Athletes
Welcome Back, Rei Tsuruya
Returning Japanese Prospect Brings New Look To New Look Division
A lot has changed since Rei Tsuruya last stepped into the Octagon more than a year ago at UFC 313, not the least of which is his hair.
“I just got tired of the long hair,” began the Japanese prospect, who traded his shoulder-length black hair for much shorter, spikier locks that have been bleached blonde ahead of his return to action this weekend against Luis Gurule in Macau. “It’s in the way when I’m training, so I cut it short.”
Watch Every UFC Event On Paramount+
While his shift in hairstyles is pronounced, so too is the shift in the landscape of the flyweight division since the last time he competed. That night in Las Vegas, a then-undefeated Tsuruya marched into the cage as a short-notice replacement for Bruno Silva, facing off with a talented young upstart from Houston named Joshua Van.
Tsuruya landed on the wrong side of the scorecards in a bout where Van out-struck him by a considerable margin and did well to avoid getting stuck in grappling entanglements for too long, losing his unbeaten record in the process. The bout became the kick-off to Van’s electric 2025 campaign that saw him compete four times and close out the year as the flyweight champion.
Now, with “The Fearless” having already successfully defended his title against Tsuruya’s compatriot Tatsuro Taira earlier this month to solidify his place atop the division, the returning 23-year-old is hoping to add his name to the growing list of promising young talents currently making waves in the 125-pound weight class.
FIGHT WEEK INTERVIEWS: Song Yadong | Deiveson Figueiredo | Zhang Mingyang | Kai Asakura | Alonzo Menifield
“Obviously, I didn’t know much about Joshua Van back then with the short-notice fight, but things have changed,” said Tsuruya, who earned his place on the UFC roster by winning the flyweight tournament on Season 2 of Road to UFC before collecting a unanimous decision win over Carlos Hernandez in his promotional debut. “I feel like I don’t want to be left (behind) — I want to catch up with all those top-flight contenders.
“There are a lot of new guys coming in too, so I want to get on that ride,” added Tsuruya, who is the youngest fighter in the division, having just turned 23 back in March; Van is the second youngest and turns 25 in October. “A lot of ranking changes every week as well. I hope I can be one of those rankers and contenders.”
The first step towards joining the collection of ascending names and emerging contenders that includes Lone’er Kavanagh, Jose Ochoa, Alden Coria, and Dana White’s Contender Series grad Imanol Rodriguez comes this weekend in Macau, where Tsuruya aims to spoil what could be a cool little moment for Gurule.
Originally scheduled to face Jesus Aguilar, Gurule stepped up when his fellow DWCS alum was forced out with an undisclosed injury in the days following the 32-year-old’s unanimous decision victory over Daniel Barez on the previous UFC Fight Night event in Las Vegas.
Very few competitors have earned two wins in the same calendar month, and “Grim” may be the first to fight on consecutive fights, but none of that is of interest to Tsuruya, who is far more focused on getting back to work and returning to the win column.
MORE UFC MACAU: Song Yadong Better Through Experience | Alex Perez Seeking A Dance Partner on the Other Side of the World | Rongzhu Finally Ready To Compete With The Best | Cody Haddon Gets Candid About Injuries, Career Uncertainty
“Weight-wise, there is nothing to worry about — I can focus more on the fight,” he said with a smile when asked about the bout taking place at bantamweight to accommodate Gurule stepping in and jetting to China.
“Obviously, (this has been) the longest break of my career,” continued Tsuruya, who had previously never gone more than six months between appearances. “I was sometimes anxious, but I was able to work on a lot of training, and I was able to train in the US as well. I learned a lot through this year-and-a-half, and I hope to show that in the Octagon this week.”
Check Out All Things UFC Freedom 250 Presented by Crypto.com & RAM
While no athlete ever likes to lose, the weight and perception of setbacks can shift over time as the individuals or teams continue on in their seasons or careers. A defeat that felt understandable can shift to being more difficult to square away if the victorious fighter starts to slide and you’re the last person they beat, the same way a loss that can initially feel like it reveals your ceiling and perhaps slows your momentum can turn out to say far more about the victorious athlete and age like a Barolo or Chardonnay tucked away for safekeeping.
That is the case with Tsuruya’s loss to Van, which initially felt like a marker that the Japanese hopeful was further away from the rankings than expected, and now looks completely different given his standing as champion and the fact that it was a short-notice matchup.
But having gone the distance with the new champ isn’t what Tsuruya wants to hang his hat on, and on Saturday at Galaxy Arena, he finally gets the opportunity to once again amble into the Octagon and show that he too deserves to be included in the pack of names considered to be the future of the flyweight division.
Stay Informed With The Free UFC Newsletter
“It’s been a while,” he said with a wry smile when asked how it will feel to compete again. “I’m nervous, anxious, but also very excited as well.
“I just want to show an exciting fight. I just want to make sure I have a good win and make sure everyone feels I should get a (ranked opponent) next one.”
UFC Fight Night: Song vs Figueiredo took place live from Galaxy Arena in Macao SAR, China on May 30, 2026. See the final Prelim & Main Card Results, Official Scorecards and Who Won Bonuses - and relive the action on UFC FIGHT PASS!
Tags