is a Japanese

mixed martial artist Mixed martial arts (MMA), sometimes referred to as cage fighting, no holds barred (NHB), and ultimate fighting, and originally referred to as Vale Tudo is a full-contact combat sport based on striking, grappling and ground fighting, incorp ...

and

professional wrestler Professional wrestling is a form of theater that revolves around staged wrestling matches. The mock combat is performed in a ring similar to the kind used in boxing, and the dramatic aspects of pro wrestling may be performed both in the ring or ...

. A professional MMA competitor since 1998, he has competed for the

PRIDE Fighting Championships PRIDE Fighting Championships (Pride or Pride FC, founded as KRS-Pride) was a Japanese mixed martial arts promotion company. Its inaugural event was held at the Tokyo Dome on October 11, 1997. Pride held more than sixty mixed martial arts even ...

Cage Rage Cage Rage Championships, also known as Cage Rage, was a United Kingdom-based, mixed martial arts promotion that premiered on 7 September 2002 in London. Cage Rage went into liquidation and is now no longer trading. Cage Rage had been owned and ma ...

DEEP Deep or The Deep may refer to: Places United States * Deep Creek (Appomattox River tributary), Virginia * Deep Creek (Great Salt Lake), Idaho and Utah * Deep Creek (Mahantango Creek tributary), Pennsylvania * Deep Creek (Mojave River tributary), ...

Pancrase Pancrase Inc. is a mixed martial arts promotion company founded in Japan in 1993 by professional wrestlers Masakatsu Funaki and Minoru Suzuki. The name was based on pankration, a fighting sport in the Ancient Olympic Games. Suzuki and Funaki pr ...

, and

King of the Cage King of the Cage (KOTC) is a mixed martial arts (MMA) promotion based in Southern California, United States. History KOTC was founded in 1998 by Terry Trebilcock. KOTC features mostly amateur as well as up and coming MMA stars and former mainstr ...

Professional wrestling career

After training in

judo is an unarmed gendai budō, modern Japanese martial art, Olympic sport (since 1964), and the most prominent form of jacket wrestling competed internationally.『日本大百科全書』電子版【柔道】(CD-ROM version of Encyclopedia Nipponi ...

and

amateur wrestling Amateur wrestling is a variant of wrestling practiced in collegiate, school, or other amateur level competitions. There are two international wrestling styles performed in the Olympic Games: freestyle and Greco-Roman. Both styles are under the ...

at the

International Budo University (IBU) is a private university in Katsuura, Chiba, Chiba Prefecture, Japan, established in 1984. The university has a specialized curriculum in physical education, specifically the budō Japanese martial arts, sports, and physical culture. In addi ...

, Matsui joined

shoot-style Shoot wrestling is a combat sport that originated in Japan's professional wrestling circuit of the 1970s. Professional wrestlers of that era attempted to use more realistic or even "full contact" moves in their matches to increase their exciteme ...

organization

Union of Wrestling Forces International Union of Professional Wrestling Force International, better known as UWF International, U-Inter, or simply UWFi, was a shoot style professional wrestling promotion in Japan from 1991 to 1996. The UWF international was the successor to the ''Newbo ...

, where he trained under the legendary

Nobuhiko Takada Nobuhiko Takada ( ja, 高田伸彦, ring name: ) (born April 12, 1962) is a Japanese former mixed martial artist, retired professional wrestler, actor, and writer. He competed in New Japan Pro-Wrestling (NJPW), Universal Wrestling Federation (UW ...

. He debuted in September 1996 as "Shunsuke Matsui" against Tatsunori Kamiyama, but he couldn't advance up the card as UWFi folded the same year. Matsui then followed the company's members to the new promotion

Kingdom Kingdom commonly refers to: * A monarchy ruled by a king or queen * Kingdom (biology), a category in biological taxonomy Kingdom may also refer to: Arts and media Television * ''Kingdom'' (British TV series), a 2007 British television drama s ...

, having matches against

Kazushi Sakuraba is a Japanese professional wrestler, mixed martial artist and submission wrestler, currently signed to Rizin Fighting Federation and Pro Wrestling Noah, where he was formerly one-half of the former GHC Tag Team Champions with Takashi Sugiura. ...

Yoshihiro Takayama is a former Japanese professional wrestler and mixed martial artist. Debuting for UWF International (UWFI) in the 1990s, Takayama joined All Japan Pro Wrestling (AJPW) in 1997 after UWF-i folded. In 2000, he joined Pro Wrestling Noah (Noah), and ...

and

Hiromitsu Kanehara ) is a former Japanese mixed martial artist and professional wrestler of Korean descent. A professional MMA competitor from 1998 until 2012, he found success in Fighting Network RINGS, gaining notable victories over Valentijn Overeem, Alexand ...

