champion Masakatsu Funaki, Olympic judo gold medallist Makoto Takimoto, three-time sambo champion Volk Han, and Kazushi Sakuraba. Tamura currently serves as an executive director for LIDET Entertainment's professional wrestling promotion GLEAT.
Koichiro Kimura (木村浩一郎, Kimura Kōichirō; November 18, 1969 – October 28, 2014) was a Japanese mixed martial artist and…Koichiro Kimura (木村浩一郎, Kimura Kōichirō; November 18, 1969 – October 28, 2014) was a Japanese mixed martial artist and professional wrestler, also known under the ring name Super Uchuu Power (スーパー宇宙パワー, Sūpā Uchū Pawā). Kimura was known for his work in promotions like Dramatic Dream Team, W*ING, Fighting World of Japan Pro Wrestling and All Japan Pro Wrestling, among others. He was also involved in MMA, facing Rickson Gracie at the second event of Vale Tudo Japan and being the founder of the female MMA brands AX and G-Shooto. He also competed in Fighting Network RINGS during its early years and participated in both mixed-style shoot contests and shoot style matches for the company. Kimura died of pneumonia on October 28, 2014.
Hidehiko Yoshida (吉田 秀彦, Yoshida Hidehiko; born September 3, 1969) is a Japanese gold-medalist judoka and retired mixed…Hidehiko Yoshida (吉田 秀彦, Yoshida Hidehiko; born September 3, 1969) is a Japanese gold-medalist judoka and retired mixed martial artist. He is a longtime veteran of Japan's PRIDE Fighting Championships, competing in the middleweight (93kg) and heavyweight divisions. He won gold at the 1992 Summer Olympic Games at –78 kg. Yoshida also had two famous fights with MMA pioneer Royce Gracie that resulted in a win by technical knockout and a time-limit draw.
Kazushi Sakuraba (Japanese: 桜庭 和志, Sakuraba Kazushi; born July 14, 1969) is a Japanese professional wrestler…Kazushi Sakuraba (Japanese: 桜庭 和志, Sakuraba Kazushi; born July 14, 1969) is a Japanese professional wrestler, submission wrestler and former mixed martial artist. He is performing as a freelancer, primarily appearing for Pro Wrestling Noah, where he was formerly one-half of the former GHC Tag Team Champions with Takashi Sugiura. He has also competed in traditional puroresu for New Japan Pro-Wrestling (NJPW) and shoot-style competition for UWFi and Kingdom Pro Wrestling (KPW). He has fought in MMA competition in the Ultimate Fighting Championship, Pride Fighting Championships, Hero's, Dream and most recently Rizin Fighting Federation. He is known as the Gracie Hunter or the Gracie Killer due to his wins over four members of the famed Gracie family: Royler Gracie, Renzo Gracie, Ryan Gracie, and Royce Gracie. Sakuraba is famous for beating 15 champions of different top MMA organizations; opponents who were often many weight-classes above him. Known for his excellent skills in catch wrestling and unorthodox fighting style, he is considered one of the greatest mixed martial art fighters of all time, and holds notable victories over seven UFC champions, three Pancrase Champions, a DREAM champion, a King of the Cage champion and Battlecade Extreme Fighting champion; former Welterweight Champion Carlos Newton, two former Light heavyweight champions Vitor Belfort and Quinton Jackson, former Heavyweight Champion Kevin Randleman, three-time UFC Tournament champion Royce Gracie, former Superfight champion and King of Pancrase Ken Shamrock, former UFC Tournament champion and King of Pancrase Guy Mezger, former King of Pancrase Masakatsu Funaki, DREAM Super Hulk Tournament Champion Ikuhisa Minowa, former King of the Cage Light Heavyweight champion Vernon White, and former Battlecade Extreme Fighting champion Marcus Silveira. He is also the first of only two Japanese UFC champions. Sakuraba's Pride fights routinely drew over 20 million viewers in Japan. Sakuraba is the founder of the submission wrestling promotion Quintet, where he has competed since 2018.
