is a Japanese

mixed martial artist Mixed martial arts (MMA) is a full-contact fighting sport based on striking and grappling; incorporating techniques from various combat sports from around the world. In the early 20th century, various inter-stylistic contests took place t ...

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 ...

, and

professional wrestler Professional wrestling, often shortened to either pro wrestling or wrestling,The term "wrestling" is most often widely used to specifically refer to modern scripted professional wrestling, though it is also used to refer to real-life wrest ...

, currently associated with Real Japan Pro Wrestling (RJPW)'s team Seikendo. He is known for his

Kyokushin Karate is a style of karate originating in Japan. It is a Full contact karate, full-contact style of stand-up fighting and is rooted in a philosophy of self-improvement, discipline, and hard training. Kyokushin Kaikan is the martial arts organizat ...

background and his ability to score KO wins. In MMA, he competed for the

Pancrase is a Japanese mixed martial arts (MMA) promoter (entertainment), promotion company based in Tokyo. It was founded in 1993 by professional wrestlers Masakatsu Funaki and Minoru Suzuki. The name was based on pankration, a fighting sport in the An ...

M-1 Global M-1 Global (Mixfight-1) or MMA-1 (Mixed martial arts-1) is a mixed martial arts promotion based in St. Petersburg, Russia which organizes between 10 and 20 competitions per year. It hosted its first major show (rather than co-promoting with oth ...

, and

DEEP Deep or The Deep may refer to: Places United States * Deep Creek (Appomattox River tributary), Virginia * Deep Creek (Great Salt Lake), Idaho and Utah * Deep Creek (Mahantango Creek tributary), Pennsylvania * Deep Creek (Mojave River tributary ...

promotions. Sakuragi wrestles under the name of Super Tiger, being the second incarnation of the name used by his trainer

Satoru Sayama (born November 27, 1957) is a Japanese professional wrestler, mixed martial artist, writer, and mixed martial arts (MMA) and wrestling promoter, best known as the original Tiger Mask. He has wrestled under his real name as well as the names ...

. He has also worked in promotions like

All Japan Pro Wrestling (AJPW/AJP) or simply All Japan is a Puroresu, Japanese professional wrestling Professional wrestling promotion, promotion founded on October 21, 1972, by Giant Baba after he left the Japanese Wrestling Association to create his own promotion. Ma ...

(AJPW),

Battlarts , more commonly referred to as simply Battlarts (also stylized as BattlARTS) was a professional wrestling promotion founded in 1996 by Yuki Ishikawa following the mass exodus he led from Pro Wrestling Fujiwara Gumi (PWFG) amidst the financial st ...

Dramatic Dream Team is a Japanese professional wrestling promotion based in Shinjuku, Tokyo. Its name is an initialism of Dramatic Dream Team, which was the promotion's original name from 1997 to 2004. Founded in March 1997 by Shintaro Muto, the promotion was even ...

(DDT) and

Riki Choshu , better known by his ring name , is a South Korean-Japanese retirement, retired Puroresu, professional wrestler who is best known for his longtime work in New Japan Pro-Wrestling (NJPW) as both a wrestler and a Booker (professional wrestling), bo ...

's Legend The Pro Wrestling.

Early life

Yuji started training

Kyokushin is a style of karate originating in Japan. It is a full-contact style of stand-up fighting and is rooted in a philosophy of self-improvement, discipline, and hard training. Kyokushin Kaikan is the martial arts organization founded in 1964 ...

in middle school, and later joined the

Japan Self-Defense Forces The are the military forces of Japan. Established in 1954, the JSDF comprises the Japan Ground Self-Defense Force, the Japan Maritime Self-Defense Force, and the Japan Air Self-Defense Force. They are controlled by the Ministry of Defense ...

for a time. After his military tenure, he worked as a physical education teacher for the

Nippon Sport Science University , abbreviated as , is a private university in Setagaya, Tokyo and Aoba-ku, Yokohama. The precursor of the school was founded in 1893, and it was chartered as a university in 1949. The school is known for the many famous athletes among its alumni. ...

