Many skilled fighters have made their mark in the UFC’s flyweight division, but Rei Tsuruya is quickly becoming one of the names fans cannot ignore. The Japanese fighter has carved out his place among the division’s rising stars with a unique blend of elite grappling, explosive movement, and relentless pressure inside the Octagon.
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But there is more to Tsuruya than what fans see on fight night. Behind the undefeated fighter and his growing reputation lies a story shaped by family, martial arts, and an unusual path into professional fighting. So, who is Rei Tsuruya beyond the fighter persona? Let’s take a closer look at the man behind the rising UFC star.
Where is Rei Tsuruya from and what is Rei Tsuruya’s nationality?
Rei Tsuruya is 100% Japanese. He was born on June 22, 2002, making him 24 years of age as of 2026. His birthplace is Kashiwa, a Japanese town in Chiba Prefecture. One could say that Rei Tsuruya is a native of the Greater Tokyo area, where martial arts thrive.
About Rei Tsuruya’s educational journey, little is known about whether he attended a school or university, aside from the obvious fact that he took martial arts so seriously even as a youngster. Still, there’s no doubt he can trace his roots to Japan. He represents Japan in international competition, and besides, the kind of martial spirit he demonstrates is very Japanese.
What is Rei Tsuruya’s ethnicity?
Rei Tsuruya is ethnically Japanese. Both of his parents are Japanese, and he belongs to a family steeped in the martial arts tradition. His father, Hiroshi Tsuruya, is a jiu-jitsu fighter and mixed martial artist who has trained numerous fighters throughout his career. Moreover, Hiroshi Tsuruya is the representative of THE BLACKBELT JAPAN camp, the very one where Rei practices his fighting skills.
Having grown up in a family where combat sports were not merely a passion but an integral part of life, Tsuruya was inevitably headed for the Octagon. His ethnicity is pure Japanese, with no mixed lineage reported anywhere. It is worth noting that, given the variety of fighters of different ethnicities in MMA, Tsuruya stands out as a purebred Japanese in both ethnicity and fighting techniques.
Is Rei Tsuruya Christian?
This is where things get muddy. From various sources, there is no clear evidence that Rei Tsuruya is a Christian. As a matter of fact, like many Japanese, Tsuruya’s religious background is likely rooted in Shinto and Buddhism, Japan’s main religions. It is, however, worth pointing out that religious practices in Japan are primarily cultural, and most people who practice Buddhism and Shintoism cannot be considered religious in a Western sense.
Rei Tsuruya has never come out to express any form of his religious background, and even from his social media platforms, one does not find any clues to suggest otherwise. From the little that is known about him, he is a true believer in martial arts, and that is all.
Tsuruya now looks forward to facing Kevin Borjas at UFC Fight Night: Nurmagomedov vs. Song, scheduled for Shanghai, China, on August 29, 2026. This provides Tsuruya with another chance to demonstrate that the loss was only temporary in his career. With the support of his father in the corner and his country backing him up, the next page of the book for Rei Tsuruya has been turned.