Ryuta Sakurai

Ryuta Sakurai (born September 8, 1971) is a Japanese mixed martial artist who currently competes in the middleweight division. A veteran who fought for many companies such as Shooto, Pancrase and PRIDE. Nicknamed Mr. DEEP, he is best known for spending most of his fighting career in DEEP, where he is a former DEEP Middleweight champion.

Career DEEP Sakurai defeated Ryuki Ueyama at Deep: 17 Impact on December 18, 2004, by technical knockout in the first round to win the championship. Sakurai would lose the title in February 2006 to Ryo Chonan at Deep: 23rd Impact in the first round due to a cut. He would challenge for the championship in a rematch against rival Riki Fukuda at Deep: 40 Impact, where he lost via unanimous decision.

His last fight in DEEP to date was at Deep: 87 Impact on December 21, 2018, to a second round submission loss to Tatsuya Mizuno.

Championship and accomplishments DEEP DEEP Middleweight Championship (1 time)

GRACHAN GRAND Welterweight Championship (1 time)

Shooto 5th All Japan Amateur Shooto Light Heavyweight Championship tournament winner (1998)

Mixed martial arts record Win

Tadahide Aoki Decision (unanimous) GRACHAN 68 x Brave Fight 31

Tokyo, Japan Win

Kento Ueda Submission (armbar) GRACHAN 65: 15 Years Anniversary

Tokyo, Japan Loss

Ko Seok-hyun TKO (punches) AFC 24 x HEAT 51

Gwangmyeong, South Korea Loss

Hidetaka Arato Technical Decision (unanimous) GRACHAN 58

Chiba, Japan Win

Radek Hecl TKO (punches) GRACHAN 57

Chiba, Japan Loss

Hiroki Nagaoka Decision (unanimous) GRACHAN 48

Ōta, Japan Win

Daryl Lokoku Submission (armbar) GRACHAN 42 x GLADIATOR 011

Ōta, Japan Win

Akihito Mamiya Decision (unanimous) BRAVE FIGHT 18 x GRACHAN 39

Ōta, Japan Loss

Tatsuya Mizuno Submission (rear naked choke) Deep 87 Impact

Tokyo, Japan Win

Hikaru Sato TKO (punches) Pancrase 289

Tokyo, Japan Loss

Yoichiro Sato Submission (guillotine choke) Deep: 78 Impact

Tokyo, Japan Loss

Taisuke Okuno Decision (split) Deep: Cage Impact 2016

Tokyo, Japan Loss

Yushin Okami TKO (corner stoppage) Deep: 75 Impact

Tokyo, Japan Loss

Svetlozar Savov Submission (guillotine choke) Abu Dhabi Warriors 2

Abu Dhabi, United Arab Emirates Loss

Ken Hasegawa Submission (keylock) Deep: 71 Impact

Tokyo, Japan Loss

Yoshiyuki Nakanishi Decision (unanimous) Deep: 69 Impact

Tokyo, Japan Loss

Mamed Khalidov Submission (triangle choke) KSW 25: Khalidov vs. Sakurai 2

Wrocław, Poland Win

Yuji Sakuragi KO (punch and flying knee) Deep: Cage Impact 2013

Tokyo, Japan Win

Hiromitsu Kanehara Submission (arm-triangle choke) Deep: Haleo Impact

Tokyo, Japan Loss

Kazuhiro Nakamura Decision (majority) Deep: 60 Impact

Tokyo, Japan Win

Katsuyori Shibata TKO (punches) Deep: 55 Impact

Tokyo, Japan Win

Yoshiyuki Nakanishi Submission (armbar) Deep: 52 Impact

Tokyo, Japan Loss

Riki Fukuda TKO (knees) Deep: 49 Impact

Tokyo, Japan Draw

Mamed Khalidov Draw (unanimous) KSW 13: Kumite

Katowice, Poland Win

