Megumi Fujii (藤井恵 ''Fujii Megumi'', born April 26, 1974) is a retired

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 ...

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 ...

Biography

Megumi Fujii and Cody Welchlin square off in an MMA fight (DW)

Fujii started Judo at the age of 3 due to her father's influence and continued Judo at Shukugawa Gakuin Junior High School and

Kokushikan University is a private university in Setagaya, Tokyo, Japan. Combined teams of the Graduate School of Engineering and the Department of Science and Engineering competed against 130 team and came in 11th place in the 27th Formula SAE in 2007. This is the ...

. She retired from Judo after graduating from university with a degree in

physical education Physical education, often abbreviated to Phys Ed. or P.E., is a subject taught in schools around the world. It is usually taught during primary and secondary education, and encourages psychomotor learning by using a play and movement explorati ...

. In judo's stead, she got interested and begun training

combat sambo , aka = Sombo (in English-speaking countries) , focus = Hybrid , country = Soviet Union , pioneers = Viktor Spiridonov, Vasili Oshchepkov, Anatoly Kharlampiev , famous_pract = List of Practitioners , olympi ...

. Fujii specializes mainly in submission fighting and is renowned for her quick takedowns and submissions. Her most popular move is the Inazuma

Toe Hold A leglock is a joint lock that is directed at joints of the leg such as the ankle, knee or hip joint. A leglock which is directed at joints in the foot, is sometimes referred to as a foot lock and a lock at the hip as a hip lock. Leglocks are feat ...

submission, dubbed the ''Megulock''. She also holds black belts in both

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

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 ...

. Fujii was trained in MMA by

Shooto Shooto is a combat sport and mixed martial arts organization that is governed by the ''Shooto Association'' and the ''International Shooto Commission''. Shooto was originally formed in 1985, first as a particular fighting system and then in 198 ...

veteran Hiroyuki Abe and professional wrestler,

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 ...

alumni, 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 ...

Heavyweight Champion and King of

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 ...

Josh Barnett Joshua Lawrence Barnett (born November 10, 1977) is an American mixed martial artist, submission grappler, professional wrestler and color commentator currently signed to Bellator MMA, where he competes in their Heavyweight division. Barnett p ...

. She has trained several other female MMA fighters herself, including current top fighter

Hitomi Akano is a retired Japanese female mixed martial artist. She announced her formal retirement from MMA on August 1, 2013. Akano used a song she penned herself called "Between the Sky" as her entrance music. She is a former Smackgirl Middleweight Cha ...

. Fujii is also a highly decorated fighter outside of mixed martial arts, with accomplishments including Japanese National Sambo and Brazilian Jiu-Jitsu Champion, four Second Place finishes in the World Sambo Championships, Ground Impact Professional BJJ Tournament Champion and 2004 and 2006 BJJ Pan-Am Champion. In 2005 and 2007, she earned Third Place finishes in the ADCC Under-60 kg. World Submission Championships. Fujii was also a multi-time contestant on the seasonal Japanese obstacle course television show '' Sasuke (Ninja Warrior)'', but never made it past the first stage.

Mixed martial arts career

Fujii debuted in mixed martial arts on August 5, 2004 and defeated Yumi Matsumoto by submission in just 40 seconds. She then went on to defeat former

commentator Erica Montoya at

HOOKnSHOOT HOOKnSHOOT was a mixed martial arts (MMA) promotion based in Evansville, Indiana, United States. It was one of the earliest MMA promotions in the United States, and one of the first organisations in the United States to allow Women's MMA. Hist ...

: "Evolution" in what would be Montoya's final fight. Further wins over Ana Michelle Tavares, Misaki Takimoto, Keiko "Tama Chan" Tamai and Masako Yoshida established Fujii as one of the top female fighters in the world and she became a staple of

and

Smackgirl Smackgirl was a Japanese mixed martial arts promotion focused solely on female fighters. The promotion also held grappling and amateur events along with its main line of professional MMA cards. After financial difficulties throughout 2008 the pr ...

events. On November 29, 2006, she faced Australian fighter Serin Murray. Murray claimed before the fight that she studied Fujii tactics and that she would defeat Fujii by KO. However, the Australian fighter left her forward leg exposed inviting Fujii for an attack on it. Fujii went for Murray's legs and won via submission. She faced Cody Welchin at NFF – The Breakout on March 10, 2007. She won the fight by armbar submission in the first round. On August 24, 2007, Fujii defeated highly touted

American American(s) may refer to: * American, something of, from, or related to the United States of America, commonly known as the "United States" or "America" ** Americans, citizens and nationals of the United States of America ** American ancestry, pe ...

