The first Pancrase Lightweight Champion. His weapon is a head-to-head fight style. He has achieved a shocking KO victory. He has a record of winning by KO in 3 seconds, which is better than Noriku Yamamoto “KID”’s 4 seconds. A proud samurai fighter who currently fights in RIZIN after working in Pancrase, DREAM, and DEEP.
The first Pancrase Lightweight Champion. His weapon is a head-to-head fight style. He has achieved a shocking KO victory. He has a record of winning by KO in 3 seconds, which is better than Noriku Yamamoto “KID”’s 4 seconds. A proud samurai fighter who currently fights in RIZIN after working in Pancrase, DREAM, and DEEP.
PROFILE
Mixed Martial Artist
SHOJI
First Pancrase Lightweight Champion
JAPAN TOP TEAM affiliation
BIRTH: 1983.04.24
Born in Nabari City, Mie Prefecture, Japan
Biography
Dreamed of being a professional baseball player in childhood, and was also a member of the baseball club at Japan Aviation High School.
Upon joining the Air Self-Defense Force, entered the Chute Boxe Academy Japan, where he was scouted by his coach at the time, Sergio Cunha, and aspired to become a professional martial arts fighter.
▶ July 17, 2005
Debuted in mixed martial arts at U-FILE 18.
Participated in the tournament as a substitute due to the absence of a fighter. Drew against a professional fighter.
Pancrase
Pancrase
▶ February 19, 2006
Competed in the preliminary round of the Pancrase Neo Blood Tournament.
Won the first round, but had to withdraw from the semifinals due to a broken right fist.
▶ July 30, 2006
Won by KO with a buster against Minoru Nakajo at DEMOLITION.
▶ October 1, 2006
Fought Yuji Miyazaki at the PANCRASE 2006 BLOW TOUR.
Won the match by KO within 3 seconds of the start of the match by hitting a jumping knee kick.
▶ March 18, 2007
Fought Yuji Hoshino at the PANCRASE 2007 RISING TOUR and lost by a 0-3 decision.
▶ July 27, 2007 Movie
Lost a 0-3 decision against future UFC World Featherweight Champion Jose Aldo at the PANCRASE 2007 RISING TOUR.
▶ December 22, 2007
Won a 3-0 decision against Takafumi Ito at the PANCRASE 2007 RISING TOUR.
▶ January 30, 2008 Movie
Won the lightweight King of Pancrase title at the PANCRASE 2008 SHINING TOUR against Artur Umakhanov, winning by KO with a left high kick followed by pounding to win the title at the age of 24.
▶ April 27, 2008
Drew a 0-1 decision against Koji Oishi at the PANCRASE 2008 SHINING TOUR.
DREAM, DEEP
▶ May 11, 2008
Matchup with Tsuyoshi Yamazaki at DREAM.3, his first DREAM appearance, and lost by 0-3 decision.
This match was his first featherweight match in DREAM.
▶ July 8, 2008
Vacated Pancrase lightweight title to move up to featherweight.
▶ December 10, 2008
Fought Takashi Otsuka at DEEP 39 IMPACT, his first DEEP appearance, and lost a 0-3 decision.
▶ February 10, 2009
Fought former colleague DJ.taiki for a place in the DREAM Featherweight (-63kg) Grand Prix at the "New Year! DEEP & CMA Fan Appreciation Festival 2009," and lost by 0-3 decision.
▶ July 26, 2009
Fought Hiroki in his first R.I.S.E. event under kickboxing rules and lost by KO.
▶ October 4, 2009
Fought Mitsushi Yoshimoto in the semifinal match to determine the first RISE 65kg champion at RISE 59 by kickboxing rules, and lost the match by 0-3 decision.
▶ October 24, 2010
Fought Jung Jin-seo at DEEP 50 IMPACT, his first fight in a year and his return to mixed martial arts after an 20-month absence, and won by TKO with pounds.
▶ December 11, 2010
Fought Koichiro Matsumoto at DEEP 51 IMPACT and lost by TKO with punch rush.
This was his first KO lose under mixed martial arts rules.
▶ February 25, 2011
Fought Tomoya Kato at DEEP 52 IMPACT and won by TKO by doctor's stoppage after cutting the corner of Kato's right eye in a punching exchange.
▶ June 24, 2011
Took on champion Kazunori Yokota at DEEP 54 IMPACT and lost by 0-3 decision.
▶ February 16, 2013
Challenged champion Kazunori Yokota in a rematch for the featherweight title at DEEP 61 IMPACT, and failed to win the title, losing by 0-5 decision.
▶ June 15, 2013 Movie
Fought against Choi Doo-ho at DEEP CAGE IMPACT 2013 and lost by TKO.
Left the ring once in this match.
▶ August 13, 2017
Fought Jaikab Grzegorczyk at Grachan 30 and won by 3-0 decision.
Won his first fight back after a 4 year and 2 month absence.
RIZIN
▶September 27, 2020 Movie
Fought RIZIN bantamweight champion Kai Asakura at RIZIN.24 held at the Saitama Super Arena in Saitama, Japan.
The match began as a striking battle, with Asakura keeping his distance and SHOJI moving forward to put him against the ropes, but Asakura hit him with a straight right hand. A left hook followed by a straight right hand sent SHOJI down. A follow-up soccer ball kick was hit, and when Asakura hit another one, the referee stopped the fight and SHOJI lost by KO at 2min 37second.
▶September 19, 2021 Movie
Fought KNOCK OUT-BLACK Super Lightweight Champion Chihiro Suzuki at RIZIN.30, and after taking him down with a counter left hook, pounded him out for a TKO win within 20 seconds after the start of the fight.
▶ November 28, 2021 Movie
Fought Kyohei Hagiwara in the main event of RIZIN TRIGGER 1st and lost by TKO.
▶March 6, 2022
Fought Hiroaki Suzuki at RIZIN LANDMARK vol.2 and suffered a TKO loss after being hit by a left hook in the 1st round.
▶July 2, 2022
Appeared in RIZIN.36 as an emergency fighter following the absence of Kai Asakura from the event due to injury.
Fought Yang Ji-young, but lost by a rear-naked choke in the 3rd round.