Hiroki Sato KO (punch) Deep: Cage Impact 2009

Tokyo, Japan Win

Hosea Ware Submission (straight armbar) Deep: 44 Impact

Tokyo, Japan Draw

Hiromitsu Kanehara Draw (majority) Deep: 42 Impact

Tokyo, Japan Loss

Riki Fukuda TKO (punches) Deep: 40 Impact

Tokyo, Japan Win

Sojiro Orui Decision (split) Deep: 38 Impact

Tokyo, Japan Win

Kozo Urita Submission (armbar) Deep: 37 Impact

Tokyo, Japan Win

Young Choi Decision (unanimous) Deep: 35 Impact

Tokyo, Japan Loss

Riki Fukuda Decision (unanimous) Deep: 34 Impact

Tokyo, Japan Win

Eiji Ishikawa TKO (cut) Deep: 32 Impact

Tokyo, Japan Loss

Murilo Bustamante KO (punch) Deep: 29 Impact

Tokyo, Japan Loss

Ryo Chonan Decision (majority) Deep: 28 Impact

Tokyo, Japan Win

Geovani Pereira Submission (kimura) Deep: 27 Impact

Tokyo, Japan Win

Xavier Foupa-Pokam Technical Submission (armbar) Deep: 25 Impact

Tokyo, Japan Loss

Ryo Chonan TKO (cut) Deep: 23 Impact

Tokyo, Japan Loss

Paulo Filho Submission (armbar) Pride: Bushido 9

Tokyo, Japan Win

Yasuhito Namekawa Submission (armbar) Deep: 19th Impact

Tokyo, Japan Loss

Murilo Bustamante Decision (unanimous) Pride: Bushido 6

Yokohama, Japan Win

Ryuki Ueyama TKO (punches) Deep: 17th Impact

Tokyo Win

David Bielkheden Decision (unanimous) Shooto: 7/16 in Korakuen Hall

Tokyo, Japan Loss

Yushin Okami Decision (unanimous) Pride: Bushido 2

Yokohama, Japan Win

Tetsuya Onose KO (punches) Deep: 13th Impact

Tokyo Win

Hirohide Fujinuma Submission (kimura) Deep: 12th Impact

Tokyo, Japan Loss

Eiji Ishikawa TKO (punches) Deep: 9th Impact

Tokyo, Japan Win

John Renken Submission (kimura) Shooto: 2/23 in Korakuen Hall

Tokyo, Japan Win

Yuichi Nakanishi Decision (unanimous) Shooto: 1/24 in Korakuen Hall

Tokyo, Japan Win

Jun Kitagawa TKO (cut) Shooto: Gig West 3

Osaka, Japan Draw

Masato Nishiguchi Draw (unanimous) Shooto: Gig East 10

Tokyo, Japan Draw

Marcelo Machado Draw (unanimous) Shooto: Treasure Hunt 4

Setagaya, Tokyo, Japan Win

Nathan Schouteren Submission (armbar) Shooto Holland: Night of the Warriors

Deventer, Netherlands Loss

Shiko Yamashita Decision (unanimous) Shooto: Gig East 3

Tokyo, Japan Draw

Izuru Takeuchi Draw Shooto: Gateway to the Extremes

Setagaya, Tokyo, Japan Loss

Jun Kitagawa Decision (unanimous) Shooto: Renaxis 3

Setagaya, Tokyo, Japan Loss

Yuki Sasaki Submission (heel hook) Shooto: Shooter's Passion

Setagaya, Tokyo, Japan Loss

Cyrille Diabate TKO GT: Golden Trophy 1999

France Win

Nobuhiro Tsurumaki TKO (cut) Shooto: Shooter's Soul

Setagaya, Tokyo, Japan Draw

Izuru Takeuchi Draw (majority) Shooto: Las Grandes Viajes 6

Tokyo, Japan Win

Masashi Kita TKO (punches) Shooto: Shooter's Dream

Setagaya, Tokyo, Japan Loss

Masanori Suda Submission (armbar) Lumax Cup: Tournament of J '97 Heavyweight Tournament

Japan Loss

Hiroyuki Yoshioka Submission (armbar) Lumax Cup: Tournament of J '96

Japan Win

Katsuhisa Fujii Decision Lumax Cup: Tournament of J '96

Japan