Rei Tsuruya
Flyweight · Japan · UFC
Grappler who chains takedowns into top control and back-takes rather than trading at range.
The rear-naked choke off a back-take — 5 of his 11 wins are submissions.
Record & stats
| Division | Flyweight |
|---|---|
| Categories | MMA |
| Promotion | UFC |
| Nationality | Japan |
| Born | Matsudo, Chiba, Japan |
| Team | THE BLACKBELT JAPAN |
| Pro debut | 2021 |
| Height | 5'6" (168cm)0′2″ |
| Reach | 68in (173cm)2′3″ |
| Age | 24 |
| KO rate | 36% |
| Status | Active |
How the wins come
82% Finish rate- 4 KO/TKO · 36%
- 5 Submission · 45%
- 2 Decision · 18%
Titles & honors
- 8th King of Pancrase Flyweight Champion (2022, later vacated)
- Road to UFC Season 2 flyweight tournament winner (2024)
Biography
Rei Tsuruya is a Japanese flyweight with an 11-1 record as of August 20, 2026. A former King of Pancrase champion and the winner of Road to UFC Season 2, his only professional loss came against Joshua Van, who is now the UFC flyweight champion. He faces Kevin Borjas on the UFC Shanghai preliminary card on August 29, 2026.
Born June 22, 2002 in Matsudo, Chiba Prefecture, the 24-year-old stands 5'6" (168 cm) with a 68-inch (173 cm) reach and fights out of THE BLACKBELT JAPAN. He started wrestling and jiu-jitsu at three years old and won multiple national titles as a junior before turning professional with DEEP in February 2021.
Style
A grappler first: takedowns into top control, then the back and the choke. His 11 wins break down as 4 by knockout or TKO, 5 by submission and 2 by decision: nine of his eleven wins are finishes. He is willing to hold his ground in exchanges rather than retreat to set up the entry.
Career
Tsuruya won his first nine professional fights. On December 25, 2022 he took the eighth King of Pancrase flyweight title with a second-round rear-naked choke over Ryu Sarutobi, a belt he later vacated. He then ran through Road to UFC Season 2, beating Mark Climaco on the cards in the semi-final and stopping Jiniushiyue at 4:59 of round one in the February 3, 2024 final in Las Vegas to win the tournament and a UFC contract.
His Octagon debut proper came at UFC 303 on June 29, 2024, a unanimous decision over Carlos Hernandez. At UFC 313 on March 8, 2025 he lost a unanimous decision to Joshua Van — the first defeat of his career, and one that aged well when Van took the flyweight title in December 2025. Tsuruya returned on May 30, 2026 in Macau and submitted Luis Gurule with a rear-naked choke at 3:19 of round one.
UFC Shanghai (August 29, 2026)
Tsuruya meets Kevin Borjas at flyweight on the UFC Shanghai preliminary card; fellow Japanese fighter Kai Asakura also appears on the same event. This page will be updated once the result is official.
Sources: UFC.com athlete page and event results coverage, Japanese Wikipedia. All figures as of August 20, 2026.
Fight history
- WLuis GuruleW SUB R1 3:19 (rear-naked choke)
- LJoshua VanL UD 3
- WCarlos HernandezW UD 3
- WJiniushiyueW TKO R1 4:59
- WRyu SarutobiW SUB R2 1:03 (rear-naked choke)
FAQ
- What is Rei Tsuruya's record?
- He is 11-1 as of August 20, 2026 — 4 knockouts or TKOs, 5 submissions and 2 decisions.
- Who has beaten Rei Tsuruya?
- Only Joshua Van, by unanimous decision at UFC 313 on March 8, 2025. Van won the UFC flyweight title in December 2025.
- Who does Rei Tsuruya fight next?
- He faces Kevin Borjas at flyweight on the UFC Shanghai preliminary card on August 29, 2026.
- What titles has Rei Tsuruya won?
- He became the eighth King of Pancrase flyweight champion in 2022, a belt he later vacated, and won the Road to UFC Season 2 flyweight tournament in 2024.