Rei Tsuruya finished Kevin Bordhaz by rear-naked choke in the first round at UFC Shanghai, improving his record to 12-1 and extending his winning streak to two. Bordhaz drops to 11-6 overall, with a dismal 2-5 mark inside the UFC.
Rei Tsuruya put on a dominant grappling performance at UFC Shanghai on August 29, 2026, submitting Kevin Bordhaz with a rear-naked choke in the first round to push his professional record to 12-1.
Tsuruya, 24, has now won back-to-back fights and continues to establish himself as one of the more dangerous submission threats in his division. The Japanese fighter out of The Blackbelt Japan stands 168 centimeters tall with a 173-centimeter reach and brings a relentless wrestling-based attack to every outing. His numbers reflect a fighter who consistently drags bouts to the mat, averaging over five takedowns per fifteen minutes while generating nearly two submission attempts in that same window. His striking accuracy sits at 52 percent, a figure that speaks to his precision even if volume is not the primary weapon in his arsenal. The finish against Bordhaz was entirely consistent with his style.
Bordhaz falls to 11-6 overall with the defeat, and the result leaves him at 2-5 inside the UFC — a record that puts his roster spot under serious scrutiny. The French fighter has now dropped five of his seven Octagon appearances and has struggled to find consistency at this level.
Why it matters
- Tsuruya's two-fight winning streak, capped by a first-round finish, strengthens his case for a higher-profile matchup in the division
- Bordhaz's 2-5 UFC record raises real questions about his future with the promotion
- A submission finish in round one signals that Tsuruya's grappling is not just a volume game — he finds and capitalizes on openings quickly
- At just 24 years old, Tsuruya still has significant room to develop before reaching his athletic peak
Saturday, August 29, 2026
