born July 20, 1977 is a Japanese mixed martial artist, Kickboxing, and professional wrestler, currently associated with Real Japan Pro Wrestling (RJPW)'s team Seikendo.
Sakuragi wrestles under the name of Super Tiger, being the second incarnation of the name used by his trainer Satoru Sayama.
Early life
Yuji started training
Kyokushin in middle school, and later joined the Japan Self-Defense Forces for a time. After his military tenure, he worked as a physical education teacher for the Nippon Sport Science University, where he met
Satoru Sayama. Sakuragi moved to Sayama's
Seikendo promotion and started training in order to be a professional mixed martial artist.
Mixed martial arts career
In 2005, after some unimpressive fights abroad, Sakuragi made his debut in
Seikendo's partner company
Pancrase with a high note, knocking out Kengo Watanabe with a head kick. The victory, as well as his performance against veteran
Kazuo Takahashi, made him shine in the indy MMA scene. He became famous for his Kyokushin background, exemplified by his refined striking and ability to score total KOs as opposed to TKOs or stoppages. Sakuragi was also famous for his flashy personal style, wearing
hip hop and b-kei fashion, striking the
military salute before his matches and paying his dues to the
Yasukuni Shrine in special occasions.
In 2012, Sakuragi defeated Kazuo Takahashi at the promotion's Progress Tour event. The wrestling expert chose to trade strikes with Sakuragi, who landed a left hook at the second round and knocked him out cold, winning the fight.
On October 27, 2012, Sakuragi faced grappling expert Sanae Kikuta in a special fight in Grabaka under full vale tudo rules, without gloves and allowing elbows and headbutts. The bout was short, and saw Sakuragi landing a spinning back kick, sidestepping Kikuta's attempts to push him against the cage wall, and finally knocking him down with strikes.[ Grabaka Live! 2 – 10/27/2012: Sakuragi KO’d Kikuta in a Bare Knuckle MMA Fight – Full Result]
Sakuragi's next matchups against grapplers wouldn't be so successful, as he was choked out by Daiju Takase at DEEP Haleo Impact and defeated by Ryuta Sakurai in an upset knockout by flying knee at Cage Impact 2013.
Professional wrestling career
Real Japan Pro Wrestling (2007–present)
In 2007, Sakuragi made his transition to professional wrestling as part of Sayama's Real Japan Pro Wrestling (RJPW). He received the gimmick of
Super Tiger II, the second incarnation of the character used by Sayama in Universal Wrestling Federation. Yuji wrestled under a purple and silver attire and mask, utilizing a style based around kicks and suplexes. His debut was against
Ikuto Hidaka, a wrestler who had been especially approved by Sayama for Tiger II's debut, and later moved into a major feud with
Kozo Urita.
Super Tiger challenged Alexander Otsuka for the RJPW Legend Championship in 2008, but he was defeated. Sakuragi then formed a steady team with Minoru Suzuki, getting victories over names like Yuki Ishikawa and Great Sasuke. In 2011, Super Tiger got finally the championship when he defeated Mitsuya Nagai in a title match. Tiger retained it successfully against Black Tiger V before trading the title once more with Nagai, and this time his reign was longer, defending it against Kazunari Murakami, Taka Kuno, Masashi Aoyagi and Great Tiger. However, he lost it in 2015, against Masakatsu Funaki.
Battlarts (2007–2011)
The year of his debut, Super Tiger started wrestling in
shoot-style promotion
Battlarts as a RJPW representative. Tiger formed a tag team with Katsumi Usuda and competed extensely for the company, briefly feuding with
Mitsuya Nagai and Yuki Ishikawa. In 2008, he participated in the B1 Climax 2009 Block B, where he got big wins over
Munenori Sawa, Usuda and Bison Tagai, and went to face Ishikawa in the block's final match, but he was defeated. Super Tiger then teamed up with his long time rival Tiger Shark, though they broke up shortly after. His last match in Battlarts was a tag team match with
Chocoball Mukai as a special referee, teaming up with Sanshu Tsubakichi to face Ryuji Walter and
Alexander Otsuka in a losing effort.
