1
Yoshihiro Akiyama
(Japanese Mixed Martial Artist and Judoka)
15
3
Birthdate: July 29, 1975
Sun Sign: Leo
Birthplace: Ikuno Ward, Osaka, Japan
Height: 5'10" (178 cm)
2
Tenshin Nasukawa
(Japanese Kickboxer and Mixed Martial Artist)
16
3
Birthdate: August 18, 1998
Sun Sign: Leo
Birthplace: Chiba, Japan
Former Rizin bantamweight title-holder Tenshin Nasukawa had begun training in karate at age 5. The Japanese MMA fighter and kickboxer is known for his peculiar style that mingles kickboxing and full-contact karate. He ended up crying after being steamrolled by U.S. boxing champion Floyd Mayweather in a match in Tokyo.
3
Kazushi Sakuraba
(Japanese Professional Wrestler and Mixed Martial Artist)
17
3
Birthdate: July 14, 1969
Sun Sign: Cancer
Birthplace: Shōwa, Akita, Japan
Height: 6'0" (183 cm)
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4
Takanori Gomi
(Japanese Professional Mixed Martial Artist)
11
2
Birthdate: September 22, 1978
Sun Sign: Virgo
Birthplace: Kanagawa, Japan
Height: 5'8" (173 cm)
5
Minoru Suzuki
(Japanese Professional Wrestler and Former Mixed Martial Artist)
13
3
Birthdate: June 17, 1968
Sun Sign: Gemini
Birthplace: Nishi Ward, Yokohama, Kanagawa, Japan
Height: 5'10" (178 cm)
6
Norifumi Yamamoto
(Japanese Mixed Martial Artist)
10
2
Birthdate: March 15, 1977
Sun Sign: Pisces
Birthplace: Kawasaki, Japan
Died: September 18, 2018
One of the greatest pound-for-pound fighters of all time, MMA fighter and kickboxer Norifumi Yamamoto, nicknamed Kid, had successful stints at Shooto and K-1 Hero's. After revealing his cancer diagnosis on Instagram in August 2018, he succumbed to the disease, at age 41, in September the same year.
7
Mitsuyo Maeda
(Brazilian Mixed Martial Artist)
13
3
Birthdate: November 18, 1878
Sun Sign: Scorpio
Birthplace: Hirosaki, Aomori, Japan
Died: November 28, 1941
Height: 5'5" (165 cm)
8
Yushin Okami
(Japanese Mixed Martial Artist)
12
2
Birthdate: July 21, 1981
Sun Sign: Cancer
Birthplace: Kanagawa, Japan
Japanese MMA fighter Yushin Okami, known by his fans as Thunder, came under the limelight by defeating UFC middleweight champion Anderson Silva. He is equipped with a black belt in judo and, apart from UFC, has been part of many championships, such as ONE Championship, PRIDE, and Pancrase.
9
Katsuyori Shibata
(Japanese Professional Wrestler and Mixed Martial Artist)
11
2
Birthdate: November 17, 1979
Sun Sign: Scorpio
Birthplace: Kuwana
A 3-time NEVER Openweight Champion, Japanese wrestler and MMA fighter Katsuyori Shibata has also been a coach for NJPW. In December 2021, he announced his first match in 5 years, at the Tokyo Dome. He had practically retired after suffering a subdural hematoma in a 2017 match.
