is a Japanese

kickboxer Kickboxing ( ) is a full-contact hybrid martial art and boxing type based on punching and kicking. Kickboxing originated in the 1950s to 1970s. The fight takes place in a boxing ring, normally with boxing gloves, mouth guards, shorts, and ...

. He is the former Krush Flyweight (-51kg) champion and the 2024 K-1 Super bantamweight (-55 kg) World Tournament runner-up. As of April 2024 he was the 10th ranked strawweight (-54 kg) kickboxer in the world by Combat Press.

Biography and career

Early career

As an amateur Okubo amassed a record of 145 wins, 18 losses, 3 draws and captured over 40 titles. During 2021, his last year of competition before turning professional, Okubo won the two most prestigious titles of Japanese amateur kickboxing, the Japan Cup in March and the K-1 Koshien tournament in August. He won four fights in one day during both tournaments. His Koshien success secured him a professional debut with the

K-1 K-1 is a professional kickboxing promotion established in 1993 by karateka Kazuyoshi Ishii. Originally under the ownership of the Fighting and Entertainment Group (FEG), K-1 was considered to be the largest Kickboxing organization in the worl ...

promotion. He was awarded the Best Amateur Athlete Award at the 2021 K-1 Awards Show. Okubo made his professional debut on February 27, 2022, at K-1 World GP 2022 Japan against Shohei Nishibayashi. He won the fight by unanimous decision. For his second professional fight, Okubo was invited on the exceptional card THE MATCH 2022 at the

Tokyo Dome is an indoor stadium in Bunkyō, Tokyo, Japan. It was designed as a baseball stadium following its predecessor, Korakuen Stadium (whose former site is now occupied by the Tokyo Dome Hotel and a plaza for this stadium). In Japan, it is often us ...

, on June 19, 2022, where he faced Ryujin Nasukawa, the younger brother of the card headlining star

Tenshin Nasukawa is a Japanese Professional Boxing, professional boxer, former kickboxer, professional kickboxer and mixed martial arts, mixed martial artist. A generational talent, Nasukawa was regarded as a pound for pound talent throughout most of his caree ...

. Okubo won the fight by unanimous decision.

Krush Champion

On September 24, 2022, Okubo took part in a 4-man tournament at Krush 141 with the inaugural Krush Flyweight (-51kg) title at stake. In the semifinals he rematched Shohei Nishibayashi and defeated him once again by unanimous decision. Okubo advanced to the final where he faced Daina. The fight was declared a draw after 3 rounds and went to an extension round which Okubo won by split decision to capture the inaugural title. Okubo vacated his Krush flyweight title on April 14, 2023, in order to move up in weight. Okubo made his debut at 53 kg on June 3, 2023, at K-1 World GP 2023 in Yokohama against Ryunosuke Saito. He lost the fight by extension round decision. On October 21, 2023, Okubo returned to krush to face Eito Kurokawa at Krush 154. He won the fight by unanimous decision.

K-1

Rui Okubo faced Kazuki Miburo at K-1 World MAX 2024 - World Tournament Opening Round on March 20, 2024. He won the fight by unanimous decision. Okubo was announced as being part of an 8-man world tournament in the 55 kg division that would see its first round take place on July 7, 2024, at K-1 World MAX 2024 - World Championship Tournament Final. Okubo faced Zhao Zhengdong in the tournament quarterfinals at K-1 World MAX 2024 on July 7, 2024. He won the fight by unanimous decision, with two scorecards of 30–29 and one scorecard of 30–28 in his favor. Okubo faced the two-time K-1 super bantamweight title challenger

Masashi Kumura is a Japanese kickboxer, currently competing in the super bantamweight division of K-1. He is the former Krush Super Bantamweight champion, having held the title between 2019 and 2021. Kumura is a two-time K-1 World Grand Prix finalist, having f ...

in the final four of the tournament, which was held at K-1 World MAX 2024 on September 29, 2024. He won the fight by unanimous decision, with all three judges awarding him a 30–29 scorecard. Okubo faced the reigning K-1 super bantamweight champion

Akihiro Kaneko is a Japanese kickboxer, currently competing in the super bantamweight division of K-1. A professional competitor since 2016, Kaneko is the current List of K-1 champions#K-1 Super Bantamweight Championship, K-1 Super Bantamweight champion, having ...

in the tournament finals. He lost the fight by a second-round knockout.

Titles and accomplishments

Professional

Krush Krush were a UK dance music group, who had a crossover hit single with "House Arrest" in 1987. Career The group consisted of musicians Mark Gamble, Cassius Campbell and record producers Mark Brydon and Robert Gordon. Ruth Joy was the featured ...

** 2022 Krush Flyweight (-51kg) Champion *

** 2024 K-1 Super Bantamweight (-55kg) World Tournament Runner-up Awards * 2021 K-1 Awards Best Amateur Athlete * 2022 K-1 Awards Rookie of the Year

Amateur

Fight record

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Japan Japan is an island country in East Asia. Located in the Pacific Ocean off the northeast coast of the Asia, Asian mainland, it is bordered on the west by the Sea of Japan and extends from the Sea of Okhotsk in the north to the East China Sea ...

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Yokohama, Japan is the second-largest city in Japan by population as well as by area, and the country's most populous municipality. It is the capital and most populous city in Kanagawa Prefecture, with a population of 3.7 million in 2023. It lies on Tokyo B ...

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Amateur record

References

External links

K-1 World GP Japan profile
{{DEFAULTSORT:Okubo, Rui Living people 2004 births Japanese male kickboxers ja:大久保琉唯