List of Pancrase champions

This is a list of Pancrase champions at each weight class. Pancrase is a Japan-based mixed martial arts (MMA) promoting and sanctioning organization founded in 1993. The champions of Pancrase are referred to by the title of "King of Pancrase".

Men's Title Histories

Heavyweight Championship

Weight limit: Unlimited
On January 30, 2008 Pancrase revised this weight class limit from 100 kg (220.5 lb) to its current limits.
No. Name Event Date Defenses
1 Japan Yoshiki Takahashi
def. Shamoji Fujii		 Pancrase - Proof 7
Kanagawa, Japan		 Dec 1, 2001

1. def. Tsuyoshi Ozawa at Pancrase - 2003 Neo-Blood Tournament Opening Round on July 27, 2003 in Tokyo, Japan

Takahashi vacated the Heavyweight title.
2 Lithuania Kestutis Arbocius
def. Poai Suganuma		 Pancrase - Blow 6
Kanagawa, Japan		 Aug 27, 2006
Arbocius was stripped of Heavyweight title in May 2007 due to injury.
3 Brazil Assuerio Silva
def. Tatsuya Mizuno		 Pancrase - Rising 5
Tokyo, Japan		 May 30, 2007
Assuerio Silva vacated the title in January 2008 when he left the organization.

Light Heavyweight Championship

Weight limit: 93 kg (205 lb)
Formerly known as Cruiserweight
On January 30, 2008 Pancrase revised this weight class limit from 90 kg (198.4 lb) to its current limits.
No. Name Event Date Defenses
1 Japan Keiichiro Yamamiya
def. Ikuhisa Minowa		 Pancrase - 2000 Anniversary Show
Kanagawa, Japan		 Sep 24, 2000
Title Vacated.
2 Japan Sanae Kikuta
def. Ikuhisa Minowa		 Pancrase - 2001 Anniversary Show
Kanagawa, Japan		 Sep 30, 2001

1. drew with Yuki Kondo at Pancrase - Hybrid 5 on May 18, 2003 in Kanagawa, Japan

3 Japan Yuki Kondo Pancrase - Hybrid 10
Tokyo, Japan		 Nov 30, 2003

1. def. Daijiro Matsui at Pancrase - Blow 6 on Aug 27, 2006 in Kanagawa, Japan

Yuki Kondo vacated the title in January 2008 to move down to middleweight.
4 Japan Ryo Kawamura
def. Keiichiro Yamamiya		 Pancrase - Shining 8
Tokyo, Japan		 Oct 1, 2008

1. def. Yukiya Naito at Pancrase: Changing Tour 3 on Jun 7, 2009 in Tokyo, Japan
2. def. Shunsuke Inoue at Pancrase: Changing Tour 8 on Dec 6, 2009 in Tokyo, Japan
3. drew with Yuji Sakuragi at Pancrase - Passion Tour 11 on Dec 5, 2010 in Tokyo, Japan

Ryo Kawamura vacated the title in May 2011 to move down to middleweight.

Middleweight Championship

Weight limit: 84 kg (185.2 lb)
On January 30, 2008 Pancrase revised this weight class limit from 80 kg (176.4 lb) to its current limits.
No. Name Event Date Defenses
1 United States Nate Marquardt
def. Shonie Carter		 Pancrase - 2000 Anniversary Show
Kanagawa, Japan		 Sep 24, 2000

1. drew with Kiuma Kunioku at Pancrase - Trans 7 on Dec 4, 2000 in Japan
2. def. Yuji Hoshino at Pancrase - Proof 6 on Oct 30, 2001 in Tokyo, Japan

2 Japan Kiuma Kunioku Pancrase - Proof 7
Kanagawa, Japan		 Dec 1, 2001
3 United States Nate Marquardt (2) Pancrase - Spirit 9
Tokyo, Japan		 Dec 21, 2002

