Ryo Sakai “Raging Bull”
Heavyweight · Japan · DEEP
Ten of his 15 wins are by KO or TKO with none by submission — a strikes-first heavyweight veteran.
A first-round TKO of Tatsuya Mizuno at DEEP 114 on July 2, 2023, in the first defense of the interim DEEP Megaton title.
Record & stats
| Division | Heavyweight |
|---|---|
| Categories | MMA |
| Promotion | DEEP |
| Nationality | Japan |
| Born | Nikko, Tochigi |
| Team | Ranger Gym |
| Pro debut | 2012 |
| Height | 180cm5′11″ |
| Age | 39 |
| KO rate | 67% |
| Status | Active |
How the wins come
67% Finish rate- 10 KO/TKO · 67%
- 5 Decision · 33%
Recent results
- Lvs Tsuyoshi Sudario 🏆Tsuyoshi Sudario wins by TKO (strikes), R1 4:20 — advances to the final on Nov 8
Auto-linked from KIAI's event coverage — updated as fights are decided.
Titles & honors
- Former interim DEEP Megaton Champion (November 2022)
Biography
Ryo Sakai is a heavyweight out of Ranger Gym with a professional MMA record of 15-15 as of August 11, 2026, before the start of RIZIN.54, with 10 of his 15 wins by KO or TKO. He is a former interim DEEP Megaton champion (won November 2022), nicknamed "Raging Bull". Born March 24, 1987, in Nikko, Tochigi, he stands 180cm at age 39. At RIZIN.54 he faces Tsuyoshi Sudario in Fight 7, round one of the RIZIN JAPAN GP heavyweight tournament, at a 120kg contract weight.
Fighting Style
Ten of Sakai's 15 wins have come by KO or TKO and none by submission: when he wins, it is with strikes. He is a long-tenured heavyweight veteran.
Career
Sakai turned pro in 2012, appeared twice at IGF Inoki Bom-Ba-Ye 2014, and made the DEEP heavyweight ranks his long-time home. He won the interim DEEP Megaton title in November 2022 and defended it for the first time with a first-round TKO of Tatsuya Mizuno at DEEP 114 on July 2, 2023; in November 2024 he took a technical decision over Ken Hasegawa at DEEP 122. His first RIZIN appearance was at RIZIN.21 on February 22, 2020, under kickboxing rules (120kg), a first-round KO loss (1:28) that does not count toward his MMA record. His first bout under RIZIN MMA rules came at RIZIN.50 on March 30, 2025, a TKO loss to Edpolking at 2:32 of round two. He then lost by KO to Sekino at DEEP on August 17, 2025, beat Arato by TKO at DEEP on March 20, 2026, and was stopped by Takakenshin at 1:16 of round one at RIZIN LANDMARK 14 on June 6, 2026. On July 24, 2026, he was announced as the final entrant in the four-man RIZIN JAPAN GP heavyweight tournament.
RIZIN.54
On August 11, 2026, Sakai faces Tsuyoshi Sudario in Fight 7 of RIZIN.54 at TOYOTA ARENA TOKYO — round one of the RIZIN JAPAN GP heavyweight tournament, at a 120kg contract weight (RIZIN MMA rules, 3x5-minute rounds). This page will be updated once the result is official.
Main sources: Tapology, Sherdog, TOKYO HEADLINE. Figures as of August 11, 2026 (before RIZIN.54).
--- RIZIN.54 result (updated 2026-08-11): He lost to Tsuyoshi Sudario — stopped by strikes in the GP semifinal (L TKO R1 4:20 (GP semifinal)). Full card results: RIZIN 54 results.
Fight history
- LTsuyoshi SudarioL TKO R1 4:20 (GP semifinal)
- LTakakenshinL TKO R1 1:16
- WAratoW TKO
- LSekinoL KO
- LEdpolkingL TKO R2 2:32
- WTatsuya MizunoW TKO R1
FAQ
- What is Ryo Sakai's record?
- 15-15 in professional MMA (10 KO, 5 decisions, no submission wins) as of August 11, 2026, before the start of RIZIN.54, plus an 0-1 kickboxing record.
- How tall is Ryo Sakai?
- 180cm, fighting at heavyweight. Born March 24, 1987 (age 39), from Nikko, Tochigi, and training out of Ranger Gym as of August 11, 2026.
- When is Ryo Sakai's next fight?
- No next fight announced as of August 11, 2026. He most recently lost against Tsuyoshi Sudario at RIZIN.54 on August 11, 2026.
- When did Ryo Sakai first fight in RIZIN?
- February 22, 2020, at RIZIN.21 under kickboxing rules (120kg), a first-round KO loss. His first bout under RIZIN MMA rules was the TKO loss to Edpolking at RIZIN.50 on March 30, 2025.