All Japan Pro Wrestling (2016–2017)
Sakuragi debuted in All Japan Pro Wrestling (AJPW) as a RJPW representative for the Champion Carnival 2016. He scored important victories over
Jun Akiyama and
Daisuke Sekimoto, but otherwise his success was little. He didn't stop appearing in AJPW after the league, however, aligning himself with
Kohei Suwama's stable Evolution. On 27 August, he and Suwama challenged Daisuke Sekimoto and
Yuji Okabayashi for the AJPW World Tag Team Championship, being defeated. In December, Super Tiger and fellow Evolution member
Hikaru Sato competed at the Real World Tag League 2016, though scoring only one win.
Pro Wrestling Zero1 (2017–2019)
In 2017, Sakuragi switched AJPW by Pro Wrestling Zero1 (Zero1) as his main field. He participated in that year's Fire Festival, gaining high victories over
Shogun Okamoto and
Kohei Sato, but ultimately came short. He bounced back by winning the previously vacated Zero1 United National Heavyweight Championship against Hartley Jackson, which he retained until losing it in 2018 to Chris Vice. Super Tiger then repeated participation in the 2018 Fire Festival, achieving again important wins over names like
Shinjiro Otani,
Takuya Sugi and
Hiroshi Yamato, and returned again after a hiatus at the 2019 edition, adding another win over
Masato Tanaka.
Championships and accomplishments
Kickboxing
-
Universal Kickboxing Federation
-
UKF International Heavyweight Championship (1 time)
Mixed martial arts
-
World Absolute Fighting Championship
-
WAFC Pankration Openweight Crown (2009)
Professional wrestling
-
Pro Wrestling Illustrated
-
PWI ranked him # 400 of the top 500 singles wrestlers in the PWI 500 in 2017
-
Pro Wrestling Zero1
-
NWA United National Heavyweight Championship (1 time)
-
Real Japan Pro Wrestling
-
Legend Championship (5 times)
-
Pro-Wrestling A-Team
-
WEW Heavyweight Championship (2 times, current)
-
WEW World Tag Team Championship (2 times) – with Tomohiko Hashimoto and Kota Nagashima
Mixed martial arts record
|-
| Loss
| align=center|
| Luis Santos
| TKO (punches)
| Real Fight Championship 4
|
| align=center| 1
| align=center| 1:27
|
Tokyo, Japan
|
|-
| Win
| align=center| 16-24–2 (1)
| Kang Chul Yoon
| TKO (punches)
| Real Fight Championship 3
|
| align=center| 2
| align=center| 0:19
|
Kanagawa, Japan
|
Return to Heavyweight.
|-
| Loss
| align=center| 15–23–2 (1)
|
Alan Baudot
| TKO (punches)
| Grandslam MMA 3: Way of the Cage
|
| align=center| 1
| align=center| 2:35
|
Tokyo, Japan
|
Openweight bout.
|-
| Win
| align=center| 15–22–2 (1)
|
Shungo Oyama
| TKO (corner stoppage)
| Pancrase: 263
|
| align=center| 2
| align=center| 1:03
|
Tokyo, Japan
|
Openweight bout.
|-
| Loss
| align=center| 14–22–2 (1)
| Kazuhiro Nakamura
| Submission (arm-triangle choke)
| DEEP: Cage Impact 2013
|
| align=center| 3
| align=center| 2:49
|
Tokyo, Japan
|
Catchweight (88 kg) bout.
|-
| Loss
| align=center| 14–21–2 (1)
|
Ryuta Sakurai
| KO (punch and flying knee)
| DEEP: Cage Impact 2013
|
| align=center| 1
| align=center| 1:04
|
Tokyo, Japan
|
Middleweight debut.