, where he met

. Sakuragi moved to Sayama's

Seikendo (born November 27, 1957) is a Japanese professional wrestler, mixed martial artist, writer, and mixed martial arts (MMA) and wrestling promoter, best known as the original Tiger Mask. He has wrestled under his real name as well as the names ...

promotion and started training in order to be a professional

Mixed martial arts career

In 2005, after some unimpressive fights abroad, Sakuragi made his debut in

's partner company

with a high note, knocking out Kengo Watanabe with a head kick. The victory, as well as his performance against veteran Kazuo "Yoshiki" Takahashi, made him shine in the indy MMA scene. He became famous for his Kyokushin background, exemplified by his refined striking and ability to score total KOs as opposed to TKOs or stoppages. Sakuragi was also famous for his flashy personal style, wearing

hip hop Hip-hop or hip hop (originally disco rap) is a popular music genre that emerged in the early 1970s from the African-American community of New York City. The style is characterized by its synthesis of a wide range of musical techniques. Hip- ...

and b-kei fashion, striking the

military salute A salute is usually a formal hand gesture or other action used to display respect in military situations. Salutes are primarily associated with the military and law enforcement, but many civilian organizations, such as Girl Guides, Scouting ...

before his matches and paying his dues to the

Yasukuni Shrine is a Shinto shrine located in Chiyoda, Tokyo. It was founded by Emperor Meiji in June 1869 and commemorates those who died in service of Empire of Japan, Japan, from the Boshin War of 1868–1869, to the two Sino-Japanese Wars, First Sino-Japane ...

in special occasions. In 2012, Sakuragi defeated Kazuo Takahashi at the promotion's Progress Tour event. The wrestling expert chose to trade strikes with Sakuragi, who landed a left hook at the second round and knocked him out cold, winning the fight. On October 27, 2012, Sakuragi faced grappling expert

Sanae Kikuta 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 V ...

in a special fight in Grabaka under full

vale tudo Vale Tudo or vale-tudo (; ), also known as No Holds Barred (NHB) in the United States, is an unarmed, full-contact combat sport with relatively few Regulation of sport, rules. It became popular in Brazil during the 20th century and would eventua ...

rules, without gloves and allowing elbows and headbutts. The bout was short, and saw Sakuragi landing a spinning back kick, sidestepping Kikuta's attempts to push him against the cage wall, and finally knocking him down with strikes. Sakuragi's next matchups against grapplers wouldn't be so successful, as he was choked out by Daiju Takase at DEEP Haleo Impact and defeated by

Ryuta Sakurai Ryuta Sakurai (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 f ...

in an upset knockout by flying knee at Cage Impact 2013.

Professional wrestling career

Real Japan Pro Wrestling (2007–present)

In 2007, Sakuragi made his transition to professional wrestling as part of Sayama's Real Japan Pro Wrestling (RJPW). He received the

gimmick A gimmick is a novel device or idea designed primarily to attract attention or increase appeal, often with little intrinsic value. When applied to retail marketing, it is a unique or quirky feature designed to make a product or service "stand out ...

of Super Tiger II, the second incarnation of the character used by Sayama in Universal Wrestling Federation. Yuji wrestled under a purple and silver attire and mask, utilizing a style based around kicks and suplexes. His debut was against

Ikuto Hidaka (born August 5, 1972) is a Japanese professional wrestling, professional wrestler, currently performing for Pro Wrestling Noah (Noah). Hidaka was the regular partner of Minoru Fujita, with whom he has held the NWA International Lightweight Tag Te ...

, a wrestler who had been especially approved by Sayama for Tiger II's debut, and later moved into a major feud with

Tiger Shark The tiger shark (''Galeocerdo cuvier'') is a species of ground shark, and the only extant member of the genus '' Galeocerdo'' and family Galeocerdonidae. It is a large apex predator, with females capable of attaining a length of over . Popula ...

. Super Tiger challenged

Alexander Otsuka , better known by his ring name Alexander Otsuka and Otoko Sakari, is a retired Japanese mixed martial artist and professional wrestler. Having competed for multiple pro wrestling organizations in his career, most recently with Antonio Inoki's In ...

for the RJPW Legend Championship in 2008, but he was defeated. Sakuragi then formed a steady team with

Minoru Suzuki (born June 17, 1968) is a Japanese Professional wrestling, professional wrestler and former Mixed martial arts, mixed martial artist, known for his tenure in New Japan Pro-Wrestling (NJPW), where he is a former one-time IWGP Intercontinental Ch ...

