1. Masakazu Imanari is a Japanese mixed martial artist and submission wrestler.
41 Facts About Masakazu Imanari
1. 2.
Masakazu Imanari currently competes in the Bantamweight division of Rizin Fighting Federation.
3.
Masakazu Imanari was in the final Cage Rage Featherweight Champion, DEEP Bantamweight Champion, two-time DEEP Featherweight Champion and DREAM Japan Grand Prix Finalist.
4.
Masakazu Imanari is the namesake of the "Imanari roll" maneuver.
5.
Masakazu Imanari later moved to Antonio Inoki's Universal Fighting-Arts Organization, and then Kingdom Ehrgeiz, where he trained shoot fighting and MMA with Hidetada Irie before doing his amateur debut.
6.
Masakazu Imanari gained popularity during his mixed martial arts career in Japanese promotion ZST fighting the likes of top Lightweights including Dokonjonosuke Mishima, Jorge Gurgel and Marcus Aurelio despite being a much smaller Featherweight.
7.
Masakazu Imanari defeated Gurgel, who is a Brazilian jiu-jitsu black belt former UFC fighter via catch wrestling staple submission while being lighter in weight.
8.
Batten escaped it but Masakazu Imanari then transitioned to an armbar causing Batten to submit in just over 40 seconds.
9.
Masakazu Imanari moved on to compete in DEEP where he defeated a top WEC contender and the former WEC Featherweight Champion Mike Brown via submission where Brown's leg became dislocated.
10.
Masakazu Imanari made his first KO victory in his first defense for the belt against Takeshi Yamazaki with an up kick.
11.
Masakazu Imanari's next fight, which was his first fight outside Japan, was in London, England where he became the Cage Rage World Featherweight Champion by defeating Robbie Olivier with a flying armbar at Cage Rage 20.
12.
Masakazu Imanari defended his Cage Rage belt for the first time against Jean Silva, winning by reverse heel hook in the first round, injuring Silva's knee in the process.
13.
Masakazu Imanari was a participant in the Dream Featherweight Grand Prix and won his first-round matchup against Atsushi Yamamoto by split decision at DREAM 7 but lost to current DREAM Featherweight Champion Bibiano Fernandes by unanimous decision at DREAM 9.
14.
In 2011 Masakazu Imanari returned to DREAM to take part in the DREAM Bantamweight Japan Tournament.
15.
The tournament finals took place at Dream: Japan GP Final where Masakazu Imanari faced off with Hideo Tokoro.
16.
Masakazu Imanari faced Abel Cullum in the opening round of the Bantamweight Grand Prix at Dream 17 at Saitama Super Arena in Saitama, Japan, on Sept 24.
17.
Masakazu Imanari won the bout via submission in the third round.
18.
On January 31,2012 it was announced that Masakazu Imanari would be fighting for ONE Fighting Championship, who have a partnership with DREAM which allows both organizations to share fighters.
19.
Masakazu Imanari won the fight via submission in the first round.
20.
Masakazu Imanari faced Kenta Takizawa in the opening round of the Bantamweight Grand Prix at Rizin 29 on May 30,2021.
21.
Masakazu Imanari faced Takeshi Kasugai on October 10,2021 at Rizin Landmark Vol.
22.
Masakazu Imanari won the bout via armbar in the first round.
23.
Masakazu Imanari faced Chihiro Suzuki at Rizin Landmark 4 on November 6,2022.
24.
Masakazu Imanari faced Kazumasa Majima in the co-main event of Rizin Landmark 8 on February 24,2024.
25.
Masakazu Imanari won the fight by submission in the second round.
26.
Masakazu Imanari competed at the 6th All Japan Combat Wrestling Championship on March 20,2000 in Tokyo.
27.
Masakazu Imanari placed second in the 69 kg division behind Kazuya Abe.
28.
Masakazu Imanari competed at the 7th All Japan Combat Wrestling Championship on March 20,2001.
29.
Masakazu Imanari placed second again, this time in the 76 kg division behind Rumina Sato.
30.
Masakazu Imanari registered two draws at the event but his team won the tournament.
31.
Masakazu Imanari then faced Kenta Iwamoto in the main event of Battle Hazard 8 on November 22,2020.
32.
Masakazu Imanari lost the match by submission after Iwamoto caught him in an arm-triangle choke.
33.
Masakazu Imanari competed against Mikey Musumeci in a submission grappling match at ONE 156 on April 22,2022.
34.
Masakazu Imanari challenged Takuma Sudo for the featherweight title at Level-G Pro on June 16,2024.
35.
Masakazu Imanari competed against Marcelo Garcia at ONE 170 on January 24,2025.
36.
Masakazu Imanari lost the match by submission with a north-south choke.
37.
Masakazu Imanari left catch wrestling-based team Team Roken in 2008 and founded Nippon Top Team with Shinya Aoki and Satoru Kitaoka.
38.
Masakazu Imanari is an A-level shoot wrestler under Yuki Nakai.
39.
Masakazu Imanari was later presented a Brazilian jiu-jitsu black belt by Marco Barbosa.
40.
Masakazu Imanari is primarily a grappler, and is universally known for his skill and preference for leglocks, which gained him the nickname of "Ashikan Judan".
41.
Masakazu Imanari describes his signature leglock style as not based in sambo as it is popularly believed, but "purely self-taught", and explained his preference for it as "because it hurts the opponent".