|-
| Loss
| align=center| 14–20–2 (1)
|
Daiju Takase
| Submission (guillotine choke)
| DEEP: Haleo Impact
|
| align=center| 2
| align=center| 1:33
|
Tokyo, Japan
|
|-
| Win
| align=center| 14–19–2 (1)
|
Sanae Kikuta
| KO (knee and soccer kick)
| Grabaka Live 2
|
| align=center| 1
| align=center| 0:35
|
Tokyo, Japan
|
|-
| Win
| align=center| 13–19–2 (1)
|
Kazuo Takahashi
| KO (punch)
| Pancrase: Progress Tour 9
|
| align=center| 1
| align=center| 4:59
|
Tokyo, Japan
|
|-
| Loss
| align=center| 12–19–2 (1)
| Shinso Anzai
| Decision (unanimous)
| Pancrase: Progress Tour 3
|
| align=center| 2
| align=center| 5:00
|
Tokyo, Japan
|
|-
| Loss
| align=center| 12–18–2 (1)
| Kazuhisa Tazawa
| Submission (rear-naked choke)
|
|
| align=center| 2
| align=center| 0:54
|
Tokyo, Japan
|
For the vacant DEEP Openweight Championship.
|-
| Draw
| align=center| 12–17–2 (1)
|
Ryo Kawamura
| Draw
|
|
| align=center| 3
| align=center| 5:00
|
Tokyo, Japan
|
|-
| Loss
| align=center| 12–17–1 (1)
| Alexander Grinchuk
| Decision (unanimous)
| FEFoMP: Impact League 4
|
| align=center| 3
| align=center| 5:00
|
Khabarovsk, Russia
|
Heavyweight bout.
|-
| Win
| align=center| 12–16–1 (1)
|
Ryo Kawamura
| TKO (Punches)
|
|
| align=center| 1
| align=center| 3:55
|
Tokyo, Japan
|
|-
| Loss
| align=center| 11–16–1 (1)
| Christian M'Pumbu
| TKO (punches)
|
|
| align=center| 1
| align=center| 2:29
|
Tokyo, Japan
|
|-
| Win
| align=center| 11–15–1 (1)
| Alavutdin Gadjiev
| KO (knee)
| FEFoMP: Impact League 2
|
| align=center| 1
| align=center| 0:30
|
Khabarovsk, Russia
|
|-
| Loss
| align=center| 10–15–1 (1)
| Hans Stringer
| TKO (punches)
|
|
| align=center| 2
| align=center| 2:11
|
Tokyo, Japan
|
|-
| Win
| align=center| 10–14–1 (1)
| Minoru Kato
| KO (punch)
|
|
| align=center| 2
| align=center| 0:59
|
Tokyo, Japan
|
Return to Light Heavyweight.
|-
| Loss
| align=center| 9–14–1 (1)
| Rogent Lloret
| Decision (unanimous)
|
|
| align=center| 2
| align=center| 0:59
|
Kansas, United States
|
|-
| Loss
| align=center| 9–13–1 (1)
|
Stefan Struve
| Submission (triangle choke)
|
|
| align=center| 1
| align=center| 2:30
|
Seoul, South Korea
|
|-
| Loss
| align=center| 9–12–1 (1)
| Kamil Uygun
| TKO (punches)
|
|
| align=center| 1
| align=center| 4:52
|
Tokyo, Japan
|
Light Heavyweight bout.
|-
| Loss
| align=center| 9–11–1 (1)
| Besiki Gerenava
| TKO (punches)
|
|
| align=center| 2
| align=center| 5:00
| St. Petersburg, Russia
|
|-
| Win
| align=center| 9–10–1 (1)
| Kenichi Shinohara
| TKO (punches)
| MARS 11: 2nd Anniversary
|
| align=center| 1
| align=center| 1:34
|
Tokyo, Japan
|
Light Heavyweight bout.