Manabu Yamada (山田学, born May 18, 1969, in Tochigi, Japan) is a retired Japanese mixed martial arts fighter. He is best…Manabu Yamada (山田学, born May 18, 1969, in Tochigi, Japan) is a retired Japanese mixed martial arts fighter. He is best known for his participation in Shooto and Pancrase fighting organizations. On December 17, 1994, Yamada advanced to the finals of the King of Pancrase Tournament where he lost to Ken Shamrock via unanimous decision.
Kazuo Takahashi (高橋 和生, Takahashi Kazuo), ring name Yoshiki Takahashi (高橋 義生, Takahashi Yoshiki; born March 13, 1969)…Kazuo Takahashi (高橋 和生, Takahashi Kazuo), ring name Yoshiki Takahashi (高橋 義生, Takahashi Yoshiki; born March 13, 1969), is a Japanese retired mixed martial artist. A professional competitor from 1993 until 2013 (and then once again in 2018), he competed for the UFC, PRIDE Fighting Championships, Pancrase, RINGS, K-1 HERO'S, and World Victory Road. He is the former King of Pancrase Heavyweight Champion.
Masaharu Funaki (Japanese: 船木 優治, Funaki Masaharu; born March 13, 1969) is a Japanese actor, mixed martial artist and…Masaharu Funaki (Japanese: 船木 優治, Funaki Masaharu; born March 13, 1969) is a Japanese actor, mixed martial artist and professional wrestler known professionally as Masakatsu Funaki (船木 誠勝, Funaki Masakatsu), who has previously wrestled in All Japan Pro Wrestling (AJPW), New Japan Pro-Wrestling (NJPW), Pro Wrestling Fujiwara Gumi (PWFG), Newborn UWF (UWF), and Wrestle-1 (W-1). He is also the co-founder of Pancrase, one of the first mixed martial arts organizations and non-rehearsed shoot wrestling promotions (following five years after the inception of Shooto but predating America's Ultimate Fighting Championship). Funaki was also Pancrase's biggest star; Josh Barnett described him as the "symbol of Japan", Frank Shamrock labeled Funaki "the golden boy" of Pancrase, and Guy Mezger called Funaki "hands down the smartest and most skilled fighter in Pancrase next to Ken Shamrock". Not only the organization's co-founder and most popular fighter, Funaki was also one of Pancrase's most successful fighters to date, scoring submission victories over numerous MMA champions such as Ken Shamrock, Frank Shamrock, Semmy Schilt, Guy Mezger, Yuki Kondo, Minoru Suzuki, and Bas Rutten through the course of his Pancrase career. He is the only fighter in mixed martial arts to hold wins over both Shamrock brothers and Bas Rutten, and was the first man to win the King of Pancrase title twice. Funaki is widely considered to be one of the greatest Japanese fighters in mixed martial arts history. Sherdog.com ranked him as the #1 mixed martial artist in the world for the years 1996 and 1997, and also had him ranked as a top 4 pound for pound fighter from 1993 to 1998.
Takaku Fuke (冨宅飛駈; January 30, 1969), born Yusuke Fuke (冨宅裕介) is a Japanese professional wrestler and former mixed…Takaku Fuke (冨宅飛駈; January 30, 1969), born Yusuke Fuke (冨宅裕介) is a Japanese professional wrestler and former mixed martial arts fighter. He was most notably involved in the early days of Pancrase, at infancy of Mixed Martial Arts in Japan. Fight Matrix ranked Takaku Fuke was #2 Heavyweight and #4 Pound-for-Pound best MMA fighter in the world in 1994.