10
Satoshi Ishii
(Japanese-Born Judoka, Mixed Martial Artist, Kickboxer and Submission Grappler)
12
2
Birthdate: December 19, 1986
Sun Sign: Sagittarius
Birthplace: Ibaraki, Osaka, Japan
Height: 5'11" (180 cm)
11
Shinya Aoki
(Japanese Mixed Martial Artist)
0
0
Birthdate: May 9, 1983
Sun Sign: Taurus
Birthplace: Shizuoka, Shizuoka, Japan
Height: 5'11" (180 cm)
12
Kyoji Horiguchi
(Japanese Mixed Martial Artist)
2
0
Birthdate: October 12, 1990
Sun Sign: Libra
Birthplace: Takasaki, Gunma, Japan
Height: 5'5" (165 cm)
13
Megumi Fujii
(Japanese Former Professional Mixed Martial Artist)
5
1
Birthdate: April 26, 1974
Sun Sign: Taurus
Birthplace: Okayama, Japan
Height: 5'3" (160 cm)
14
Masakatsu Funaki
(Japanese Actor, Professional Wrestler and Mixed Martial Artist)
9
2
Birthdate: March 13, 1969
Sun Sign: Pisces
Birthplace: Hirosaki, Aomori, Japan
Masaharu Funaki, better known by his stage name, Masakatsu Funaki, is not just a skilled mixed martial artist and wrestler but also a fine actor. He also co-established the MMA promotion company Pancrase. Nicknamed the Modern-Day Samurai, he has performed in movies such as Shadow Fury and Godzilla: Final Wars.
15
Satoru Sayama
(Professional Wrestler and Mixed Martial Artist)
8
2
Birthdate: November 27, 1957
Sun Sign: Sagittarius
Birthplace: Shimonoseki, Yamaguchi, Japan
Nicknamed Tiger Mask, Japanese MMA fighter and wrestler Satoru Sayama has also fought under the name Sammy Lee. Known as the Bruce Lee of wrestling, he has been the only person to hold both the WWF and the NWA world junior heavyweight titles simultaneously. He also founded the combat sport Shooto.
16
Genki Sudo
(Japanese Mixed Martial Artist and Politician)
2
0
Birthdate: March 8, 1978
Sun Sign: Pisces
Birthplace: Koto City, Tokyo, Japan
Genki Sudo is a Japanese MMA fighter, singer, dancer, and politician. Known for his unorthodox fighting style and elaborate ring entrances, Sudo was a kickboxer before focusing on his career in the Japanese entertainment industry. He then became a member of a prominent political party in Japan in 2019. Sudo is currently serving as a Member of House of Councillors.
17
Yuka Tsuji
(Japanese Mixed Martial Artist)
0
0
Birthdate: December 11, 1974
Sun Sign: Sagittarius
Birthplace: Osaka, Japan
Height: 5'1" (155 cm)
18
Tatsuya Kawajiri
(Japanese Mixed Martial Artist)
9
2
Birthdate: May 8, 1978
Sun Sign: Taurus
Birthplace: Inashiki District, Ibaraki, Japan
Height: 5'7" (170 cm)
19
Kazuyuki Fujita
(Japanese Mixed Martial Artist)
2
0
Birthdate: October 16, 1970
Sun Sign: Libra
Birthplace: Funabashi, Chiba, Japan
Height: 6'0" (183 cm)
20
Yuki Nakai
(Retired Japanese Mixed Martial Artist and President of the Japanese Confederation of Jiu-Jitsu)
7
1
Birthdate: August 18, 1970
Sun Sign: Leo
Birthplace: Hokkaidō, Japan
Renowned Japanese MMA fighter Yuki Nakai is also a Brazilian jiu-jitsu black belt and now serves the Japanese confederation of jiu-jitsu as its president. He is best known to fans for his 1995 match against Gerard Gordeau, in which he was eye-gouged and lost his eyesight partially, but eventually won.