, until Kingdom fell in 1998. He then transitioned to MMA. In December 2000, Matsui made a return to pro wrestling at the Inoki Bom-Ba-Ye event, teaming with

The Great Sasuke , born July 18, 1969), is a Japanese professional wrestler, promoter and politician, currently wrestling for Michinoku Pro Wrestling (MPW) under the ring name . Aside from professional wrestling, he is also a former Iwate Prefectural Assembly l ...

to defeat

Akira Shoji Akira Shoji (小路晃) (born January 31, 1974) is a retired Japanese mixed martial artist and professional wrestler. He is most known as being a regular in almost all the beginning Pride Fighting Championship Shoji was in Pride 1 to Pride 7, an ...

and

Caol Uno (born May 8, 1975) is a Japanese mixed martial artist and professional wrestler. He is the Co-Champion of the UFC 41 Lightweight Tournament and a former Shooto Lightweight Champion. As one of the early Ultimate Fighting Championship's el ...

. He also competed in

Battlarts , more commonly referred to as simply Battlarts was a professional wrestling promotion based in Koshigaya, Saitama, Japan. The promotion was formed in 1996 by Japanese wrestler Yuki Ishikawa and featured all of the wrestlers from the Fujiwara Gum ...

, beating

Ikuto Hidaka (born August 5, 1972) is a Japanese professional wrestler, currently performing for Pro Wrestling Noah (Noah). Hidaka was the regular partner of Minoru Fujita, with whom he has held the Zero1-Max International Lightweight Tag Team and Intercont ...

, and in

New Japan Pro-Wrestling (NJPW) is a Japanese professional wrestling promotion based in Nakano, Tokyo. Founded on January 13, 1972, by Antonio Inoki, the promotion was sold to Yuke's, who later sold it to Bushiroad in 2012. TV Asahi and Amuse, Inc. own minority shares ...

, wrestling

Kendo Kashin Tokimitsu Ishizawa (''Ishizawa Tokimitsu'', born August 5, 1968), better known by his ring name Kendo Kashin (ケンドー・カシン, ''Kendō Kashin''), is a Japanese professional wrestler. He is perhaps best known for his time in New Japan Pr ...

in a losing effort for the

IWGP Junior Heavyweight Championship The is a professional wrestling world junior heavyweight championship owned by the New Japan Pro-Wrestling (NJPW) promotion. "IWGP" is the acronym of NJPW's governing body, the . Only wrestlers under the junior heavyweight weight-limit may ho ...

. The same year, he faced Kashin again in

All Japan Pro Wrestling (AJPW/AJP) or simply All Japan is a Japanese professional wrestling promotion established on October 21, 1972 when Giant Baba split away from the Japanese Wrestling Association and created his own promotion. Many wrestlers had left with Baba, ...

, wrestling under the name of "Mr. Problem" and wearing modified Kendo Kashin attire and mask. Matsui had also stints in

Pro Wrestling Zero1 (stylized as Pro Wrestling ZERO1), formerly known as Pro Wrestling Zero-One and Pro Wrestling Zero1-Max (stylised in all capital letters) and often referred to simply as Zero1, is a Japanese professional wrestling promotion founded in 2001. I ...

and in

Inoki Genome Federation (IGF) was a Japanese professional wrestling and mixed martial arts promotion founded by Antonio Inoki in 2007. History Antonio Inoki left New Japan Pro-Wrestling, a promotion he founded in 1972, to start the IGF. The first IGF show was held on J ...

Mixed martial arts career

Early career

Matsui transitioned to

mixed martial arts Mixed martial arts (MMA), sometimes referred to as cage fighting, no holds barred (NHB), and ultimate fighting, and originally referred to as Vale Tudo is a full-contact combat sport based on striking, grappling and ground fighting, inc ...

from pro wrestling and trained at the

Takada Dojo The Takada Dojo is a mixed martial arts academy in Tokyo, Japan. The dojo takes its name from Nobuhiko Takada its founder. Many members, including Takada, have participated in both professional wrestling and mixed martial arts. The dojo and i ...

for much of his career along with

. Matsui made himself known for a surprising technical ability and his unorthodox striking, including the use of the

shoulder strike A strike is a directed physical attack with either a part of the human body or with an inanimate object (such as a weapon) intended to cause blunt trauma or penetrating trauma upon an opponent. There are many different varieties of strikes. ...

from the guard, as well as forward rolls and cartwheel kicks in an attempt to draw his opponents to the ground.

PRIDE

Matsui made his professional

debut in 1998 at

PRIDE 3 The year 1998 is the 2nd year in the history of the Pride Fighting Championships, a mixed martial arts promotion based in Japan. 1998 had 3 events beginning with, ''Pride 2''. Debut Pride FC fighters The following fighters fought their first ...

against Akira "Mr. Pride" Shoji and the bout ended in a draw. In his next bout at

PRIDE 4 The year 1998 is the 2nd year in the history of the Pride Fighting Championships, a mixed martial arts promotion based in Japan. 1998 had 3 events beginning with, ''Pride 2''. Debut Pride FC fighters The following fighters fought their first ...

, he faced future Pancrase Light Heavyweight Champion

Sanae Kikuta is a Japanese mixed martial artist currently competing in the Welterweight division. A professional competitor since 1996, he has competed for the UFC, PRIDE Fighting Championships, Pancrase, DREAM, World Victory Road, DEEP, Shooto, and ...