Lisa Ellis by first-round submission at a BodogFight event in

Vancouver, British Columbia Vancouver ( ) is a major city in western Canada, located in the Lower Mainland region of British Columbia. As the List of cities in British Columbia, most populous city in the province, the 2021 Canadian census recorded 662,248 people in the ...

. Fujii defeated Cindy Hales and

Korean Korean may refer to: People and culture * Koreans, ethnic group originating in the Korean Peninsula * Korean cuisine * Korean culture * Korean language **Korean alphabet, known as Hangul or Chosŏn'gŭl **Korean dialects and the Jeju language ** ...

star Seo Hee Ham to advance to the finals of the 2008

World ReMix Grand Prix, but the promotion folded amidst financial troubles before the final round. In November 2008, the newly rebranded Smackgirl, now known as

Jewels A gemstone (also called a fine gem, jewel, precious stone, or semiprecious stone) is a piece of mineral crystal which, in cut and polished form, is used to make jewelry or other adornments. However, certain rocks (such as lapis lazuli, opal, a ...

, featured Fujii at its debut "First Ring" event. Fujii defeated Tomoko Morii by submission in the first round. After submitting Won Bun Chu in less than one minute at

: "Tradition Final" in May 2009, Fujii returned to Jewels and defeated rising Japanese contender

Saori Ishioka is a Japanese female mixed martial artist, kickboxer and karateka. She has participated in MMA promotions Smackgirl and Jewels. Her nickname is Shooting Star. Background Ishioka was born on in Hiroshima Prefecture, Japan. She started judo dur ...

late in the second round. She defeated veteran striker "Windy" Tomomi Sunaba by first-round armbar at

: "Revolutionary Exchanges 3" on November 23, 2009. On May 6, 2010, it was announced that Fujii would compete at

Bellator 22 2010 in Bellator MMA was the second installment of the Bellator Fighting Championships (Bellator FC)-produced series. It started on April 8, 2010 and ended June 24, 2010. Tournaments were held in the featherweight, lightweight, welterweight and ...

on June 10. Bellator later changed the numbering of their events and the June 10 card was renamed

Bellator 21 2010 in Bellator MMA was the second installment of the Bellator Fighting Championships (Bellator FC)-produced series. It started on April 8, 2010 and ended June 24, 2010. Tournaments were held in the featherweight, lightweight, welterweight and m ...

. Fujii faced Sarah Schneider and defeated Schneider by TKO in the third round. It marked Fujii's first victory by TKO in her 20-fight career. Fujii took part in the Bellator 115-pound women's tournament in

Season Three A season is a division of the year based on changes in weather, ecology, and the number of daylight hours in a given region. On Earth, seasons are the result of the axial parallelism of Earth's tilted orbit around the Sun. In temperate and pol ...

, which began on August 12, 2010. She was set to face

Angela Magaña Angela Magaña (born August 2, 1983) is an American mixed martial artist who formerly competed in the Strawweight division of the Ultimate Fighting Championship (UFC). She is also known for competing on The Ultimate Fighter 20 for Team Melende ...

in the first round of the tournament at

Bellator 24 2010 in Bellator MMA was the second installment of the Bellator Fighting Championships (Bellator FC)-produced series. It started on April 8, 2010 and ended June 24, 2010. Tournaments were held in the featherweight, lightweight, welterweight and ...

, but Magana withdrew from the tournament on August 8, 2010 after suffering a foot injury. Fujii instead faced two-time

All-America The All-America designation is an annual honor bestowed upon an amateur sports person from the United States who is considered to be one of the best amateurs in their sport. Individuals receiving this distinction are typically added to an All-Am ...

wrestler 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 sport ...

Carla Esparza Carla Kristen Esparza (born October 10, 1987) is an American professional mixed martial artist who competes in the Strawweight division of the Ultimate Fighting Championship (UFC), in which she is a former two-time UFC Women's Strawweight Cham ...

