9 Wrestlers Who Became MMA Fighters

8. Minoru Suzuki

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Minoru Suzuki wasn't just a wrestler turned mixed martial artist; he practically invented the sport.

Whilst competing in the 'shoot style' Pro Wrestling Fujiwara Gumi, Suzuki was present to witness a legitimate shoot contest between Ken Shamrock and kickboxer Don Nayaka Nielsen. The match was an unexpected success, drawing crowds to the Tokyo Dome in numbers prevailing belief dictated a non-worked match could not.

Suzuki - who had a storied background in amateur wrestling and kendo - saw an opportunity to take the industry in a new direction, and alongside Shamrock and Masakatsu Funaki, formed Pancrase - one of the world's first MMA organisations.

As one of its founders, Suzuki naturally had a stellar run in the business, totally 29 victories across his decade-long career. In addition to laying the foundations for MMA in Japan and elsewhere in the world, Pancrase helped influence the style of Japanese professional wrestling, further embedding its strong style reputation.

When he tired of the punishing world of MMA, it was easy for Suzuki to slide back into the ring. Somehow, the years away from the squared circle had only improved him - he twice won the Wrestling Observer Newsletter's coveted Match of the Year award, in 2012 and 2014, both whilst over the age of 40.

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Editorial Team

Benjamin was born in 1987, and is still not dead. He variously enjoys classical music, old-school adventure games (they're not dead), and walks on the beach (albeit short - asthma, you know). He's currently trying to compile a comprehensive history of video game music, yet denies accusations that he purposefully targets niche audiences. He's often wrong about these things.