Noboru Asahi

is a Japanese retired mixed martial artist, a designer, and an owner of MMA gym.

He was born in Yokohama, Kanagawa, Japan on January 5, 1968, as .

Mixed martial arts career A former Wrestler, Asahi was trained in Satoru Sayama's Super Tiger Gym, where he learned Shootfighting, and later moved to Noriaki Kiguchi's dojo to polish his skills. He made his debut in Shooto in 1992 submitting Tomoyuki Saito. Showing his grappling excellence, Noboru captured the Shooto Featherweight Championship from Kazuhiro Sakamoto and enjoyed a thirteen-fights winning streak, with victories over Yuki Nakai and Masato Suzuki, as well as Brazilian Jiu-Jitsu grappler Leandro Lima de Azevedo.

His streak snapped, however, when he was sent to the 1996 Vale Tudo Japan and fought another Brazilian Jiu-Jitsu specialist Royler Gracie. Asahi was taken down and held in side control, ending up with Gracie taking his back; he eventually escaped, but the game repeated itself and he got caught in a rear naked choke, being submitted. At the next Shooto event, Asahi lost to Alexandre Franca Nogueira by technical submission due to Nogueira's famed guillotine choke. Noboru did better in the next VTJ, fighting to a draw with yet another BJJ expert in the form of João Roque, but he fell again to Nogueira in a much longer fight, losing his title.

In 2001, Asahi retired from Shooto and founded the Tokyo Yellowmans gym.

Mixed martial arts record Loss

Tomomi Iwama TKO (punches) Deep - 10th Impact

Japan Loss

Naoya Uematsu Decision (2-0) Shooto - R.E.A.D. 10

Japan Loss

Alexandre Franca Nogueira Technical submission (guillotine choke) Shooto - Renaxis 4

Japan Draw

Uchu Tatsumi Decision (1-1) Shooto - Renaxis 1

Japan Draw

João Roque Draw Vale Tudo Japan 1998

Japan Win

Trent Bekis Submission (keylock) Shooto - Las Grandes Viajes 5

Japan Loss

Alexandre Franca Nogueira Technical submission (guillotine choke) Shooto - Shoot the Shooto XX

Japan Win

Dennis Hall Submission (armbar) Shooto - Las Grandes Viajes 1

Japan Loss

Royler Gracie Submission (rear-naked choke) Vale Tudo Japan 1996

Japan Win

Leandro Lima De Azevedo Technical submission (heel hook) Shooto - Vale Tudo Junction 2

Japan Win

Ruud Alwart Submission (punches) Shooto - Vale Tudo Junction 1

Japan Win

Anthony Lange Submission (armbar) Shooto - Vale Tudo Perception

Japan Win

Leonid Zaslavsky Submission (heel hook) Shooto - Complete Vale Tudo Access

Japan Win

Kyuhei Ueno Decision (unanimous) Shooto - Vale Tudo Access 2

Japan Win

Nozomu Matsumoto Submission (keylock) Shooto - Vale Tudo Access 1

Japan Win

Shinji Abe Submission (rear-naked choke) Shooto - Shooto

Japan Win

Yuki Nakai Decision (2-0) Shooto - Shooto

Japan Win

Masato Suzuki Submission (armbar) Shooto - Shooto

Japan Win

Takashi Ishizaki Submission (armbar) Shooto - Shooto

Japan Win

Hiroyuki Kanno Submission (armbar) Shooto - Shooto

Japan Draw

Kenichi Tanaka Decision (0-0) Shooto - Shooto

Japan Asahi fought to a draw with Tanaka to remain the Shooto Featherweight Champion. Win

Kazuhiro Sakamoto Decision (2-0) Shooto - Shooto

Japan Asahi defeated Sakamoto to become the Shooto Featherweight Champion. Draw

Kenichi Tanaka Decision (0-0) Shooto - Shooto

Japan Win

Masato Suzuki Submission (kneebar) Shooto - Shooto

Japan Draw

Tomohiro Tanaka Decision (1-0) Shooto - Shooto

Japan Loss

Kazuhiro Sakamoto Decision (unanimous) Shooto - Shooto

Japan Win

Takashi Ishizaki Decision (unanimous) Shooto - Shooto

Japan Win

Hiroyuki Kanno Submission (armbar) Shooto - Shooto

Japan Win

Kazumi Chigira Decision (unanimous) Shooto - Shooto

Japan Win

Tomoyuki Saito Submission (armbar) Shooto - Shooto

Japan Mixed martial arts exhibition record Draw

Manabu Yamada Technical Draw Pancrase - Proof 3

Tokyo, Japan

Submission grappling record KO PUNCHES Result Opponent Method Event Date Round Time