. She defeated Esparza by armbar submission in the second round. Fujii once again faced Lisa Ellis in the second round of the Bellator tournament at

Bellator 31 2010 in Bellator MMA was the second installment of the Bellator Fighting Championships (Bellator FC)-produced series. It started on April 8, 2010 and ended June 24, 2010. Tournaments were held in the featherweight, lightweight, welterweight and m ...

and won the rematch by armbar submission in the first round. With the victory, Fujii became only the second mixed martial artist, male or female, to begin a career with 22 consecutive victories. She faced

Zoila Gurgel ''Zoila'' is a genus of sea snails, marine gastropod molluscs in the family Cypraeidae, the cowries. Species Species within the genus ''Zoila'' include: * '' Zoila alabaster'' Mont & Lorenz, 2013 * † '' Zoila campestris'' Darragh, 2011 * † ...

in the finals of the tournament at

Bellator 34 2010 in Bellator MMA was the second installment of the Bellator Fighting Championships (Bellator FC)-produced series. It started on April 8, 2010 and ended June 24, 2010. Tournaments were held in the Featherweight (MMA), featherweight, Lightweigh ...

on October 28, 2010. Fujii lost the fight via a questionable split decision. Fujii faced

Emi Fujino is a Japanese female mixed martial artist, kickboxer and professional wrestler, occasionally nicknamed . Background Fujino was born on in Aichi Prefecture, Japan. After graduating from college, she started training in Japanese style of catch ...

at World Victory Road Presents: Soul of Fight on December 30, 2010 and defeated Fujino by unanimous decision. Fujii rematched

Mika Nagano is a Japanese female mixed martial artist and professional wrestler. She fought as a lightweight in the Deep and Jewels promotions before her retirement in 2014. Nagano has also wrestled in Ice Ribbon and World Wonder Ring Stardom. Her nicknam ...

at Jewels 15th Ring on July 9, 2011. She defeated Nagano by unanimous decision. Fujii faced Karla Benitez at

DREAM A dream is a succession of images, ideas, emotions, and sensations that usually occur involuntarily in the mind during certain stages of sleep. Humans spend about two hours dreaming per night, and each dream lasts around 5 to 20 minutes, althou ...

– Fight For Japan: Genki Desu Ka Omisoka 2011 on December 31, 2011. She defeated Benitez by submission due to an armbar in the first round. Fujii returned to Bellator to face

Jessica Aguilar Jessica Aguilar (born May 8, 1982) is a Mexican-American mixed martial artist who competes in RIZIN. At the time of her voluntary departure from World Series of Fighting, she was the reigning WSOF Women's Strawweight Champion. Aguilar previously ...

Bellator 69 2012 in Bellator MMA was the sixth installment of the Bellator Fighting Championships, which began on March 9, 2012. The sixth season of Bellator was originally scheduled to begin on March 2, 2012. However, the debut was pushed back a week so i ...

on May 18, 2012. She was defeated by unanimous decision. Fujii was rumored to be competing at DREAM 18 on New Year's Eve 2012. However, she instead faced

Mei Yamaguchi , formerly known by her ring name , is a Japanese female mixed martial artist and kickboxer. Her former nickname comes from the V1 armlock wrestling move. Yamaguchi currently fights as a lightweight in the Jewels promotion. She has a notable ...

at Vale Tudo Japan 2012 on December 24. Fujii defeated Yamaguchi by unanimous decision. On June 22, 2013, Fujii announced that she would retire from MMA after competing one final time. In her retirement bout, she faced

in a rematch at Vale Tudo Japan 3rd on October 5 in Tokyo. Fujii was initially defeated by TKO when the doctor stopped the fight after round two due to an eye injury that was caused by two accidental eye pokes. The result of the fight was later changed to a technical majority decision win for Aguilar.

Personal life

Fujii is married to fellow mixed martial artist Shinji Sasaki, and they have a child.

Mixed martial arts record

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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 ...

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Lake Charles, Louisiana Lake Charles (French: ''Lac Charles'') is the fifth-largest incorporated city in the U.S. state of Louisiana, and the parish seat of Calcasieu Parish, located on Lake Charles, Prien Lake, and the Calcasieu River. Founded in 1861 in Calcasieu ...

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Saitama, Saitama is the capital and the most populous city of Saitama Prefecture, Japan. Its area incorporates the former cities of Urawa, Ōmiya, Yono and Iwatsuki. It is a city designated by government ordinance. Being in the Greater Tokyo Area and lying 1 ...

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, Japan , , - , Loss , align=center , 22–1 ,

Zoila Frausto Gurgel Zoila Frausto (born December 10, 1983) is an American professional female mixed martial artist and kickboxer. Her nickname comes from the popular 1990s TV series Xena: Warrior Princess. She was the first Bellator Women's Champion. Background ...

, Decision (split) ,

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Hollywood, Florida Hollywood is a city in southern Broward County, Florida, United States, located between Fort Lauderdale and Miami. As of July 1, 2019, Hollywood had a population of 154,817. Founded in 1925, the city grew rapidly in the 1950s and 1960s, and is now ...