1. def. Izuru Takeuchi at Pancrase - Hybrid 3 on Mar 8, 2003 in Tokyo, Japan

4 United States Ricardo Almeida Pancrase - Hybrid 10
Tokyo, Japan		 Nov 30, 2003
Almeida vacated the title in July 2004 when he retired from active competition.
5 United States Nate Marquardt (3)
def. Kazuo Misaki		 Pancrase - Brave 10
Chiba, Japan		 Nov 7, 2004

1. def. Izuru Takeuchi at Pancrase - Spiral 4 on May 1, 2005 in Kanagawa, Japan

Marquardt vacated the title in October 2006 when he left Pancrase for the UFC.[1]
6 Japan Yuichi Nakanishi
def. Izuru Takeuchi		 Pancrase - Blow 10
Tokyo, Japan		 Dec 2, 2006
7 Japan Izuru Takeuchi Pancrase - Rising 9
Tokyo, Japan		 Nov 28, 2007
Title Vacated.
- Japan Yuki Kondo

promoted to Interim Championship after vacating the Light Heavyweight title

 - Jan 2008

1. def. Ki Bum Kim at Pancrase: Changing Tour 4 on Aug 8, 2009 in Tokyo, Japan
2. drew with Yuji Hisamatsu at Pancrase: Changing Tour 6 on Oct 25, 2009 in Tokyo, Japan
3. def. Takenori Sato at Pancrase - Passion Tour 1 on Feb 7, 2010 in Tokyo, Japan

8 Japan Yuki Kondo
def. Ichiro Kanai for undisputed title		 Pancrase - Passion Tour 4
Tokyo, Japan		 Apr 29, 2010

1. drew with Yuji Hisamatsu at Pancrase - Passion Tour 6 on Jul 4, 2010 in Tokyo, Japan

9 Japan Rikuhei Fujii Pancrase: Passion Tour 11
Tokyo, Japan		 Dec 5, 2010
Rikuhei Fujii vacated the title in May 2011.
10 Japan Ryo Kawamura
def. Ikkei Nagamura		 Pancrase - Progress Tour 1
Tokyo, Japan		 Jan 28, 2012

1. def. Shungo Oyama at Pancrase - Progress Tour 7 on Jun 2, 2012 in Tokyo, Japan

11 Japan Shinsho Anzai Pancrase - 259
Tokyo, Japan		 June 29, 2014
Shinsho Anzai vacated the title when he signed with the UFC.
12 Japan Ryo Kawamura (2)
def. Yuki Niimura		 Pancrase - 281
Tokyo, Japan		 October 2, 2016

Welterweight Championship

Weight limit: 77 kg (169.8 lb)
On January 30, 2008 Pancrase revised this weight limit from 75 kg (165.3 lb) to its current limits.
No. Name Event Date Defenses
1 Japan Kiuma Kunioku
def. Takafumi Ito		 Pancrase - 2002 Neo-Blood Tournament Second Round
Tokyo, Japan		 Jul 28, 2002

1. def. Hiroki Nagaoka at Pancrase - 2002 Anniversary Show on Sep 29, 2002 in Kanagawa, Japan
2. def. Kenichi Serizawa at Pancrase - Hybrid 10 on Nov 30, 2003 in Tokyo, Japan

Kunioku vacated the title in September 2004 when he left the organization.[2]
- Japan Katsuya Inoue[3]
promoted to interim champion when opponent withdrew due to injury		 - ?

1. def. Kenji Arai at Pancrase - Spiril 4 on May 1, 2005 in Kanagawa, Japan
2. drew with Satoru Kitaoka at Pacrase - Blow 1 on Jan 26, 2006 in Tokyo, Japan

2 Japan Daizo Ishige
def. Katsuya Inoue for undisputed title		 Pancrase – Blow 6
Kanagawa, Japan		 Aug 27, 2006
- Japan Katsuya Inoue[4]
def. Fabricio Nascimento for interim title		 Pancrase - 2007 Neo-Blood Tournament Finals
Tokyo, Japan		 Jul 27, 2007
Daizo Ishige vacated the title in January 2008.
3 Japan Katsuya Inoue
def. Satoru Kitaoka for undisputed title		 Pancrase - Shining 1
Tokyo, Japan		 Jan 30, 2008
Katsuya Inoue vacated the title in February 2008 in order to compete at Lightweight.
- Japan Takuya Wada
def. Jason Palacios for interim title		 Pancrase - Shining 3
Tokyo, Japan		 Apr 27, 2008
4 Japan Takuya Wada
promoted to undisputed champion		 - -