, getting victories over names like Yuki Ishikawa and Great Sasuke. In 2011, Super Tiger got finally the championship when he defeated

Mitsuya Nagai , better known as , is a Japanese professional wrestler and former mixed martial artist and kickboxer. A professional MMA competitor from 1991 until 2013, he fought the majority of his career in Fighting Network RINGS. Once a student of legend ...

in a title match. Tiger retained it successfully against Black Tiger V before trading the title once more with Nagai, and this time his reign was longer, defending it against

Kazunari Murakami (born November 29, 1973) is a Japanese professional wrestler and retired mixed martial artist currently working for Pro Wrestling Noah. Murakami is best known for his work in New Japan Pro-Wrestling (NJPW) during the late 1990s and early 2000 ...

, Taka Kuno, Masashi Aoyagi and Great Tiger. However, he lost it in 2015, against

Masakatsu Funaki is a Japanese actor, mixed martial artist and professional wrestler known professionally as , who has previously wrestled in All Japan Pro Wrestling (AJPW), New Japan Pro-Wrestling (NJPW), Pro Wrestling Fujiwara Gumi (PWFG), Newborn UWF (UWF) ...

Battlarts (2007–2011)

The year of his debut, Super Tiger started wrestling in

shoot-style Shoot wrestling is a Japanese hybrid grappling style and combat sport. Shoot wrestling incorporates techniques from various wrestling, submission grappling, kickboxing and karate styles. It was particularly inspired and influenced by catch wrest ...

promotion

as a RJPW representative. Tiger formed a tag team with Katsumi Usuda and competed extensely for the company, briefly feuding with

and Yuki Ishikawa. In 2008, he participated in the B1 Climax 2009 Block B, where he got big wins over Munenori Sawa, Usuda and Bison Tagai, and went to face Ishikawa in the block's final match, but he was defeated. Super Tiger then teamed up with his long time rival Tiger Shark, though they broke up shortly after. His last match in Battlarts was a tag team match with Chocoball Mukai as a special referee, teaming up with Sanshu Tsubakichi to face Ryuji Walter and

in a losing effort.

All Japan Pro Wrestling (2016–2017)

Sakuragi debuted in

(AJPW) as a RJPW representative for the Champion Carnival 2016. He scored important victories over

Jun Akiyama (born October 9, 1969) is a Japanese professional wrestler signed to DDT Pro-Wrestling, where he is a former KO-D Openweight Champion. He is best known for his time working for All Japan Pro Wrestling (AJPW), where he was the president, rep ...

and

Daisuke Sekimoto (born February 9, 1981) is a Japanese professional wrestler, currently signed to Big Japan Pro Wrestling (BJW) in the Strong BJ division. He is also known for his appearances in Pro Wrestling Zero1-Max. He is a three-time BJW World Strong Hea ...

, but otherwise his success was little. He didn't stop appearing in AJPW after the league, however, aligning himself with

Suwama is a Japanese professional wrestler better known simply as . He is best known for his work in All Japan Pro Wrestling, where he is a former record eight-time Triple Crown Heavyweight Champion and a seven-time World Tag Team Champion. He is als ...

stable A stable is a building in which working animals are kept, especially horses or oxen. The building is usually divided into stalls, and may include storage for equipment and feed. Styles There are many different types of stables in use tod ...

Evolution. On 27 August, he and Suwama challenged Daisuke Sekimoto and

Yuji Okabayashi is a Japanese people, Japanese Retirement, semi-retired Professional wrestling, professional wrestler. He is currently signed to Big Japan Pro Wrestling (BJW) in the Strong BJ division, but is on an indefinite absence. Known as "The Golem", he h ...

for the AJPW World Tag Team Championship, being defeated. In December, Super Tiger and fellow Evolution member

Hikaru Sato is a Japanese professional wrestler and mixed martial artist, better known by the ring name . Sato started his MMA career in February 2000, fighting for Pancrase Hybrid Wrestling. During the next eight years, Sato fought, on average, five t ...

competed at the Real World Tag League 2016, though scoring only one win.

Pro Wrestling Zero1 (2017–2019)

In 2017, Sakuragi switched AJPW by

Pro Wrestling Zero1 , often referred to simply as Zero1 and sometimes referred to as Pro Wrestling Zero1 Catch as Catch Can (stylized as ZERO1 and PRO WRESTLING ZERO1 CATCH AS CATCH CAN, respectively), is a Professional wrestling in Japan, Japanese professional wre ...