Masahiro Oishi Japanese: 大石真丈 (born November 29, 1968) is a Japanese mixed martial artist. He competes in the…Masahiro Oishi Japanese: 大石真丈 (born November 29, 1968) is a Japanese mixed martial artist. He competes in the Bantamweight and Featherweight divisions. He has competed for numerous promotions during his career, most notably Shooto, Pancrase and ZST. He is the former Shooto World Featherweight (132 lb) Champion.
Minoru Suzuki (鈴木 実, Suzuki Minoru; ring name: 鈴木 みのる) (born June 17, 1968) is a Japanese professional wrestler and…Minoru Suzuki (鈴木 実, Suzuki Minoru; ring name: 鈴木 みのる) (born June 17, 1968) is a Japanese professional wrestler and former mixed martial artist. Despite being a freelancer for most of his career, he has worked for the largest promotions in Japan: New Japan Pro-Wrestling, All Japan Pro Wrestling, Pro Wrestling Noah and DDT Pro-Wrestling. He also made appearances for promotions outside Japan, like Major League Wrestling (MLW), Revolution Pro Wrestling (RevPro), TNA Wrestling, Game Changer Wrestling (GCW), All Elite Wrestling (AEW) and Ring of Honor (ROH). Suzuki was the co-founder of Pancrase, one of the first mixed martial arts organizations in the world. During the 1990s, he was widely considered one of the best fighters in the world and was the second King of Pancrase world champion. Suzuki returned to puroresu in 2003, when he has become a perennial top contender for all major Japanese heavyweight championships. He is also known for his time in All Japan Pro Wrestling (AJPW), where he is two-time Triple Crown Heavyweight Champion, and Pro Wrestling Noah, where he is a former GHC Heavyweight Champion and a former GHC Tag Team Champion along with Naomichi Marufuji. A mixed martial arts pioneer, Suzuki is well noted for his catch wrestling, and has been praised many times by elite fighters such as Josh Barnett, Bas Rutten, and Ken Shamrock for his grappling and submission skills.
Naoya Ogawa (Japanese: 小川 直也, Ogawa Naoya) (born 31 March 1968) is a Japanese world champion judoka, retired…Naoya Ogawa (Japanese: 小川 直也, Ogawa Naoya) (born 31 March 1968) is a Japanese world champion judoka, retired professional wrestler, and mixed martial artist. He won a total of seven medals at the All-Japan Judo Championships (second only behind Yasuhiro Yamashita), and set a record of seven medals at the World Judo Championships. Ogawa won the silver medal in the +95 kg judo weight class at the 1992 Summer Olympics. Ogawa is also known for his career in professional wrestling, where he primarily worked for New Japan Pro-Wrestling (NJPW), and took part in one of the promotion's most high-profile feuds of the 1990s with Shinya Hashimoto. Ogawa was also professional wrestling's two-time National Wrestling Alliance World's Heavyweight Champion.
Noboru Asahi (Japanese: 朝日 昇, Asahi Noboru; born January 5, 1968) is a Japanese retired mixed martial artist, a…Noboru Asahi (Japanese: 朝日 昇, Asahi Noboru; born January 5, 1968) is a Japanese retired mixed martial artist, a designer, and an owner of MMA gym. He was born in Yokohama, Kanagawa, Japan on January 5, 1968, as Shin'ichi Asahi (Japanese: 朝日 愼一, Asahi Shin'ichi).