|-
| Draw
| align=center| 8–10–1 (1)
| Hidetada Irie
| Draw
|
|
| align=center| 3
| align=center| 5:00
|
Tokyo, Japan
|
|-
| Loss
| align=center| 8–10 (1)
|
Yuki Kondo
| Decision (unanimous)
|
|
| align=center| 3
| align=center| 5:00
|
Tokyo, Japan
|
|-
| Loss
| align=center| 8–9 (1)
|
Katsuhisa Fujii
| Decision (majority)
|
|
| align=center| 2
| align=center| 5:00
|
Tokyo, Japan
|
|-
| Loss
| align=center| 8–8 (1)
| Basil Yamilkhanov
| TKO (doctor stoppage)
| FEFoMP: Mayor Cup 2007
|
| align=center| 1
| align=center| 0:38
|
Khabarovsk, Russia
|
Lost the Mayor Cup Heavyweight Championship.
|-
| Win
| align=center| 8–7 (1)
| Nikolai Onikienko
| Decision (unanimous)
| FEFoMP: Mayor Cup 2007
|
| align=center| 2
| align=center| 5:00
|
Khabarovsk, Russia
|
Return to Heavyweight. Won the Mayor Cup Heavyweight Championship.
|-
| Loss
| align=center| 7–7 (1)
| Yasuhito Namekawa
| Submission (heel hook)
|
|
| align=center| 1
| align=center| 2:12
|
Tokyo, Japan
|
90 kg bout.
|-
| Win
| align=center| 7–6 (1)
| Fabiano Aoki
| TKO (injury)
| MARS 6: Rapid Fire
|
| align=center| 2
| align=center| 1:55
|
Tokyo, Japan
|
97 kg bout.
|-
| NC
| align=center| 6–6 (1)
| Fabiano Aoki
| No Contest (accidental low blow)
| MARS 5: Marching On
|
| align=center| 1
| align=center| 0:17
|
Tokyo, Japan
|
97 kg bout.
|-
| Loss
| align=center| 6–6
|
Tatsuya Mizuno
| Submission (rear-naked choke)
|
|
| align=center| 2
| align=center| 2:30
|
Tokyo, Japan
|
|-
| Loss
| align=center| 6–5
|
Riki Fukuda
| Decision (unanimous)
| Pancrase: 2006 Neo-Blood Tournament Finals
|
| align=center| 2
| align=center| 5:00
| Yokohama, Kanagawa, Japan
|
|-
| Loss
| align=center| 6–4
| Poai Suganuma
| TKO (punches)
| Pancrase: Blow 4
|
| align=center| 1
| align=center| 1:47
| Yokohama, Kanagawa, Japan
|
|-
| Win
| align=center| 6–3
|
Hikaru Sato
| TKO (soccer kicks)
| Pancrase: Blow 1
|
| align=center| 1
| align=center| 0:55
|
Tokyo, Japan
|
|-
| Win
| align=center| 5–3
| Jimmy Akishige
| KO (punch)
| RJPW: Legend Championship
|
| align=center| 1
| align=center| 1:55
|
Tokyo, Japan
|
|-
| Loss
| align=center| 4–3
| Hideki Tadao
| Submission (arm-triangle choke)
|
|
| align=center| 2
| align=center| 3:33
| Yokohama, Kanagawa, Japan
|
|-
| Win
| align=center| 4–2
| Yuta Nakamura
| Decision (unanimous)
|
|
| align=center| 2
| align=center| 5:00
| Kumamoto, Japan
|
|-
| Win
| align=center| 3–2
| Aslan Dzeboev
| KO (body kick)
|
|
| align=center| 2
| align=center| 1:31
|
Tokyo, Japan
|
|-
| Loss
| align=center| 2–2
|
Kazuo Takahashi
| Submission (armbar)
|
|
| align=center| 2
| align=center| 3:01
| Yokohama, Kanagawa, Japan
|
|-
| Win
| align=center| 2–1
| Kengo Watanabe
| KO (high kick)
|
|
| align=center| 3
| align=center| 0:06
|
Tokyo, Japan
|
|-
| Win