. This bout also ended in a draw because of the time-limit on bouts in the organization at that time. At PRIDE 6, Matsui fought against future

UFC Welterweight Champion Ultimate Fighting Championship (UFC) champions are fighters who have won UFC championships. Historical notes At the time of the UFC's inception in 1993, mixed martial arts was not sanctioned in the United States, and did not include weight classe ...

and fan-favorite,

Carlos Newton Carlos Newton (born August 17, 1976) is an Anguillian-born Canadian retired mixed martial artist. He is a former UFC Welterweight Champion and Pride FC Japan MMA Legend. Known as "The Ronin", he competed worldwide in the biggest MMA organizatio ...

. In an entertaining fight, Matsui fended off increasingly difficult submission attempts from the

Brazilian jiu-jitsu Brazilian jiu-jitsu (BJJ; pt, jiu-jitsu brasileiro ) is a self-defence martial art and combat sport based on grappling, ground fighting (ne-waza) and submission holds. BJJ focuses on the skill of taking an opponent to the ground, control ...

specialist and struck when possible, including a notable haymaker exchange at the end of the bout. However, Newton's superior control lost the fight by decision, handing the

Japanese Japanese may refer to: * Something from or related to Japan, an island country in East Asia * Japanese language, spoken mainly in Japan * Japanese people, the ethnic group that identifies with Japan through ancestry or culture ** Japanese diaspor ...

fighter his first professional loss via unanimous decision. Matsui fought again at PRIDE 7 against

Dutch Dutch commonly refers to: * Something of, from, or related to the Netherlands * Dutch people () * Dutch language () Dutch may also refer to: Places * Dutch, West Virginia, a community in the United States * Pennsylvania Dutch Country People E ...

kickboxer Kickboxing is a combat sport focused on kicking and punching. The combat takes place in a boxing ring, normally with boxing gloves, mouthguards, shorts, and bare feet to favour the use of kicks. Kickboxing is practiced for self-defense, general ...

"Dirty" Bob Schrijber, in a fight in which he performed impressively, holding his own against the striker and taking advantage of his superior

wrestling Wrestling is a series of combat sports involving grappling-type techniques such as clinch fighting, throws and takedowns, joint locks, pins and other grappling holds. Wrestling techniques have been incorporated into martial arts, combat ...

skills. Controversy ensued when Matsui was punched in his face while being attended to by the referee because of a problem with his gloves. The two fighters exchanged heated words had to be prevented from brawling before the fight was continued. Matsui continued with renovated aggressivity, performing a takedown attempt which made Schrijber fall through the ropes and brutally land on a table ringside. Well after the bell marking the end of the first round sounded, Schrijber landed a powerful kick to the back of Matsui, who was still down on the ground. The foul immediately resulted in a disqualification win for Matsui, and the first win of his career. Matsui's next appearance for the organization was at PRIDE 8 where he faced future Pride Middleweight Champion and future PRIDE 2003 Middleweight Grand Prix Tournament Champion,

Wanderlei Silva Wanderlei César da Silva ( , , ; born 3 July 1976) is a Brazilian-American former mixed martial artist who competed in Japan's Pride Fighting Championships and the American-based Ultimate Fighting Championship (UFC). He holds the record for the ...

. Outweighed and outmatched from the beginning of the fight, Matsui was rocked with a series of knees from the clinch and punches from Silva, but he demonstrated his heart and continued to battle despite bleeding profusely, even managing to put Silva on his back and land some strikes from the guard, leaving Silva's right eye swollen. He ultimately lost in a unanimous decision, but he passed to history as one of the few opponents Silva wasn't able to finish, including Matsui's own partner

. However, Matsui then fought against

Ukrainian Ukrainian may refer to: * Something of, from, or related to Ukraine * Something relating to Ukrainians, an East Slavic people from Eastern Europe * Something relating to demographics of Ukraine in terms of demography and population of Ukraine * So ...

Igor Vovchanchyn Igor Yaroslavovych Vovchanchyn (, uk, Ігор Ярославович Вовчанчин; born August 6, 1973) is a retired Ukrainian mixed martial artist and kickboxer, who competed in early no holds barred MMA contests. After making his profess ...

PRIDE 9 Pride is defined by Merriam-Webster as "reasonable self-esteem" or "confidence and satisfaction in oneself". A healthy amount of pride is good, however, pride sometimes is used interchangeably with "conceit" or "arrogance" (among other words) wh ...

, and he was finished the first time in his career after the referee called a stop to the bout at 5:03 into the first round by an eye cut. Matsui's next bout for the organization was at PRIDE 10 against former UFC 12 Heavyweight Tournament Champion and future

UFC Light Heavyweight Champion Ultimate Fighting Championship (UFC) champions are fighters who have won UFC championships. Historical notes At the time of the UFC's inception in 1993, mixed martial arts was not sanctioned in the United States, and did not include weight classe ...