Yoshihiro Takayama (高山 善廣, Takayama Yoshihiro; born September 19, 1966) is a Japanese former professional wrestler and…Yoshihiro Takayama (高山 善廣, Takayama Yoshihiro; born September 19, 1966) is a Japanese former professional wrestler and mixed martial artist. Debuting for UWF International (UWFI) in the 1990s, Takayama joined All Japan Pro Wrestling (AJPW) in 1997 after UWF-i folded. In 2000, he joined Pro Wrestling Noah (Noah), and later became a mainstay in New Japan Pro-Wrestling (NJPW) where he arguably achieved his greatest success, holding the IWGP Heavyweight Championship and NWF Heavyweight Championship simultaneously in 2003. He is one of only five men to hold all three puroresu major heavyweight titles (New Japan Pro-Wrestling's IWGP Heavyweight Championship, All Japan Pro Wrestling's Triple Crown Heavyweight Championship, and Pro Wrestling Noah's GHC Heavyweight Championship), the others being Kensuke Sasaki, Keiji Muto, Satoshi Kojima, and Yuji Nagata. Takayama first became known for his toughness after he began competing in mixed martial arts, when he took part in one of the most famous fights in MMA history at PRIDE 21 against Don Frye. Through his career Takayama had several career-threatening injuries, including a stroke after a match against Kensuke Sasaki in 2004. Takayama's career ended with a spinal cord injury in May 2017, which left him paralyzed from the shoulders down. After much rehabilitation, he gained some mobility in his upper body, being able to sit up without much assistance, but remains paralyzed to this day, using a motorized wheelchair for mobility.
Masaaki Satake (Japanese: 佐竹 雅昭, Satake Masaaki; born August 17, 1965) is a Japanese former heavyweight karateka…Masaaki Satake (Japanese: 佐竹 雅昭, Satake Masaaki; born August 17, 1965) is a Japanese former heavyweight karateka, kickboxer, professional wrestler and mixed martial artist. He is one of the pioneering heavyweight fighters in K-1, having been a member of Kazuyoshi Ishii's Seidokaikan school.
Satoru Sayama (佐山 聡, Sayama Satoru; born November 27, 1957), best known as the original Tiger Mask, is a Japanese…Satoru Sayama (佐山 聡, Sayama Satoru; born November 27, 1957), best known as the original Tiger Mask, is a Japanese writer, retired professional wrestler, martial artist, mixed martial arts (MMA) and wrestling promoter, and trainer. He is the founder of Shooto, a pre-Ultimate Fighting Championship MMA promotion, and is widely considered to be one of the most influential masked Japanese wrestlers of all time (alongside his contemporaries Jushin Thunder Liger and Último Dragón). The only man to hold the WWF Junior Heavyweight Championship and the NWA World Junior Heavyweight Championship simultaneously, Sayama became widely known in the wrestling world for his all-round prowess of high-flying, technical abilities, and martial combat skills (as he was a practitioner of judo and freestyle wrestling in his youth). Primarily trained under New Japan Pro-Wrestling (NJPW) founder Antonio Inoki and his mentor Karl Gotch, Sayama made his professional wrestling debut in 1976 at 18 years old. He was sent on an excursion to Europe for World of Sport Wrestling and Mexico for Empresa Mexicana de la Lucha Libre, where he not only found his ground as a technical wrestler, but also found his niche in Lucha libre. Sayama became Tiger Mask in 1981, brought from Ikki Kajiwara's 1968 manga series of the same name and the popular anime of the decade. He became involved in highly publicized feuds with Black Tiger (portrayed by Mark Rocco), Dynamite Kid, and Yoshiaki Fujiwara, who was one of Sayama's own trainers. He left NJPW at the height of his popularity in 1983 due to political disenfranchisement, and later became a founding member of the UWF brand in Japan. He then became dissatisfied with wrestling as a whole, leading him to write Kay Fabe (1985), which detailed the kayfabe and secrets of puroresu at the time. After declaring retirement from professional wrestling in 1985 after the collapse of UWF, he founded Shooto, one of the first MMA organizations in the world. Sayama also started mixed martial arts training and developed his own Shooto syllabus for learning what could be considered the first put together MMA training of its kind, with a focus on striking from arts like boxing, muay thai, and karate, and grappling from wrestling, judo, and sambo. The curriculum would help produce the first well rounded fighters of MMA several years before the first UFC event. While on Shooto, Sayama promoted the Vale Tudo Japan events, more rules free events inspired by Brazilian Vale Tudo and early UFC, helping to popularize MMA in Japan. He retired from his post in Shooto in 1996, and returned to professional wrestling soon after. In 2005, Sayama founded his own promotion, Real Japan Pro-Wrestling (RJPW), which later became Strong Style Pro-Wrestling. Sayama likened the promotion to include wrestlers from the past, as well as martial artists, Sayama's students, and modern stars from the likes of Battlarts, Big Japan Pro Wrestling (BJPW), and more. Although he hasn't officially declared retirement, Sayama last wrestled on December 7, 2016. It was announced in 2020 that he had several health problems, which linked him to Parkinson's disease and immobility.