(Zero1) as his main field. He participated in that year's Fire Festival, gaining high victories over Shogun Okamoto and

Kohei Sato is a Japanese professional wrestler contracted with Pro Wrestling Zero1. Sato is also a former mixed martial artist. Career A former judoka and amateur wrestler, Sato made his transition to mixed martial arts after meeting Kazunari Murakami and ...

, but ultimately came short. He bounced back by winning the previously vacated Zero1 United National Heavyweight Championship against Hartley Jackson, which he retained until losing it in 2018 to Chris Vice. Super Tiger then repeated participation in the 2018 Fire Festival, achieving again important wins over names like

Shinjiro Otani is a Japanese semi-retired professional wrestler and the current acting president of Pro Wrestling Zero1 (Zero1). He is currently inactive from pro-wrestling competition due to a cervical spine injury sustained in April 2022. A product of the Ne ...

Sugi ''Cryptomeria'' (literally "hidden parts") is a monotypic genus of conifer in the cypress family Cupressaceae. It includes only one species, ''Cryptomeria japonica'' ( syn. ''Cupressus japonica'' L.f.). It is considered to be endemic to Japan ...

and

Hiroshi Yamato , better known by his ring name , is a Japanese professional wrestler who works as a freelancer. Trained by the All Japan Pro Wrestling promotion, he started his career in February 2007 working in Mexico for the International Wrestling Revolution ...

, and returned again after a hiatus at the 2019 edition, adding another win over

Masato Tanaka is a Japanese Professional wrestling, professional wrestler, best known for his appearances with Frontier Martial-Arts Wrestling (FMW) in Japan where he was a FMW Brass Knuckles Heavyweight Championship#Title History, one-time FMW Brass Knuckle ...

Championships and accomplishments

Kickboxing

*Universal Kickboxing Federation **UKF International Heavyweight Championship (1 time)

Mixed martial arts

*World Absolute Fighting Championship **WAFC Pankration Openweight Crown (2009)

Professional wrestling

*''

Pro Wrestling Illustrated ''Pro Wrestling Illustrated'' (''PWI'') is an American professional wrestling magazine that was founded in 1979 by publisher Stanley Weston. ''PWI'' is headquartered in Blue Bell, Pennsylvania, and published by Kappa Publishing Group. The maga ...

'' **PWI ranked him #400 of the top 500 singles wrestlers in the

PWI 500 ''Pro Wrestling Illustrated'' (''PWI'') is an American professional wrestling magazine that was founded in 1979 by publisher Stanley Weston. ''PWI'' is headquartered in Blue Bell, Pennsylvania, and published by Kappa Publishing Group. The maga ...

in 2017 *

** NWA United National Heavyweight Championship ( 1 time) * Real Japan Pro Wrestling ** Legend Championship ( 5 times) *Pro-Wrestling A-Team ** WEW Heavyweight Championship (2 times, current) **

WEW World Tag Team Championship The WEW (World Entertainment Wrestling) World Tag Team Championship is a tag team professional wrestling championship formerly contested in the Japanese promotions Frontier Martial-Arts Wrestling Frontier Martial-Arts Wrestling-Explosion ( ...

(2 times, current) – with

Tomohiko Hashimoto is a Japanese professional wrestler and former judoka and mixed martial artist, best known for his time with Dramatic Dream Team (DDT), where he competed as a mainstay from 2000 to 2006. After working as a freelancer on the Japanese independent ...

and Kota Nagashima

Mixed martial arts record

, - , Loss , align=center, , Luis Santos , TKO (punches) , Real Fight Championship 4 , , align=center, 1 , align=center, 1:27 ,

Tokyo Tokyo, officially the Tokyo Metropolis, is the capital of Japan, capital and List of cities in Japan, most populous city in Japan. With a population of over 14 million in the city proper in 2023, it is List of largest cities, one of the most ...

, Japan , , - , Win , align=center, 16-24–2 (1) , Kang Chul Yoon , TKO (punches) , Real Fight Championship 3 , , align=center, 2 , align=center, 0:19 ,

Kanagawa is a Prefectures of Japan, prefecture of Japan located in the Kantō region of Honshu. Kanagawa Prefecture is the List of Japanese prefectures by population, second-most populous prefecture of Japan at 9,221,129 (1 April 2022) and third-dens ...