, Vitor "The Phenom" Belfort. Matsui was handed his third consecutive loss, via unanimous decision. Matsui returned to

PRIDE Pride is defined by Merriam-Webster as "reasonable self-esteem" or "confidence and satisfaction in oneself". A healthy amount of pride is good, however, pride sometimes is used interchangeably with "conceit" or "arrogance" (among other words) wh ...

at PRIDE 14 to fight Brazilian

Vale Tudo Vale Tudo (; en, Everything Goes/Everything Allowed), also known No Holds Barred (NHB) in the United States, is an unarmed, full-contact combat sport with relatively few rules. It became popular in Brazil during the 20th century and would event ...

legend Jose "Pele" Landi-Jons, Matsui being a heavy underdog heading into the fight with a 2-6-2 record. Daijiro started the fight countering a

flying knee A knee strike (commonly referred to simply as a knee) is a strike with the knee, either with the kneecap or the surrounding area. Kneeing is a disallowed practice in many combat sports, especially to the head of a downed opponent. Styles such as ...

by catching Pelé mid-air with a front kick, but then he was almost rendered unconscious by another knee strike when he was shooting for a takedown. The Japanese had his back taken with a body triangle, but he recovered from the knee and started countering Pele's submission attempts through sheer heart, driving the Brazilian against the turnbuckle in full runs to fend off

rear-naked choke The rear naked choke (RNC) is a chokehold in martial arts applied from an opponent's back. The word "naked" in this context suggests that, unlike other strangulation techniques found in jujutsu/judo, this hold does not require the use of a keikogi ...

s and dropping him on his head to escape from

armbar An armlock in grappling is a single or double joint lock that hyperextends, hyperflexes or hyperrotates the elbow joint or shoulder joint. An armlock that hyper-extends the arm is known as an armbar, and it includes the traditional armbar, pr ...

s. Frustrated by his opponent's resistance, Pele landed a series of illegal elbows to the back of Matsui, resulting in a yellow card from the referee which attracted heated words. After the fight was restarted, Matsui took Pelé down and proceeded to attack his guard with

ground and pound Mixed martial arts (MMA), sometimes referred to as cage fighting, no holds barred (NHB), and ultimate fighting, and originally referred to as Vale Tudo is a full-contact combat sport based on striking, grappling and ground fighting, incorp ...

, throwing shoulder strikes and knees to the tailbone whenever he couldn't throw punches, and also holding Landi-Jons's head and slamming it against the canvas. Through the fight, Matsui's superior wrestling and unorthodox strikes paid off, and he kept control over Pelé while landing consistent punishment from his guard; he also got pops by throwing pro wrestling

dropkick A dropkick is an attacking maneuver in professional wrestling. It is defined as an attack where the wrestler jumps up and kicks the opponent with the soles of both feet; this sees the wrestler twist as they jump so that when the feet connec ...

s every time the fight went standing. After the match, the judges ruled it a unanimous decision for Matsui, who pulled off one of the biggest upsets in the sport at the time.Pride 14: Clash Of The Titans Results & Fight Summaries
/ref> Although Daijiro had challenged Wanderlei Silva to a rematch, his next opponent ended up being Ebenezer Fontes Braga at

PRIDE 15 The year 2001 is the 5th year in the history of the Pride Fighting Championships, a mixed martial arts promotion based in Japan. 2001 had 6 events beginning with, ''Pride 13 - Collision Course''. Title fights Debut Pride FC fighters Th ...

and Matsui lost via unanimous decision. In his next bout at

PRIDE 16 The year 2001 is the 5th year in the history of the Pride Fighting Championships, a mixed martial arts promotion based in Japan. 2001 had 6 events beginning with, ''Pride 13 - Collision Course''. Title fights Debut Pride FC fighters Th ...

, Matsui faced the future EliteXC Middleweight Champion, Murilo "Ninja" Rua. Matsui was rocked with many stomps and soccer kicks throughout the bout, and the fight was eventually stopped in the beginning of the third round. Matsui then fought against future

Quinton "Rampage" Jackson Quinton "Rampage" Jackson (born June 20, 1978) is an American mixed martial artist, actor and former professional wrestler, who most recently fought in the Bellator MMA. He is a former UFC Light Heavyweight Champion and unified the Pride Middle ...

Pride 18 The year 2001 is the 5th year in the history of the Pride Fighting Championships, a mixed martial arts promotion based in Japan. 2001 had 6 events beginning with, ''Pride 13 - Collision Course''. Title fights Debut Pride FC fighters The ...

and Matsui won via disqualification after he was hit in the groin in the beginning of the fight. Matsui then fought

Rodrigo Gracie Rodrigo Gracie (born March 11, 1974) is a retired Brazilian mixed martial artist and Brazilian Jiu-Jitsu practitioner. A member of the famous Gracie family, Rodrigo is a 6th Degree Black Belt in Gracie Jiu-Jitsu and a Gold Medalist in t ...

PRIDE 19 The year 2002 is the 6th year in the history of the Pride Fighting Championships, a mixed martial arts promotion based in Japan. 2002 had 10 events beginning with, ''Pride FC: The Best, Vol. 1''. Title fights Debut Pride FC fighters The ...

and lost via

guillotine choke The guillotine choke, also known as Mae Hadaka Jime (前裸絞, "front naked choke"; compare to a rear naked choke) in judo, is a chokehold in martial arts applied from in front of the opponent, often on the ground but can also be done while stan ...

submission in the third round. The submission was controversial as Gracie held onto the choke for a significantly long time after Matsui had tapped out. Matsui's next appearance was at

PRIDE Shockwave ''Pride Shockwave Dynamite!'' is the international PPV broadcast name for the mixed martial arts and kickboxing event co-promoted by the PRIDE Fighting Championships and K-1 on August 28, 2002. It was held at the Tokyo National Stadium in Tokyo, ...

against

Jerrel Venetiaan Jerrel Venetiaan (born March 9, 1971) is a retired Dutch kickboxer and mixed martial artist who fought in K-1. As a MMA fighter he fought in Pride Fighting Championships. Championships and accomplishments Kickboxing *2004 King Of The Ring Wo ...

