Flyweight· Ranked #13
Rei Tsuruya
Chiba, Japan
Pro record
12-1-0
Model Elo
1650
#170 of 1994
- Age
- 24
- Height
- 5'6"
- Reach
- 68"
- Stance
- Orthodox
- Team
- The BLACKBELT Japan
- Born
- Chiba, Japan
- UFC debut
- Feb 2, 2024
Profile
Overview
Two UFC submissions, both in the first round, and the only UFC loss on his record went the distance. Rei Tsuruya is a Flyweight out of Chiba, Japan, fighting for The BLACKBELT Japan, and his UFC record stands at 3-1 with a 12-1-0 professional record across all promotions.
He carries a two-fight win streak into his next fight. Both of those wins ended in the first round.
UFC Career
Tsuruya's path to the UFC ran through Road to UFC, which isn't part of the UFC record. He beat Ronal Siahaan by submission in round 2 (1:19) and Mark Climaco by unanimous decision there in 2023, then stopped Jiniushiyue by KO/TKO in round 1 at 4:59 on Road to UFC 2.7 in early 2024.
His first fight on a UFC card came at UFC 303 in June 2024, a unanimous decision over Carlos Hernandez. Then came the one setback: a unanimous decision loss to Joshua Van at UFC 313.
He answered with back-to-back first-round submissions. Luis Gurule tapped at 3:19 in May 2026, and Kevin Borjas followed at 4:14 that August.
Four UFC fights is a small sample. Two of them ended inside one round.
Fighting Style
Tsuruya is a grappler first. He takes opponents down far more often than most UFC fighters and hunts for submissions at a rate few can match. Striking is a secondary tool: he throws less than most, and he is easier to hit than you'd expect, yet he still takes far less damage than most fighters and lands with real accuracy.
His takedown defense is about what you'd expect from a typical UFC fighter, so he is not especially hard to put on the mat.
The finishing record fits the profile. Both of his stoppage wins in the UFC are submissions, and both came in round 1. He has no knockouts in the UFC.
Notable Wins
- Kevin Borjas — submission, round 1 (4:14), UFC Fight Night: Nurmagomedov vs. Song (2026)
- Luis Gurule — submission, round 1 (3:19), UFC Fight Night: Song vs Figueiredo (2026)
- Carlos Hernandez — unanimous decision, UFC 303 (2024)
Quick Facts
- Division: Flyweight
- UFC record: 3-1
- Professional record (all promotions): 12-1-0
- UFC debut: 2024
- Stance: Orthodox
- Height: 5'6", reach: 68"
- Team: The BLACKBELT Japan
- Born: Chiba, Japan
Written from MMA ProTips fight data, updated Nov 10, 2026.
UFC by the numbers
- UFC record
- 3–1
- since 2024
- Finish rate
- 67%
- 2 of 3 wins
- 1st-round finishes
- 2
- Elite wins
- 0
- vs opponents rated 1700+ at the time
- Longest win streak
- 2
- Current streak
- W2
- wins in a row
- Octagon time
- 37:33
- avg 9:23 per fight
- Opposition
- 1513
- avg opponent Elo (1500 = average)
Best wins
Ranked by the opponent's Elo rating going into the fight.
- 1506opp. Elo
unanimous decision, R3 · UFC 303 · Jun 29, 2024
- 1487opp. Elo
submission, R1 · UFC Fight Night: Nurmagomedov vs. Song · Aug 29, 2026
- 1463opp. Elo
submission, R1 · UFC Fight Night: Song vs Figueiredo · May 30, 2026
Career stats (UFC)
Career UFC averages. The white tick on each bar marks the UFC average.
Striking
UFC avg 3.35 · below average
UFC avg 3.95 · better than average
UFC avg 45% · better than average
UFC avg 52% · below average
UFC avg 0.43 · below average
Grappling
UFC avg 1.52 · better than average
UFC avg 15% · better than average
UFC avg 52% · about average
UFC avg 0.58 · better than average
Where the strikes land
Where the strikes are thrown
Average fight time: 9:07
Fight history (7)
| Res | Opponent | Method | Event |
|---|---|---|---|
| W |  Kevin BorjasRecord after: 6-1 | submissionRound 1 · 4:14 | UFC Fight Night: Nurmagomedov vs. SongAug 29, 2026 |
| W |  Luis GuruleRecord after: 5-1 | submissionRound 1 · 3:19 | UFC Fight Night: Song vs FigueiredoMay 30, 2026 |
| L |  Joshua VanRecord after: 4-1 | unanimous decisionRound 3 · 5:00 | UFC 313Mar 8, 2025 |
| W |  Carlos HernandezRecord after: 4-0 | unanimous decisionRound 3 · 5:00 | UFC 303Jun 29, 2024 |
| W |  JiniushiyueRecord after: 3-0 | KO/TKORound 1 · 4:59 | Road to UFC 2.7Feb 3, 2024 |
| W |  Mark ClimacoRecord after: 2-0 | unanimous decisionRound 3 · 5:00 | Road to UFC 2.5 + 2.6Aug 27, 2023 |
| W |  Ronal SiahaanRecord after: 1-0 | submissionRound 2 · 1:19 | Road to UFC 2.1 + 2.2May 27, 2023 |