1. def. Tomoyoshi Iwamiya at Pancrase: Changing Tour 2 on Apr 5, 2009 in Tokyo, Japan

Takuya Wada vacated the title on April 30, 2010.
5 Japan Kengo Ura
def. Keiichiro Yamamiya		 Pancrase - Passion Tour 5
Tokyo, Japan		 Jun 5, 2010
6 Japan Takenori Sato Pancrase - Impressive Tour 1
Tokyo, Japan		 Feb 6, 2011

1. def. Sojiro Orui at Pancrase - Impressive Tour 5 on Jun 5, 2011 in Tokyo, Japan
2. drew with Eiji Ishikawa at Pancrase - Impressive Tour 10 on Oct 2, 2012 in Tokyo, Japan
3. def. Kiichi Kunimoto at Pancrase - Progress Tour 3 on Mar 11, 2012 in Tokyo, Japan
4. def. Keiichiro Yamamiya at Pancrase - Progress Tour 10 on Sep 1, 2012 in Tokyo, Japan
5. drew with Akihiro Murayama at Pancrase - 246 on Mar 17, 2013 in Tokyo, Japan
6. def. Shingo Suzuki at Pancrase - 247 on May 19, 2013 in Tokyo, Japan

Takenori Sato vacated the title when he signed with the UFC.
7 Japan Gota Yamashita
def. Akihiro Murayama		 Pancrase - 260
Tokyo, Japan		 August 10, 2014

1. def. Yuki Kondo at Pancrase - 263 on Dec 6, 2014 in Tokyo, Japan

8 Japan Shingo Suzuki Pancrase - 270
Tokyo, Japan		 October 4, 2015
9 Japan Akihiro Murayama Pancrase - 276
Tokyo, Japan		 March 13, 2016
10 Japan Hiromitsu Miura Pancrase - 281
Tokyo, Japan		 October 2, 2016
11 Japan Daichi Abe Pancrase - 288
Tokyo, Japan		 July 2, 2017

Lightweight Championship

Weight limit: 70 kg (154.3 lb)
No. Name Event Date Defenses
1 Japan Shoji Maruyama
def. Artur Oumakhanov		 Pancrase - Shining 1
Tokyo, Japan		 Jan 30, 2008
Shoji Maruyama vacated the title in May 2008 to compete at Featherweight.
2 Japan Katsuya Inoue
def. Koji Oishi		 Pancrase - Shining 10
Tokyo, Japan		 Dec 7, 2008

1. def. Daisuke Hanazawa at Pancrase: Changing Tour 1 on Feb 1, 2009 in Tokyo, Japan

3 Venezuela Maximo Blanco Pancrase: Changing Tour 4
Tokyo, Japan		 Aug 8, 2009
Maximo Blanco vacated the title in April 2011 citing an inability to defend his belt due to numerous injuries.[5]
4 Japan Koji Oishi
def. Daisuke Hanazawa		 Pancrase - Impressive Tour 4
Tokyo, Japan		 May 3, 2011
5 Japan Isao Kobayashi Pancrase - Progress Tour 4
Tokyo, Japan		 Apr 1, 2012

1. def. Yoshiaki Takahashi at Pancrase 252 - 20th Anniversary on Sep 29, 2013 in Yokohama, Japan

Isao Kobayashi vacated the title in 2014.
6 Japan Kazuki Tokudome
def. Satoru Kitaoka		 Pancrase - 271
Tokyo, Japan		 November 1, 2015