. Matsui lost the bout via split decision after Venetiaan was able to utilize superior striking, especially with powerful kicks. Matsui then fought

Rory Singer Rory Michael Singer (born May 28, 1976) is an American mixed martial artist and Brazilian Jiu Jitsu Black Belt. Although Rory had made a name for himself as a 185-pound prospect; his big break came after meeting the producers of TUF. They were fil ...

at Pride The Best Vol. 3, PRIDE The Best Vol. 3 and won via unanimous decision, and then followed this up with another unanimous decision win over Kazuki Okubo at

PRIDE 24 The year 2002 is the 6th year in the history of the Pride Fighting Championships, a mixed martial arts promotion based in Japan. 2002 had 10 events beginning with, ''Pride FC: The Best, Vol. 1''. Title fights Debut Pride FC fighters Th ...

, which would be Matsui's last appearance for the organization. In March 2006, Matsui left Takada Dojo along with Kazushi Sakuraba, though Matsui remained in the team as a trainer.

Post-PRIDE

Matsui's next bout was two years later against

Ryo Chonan is a retired Japanese professional mixed martial artist. A professional competitor from 2001–2013, Chonan competed for the UFC, PRIDE, DEEP, DREAM, Pancrase, and World Victory Road. Chonan is the former DEEP Middleweight Champion and the forme ...

in the

organization and lost in a majority decision before going 0-2-1 in his next three bouts against the likes of

Paulo Filho Paulo Fernando de Souza Leite Filho, better known as simply Paulo Filho (; born May 24, 1978), is a Brazilian retired mixed martial artist who last competed in the Middleweight division. A professional competitor from 2000 until 2014, Fil ...

, Brian Foster, and

Elvis Sinosic Elvis Sinosic (born 13 February 1971) is a retired Australian professional mixed martial artist and unsuccessful Political Candidate for United Australia in Blaxland. Sinosic is perhaps best known for his seven-fight stint in the Ultimate F ...

, respectively. In the Pancrase 2005 Neo-Blood Tournament Finals, Matsui picked up his first win in three years with a TKO over Daisuke Watanbe. To date, this is the only TKO/ KO win of his career.

Cage Rage

Matsui made his debut for the

England England is a country that is part of the United Kingdom. It shares land borders with Wales to its west and Scotland to its north. The Irish Sea lies northwest and the Celtic Sea to the southwest. It is separated from continental Europe b ...

-based

organization a year later against former Alex Reid and fought to a draw. In his next bout, Matsui faced former

UFC The Ultimate Fighting Championship (UFC) is an American mixed martial arts (MMA) promotion company based in Las Vegas, Nevada. It is owned and operated by Zuffa, a wholly owned subsidiary of Endeavor Group Holdings. It is the largest MMA ...

veteran Curtis Stout and won via majority decision. Matsui then lost three consecutive bouts before defeating future BAMMA Middleweight Champion and current

veteran, Tom "Kong" Watson with an

submission, the only submission win of Matsui's career to date. Matsui lost his last fight for the organization against

Mark Weir Mark Anthony Weir (19 September 1967) is an English retired mixed martial artist usually fighting in the middleweight division at 185 lbs. He has fought in the UFC, the WEC, PRIDE, Cage Rage, UCMMA, Pancrase, and BodogFIGHT. He is the fo ...

Other ventures

Since the demise of the

organization, Matsui has exclusively fought in

Japan Japan ( ja, 日本, or , and formally , ''Nihonkoku'') is an island country in East Asia. It is situated in the northwest Pacific Ocean, and is bordered on the west by the Sea of Japan, while extending from the Sea of Okhotsk in the north ...

, mostly for the

organization. However, he has struggled, going 3-11-2 in his last 16 fights.

Mixed martial arts record

, - , Loss , align=center, 14–31–7 , Hiroki Tanaka , Decision (unanimous) , DXFC: Demolition Xtreme Fighting Championship , , align=center, 3 , align=center, 5:00 ,

Osaka is a designated city in the Kansai region of Honshu in Japan. It is the capital of and most populous city in Osaka Prefecture, and the third most populous city in Japan, following Special wards of Tokyo and Yokohama. With a population of 2. ...