| align=center| 1–1
| Sung Chu Kim
| TKO (punches)
| Gladiator FC: Day 2
|
| align=center| 1
| align=center| 0:42
|
Seoul, South Korea
|
|-
| Loss
| align=center| 0–1
| Eduard Churakov
| Decision (unanimous)
| Seikendo: SWA Ultimate Boxing
|
| align=center| 3
| align=center| 3:00
|
Tokyo, Japan
|
Submission grappling record
KO PUNCHES
|- style="text-align:center; background:#f0f0f0;"
| style="border-style:none none solid solid; "|
Result
| style="border-style:none none solid solid; "|
Opponent
| style="border-style:none none solid solid; "|
Method
| style="border-style:none none solid solid; "|
Event
| style="border-style:none none solid solid; "|
Date
| style="border-style:none none solid solid; "|
Round
| style="border-style:none none solid solid; "|
Time
| style="border-style:none none solid solid; "|
Notes
|-
|Loss|| Marcos de Souza || Submission (rear-naked choke) || DEEP X 3 || 2008|| 1|| 3:53||
|-
Kickboxing record
|-
|
|Loss
|
Kengo Shimizu
|RISE 103
|Tokyo, Japan
|TKO (3 knockdowns)
|align="center"|1
|align="center"|2:25
|4–8
| -92 kg
[ 清水賢吾、桜木裕司に1R KO勝ち。菅原勇介、復帰戦は判定負け：1.24 後楽園]
|-
|
|Loss
| Mitsugu Noda
|Japan-Korea Friendship International Martial Arts Tournament GLADIATOR
|Tokyo, Japan
|KO (punch)
|align="center"|1
|align="center"|1:05
|4–7
|
|-
|
|Win
| Tensho Yama
|New☆Jungle Square - Mr. Martial Arts Advent!
|Tokyo, Japan
|DQ (low blow)
|align="center"|4
|align="center"|2:37
|4–6
|Wins UKF International Heavyweight Championship
|-
|
|Loss
|
Gilbert Yvel
|Shootboxing Battle Sumit Ground Zero Tokyo 2007
|Tokyo, Japan
|KO (punch)
|align="center"|1
|align="center"|1:48
|3–6
|
|-
|
|Loss
| Keiichiro Yamamiya
|RJPW - Legend Championship & City Area Style Battle
|Tokyo, Japan
|Decision (unanimous)
|align="center"|3
|align="center"|3:00
|3–5
|
|-
|
|Loss
| Will Riva
|AJKF: Rock'n Roll☆U5 FIGHT☆Hill it!
|
United States
|KO (punches)
|align="center"|3
|align="center"|2:00
|3–4
|
|-
|
|Loss
|
Melvin Manhoef
|Muay Thai Championships League XIV
|
Amsterdam,
Netherlands
|TKO (referee stop)
|align="center"|2
|align="center"|2:53
|3–3
|
|-
|
|Win
|
Akihiro Gono
|AJKF/Pancrase 2005 Spiral Tour
|
Tokyo,
Japan
|KO (punch)
|align="center"|2
|align="center"|1:17
|3–2
|
|-
|
|Loss
| Ryo Takigawa
|AJKF: Fujiwara Festival 2004
|
Tokyo,
Japan
|KO (punch)
|align="center"|2
|align="center"|1:30
|2–2
|
|-
|
|Win
| Kazushi Nishida
|AJKF: Danger Zone
|
Tokyo,
Japan
|Decision (unanimous)
|align="center"|extra
|align="center"|5:00
|2–1
|
|-
|
|Loss
|
Jan Lomulder
|RISING SUN
|
Japan
|KO (low kick)
|align="center"|3
|align="center"|5:00
|1–1
|
|-
|
|Win
| Suzuki 3:26
|AJKF: Fujiwara Festival
|
Tokyo,
Japan
|Decision (unanimous)
|align="center"|3
|align="center"|5:00
|1–0
|
|-
|-
| colspan=10 |
Legend:
External links
