Famous Japanese Mixed Martial Artists

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.

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.

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.

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.

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.