, Japan , , - , Loss , align=center, 14–30–7 , Dae Hwan Kim , KO (punch) , Wardog Cage Fight 15 , , align=center, 1 , align=center, 1:51 ,

, Japan , For the vacant WCF Middleweight Championship. , - , Win , align=center, 14-29-7 , Gensan Agonashi , Decision (unanimous) , WCF: War Dog Cage Fight , , align=center, 2 , align=center, 5:00 ,

, Japan , , - , Loss , align=center, 13–29-7 , Tetuso Kondo , N/A , ACF 23: Kakutogi no Omochabako , , align=center, N/A , align=center, N/A ,

, Japan , , - , Draw , align=center, 13-28-7 , Tomoya Suzuki , Draw , Wardog Cage Fight 10 , , align=center, 2 , align=center, 5:00 ,

, Japan , , - , Win , align=center, 13–28–6 , Hideaki Sumi , TKO (punches) , Wardog Cage Fight 9 , , align=center, 1 , align=center, 3:30 ,

, Japan , , - , Loss , align=center, 12–28–6 , Toshikazu Suzuki , Decision (unanimous) , Grabaka: Grabaka Live! 3 , , align=center, 2 , align=center, 5:00 ,

Tokyo Tokyo (; ja, 東京, , ), officially the Tokyo Metropolis ( ja, 東京都, label=none, ), is the capital and largest city of Japan. Formerly known as Edo, its metropolitan area () is the most populous in the world, with an estimated 37.468 ...

, Japan , , - , Loss , align=center, 12–27–6 ,

Kazuhiro Nakamura Kazuhiro Nakamura ( , born July 16, 1979) is a retired Japanese mixed martial artist who competed as a Middleweight in DREAM, and is a former DEEP Middleweight Champion. He fought out of the Yoshida Dojo and also competed in the Pride Fighting ...

, KO (knee & punches) , DEEP: King Kaz Fight in Fukuyama , , align=center, 1 , align=center, 1:30 , Fukuyama, Japan , 90 kg bout. , - , Loss , align=center, 12–26–6 ,

Keiichiro Yamamiya Keiichiro Yamamiya (born July 12, 1972) is a Japanese former professional mixed martial artist. A veteran of 89 fights who began his career in 1996 and last competed in 2015, he fought in the UFC, Pancrase, DEEP, and World Victory Road. He was th ...

, Decision (points) , U-Spirits: U-Spirits Again , , align=center, 1 , align=center, 15:00 ,

, Japan , , - , Loss , align=center, 12–25–6 , Eiji Ishikawa , Decision (unanimous) , Grabaka: Grabaka Live! 2 , , align=center, 2 , align=center, 5:00 ,

, Japan , , - , Draw , align=center, 12–24–6 ,

, Draw (majority) , DEEP: 57 Impact , , align=center, 2 , align=center, 5:00 ,

, Japan ,

Light Heavyweight Light heavyweight, also referred to as junior cruiserweight or light cruiserweight, is a weight class in combat sports. Boxing Professional In professional boxing, the division is above and up to , falling between super middleweight and cruise ...

bout. , - , Draw , align=center, 12–24–5 , Hiroki Ozaki , Draw , DEEP: Tokyo Impact 2 , , align=center, 2 , align=center, 5:00 ,

, Japan , , - , Win , align=center, 12–24–4 , Tomoaki Hata , Decision (unanimous) , DEEP: Cage Impact 2010 in Hamamatsu , , align=center, 2 , align=center, 5:00 ,

Hamamatsu is a city located in western Shizuoka Prefecture, Japan. the city had an estimated population of 791,707 in 340,591 households, making it the prefecture's largest city, and a population density of . The total area of the site was . Overview ...

, Japan , , - , Loss , align=center, 11–24–4 , Dool Hee Lee , Decision (split) , Gladiator FC 6 , , align=center, 2 , align=center, 5:00 ,

Kobe, Hyogo Kobe ( , ; officially , ) is the capital city of Hyōgo Prefecture Japan. With a population around 1.5 million, Kobe is Japan's List of Japanese cities by population, seventh-largest city and the third-largest port city after Port of Tokyo, Toky ...

, Japan , , - , Win , align=center, 11–23–4 , Il Chul Park , Decision (split) , Gladiator FC: Japan-Korea International Friendship Rally , , align=center, 2 , align=center, 5:00 ,

Okayama is the capital city of Okayama Prefecture in the Chūgoku region of Japan. The city was founded on June 1, 1889. , the city has an estimated population of 720,841 and a population density of 910 persons per km2. The total area is . The city is ...

, Japan , , - , Loss , align=center, 10–23–4 , Daniel Madrid , Submission (inverted triangle choke) , Art of War 14 , , align=center, 2 , align=center, 4:19 ,

Macau Macau or Macao (; ; ; ), officially the Macao Special Administrative Region of the People's Republic of China (MSAR), is a city and special administrative region of China in the western Pearl River Delta by the South China Sea. With a pop ...

SAR SAR or Sar may refer to: Places * Sar (river), Galicia, Spain * Sar, Bahrain, a residential district * Sar, Iran (disambiguation), several places in Iran * Sar, Tibet, Tibet Autonomous Region of China * Šar Mountains, in southeastern Europe ...