, Japan , Return to Heavyweight. , - , Loss , align=center, 15–23–2 (1) , Alan Baudot , TKO (punches) , Grandslam MMA 3: Way of the Cage , , align=center, 1 , align=center, 2:35 ,

, Japan , Openweight bout. , - , Win , align=center, 15–22–2 (1) ,

Shungo Oyama Shungo Oyama ( 峻護 ''Ōyama Shungo'' ; born April 11, 1974) is a Japanese former professional mixed martial artist. A professional competitor from 2001 to 2014, he competed for the PRIDE Fighting Championships, Pancrase, RINGS, DREAM, K-1, ...

, TKO (corner stoppage) , Pancrase: 263 , , align=center, 2 , align=center, 1:03 ,

, Japan , Openweight bout. , - , Loss , align=center, 14–22–2 (1) , Kazuhiro Nakamura , Submission (arm-triangle choke) , DEEP: Cage Impact 2013 , , align=center, 3 , align=center, 2:49 ,

, Japan , Catchweight (88 kg) bout. , - , Loss , align=center, 14–21–2 (1) ,

, KO (punch and flying knee) , DEEP: Cage Impact 2013 , , align=center, 1 , align=center, 1:04 ,

, Japan , Middleweight debut. , - , Loss , align=center, 14–20–2 (1) , Daiju Takase , Submission (guillotine choke) , DEEP: Haleo Impact , , align=center, 2 , align=center, 1:33 ,

, Japan , , - , Win , align=center, 14–19–2 (1) ,

, KO (knee and soccer kick) , Grabaka Live 2 , , align=center, 1 , align=center, 0:35 ,

, Japan , , - , Win , align=center, 13–19–2 (1) ,

Kazuo Takahashi , ring name , 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 ...

, KO (punch) , Pancrase: Progress Tour 9 , , align=center, 1 , align=center, 4:59 ,

, Japan , , - , Loss , align=center, 12–19–2 (1) , Shinso Anzai , Decision (unanimous) , Pancrase: Progress Tour 3 , , align=center, 2 , align=center, 5:00 ,

, Japan , , - , Loss , align=center, 12–18–2 (1) , Kazuhisa Tazawa , Submission (rear-naked choke) , DEEP: 52 Impact , , align=center, 2 , align=center, 0:54 ,

, Japan , For the vacant DEEP Openweight Championship. , - , Draw , align=center, 12–17–2 (1) ,

Ryo Kawamura is a Japanese mixed martial arts, mixed martial artist, professional wrestler, and the former executive president of Pancrase, Pancrase Inc. A professional MMA competitor from 2005 until 2014, Kawamura most notably competed for Pancrase, where h ...

, Draw , Pancrase: Passion Tour 11 , , align=center, 3 , align=center, 5:00 ,

, Japan , , - , Loss , align=center, 12–17–1 (1) , Alexander Grinchuk , Decision (unanimous) , FEFoMP: Impact League 4 , , align=center, 3 , align=center, 5:00 ,

Khabarovsk Khabarovsk ( ) is the largest city and the administrative centre of Khabarovsk Krai, Russia,Law #109 located from the China–Russia border, at the confluence of the Amur and Ussuri Rivers, about north of Vladivostok. As of the 2021 Russian c ...

, Russia , Heavyweight bout. , - , Win , align=center, 12–16–1 (1) ,

, TKO (Punches) , Pancrase: Passion Tour 8 , , align=center, 1 , align=center, 3:55 ,

, Japan , , - , Loss , align=center, 11–16–1 (1) , Christian M'Pumbu , TKO (punches) , Deep: 46 Impact , , align=center, 1 , align=center, 2:29 ,

, Japan , , - , Win , align=center, 11–15–1 (1) , Alavutdin Gadjiev , KO (knee) , FEFoMP: Impact League 2 , , align=center, 1 , align=center, 0:30 ,

, Russia , , - , Loss , align=center, 10–15–1 (1) , Hans Stringer , TKO (punches) , DEEP: 43 Impact , , align=center, 2 , align=center, 2:11 ,

, Japan , , - , Win , align=center, 10–14–1 (1) , Minoru Kato , KO (punch) , DEEP: 41 Impact , , align=center, 2 , align=center, 0:59 ,

, Japan , Return to Light Heavyweight. , - , Loss , align=center, 9–14–1 (1) , Rogent Lloret , Decision (unanimous) , M-1 Challenge 8: USA , , align=center, 2 , align=center, 0:59 ,

Kansas Kansas ( ) is a landlocked U.S. state, state in the Midwestern United States, Midwestern region of the United States. It borders Nebraska to the north; Missouri to the east; Oklahoma to the south; and Colorado to the west. Kansas is named a ...

