Ryo Takagi
Featherweight (66.0 kg) · Japan · RIZIN
Orthodox-stance striker built around the right straight; 8 of his 11 wins are by KO/TKO. He has also shown a grappling gear, taking Kyohei Hagiwara down and finishing him with a rear-naked choke at RIZIN.48.
Right straight, known since 2026 as the "Golden Right"
Record & stats
| Division | Featherweight (66.0 kg) |
|---|---|
| Categories | MMA |
| Promotion | RIZIN |
| Nationality | Japan |
| Born | Chiba Prefecture, Japan |
| Team | Free agent (formerly Paraestra Hachioji) |
| Pro debut | 2021-09-12 — PANCRASE 323 (vs. Urushima / 漆間將生, KO R1 2:25) |
| Height | 178 cm5′10″ |
| Reach | 179 cm5′10″ |
| Stance | Orthodox |
| Age | 26 |
| KO rate | 73% |
| Status | Active |
How the wins come
82% Finish rate- 8 KO/TKO · 73%
- 1 Submission · 9%
- 2 Decision · 18%
Recent results
- —vs Vugar Karamov
- Wvs Li KaiwenTakagi def. Li — KO (punches) R1
Auto-linked from KIAI's event coverage — updated as fights are decided.
Titles & honors
- Amateur Pancrase West Kanto Championship, Lightweight — winner (2020, amateur)
Biography
Ryo Takagi, born September 12, 1999 in Chiba Prefecture, is a Japanese mixed martial artist who competes at featherweight (66.0 kg). His professional MMA record stands at 11-3, with 8 of those wins by KO or TKO, and he is riding a three-fight winning streak in RIZIN. On September 10, 2026 he faces Vugar Karamov in the third bout of "ANGEL CHAMPAGNE presents Super RIZIN.5" at Kyocera Dome Osaka (RIZIN official).
Record
As of September 8, 2026 his professional record is 11-3-0, with no no-contests.
| Category | Breakdown |
|---|---|
| Wins (11) | 8 KO/TKO · 1 submission · 2 decision |
| Losses (3) | 1 submission · 2 decision |
| By promotion | Pancrase 6-1 · RIZIN 5-2 |
His current run consists of a unanimous decision over Kisa Miyake at RIZIN.51 (September 2025), a TKO by doctor stoppage over Shuya Kimura at RIZIN.52 (March 2026), and a first-round TKO of Kaiwen Li at 1:38 at RIZIN.53 (May 2026) — RIZIN official and DATA MMA. Before that he knocked out Taisei Nishitani in round one at RIZIN.46 (April 2024) and submitted Kyohei Hagiwara with a rear-naked choke at RIZIN.48 (September 2024). His losses include a decision to Viktor Kolesnik at RIZIN LANDMARK 6 in October 2023 and a 0-3 decision to Kyoma Akimoto at RIZIN Otoko Matsuri in May 2025. No professional record in kickboxing or any other combat sport could be confirmed.
Career
Takagi played baseball until his final year of high school and only started MMA at 19, after graduating, when he joined Paraestra Hachioji (RIZIN official profile). In 2020 he won the lightweight division of the Amateur Pancrase West Kanto Championship (Pancrase official fighter page); his amateur win-loss record has never been published.
He turned professional on September 12, 2021 at PANCRASE 323, stopping Urushima (漆間將生) by KO at 2:25 of round one. He went 6-1 under the Pancrase banner and rose to No. 1 in the promotion's featherweight rankings (BOUTREVIEW, rankings dated April 2024).
He fights out of an orthodox stance and is listed at 178 cm with a 179 cm reach (RIZIN official profile). He is a puncher built around the right straight, a weapon that has been called the "Golden Right" since 2026 (Takagi's own words, via Gong Kakutogi). RIZIN's official profile and Gong Kakutogi both list him as unattached (a free agent) after leaving Paraestra Hachioji, while Sherdog and Tapology still show that gym as his affiliation. No nickname appears on his RIZIN, Pancrase, Sherdog or Tapology pages, so none is listed here.
At Super RIZIN.5
At Super RIZIN.5 on September 10, 2026 at Kyocera Dome Osaka, Takagi meets Vugar Karamov in bout three under RIZIN MMA rules, three five-minute rounds at a 66.0 kg contract weight (RIZIN official). Karamov is a former RIZIN featherweight champion who is reported to have lost the title to an 88-second knockout in November 2023 (BOUTREVIEW). For Takagi, on a three-fight RIZIN streak, it is a measuring stick against a former titleholder.
The record and career of Vugar Karamov are covered in that fighter's own profile.
Sources
- 高木凌 — RIZIN FIGHTING FEDERATION オフィシャルサイト（選手プロフィール）
- ANGEL CHAMPAGNE presents 超RIZIN.5 浪速の超復活祭り 対戦カード — RIZIN公式
- 【試合結果】RIZIN.53 第9試合／高木凌 vs. リー・カイウェン — RIZIN公式
- 【試合結果】RIZIN.52 第10試合／高木凌 vs. 木村柊也 — RIZIN公式
- Ryo Takagi 高木凌 — パンクラス公式選手プロフィール
- Ryo Takagi MMA Stats, Pictures, News, Videos, Biography — Sherdog.com
- Ryo Takagi | MMA Fighter Page | Tapology
- 高木 凌の戦績・wikiプロフィール | DATA MMA
- RIZIN 9.10 京セラドーム大阪：高木凌、元王者ヴガール・ケラモフと対戦 — BOUTREVIEW
- 【RIZIN】“ゴールデンライト”でカイウェンをKOした高木凌「今年はいっぱい試合していきたい」 — ゴング格闘技
Fight history
- WKaiwen LiW TKO R1 (1:38)
- WShuya KimuraW TKO R1 (doctor stoppage)
- WKisa MiyakeW Decision (3-0)
- LKyoma AkimotoL Decision (0-3)
- WKyohei HagiwaraW Submission R1 (rear-naked choke)
- WTaisei NishitaniW KO R1
FAQ
- What is Ryo Takagi's record?
- 11-3 in professional MMA as of September 8, 2026: 8 KO/TKO, 1 submission, 2 decisions. By promotion, 6-1 in Pancrase and 5-2 in RIZIN.
- How old is Ryo Takagi?
- He was born September 12, 1999 and is 26 as of September 8, 2026. He is from Chiba Prefecture, and is listed at 178 cm with a 179 cm reach.
- Who does Ryo Takagi fight next?
- Vugar Karamov, in bout three of Super RIZIN.5 at Kyocera Dome Osaka on September 10, 2026, under RIZIN MMA rules at 66.0 kg.
- What is Ryo Takagi's fighting style?
- An orthodox striker built on the right straight — the "Golden Right" — with 8 of his 11 wins by KO/TKO, plus a rear-naked choke finish at RIZIN.48.