1. def. Akbarh Arreola at Pancrase 277 on Apr 23, 2016 in Tokyo, Japan

7 Japan Takasuke Kume Pancrase - 280
Tokyo, Japan		 September 11, 2016

Featherweight Championship

Weight limit: 65 kg (143.3 lb)
No. Name Event Date Defenses
1 Japan Yoshiro Maeda
def. Daiki "D.J.Taiki" Hata		 Pancrase - Blow 6
Yokohama, Japan		 Aug 27, 2006

1. def. Danny Batten at Pancrase - Rising 4 on Apr 27, 2007 in Tokyo, Japan

Yoshiro Maeda vacated the title when he left Pancrese for the WEC.
2 Brazil Marlon Sandro
def. Masaya Takita		 Pancrase: Shining 9
Tokyo, Japan		 Oct 26, 2008
- Japan Takumi Nakayama
def. Tomonari Kanomata for interim title		 Pancrase - Impressive Tour 9
Tokyo, Japan		 Sep 4, 2011

1. def. Jon Shores at Pancrase - Progress Tour 7 on Jun 2, 2012 in Tokyo, Japan

Sandro was stripped of title for refusing to attend the title defense. [6]
3 Japan Takumi Nakayama
Promoted to undisputed champion.		 - August 9, 2012
4 United States Nam Phan Pancrase - 264
Tokyo, Japan		 January 31, 2015
5 United States Andy Main Pancrase - 270
Tokyo, Japan		 October 4, 2015
- Japan Issei Tamura
def. Juntaro Ushiku for interim title		 Pancrase - 277
Tokyo, Japan		 Apr 24, 2016
- Argentina Nazareno Malegarie Pancrase - 285
Tokyo, Japan		 Mar 12, 2017

Bantamweight Championship

Weight limit: 60 kg (132.3 lb)
No. Name Event Date Defenses
1 Japan Manabu Inoue
def. Seiya Kawahara		 Pancrase - Shining 10
Yokohama, Japan		 Dec 7, 2008

1. def. Masahiro Oishi at Pancrase: Changing Tour 6 on Oct 25, 2009 in Tokyo, Japan
2. def. Tashiro Nishiuichi at Pancrase - Passion Tour 8 on Sep 5, 2010 in Tokyo, Japan

2 Japan Shintaro Ishiwatari Pancrase - Impressive Tour 13
Tokyo, Japan		 Dec 3, 2011

1. def. Tashiro Nishiuchi at Pancrase - Progress Tour 3 on March 11, 2012 in Tokyo, Japan
2. def. Yo Saito at Pancrase 256 on Feb 2, 2014 in Tokyo, Japan
3. def. Trevor Ward at Pancrase 258 on May 11, 2014 in Tokyo, Japan
4. def. Victor Henry at Pancrase 273 on Dec 13, 2015 in Tokyo, Japan
5. def. Jonathan Brookins at Pancrase 279 on July 24, 2016 in Tokyo, Japan
6. def. Rafael Silva at Pancrase 287 on May 28, 2017 in Tokyo, Japan

Flyweight Championship

Weight limit: 56 kg (123.5 lb)
Formerly known as Light Bantamweight.
No. Name Event Date Defenses
1 Japan Mitsuhisa Sunabe
def. Takuya Eizumi		 Pancrase: Changing Tour 3
Tokyo, Japan		 Jun 7, 2009

1. def. Isao Hirose at Pancrase: Changing Tour 6 on Oct 25, 2009 in Tokyo, Japan

2 Japan Kiyotaka Shimizu Pancrase - Passion Tour 1
Tokyo, Japan		 Feb 7, 2010

1. def. Isao Hirose at Pancrase - Passion Tour 6 on Jul 4, 2010 in Tokyo, Japan
2. drew with Mitsuhisa Sunabe at Pancrase - Passion Tour 11 on Dec 5, 2010 in Tokyo, Japan
3. def. Mitsuhisa Sunabe at Pancrase - Impressive Tour 5 on Jun 5, 2011 in Tokyo, Japan
4. drew with Seiji Ozuka at Pancrase - Progress Tour 1 on Jan 28, 2012 in Tokyo, Japan
5. def. Yuki Yasunaga at Pancrase - Progress Tour 14 on Dec 1, 2012 in Tokyo, Japan
6. def. Atshushi Yamamoto at Pancrase - 257 on March 30, 2014 in Yokohama, Japan