, United States , , - , Loss , align=center, 9–13–1 (1) ,

Stefan Struve Stefan Struve (; born February 18, 1988) is a Dutch former mixed martial artist who competed as a heavyweight in the Ultimate Fighting Championship (UFC). Standing at tall, he is the tallest fighter in the history of the UFC. Background Growing ...

, Submission (triangle choke) , M-1 Challenge 6: Korea , , align=center, 1 , align=center, 2:30 ,

Seoul Seoul, officially Seoul Special Metropolitan City, is the capital city, capital and largest city of South Korea. The broader Seoul Metropolitan Area, encompassing Seoul, Gyeonggi Province and Incheon, emerged as the world's List of cities b ...

, South Korea , , - , Loss , align=center, 9–12–1 (1) , Kamil Uygun , TKO (punches) , M-1 Challenge 5: Japan , , align=center, 1 , align=center, 4:52 ,

, Japan , Light Heavyweight bout. , - , Loss , align=center, 9–11–1 (1) , Besiki Gerenava , TKO (punches) , M-1 Challenge 2: Russia , , align=center, 2 , align=center, 5:00 ,

St. Petersburg Saint Petersburg, formerly known as Petrograd and later Leningrad, is the second-largest city in Russia after Moscow. It is situated on the River Neva, at the head of the Gulf of Finland on the Baltic Sea. The city had a population of 5,601, ...

, Russia , , - , Win , align=center, 9–10–1 (1) , Kenichi Shinohara , TKO (punches) , MARS 11: 2nd Anniversary , , align=center, 1 , align=center, 1:34 ,

, Japan , Light Heavyweight bout. , - , Draw , align=center, 8–10–1 (1) , Hidetada Irie , Draw , DEEP: 33 Impact , , align=center, 3 , align=center, 5:00 ,

, Japan , , - , Loss , align=center, 8–10 (1) ,

Yuki Kondo is a Japanese mixed martial artist currently competing in the Welterweight division. He has officially 112 professional fights, making him one of the most experienced mixed martial artists ever. He has also competed for the UFC, PRIDE, Sengo ...

, Decision (unanimous) , Pancrase: Rising 8 , , align=center, 3 , align=center, 5:00 ,

, Japan , , - , Loss , align=center, 8–9 (1) , Katsuhisa Fujii , Decision (majority) , DEEP: Glove , , align=center, 2 , align=center, 5:00 ,

, Japan , , - , Loss , align=center, 8–8 (1) , Basil Yamilkhanov , TKO (doctor stoppage) , FEFoMP: Mayor Cup 2007 , , align=center, 1 , align=center, 0:38 ,

, Russia , Lost the Mayor Cup Heavyweight Championship. , - , Win , align=center, 8–7 (1) , Nikolai Onikienko , Decision (unanimous) , FEFoMP: Mayor Cup 2007 , , align=center, 2 , align=center, 5:00 ,

, Russia , Return to Heavyweight. Won the Mayor Cup Heavyweight Championship. , - , Loss , align=center, 7–7 (1) ,

Yasuhito Namekawa (born October 27, 1974) is a Japanese mixed martial artist who competes in the light heavyweight division. Namekawa made his mixed martial arts debut for Fighting Network RINGS in 1998. He fought in mainly shootfighting bouts until 1999 when ...