21
Akira Maeda
(Japanese Mixed Martial Arts Promoter, Retired Professional Wrestler and Mixed Martial Artist)
5
1
Birthdate: January 24, 1959
Sun Sign: Aquarius
Birthplace: Osaka, Japan
Height: 6'3" (190 cm)
22
Mizuto Hirota
(Japanese Mixed Martial Artist)
6
1
Birthdate: May 5, 1981
Sun Sign: Taurus
Birthplace: Isahaya, Nagasaki, Japan
Height: 5'7" (170 cm)
23
Bobby Ologun
(Japanese Television Personality and Mixed Martial Artist)
5
1
Birthdate: April 8, 1966
Sun Sign: Aries
Birthplace: Ibadan, Nigeria
Height: 6'1" (185 cm)
24
Hisaki Kato
(Japanese-French Professional Mixed Martial Artist and Kickboxer)
1
0
Birthdate: September 17, 1982
Sun Sign: Virgo
Birthplace: Paris, France
Height: 6'1" (185 cm)
25
Goiti Yamauchi
(Brazilian Mixed Martial Artist)
1
0
Birthdate: January 5, 1993
Sun Sign: Capricorn
Birthplace: Anjō, Aichi, Japan
Height: 5'10" (178 cm)
26
Akihiro Gono
(Japanese Mixed Martial Artist)
5
1
Birthdate: October 7, 1974
Sun Sign: Libra
Birthplace: Higashikurume, Tokyo, Japan
Height: 5'9" (175 cm)
27
Naoya Ogawa
(Japanese Judoka and Mixed Martial Artist)
5
1
Birthdate: March 31, 1968
Sun Sign: Aries
Birthplace: Suginami City, Tokyo, Japan
Height: 6'4" (193 cm)
28
Kleber Koike Erbst
(Japanese Mixed Martial Artist)
1
0
Birthdate: October 16, 1989
Sun Sign: Libra
Birthplace: São Paulo, State of São Paulo, Brazil
Height: 5'9" (175 cm)
29
Hayato Sakurai
(Japanese Mixed Martial Artist)
4
1
Birthdate: August 24, 1975
Sun Sign: Virgo
Birthplace: Ibaraki Prefecture, Japan
Regarded as one of the most talented Japanese MMA fighters ever, Hayato Sakurai is best known for his powerful low kicks and knee strikes. He was the inaugural Pride Lightweight Champion and also won the Shooto Middleweight title. He was nicknamed Mach, after his idol, Mach Hayato.
30
Katsunori Kikuno
(Japanese Mixed Martial Artist)
5
1
Birthdate: October 30, 1981
Sun Sign: Scorpio
Birthplace: Kagoshima, Japan
Height: 5'6" (168 cm)
31
Ayaka Hamasaki
(Japanese Mixed Martial Artist)
6
1
Birthdate: March 31, 1982
Sun Sign: Aries
Birthplace: Yamaguchi, Japan
Height: 5'2" (157 cm)
32
Kazuhiro Nakamura
(Japanese Retired Mixed Martial Artist)
5
1
Birthdate: July 16, 1979
Sun Sign: Cancer
Birthplace: Fukuyama, Hiroshima, Japan
Height: 5'10" (178 cm)
33
Yoshiyuki Yoshida
(Japanese Mixed Martial Artist)
4
1
Birthdate: May 10, 1974
Sun Sign: Taurus
Birthplace: Tokyo, Japan
Height: 5'11" (180 cm)
34
Yuichiro Nagashima
(Japanese Retired Kickboxer and Mixed Martial Artist)
2
0
Birthdate: July 2, 1984
Sun Sign: Cancer
Birthplace: Nishinomiya, Hyogo, Japan
Height: 5'9" (175 cm)
35
Kazuo Misaki
(Japanese Retired Professional Mixed Martial Artist)
3
1
Birthdate: April 25, 1976
Sun Sign: Taurus
Birthplace: Katori, Chiba, Japan
Height: 5'10" (178 cm)
36
Tsuyoshi Kohsaka
(Japanese Mixed Martial Artist)
3
1
Birthdate: March 6, 1970
Sun Sign: Pisces
Birthplace: Shiga, Japan
Height: 5'11" (180 cm)
37
Megumi Yabushita
(Japanese Mixed Martial Artist)
3
1
Birthdate: March 2, 1972
Sun Sign: Pisces
Birthplace: Asahikawa, Hokkaido, Japan
Height: 5'2" (157 cm)