Shimizu was stripped of the title after losing to Ryuichi Miki in "champion's assessment bout" in Dec 2015. [7]
3 Japan Ryuichi Miki
def. Yuki Yasunaga		 Pancrase - 279
Tokyo, Japan		 July 24, 2016
4 Japan Mamoru Yamaguchi Pancrase - 285
Tokyo, Japan		 Mar 12, 2017

Light Flyweight Championship

Weight limit: 52 kg (114.6 lb)
Formerly known as Flyweight.
No. Name Event Date Defenses
1 Japan Mitsuhisa Sunabe
def. Hiroyuki Abe 		Pancrase - Impressive Tour 13
Tokyo, Japan		 Dec 3, 2011

1. def. Noboru Tahara at Pancrase 252: 20th Anniversary on Sept. 29, 2013 in Yokohama, Japan

Sunabe vacated title when he dropped to compete in a lower weight class.
2 Japan Kent Kambe
def. Yukitaka Musashi		 Pancrase - 273
Tokyo, Japan		 Dec. 13, 2015

Strawweight Championship

Weight limit: 48 kg (105.8 lb)
Formerly known as Light Flyweight.
No. Name Event Date Defenses
1 Japan Hiroyuki Abe
def. Masakazu Utsugi		 Pancrase - 269
Tokyo, Japan		 Aug. 9, 2015
2 Japan Mitsuhisa Sunabe
def. Hiroyuki Abe		 Pancrase - 271
Tokyo, Japan		 Nov. 1, 2015 1. def. Daichi Kitakata at Pancrase 283 on Dec. 18, 2016 in Tokyo, Japan

Women's Title Histories

Women's Bantamweight Championship

Weight limit: 60 kg (132.3 lb)
No. Name Event Date Defenses
1 Japan Rin Nakai
def. Danielle West		 Pancrase - Progress Tour 14
Tokyo, Japan		 Dec 1, 2012

Women's Strawweight Championship

No. Name Event Date Defenses
1 Japan Syuri Kondo
def. Kinberly Tanaka Novaes		 Pancrase 287
Tokyo, Japan		 May 28, 2017

Retired Titles

Openweight Championship

No weight restrictions
No. Name Event Date Defenses
1 United States Ken Shamrock
def. Manabu Yamada		 Pancrase: King of Pancrase Tournament Second Round
Tokyo, Japan		 Dec 17, 1994

1. def. Bas Rutten at Pancrase - Eyes Of Beast 2 on Mar 10, 1995 in Kanagawa, Japan

2 Japan Minoru Suzuki Pancrase - Eyes Of Beast 4
Tokyo, Japan		 May 13, 1995
3 Netherlands Bas Rutten Pancrase - 1995 Anniversary Show
Tokyo, Japan		 Sep 1, 1995

1. def. interim champion Frank Shamrock at Pancrase - Truth 5 on May 16, 1996 in Tokyo, Japan
2. def. Masakatsu Funaki at Pancrase - 1996 Anniversary Show on Sep 7, 1996 in Tokyo, Japan

- United States Frank Shamrock[8]
def. Minoru Suzuki for interim title		 Pancrase - Turth 1
Kanagawa, Japan		 Jan 28, 1996
Rutten vacated the title in October 1996 for family matters.[9]
4 Japan Masakatsu Funaki
def. Jason DeLucia		 Pancrase - Truth 10
Tokyo, Japan		 Dec 15, 1996
5 Japan Yuki Kondo Pancrase - Alive 4
Tokyo, Japan		 Apr 27, 1997

1. def. Jason DeLucia at Pancrase - 1997 Anniversary Show on Sep 6, 1997 in Tokyo, Japan

