About Yosuke Saruta
Former ONE Strawweight MMA World Champion Yosuke Saruta built the foundations of a highly successful martial arts career with gymnastics as a youth. However, he felt like he didn’t have a future in the sport and was left searching for a new challenge.
Saruta would find his calling by chance when a mixed martial arts gym opened near his house and decided to start training. After just a year, the Japanese athlete was already stepping into the cage to compete, and he went on to have an impressive run as an amateur.
Encouraged by his success, he decided to embark on a career as a professional mixed martial artist and relocated to Tokyo to pursue his dreams full-time. However, the move was not without its obstacles, as his family didn’t approve of his new career path. Thankfully, he had the support of the love of his life, who would later become his wife.
Spurred by her support, Saruta dedicated himself to his dreams and enjoyed a stellar run through the highly competitive Japanese scene, culminating in the Shooto Strawweight Title in 2017.
After 10 years of domestic success, Saruta finally had his chance to shine on the global stage by signing with ONE Championship, and he seized the golden opportunity.
The Tokyo resident made an instant impact in his promotional debut, stunning former titleholder Alex Silva via unanimous decision in December 2018. Just one month later, he reached the pinnacle of the sport, dethroning Joshua Pacio to claim the ONE Strawweight MMA World Title.
Though he lost the belt to Pacio in his first World Title defense, Saruta is eager to reclaim the gold. He’ll kick-start another run at ONE Fight Night 19, where he faces Mansur Malachiev.
ONE Championship Records
Event Results
Result | Method | Round | Method and round | Opponent | Opponent and event | Country | Date | Event | |||
---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|
LOSS
Unanimous Decision
UD
R3 (5:00)
|
Unanimous Decision
R3 (5:00)
|
R3 (5:00) |
Mansur MalachievRussia
ONE Fight Night 19: Haggerty vs. Lobo on Prime VideoFeb 16, 2024
|
Russia | Feb 16, 2024 |
ONE Fight Night 19: Haggerty vs. Lobo on Prime VideoFeb 16, 2024
|
|||||
LOSS
Unanimous Decision
UD
R3 (5:00)
|
Unanimous Decision
R3 (5:00)
|
R3 (5:00) |
Gustavo BalartCuba
ONE 156: Eersel vs. SadikovicApr 22, 2022
|
Cuba | Apr 22, 2022 |
ONE 156: Eersel vs. SadikovicApr 22, 2022
|
|||||
LOSS
TKO
TKO
R1 (3:38)
|
TKO
R1 (3:38)
|
R1 (3:38) |
Joshua PacioPhilippines
RevolutionSep 24, 2021
|
Philippines | Sep 24, 2021 |
RevolutionSep 24, 2021
|
|||||
WIN
Knockout
KO
R2 (0:59)
|
Knockout
R2 (0:59)
|
R2 (0:59) |
Daichi KitakataJapan
CENTURY PART IIOct 13, 2019
|
Japan | Oct 13, 2019 |
CENTURY PART IIOct 13, 2019
|
🇯🇵 SHOOTO: 2 - PANCRASE: 2 🇯🇵 |
||||
LOSS
Knockout
KO
R4 (2:43)
|
Knockout
R4 (2:43)
|
R4 (2:43) |
Joshua PacioPhilippines
Roots Of HonorApr 12, 2019
|
Philippines | Apr 12, 2019 |
Roots Of HonorApr 12, 2019
|
|||||
WIN
Split Decision
SD
R5
|
Split Decision
R5
|
R5 |
Joshua PacioPhilippines
Eternal GloryJan 19, 2019
|
Philippines | Jan 19, 2019 |
Eternal GloryJan 19, 2019
|