, China , , - , Loss , align=center, 10–22–4 , Min Suk Heo , TKO (punches) , DEEP: Grachan 2 , , align=center, 1 , align=center, 3:08 ,

, Japan , , - , Loss , align=center, 10–21–4 , Ichiro Kanai , Technical Submission (arm-triangle choke) , Pancrase: Shining 10 , , align=center, 1 , align=center, 2:25 ,

, Japan , , - , Loss , align=center, 10–20–4 , Lee Eun-Soo , Decision (unanimous) , DEEP: Gladiator , , align=center, 3 , align=center, 5:00 ,

, Japan , , - , Loss , align=center, 10–19–4 , Yuichi Nakanishi , Decision (unanimous) , DEEP: 35 Impact , , align=center, 2 , align=center, 5:00 ,

, Japan , , - , Win , align=center, 10–18–4 , Young Choi , Decision (split) , DEEP: 34 Impact , , align=center, 3 , align=center, 5:00 ,

, Japan ,

Middleweight Middleweight is a weight class in combat sports. Boxing Professional In professional boxing, the middleweight division is contested above and up to . Early boxing history is less than exact, but the middleweight designation seems to have be ...

debut. , - , Loss , align=center, 9–18–4 , Carlos Toyota , TKO (punches) , DEEP: clubDEEP Kanazawa , , align=center, 2 , align=center, 2:22 ,

Kanazawa, Ishikawa is the capital Cities of Japan, city of Ishikawa Prefecture, Japan. , the city had an estimated population of 466,029 in 203,271 households, and a population density of 990 persons per km2. The total area of the city was . Overview Cityscape ...

, Japan , , - , Loss , align=center, 9–17–4 ,

, Decision (unanimous) , Cage Rage 21 , , align=center, 3 , align=center, 5:00 ,

London London is the capital and largest city of England and the United Kingdom, with a population of just under 9 million. It stands on the River Thames in south-east England at the head of a estuary down to the North Sea, and has been a majo ...

, England , , - , Win , align=center, 9–16–4 , Tom Watson , Submission (armbar) , Cage Rage 20 , , align=center, 1 , align=center, 0:59 ,

, England , , - , Loss , align=center, 8–16–4 , Flavio Luiz Moura , Decision (unanimous) , DEEP: 26 Impact , , align=center, 3 , align=center, 5:00 ,

, Japan , 85 kg bout. , - , Loss , align=center, 8–15–4 ,

Yuki Kondo is a Japanese mixed martial artist currently competing in the Welterweight division. He has officially 111 professional fights, making him one of the most experienced mixed martial artists ever. He has also competed for the UFC, PRIDE, Sengoku ...

, Decision (unanimous) , Pancrase: Blow 6 , , align=center, 3 , align=center, 5:00 ,

Yokohama, Kanagawa is the second-largest city in Japan by population and the most populous municipality of Japan. It is the capital city and the most populous city in Kanagawa Prefecture, with a 2020 population of 3.8 million. It lies on Tokyo Bay, south of To ...

, Japan , , - , Loss , align=center, 8–14–4 , Pierre Guillet , TKO (cut) , Cage Rage 17 , , align=center, 2 , align=center, 4:08 ,

, England , , - , Win , align=center, 8–13–4 , Curtis Stout , Decision (majority) , Cage Rage 15 , , align=center, 3 , align=center, 5:00 ,

, England , , - , Draw , align=center, 7–13–4 , Alex Reid , Draw , Cage Rage 14 , , align=center, 3 , align=center, 5:00 ,

, England , , - , Win , align=center, 7–13–3 , Daisuke Watanabe , TKO (doctor stoppage) , Pancrase: 2005 Neo-Blood Tournament Finals , , align=center, 2 , align=center, 5:00 ,

, Japan , , - , Draw , align=center, 6–13–3 ,

, Draw , Pancrase: Spiral 5 , , align=center, 2 , align=center, 5:00 ,

Yokohama is the second-largest city in Japan by population and the most populous municipality of Japan. It is the capital city and the most populous city in Kanagawa Prefecture, with a 2020 population of 3.8 million. It lies on Tokyo Bay, south of To ...

, Japan , , - , Loss , align=center, 6–13–2 , Brian Foster , KO (knee) , Shoot Boxing: Ground Zero Fukuoka , , align=center, 1 , align=center, 2:28 ,

Fukuoka is the sixth-largest city in Japan, the second-largest port city after Yokohama, and the capital city of Fukuoka Prefecture, Japan. The city is built along the shores of Hakata Bay, and has been a center of international commerce since ancie ...

, Japan , , - , Loss , align=center, 6–12–2 ,

, Decision (unanimous) , Gladiator FC: Day 2 , , align=center, 3 , align=center, 5:00 ,

South Korea South Korea, officially the Republic of Korea (ROK), is a country in East Asia, constituting the southern part of the Korea, Korean Peninsula and sharing a Korean Demilitarized Zone, land border with North Korea. Its western border is formed ...

, , - , Loss , align=center, 6–11–2 ,

, Decision (majority) , DEEP: 13th Impact , , align=center, 3 , align=center, 5:00 ,

, Japan , 90 kg bout. , - , Win , align=center, 6–10–2 , Kazuki Okubo , Decision (unanimous) ,

, , align=center, 3 , align=center, 5:00 ,

, Japan , , - , Win , align=center, 5–10–2 ,

, Decision (unanimous) , Pride FC: The Best, Vol. 3, PRIDE FC: The Best, Vol. 3 , , align=center, 2 , align=center, 5:00 ,

, Japan , , - , Loss , align=center, 4–10–2 ,

, Decision (split) ,

, , align=center, 3 , align=center, 5:00 ,

, Japan , , - , Loss , align=center, 4–9–2 ,

, Submission (guillotine choke) ,

, , align=center, 3 , align=center, 0:28 , Saitama, Japan , , - , Win , align=center, 4–8–2 ,

Quinton Jackson Quinton "Rampage" Jackson (born June 20, 1978) is an American mixed martial artist, actor and former professional wrestler, who most recently fought in the Bellator MMA. He is a former UFC Light Heavyweight Champion and unified the Pride Middlew ...