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, , align=center , 1 , align=center , 1:39 ,

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Sarah Schneider Sarah Schneider (born September 10, 1983) is an American writer, actress, and comedian. She got her start in entertainment as a writer and actress for the comedy website CollegeHumor before becoming a writer for the television sketch comedy ser ...

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, Submission (armbar) ,

Jewels 4th Ring ''Jewels 4th Ring'' was a mixed martial arts (MMA) event hosted by promotion Jewels. The event took place on at Shin-Kiba 1st Ring in Koto, Tokyo, Japan. Background On , Jewels held a press conference in which president Yuichi Ozono announced ...

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, Japan , , - , Win , align=center , 17–0 , Won Bun Chu , Submission (keylock) , Shooto: Shooto Tradition Final , , align=center , 1 , align=center , 0:52 ,

, Japan , , - , Win , align=center , 16–0 , Tomoko Morii , Submission (armbar) ,

Jewels 1st Ring ''Jewels 1st Ring'', originally was the inaugural mixed martial arts (MMA) event of the then newly created women's MMA promotion Jewels. The event took place on at Shinjuku Face in Kabukicho, Tokyo, Japan. Background Women's promotion Smackg ...

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Seo Hee Ham Seo Hee Ham ( ko, 함서희 ; born ), written Ham Seo-Hee in Korean order, is a South Korean professional mixed martial artist and kickboxer. She is currently signed to ONE Championship, where she is ranked #2 in the ONE Championship Women's Ato ...

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, Submission (triangle choke) , Smackgirl: Starting Over , , align=center , 1 , align=center , 1:20 ,

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, Japan , , - , Win , align=center , 11–0 , Lisa Ellis , Submission (armbar) , BodogFight: Vancouver , , align=center , 1 , align=center , 4:50 ,

Vancouver Vancouver ( ) is a major city in western Canada, located in the Lower Mainland region of British Columbia. As the List of cities in British Columbia, most populous city in the province, the 2021 Canadian census recorded 662,248 people in the ...

, British Columbia, Canada , , - , Win , align=center , 10–0 , Cody Welchlin , Submission (armbar) , NFF: The Breakout , , align=center , 1 , align=center , 2:40 ,

Minneapolis, Minnesota Minneapolis () is the largest city in Minnesota, United States, and the county seat of Hennepin County. The city is abundant in water, with thirteen lakes, wetlands, the Mississippi River, creeks and waterfalls. Minneapolis has its origins ...

, United States , , - , Win , align=center , 9–0 , Masako Yoshida , Submission (heel hook) , Shooto: Battle Mix Tokyo 1 , , align=center , 1 , align=center , 0:51 ,

, Japan , , - , Win , align=center , 8–0 , Serin Murray , Submission (toe hold) , Smackgirl: Legend of Extreme Women , , align=center , 1 , align=center , 0:20 ,

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Keiko Tamai Keiko Tamai (born January 6, 1982) is a Japanese mixed martial arts fighter. She is known for her flamboyant ring attire and personality. Mixed martial arts record , - , Loss , align=center, 14-14 , Shayna Baszler , Submission (neck cra ...

, Submission (armbar) , Smackgirl: Top Girl Battle , , align=center , 1 , align=center , 0:53 ,

, Japan , , - , Win , align=center , 6–0 , Misaki Takimoto , Technical Submission (armbar) , Shooto: The Victory of the Truth , , align=center , 2 , align=center , 4:36 ,

, Japan , , - , Win , align=center , 5–0 , Dah Le Chon , Submission (rear-naked choke) , G-Shooto: G-Shooto 03 , , align=center , 1 , align=center , 0:19 ,

, Japan , , - , Win , align=center , 4–0 , Ana Michelle Tavares , Decision (unanimous) , G-Shooto: G-Shooto 02 , , align=center , 2 , align=center , 5:00 ,

, Japan , , - , Win , align=center , 3–0 , Nadia van der Wel , Submission (armbar) , Shooto: Year End Show 2004 , , align=center , 1 , align=center , 1:43 ,

, Japan , , - , Win , align=center , 2–0 , Erica Montoya , Decision (unanimous) , HOOKnSHOOT: Evolution , , align=center , 3 , align=center , 5:00 ,

Evansville, Indiana Evansville is a city in, and the county seat of, Vanderburgh County, Indiana, United States. The population was 118,414 at the 2020 census, making it the state's third-most populous city after Indianapolis and Fort Wayne, the largest city in ...

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References

External links