Rei Tsuruya, a 21-year-old former Flyweight King of Pancrase and decorated wrestler from Japan, has won the Road to UFC Season 2 flyweight tournament. Tsuruya, who is undefeated with an 8-0 record and the son of an OG Shooto vet, defeated Jiniushiyue by TKO with strikes at 4:59 of Round 1. His victory was described as a 'buzzer beater finish' and a 'quick and dominant win' with impressive grappling skills. Welcomed to the UFC with his win, Tsuruya has set high goals for himself, aiming to become the first Japanese UFC champion.
“I will be the first Japanese UFC champion.” Rei Tsuruya has lofty expectations for himself after securing a first-round finish at the last second. #RTU2 Results, Interviews & More ➡️: https://t.co/lUrwZCfhW6
#RTU2 Official Result: Rei Tsuruya defeats Jiniushiyue by TKO (Strikes) at 4:59 of Round 1 All Results & Scorecards ➡️ : https://t.co/lUrwZCfhW6
BUZZER BEATER FINISH FOR REI TSURUYA!!! WELCOME TO THE UFC 🤩 #RTU2 https://t.co/RJhvsFkNdT
Rei Tsuruya stops Jiniushiyue at the buzzer of Round 1 to become the Road To UFC Flyweight Champion #RoadToUFC
There we go. Quick and dominant win. Just beautiful (and nasty) grappling from Rei Tsuruya to win the flyweight tournament. https://t.co/CZpsSywv8j
Rei Tsuruya looks like he will be a BIG problem in the flyweight division. Absolutely dominant performance!
Road to UFC S2 finals is up now. First fight involves one of the brightest young prospects from Japan: Rei Tsuruya is 8-0, 21 years old and is a decorated wrestler in Japan. He’s a former Flyweight King of Pancrase, and grew up around MMA with his dad being an OG Shooto vet.