, Submission (heel hook) , Deep: 29 Impact , , align=center, 1 , align=center, 2:12 ,

, Japan , 90 kg bout. , - , Win , align=center, 7–6 (1) , Fabiano Aoki , TKO (injury) , MARS 6: Rapid Fire , , align=center, 2 , align=center, 1:55 ,

, Japan , 97 kg bout. , - , NC , align=center, 6–6 (1) , Fabiano Aoki , No Contest (accidental low blow) , MARS 5: Marching On , , align=center, 1 , align=center, 0:17 ,

, Japan , 97 kg bout. , - , Loss , align=center, 6–6 , Tatsuya Mizuno , Submission (rear-naked choke) , Pancrase: Blow 7 , , align=center, 2 , align=center, 2:30 ,

, Japan , , - , Loss , align=center, 6–5 ,

Riki Fukuda , is a Japanese mixed martial artist currently competing in the Middleweight division. A professional competitor since 2004, he has formerly competed for the UFC, EliteXC, DEEP, DREAM, K-1 (MMA), Shooto, and Pancrase. Currently, he runs an izakay ...

, Decision (unanimous) , Pancrase: 2006 Neo-Blood Tournament Finals , , align=center, 2 , align=center, 5:00 ,

Yokohama, Kanagawa 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 ...

, Japan , , - , Loss , align=center, 6–4 , Poai Suganuma , TKO (punches) , Pancrase: Blow 4 , , align=center, 1 , align=center, 1:47 ,

, Japan , , - , Win , align=center, 6–3 ,

, TKO (soccer kicks) , Pancrase: Blow 1 , , align=center, 1 , align=center, 0:55 ,

, Japan , , - , Win , align=center, 5–3 , Jimmy Akishige , KO (punch) , RJPW: Legend Championship , , align=center, 1 , align=center, 1:55 ,

, Japan , , - , Loss , align=center, 4–3 , Hideki Tadao , Submission (arm-triangle choke) , Pancrase: Spiral 8 , , align=center, 2 , align=center, 3:33 ,

, Japan , , - , Win , align=center, 4–2 , Yuta Nakamura , Decision (unanimous) , Pancrase: Z , , align=center, 2 , align=center, 5:00 ,

Kumamoto is the capital Cities of Japan, city of Kumamoto Prefecture on the island of Kyushu, Japan. , the city has an estimated population of 738,907 and a population density of 1,893 people per km2. The total area is 390.32 km2. had a populat ...

, Japan , , - , Win , align=center, 3–2 , Aslan Dzeboev , KO (body kick) , Pancrase: Spiral 6 , , align=center, 2 , align=center, 1:31 ,

, Japan , , - , Loss , align=center, 2–2 ,

, Submission (armbar) , Pancrase: Spiral 5 , , align=center, 2 , align=center, 3:01 ,

, Japan , , - , Win , align=center, 2–1 , Kengo Watanabe , KO (high kick) , Pancrase: Spiral 1 , , align=center, 3 , align=center, 0:06 ,

, Japan , , - , Win , align=center, 1–1 , Sung Chu Kim , TKO (punches) , Gladiator FC: Day 2 , , align=center, 1 , align=center, 0:42 ,

, South Korea , , - , Loss , align=center, 0–1 , Eduard Churakov , Decision (unanimous) , Seikendo: SWA Ultimate Boxing , , align=center, 3 , align=center, 3:00 ,

, Japan ,

Submission grappling record

KO PUNCHES , - style="text-align:center; background:#f0f0f0;" , style="border-style:none none solid solid; ", Result , style="border-style:none none solid solid; ", Opponent , style="border-style:none none solid solid; ", Method , style="border-style:none none solid solid; ", Event , style="border-style:none none solid solid; ", Date , style="border-style:none none solid solid; ", Round , style="border-style:none none solid solid; ", Time , style="border-style:none none solid solid; ", Notes , - , Loss, , Marcos de Souza , , Submission (rear-naked choke) , , DEEP X 3 , , 2008, , 1, , 3:53, , , -

Kickboxing record

, - , , Loss ,

Kengo Shimizu , is a Japanese middleweight kickboxer competing in RISE. He is the former SHOOTBOXING and RISE Heavyweight champion. Kyokushin Karate career Started doing Kyokushin Karate at the age of 16, joining Kyokushin Kaikan Tokyo Itabashi Dojo. Achiev ...

, RISE 103 ,

Tokyo, Japan Tokyo, officially the Tokyo Metropolis, is the capital of Japan, capital and List of cities in Japan, most populous city in Japan. With a population of over 14 million in the city proper in 2023, it is List of largest cities, one of the most ...