, DQ (knee to groin) ,

PRIDE 18 The year 2001 is the 5th year in the history of the Pride Fighting Championships, a mixed martial arts promotion based in Japan. 2001 had 6 events beginning with, ''Pride 13 - Collision Course''. Title fights Debut Pride FC fighters The ...

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, Japan , , - , Loss , align=center, 3–8–2 ,

Murilo Rua Murilo Milani Rua (; born May 22, 1980), also known as Ninja, is a retired Brazilian mixed martial artist who fought in Pride Fighting Championships. He is the older brother of former UFC Light Heavyweight Champion Mauricio "Shogun" Rua. He is ...

, TKO (soccer kicks and stomps) ,

, , align=center, 3 , align=center, 0:51 ,

, Japan , , - , Loss , align=center, 3–7–2 , Ebenezer Fontes Braga , Decision (unanimous) ,

, , align=center, 3 , align=center, 5:00 , Saitama, Japan , , - , Win , align=center, 3–6–2 , Jose Landi-Jons , Decision (unanimous) , PRIDE 14: Clash of the Titans , , align=center, 3 , align=center, 5:00 ,

, Japan , , - , Win , align=center, 2–6–2 , Rick Kerns , Decision (unanimous) , KOTC 8: Bombs Away , , align=center, 2 , align=center, 5:00 ,

Williams, California Williams (formerly Central) is a city in Colusa County, California. The population was 5,643 at the time of the 2010 census, up from 3,670 at the 2000 census. Geography According to the United States Census Bureau, the city has a total area of ...

, United States , , - , Loss , align=center, 1–6–2 , Amir Rahnavardi , Decision (unanimous) , KOTC 5: Cage Wars , , align=center, 3 , align=center, 5:00 ,

San Jacinto, California San Jacinto ( ; ; Spanish for " St. Hyacinth") is a city in Riverside County, California. It is located at the north end of the San Jacinto Valley, with Hemet to its south and Beaumont, California, to its north. The mountains associated with the ...

, United States , , - , Loss , align=center, 1–5–2 ,

Vitor Belfort Vítor Vieira Belfort (; born 1 April 1977) is a Brazilian mixed martial artist who competes in the Heavyweight and Middleweight divisions. Belfort previously competed for the Ultimate Fighting Championship (UFC), where he fought in the Heavywe ...

, Decision (unanimous) , PRIDE 10: Return of the Warriors , , align=center, 2 , align=center, 10:00 , Saitama, Japan , , - , Loss , align=center, 1–4–2 , Todd Medina , Decision (unanimous) , KOTC 4: Gladiators , , align=center, 2 , align=center, 5:00 ,

, United States , , - , Loss , align=center, 1–3–2 ,

, TKO (doctor stoppage) , PRIDE 9 , , align=center, 1 , align=center, 5:03 ,

Nagoya, Aichi is the largest city in the Chūbu region, the fourth-most populous city and third most populous urban area in Japan, with a population of 2.3million in 2020. Located on the Pacific coast in central Honshu, it is the capital and the most pop ...

, Japan , , - , Loss , align=center, 1–2–2 ,

, Decision (unanimous) , PRIDE 8 , , align=center, 2 , align=center, 10:00 ,

, Japan , , - , Win , align=center, 1–1–2 ,

Bob Schrijber Robert Schrijber (born 3 March 1965) is a Dutch former mixed martial artist and kickboxer. He currently runs his own MMA and Muay Thai team in Krommenie, Netherlands called Sports Academy Schreiber. His most famous students at the moment are UF ...

, DQ (kicked after bell) , PRIDE 7 , , align=center, 1 , align=center, 10:00 ,

, Japan , , - , Loss , align=center, 0–1–2 ,

, Decision (unanimous) , PRIDE 6 , , align=center, 3 , align=center, 5:00 ,

, Japan , , - , Draw , align=center, 0–0–2 ,

, Draw (time limit) ,

, , align=center, 3 , align=center, 10:00 ,

, Japan , , - , Draw , align=center, 0–0–1 ,

, Draw (time limit) ,

, , align=center, 4 , align=center, 10:00 ,

, Japan ,

References

External links

*
Official PRIDE site
{{DEFAULTSORT:Matsui, Daijiro Living people 1972 births Japanese male mixed martial artists Light heavyweight mixed martial artists Mixed martial artists utilizing wrestling Mixed martial artists utilizing judo Japanese male judoka People from Kurashiki

Professional wrestling career

Mixed martial arts career

Early career

PRIDE

Post-PRIDE

Cage Rage

Other ventures

Mixed martial arts record

See also

References

External links