Victor Shoichi Koga (1935 – November 3, 2018) was a Japanese-Russian martial artist and trainer. He introduced the…Victor Shoichi Koga (1935 – November 3, 2018) was a Japanese-Russian martial artist and trainer. He introduced the martial art of sambo in Japan and was one of its main exponents until his death.
Shinya Aoki (Japanese: 青木 真也, Hepburn: Aoki Shin'ya; born May 9, 1983) is a Japanese mixed martial artist, professional…Shinya Aoki (Japanese: 青木 真也, Hepburn: Aoki Shin'ya; born May 9, 1983) is a Japanese mixed martial artist, professional wrestler, and grappler who competes in Welterweight division of ONE Championship. He is also signed to Japanese promotion DDT Pro-Wrestling (DDT), where he is one-half of the current KO-D Tag Team Champions (with Junta Miyawaki) in their first reign as a team and individually. A professional competitor since 2003, he is a former DREAM Lightweight Champion, former two-time ONE Lightweight World Champion, former WAMMA Lightweight Champion and former Shooto Welterweight Champion. Aoki is an A-class Shootist and BJJ black belt, both under his long-term mentor Yuki Nakai, as well as a black belt Judoka. In 2008, Aoki, along with DEEP champion Masakazu Imanari and Sengoku champion Satoru Kitaoka, founded the "Nippon Top Team", a group of elite Japanese grapplers competing in MMA. Besides his MMA credentials, Aoki has garnered several submission grappling accolades including two All Japan Jiu-Jitsu Championships, a Japan Open Jiu-Jitsu Championship, a Budo Open Championship, and an ADCC Japan Championship.
Mikuru Asakura (朝倉 未来, Asakura Mikuru; born 15 July 1992) is a Japanese mixed martial artist who competes in the…Mikuru Asakura (朝倉 未来, Asakura Mikuru; born 15 July 1992) is a Japanese mixed martial artist who competes in the featherweight division of Rizin Fighting Federation. He also competed for Road Fighting Championship, Fighting Network Rings and DEEP. He is a former Fighting Network Rings 143-pound and 154-pound champion. Along with his mixed martial arts career, he is also a popular YouTuber in Japan. He is the older brother of Kai Asakura.
Tatsuki Shinotsuka (篠塚辰樹, born 7 May 1998) is a Japanese kickboxer and former boxer, currently competing in the…Tatsuki Shinotsuka (篠塚辰樹, born 7 May 1998) is a Japanese kickboxer and former boxer, currently competing in the featherweight division of K-1. He is the former Krush Featherweight (-57.5kg) champion. Combat Press ranked him as the #10 ranked Super Flyweight in the world between July and August 2021.
Yasuko Tamada (玉田 育子, tamada yasuko; born (1967-06-30)June 30, 1967) is a Japanese female mixed martial arts (MMA)…Yasuko Tamada (玉田 育子, tamada yasuko; born (1967-06-30)June 30, 1967) is a Japanese female mixed martial arts (MMA) fighter. She previously fought as a flyweight in the Valkyrie promotion and was the only Valkyrie Flyweight Champion. She later fought for Jewels and last competed for Deep. Tamada was once ranked as the #6 female atomweight (96-106 lb) fighter in the world according to the Unified Women's Mixed Martial Arts Rankings.