, TKO (3 knockdowns) , align="center", 1 , align="center", 2:25 , 4–8 , -92 kg清水賢吾、桜木裕司に1R KO勝ち。菅原勇介、復帰戦は判定負け：1.24 後楽園
/ref> , - , , Loss , Mitsugu Noda , Japan-Korea Friendship International Martial Arts Tournament GLADIATOR ,

, KO (punch) , align="center", 1 , align="center", 1:05 , 4–7 , , - , , Win , Tensho Yama , New☆Jungle Square - Mr. Martial Arts Advent! ,

, DQ (low blow) , align="center", 4 , align="center", 2:37 , 4–6 , Wins UKF International Heavyweight Championship , - , , Loss ,

Gilbert Yvel Gilbert Yvel (born 30 June 1976) is a Dutch professional mixed martial arts, mixed martial artist. A professional competitor since 1997, Yvel competed in the Pride Fighting Championships, PRIDE Fighting Championships, Affliction Entertainment, A ...

, Shootboxing Battle Sumit Ground Zero Tokyo 2007 ,

, KO (punch) , align="center", 1 , align="center", 1:48 , 3–6 , , - , , Loss ,

Keiichiro Yamamiya Keiichiro Yamamiya (born July 12, 1972) is a Japanese former professional mixed martial arts, 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 (mixed martial ...

, RJPW - Legend Championship & City Area Style Battle ,

, Decision (unanimous) , align="center", 3 , align="center", 3:00 , 3–5 , , - , , Loss , Will Riva , AJKF: Rock'n Roll☆U5 FIGHT☆Hill it! ,

United States The United States of America (USA), also known as the United States (U.S.) or America, is a country primarily located in North America. It is a federal republic of 50 U.S. state, states and a federal capital district, Washington, D.C. The 48 ...

, KO (punches) , align="center", 3 , align="center", 2:00 , 3–4 , , - , , Loss ,

Melvin Manhoef Melvin Manhoef (born 11 May 1976) is a retired Surinamese people, Surinamese-born Dutch people, Dutch mixed martial arts, mixed martial artist and Kickboxing, kickboxer. In kickboxing, he is a former It's Showtime (kickboxing), It's Showtime Middl ...

, Muay Thai Championships League XIV ,

Amsterdam Amsterdam ( , ; ; ) is the capital of the Netherlands, capital and Municipalities of the Netherlands, largest city of the Kingdom of the Netherlands. It has a population of 933,680 in June 2024 within the city proper, 1,457,018 in the City Re ...

Netherlands , Terminology of the Low Countries, informally Holland, is a country in Northwestern Europe, with Caribbean Netherlands, overseas territories in the Caribbean. It is the largest of the four constituent countries of the Kingdom of the Nether ...

, TKO (referee stop) , align="center", 2 , align="center", 2:53 , 3–3 , , - , , Win , Akihiro Gono , AJKF/Pancrase 2005 Spiral Tour ,

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 ...

, KO (punch) , align="center", 2 , align="center", 1:17 , 3–2 , , - , , Loss , Ryo Takigawa , AJKF: Fujiwara Festival 2004 ,

, KO (punch) , align="center", 2 , align="center", 1:30 , 2–2 , , - , , Win , Kazushi Nishida , AJKF: Danger Zone ,

, Decision (unanimous) , align="center", extra , align="center", 5:00 , 2–1 , , - , , Loss , Jan Lomulder , RISING SUN ,

, KO (low kick) , align="center", 3 , align="center", 5:00 , 1–1 , , - , , Win , Suzuki 3:26 , AJKF: Fujiwara Festival ,

, Decision (unanimous) , align="center", 3 , align="center", 5:00 , 1–0 , , - , - , colspan=10 , ''Legend'':

References

External links

* {{DEFAULTSORT:Sakuragi, Yuji 1977 births Living people Japanese male mixed martial artists Middleweight mixed martial artists Japanese male kickboxers Japanese male karateka Japanese male professional wrestlers Masked wrestlers Mixed martial artists utilizing Kyokushin kaikan Mixed martial artists utilizing shootboxing Mixed martial artists utilizing wrestling Sportspeople from Miyazaki (city) 21st-century male professional wrestlers 21st-century Japanese professional wrestlers WEW Heavyweight Champions Zero1 United National Heavyweight Champions