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MMA·ANALYSIS·September 6, 2026 07:21 PM ET

Tsuruya seeks UFC top-10 opponent after Shanghai win

The 24-year-old owns a 3-1 UFC record.

Wire Report IntelligenceUpdated Sep 61 min read

Surging Rei Tsuruya (@ufc_rei) hopes UFC top-10 opponent was earned in Shanghai (via @mma_kings) https://t.co/gKPT8b7tTg Via @MMAJunkie on X

What happened: Tsuruya submitted Kevin Borjas by rear-naked choke at 4:14 of the opening round on Aug. 29. That victory came three months after he stopped Luis Gurule, also by first-round submission.

Why it matters: His only UFC defeat came on short notice against current flyweight champion Joshua Van. A top-10 booking would test whether his recent run translates against ranked opposition.

By the numbers: Tsuruya's two 2026 wins came 91 days apart, with both ending in the first round.

What to watch: UFC matchmaking will determine whether Tsuruya gets a ranked opponent or another unranked test.

Sources

@MMAJunkie 2026-09-06T23:20:02.590723+00:00

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