6 Japan Masakatsu Funaki (2) Pancrase - Alive 11
Kanagawa, Japan		 Dec 20, 1997
7 United States Guy Mezger Pancrase - Advance 5
Kanagawa, Japan		 Apr 26, 1998

1. def. Ryushi Yanagisawa at Pancrase – 1998 Anniversary Show on Sep 14, 1998 in Tokyo, Japan
2. def. Yuki Kondo at Pancrase – Advance 12 on Dec 19, 1998 in Tokyo, Japan

Mezger vacated the title in February 1999 when he left Pancrase for the UFC.[9]
8 Japan Yuki Kondo (2)
def. Semmy Schilt		 Pancrase - Breakthrough 4
Kanagawa, Japan		 Apr 18, 1999

1. def. Kiuma Kunioku at Pancrase - 1999 Anniversary Show on Sep 18, 1999 in Tokyo, Japan

9 Netherlands Semmy Schilt Pancrase - Breakthrough 10
Osaka, Japan		 Nov 28, 1999

1. def. Yoshiki Takahashi at Pancrase - Trans 3 on Apr 30, 2000 in Kanagawa, Japan
2. def. Osami Shibuya at Pancrase - 2000 Anniversary Show on Sep 24, 2000 in Kanagawa, Japan

Schilt vacated the title in 2001 when he signed with the UFC.
10 United States Josh Barnett
def. Yuki Kondo		 Pancrase - 10th Anniversary Show
Tokyo, Japan		 Aug 31, 2003

1. def. Yoshiki Takahashi at NJPW - Ultimate Crush on October 13, 2003 in Tokyo, Japan
2. def. Semmy Schilt at Inoki Bom-Ba-Ye 2003 - Inoki Festival on Dec 31, 2003 in Kobe, Japan

Super Heavyweight Championship

Weight limit: Unlimited
On January 30, 2008 Pancrase adpoted a variant of Unified Rules of Mixed Martial Arts and retires the Super Heavyweight Championship.[10][11]
No. Name Event Date Defenses
1 Japan Tsuyoshi Kosaka
def. Ron Waterman		 Pancrase - Brave 10
Chiba, Japan		 Nov 7, 2004
Kosaka vacated the title in January 2006.

By nationality

The following include championship title holders by nationality.

Country Titles
 Japan 40
 United States 10
 Brazil 2
 Netherlands 2
 Venezuela 1
 Lithuania 1

References and footnotes

  1. ↑ Breen, Jordan (2006-10-23). "With Eye on UFC, Marquardt Relinquishes KOP Belt". Sherdog.com. Retrieved 2007-02-15.
  2. ↑ Fukui, Masa (2004-09-15). "Former Welterweight & Middleweight King of Pancrase Kiuma Kunioku". Sherdog.com. Retrieved 2007-02-21.
  3. ↑ "News Page 17: Pancrase 2005 Spiral Tour". StarzWorld.com. Retrieved 2007-02-21.
  4. ↑ Nowe, Jason (2004-07-27). "Inoue Takes Interim King of Pancrase Title". Sherdog.com. Retrieved 2007-07-28.
  5. ↑ Nelson, Chris (2011-04-11). "Blanco Abdicates Pancrase Throne; Lightweight GP Begins May 3". Sherdog.com. Retrieved 2011-04-11.
  6. ↑ マルロン・サンドロがパンクラス王座返上　タクミが正規王者に昇格 (in Japanese). Sports Navi. Retrieved September 30, 2012.
  7. ↑ Breen, Jordan (2016-05-16). "‘TUF 12’ Winner Brookins Rematches Ishiwatari for BW Crown at Pancrase 279 Title Doubleheader". Sherdog.com. Retrieved 2016-06-01.
  8. ↑ Rutten was injured in January 1996 and could not defend his title; Shamrock captured an interim championship en route to his title-unification fight with Rutten.
  9. 1 2 "King of Pancrase Title History". Quebrada.net. Retrieved 2007-02-22.
  10. ↑ MMAFighting.com - Pancrase to adopt Unified Rules of MMA weight classes
  11. ↑ PANCRASE Official Site

See also

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