Quick Facts
LeoBiography
Kenji Kawaguchi is a Japanese mixed martial artist. He competed in the Welterweight division.
Career
Vale Tudo Japan
After a 10-0-4 career in Shooto, Kawaguchi represented the promotion in the event Vale Tudo Japan in July 1994, where he was pitted against French karateka Jan Lomulder. Kawaguchi charged for a takedown, but Lomulder kept himself standing by grabbing the ring ropes and scored multiple strikes on the back of Kawaguchi's head, both being legal tactics under that ruleset. Kawaguchi eventually took him down, only for Lomulder to answer with rabbit punches that forced the wrestler out of the ring. A controversial moment happened when Kawaguchi tried to return to the ring, as the referee didn't stop the action, meaning Lomulder could freely score soccer kicks and stomps while he did so.
The Shooto wrestler repeated the takedown, but Lomulder grabbed the ropes again and landed multiple elbow strikes to the back of the head, and then followed with and more soccer kicks and stomps. After a restart, Kawaguchi tried to come back with a kneebar, but Lomulder blocked the technique and landed a heavy kick on the face, leading the referee to stop the match.
Kawaguchi returned to Vale Tudo Japan in 1995, where he submitted American fighter Tommy Walkingstick via armbar.
Three years after their first encounter in Vale Tudo Japan, Lomulder and Kawaguchi rematched in the Vale Tudo Japan edition of 1997. This time, the match lasted three rounds, and it saw the Japanese shoot wrestler eventually taking Lomulder down and executing a rear naked choke for the victory.
Kawaguchi's last VTJ appearance was in 1998, when he fought Russian mixed martial artist Vladimir Matyushenko and lost by KO.
Mixed martial arts record
| Professional record breakdown | ||
| 25 matches | 14 wins | 7 losses |
| By knockout | 3 | 3 |
| By submission | 10 | 4 |
| By decision | 1 | 0 |
| Draws | 4 | |
| Res. | Record | Opponent | Method | Event | Date | Round | Time | Location | Notes |
|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|
| Loss | 14-7-4 | Yuki Kondo | KO (punch) | Pancrase: 271 | November 1, 2015 | 1 | 3:52 | Tokyo, Japan | |
| Win | 14-6-4 | Deividas Petrauskas | TKO (punches) | Shooto: The Devilock | May 12, 2006 | 1 | 2:05 | Tokyo, Japan | |
| Loss | 13-6-4 | Carlos Newton | Submission (armbar) | Shooto - 10th Anniversary Event | May 29, 1999 | 1 | 5:00 | Yokohama, Kanagawa, Japan | |
| Loss | 13-5-4 | Vladimir Matyushenko | KO (punches) | VTJ 1998 - Vale Tudo Japan 1998 | October 25, 1998 | 1 | 3:10 | Urayasu, Chiba, Japan | |
| Win | 13-4-4 | Ante Jurisic | Submission (heel hook) | Shooto - Las Grandes Viajes 4 | July 29, 1998 | 2 | 0:35 | Tokyo, Japan | |
| Loss | 12-4-4 | Masanori Suda | Submission (armbar) | Shooto - Las Grandes Viajes 2 | March 1, 1998 | 3 | 1:08 | Tokyo, Japan | |
| Win | 12-3-4 | Jan Lomulder | Submission (rear-naked choke) | VTJ 1997 - Vale Tudo Japan 1997 | November 29, 1997 | 3 | 3:49 | Urayasu, Chiba, Japan | |
| Loss | 11-3-4 | Erik Paulson | Submission (toe hold) | Shooto - Vale Tudo Junction 3 | May 7, 1996 | 3 | 1:23 | Tokyo, Japan | |
| Win | 11-2-4 | Tommy Walkingstick | Submission (armbar) | VTJ 1995 - Vale Tudo Japan 1995 | April 20, 1995 | 1 | 6:29 | Tokyo, Japan | |
| Loss | 10-2-4 | Erik Paulson | Technical Submission (armbar) | Shooto - Vale Tudo Access 2 | November 7, 1994 | 2 | 1:03 | Tokyo, Japan | |
| Loss | 10-1-4 | Jan Lomulder | TKO (soccer kick) | VTJ 1994 - Vale Tudo Japan 1994 | July 29, 1994 | 1 | 2:59 | Urayasu, Chiba, Japan | |
| Win | 10-0-4 | Yasunori Okuda | Submission (guillotine choke) | Shooto - Shooto | May 6, 1994 | 1 | 2:55 | Tokyo, Japan | |
| Win | 9-0-4 | Tomokazu Fukaya | Submission (kneebar) | Shooto - Shooto | March 18, 1994 | 1 | 0:32 | Tokyo, Japan | |
| Draw | 8-0-4 | Satoshi Honma | Draw | Shooto - Shooto | November 27, 1992 | 5 | 3:00 | Tokyo, Japan | |
| Win | 8-0-3 | Manabu Yamada | Submission (kneebar) | Shooto - Shooto | July 23, 1992 | 1 | 0:36 | Tokyo, Japan | |
| Win | 7-0-3 | Satoshi Honma | Decision (unanimous) | Shooto - Shooto | October 17, 1991 | 5 | 3:00 | Osaka, Japan | |
| Draw | 6-0-3 | Kazuhiro Kusayanagi | Draw | Shooto - Shooto | August 25, 1991 | 5 | 3:00 | Tokyo, Japan | |
| Win | 6-0-2 | Manabu Yamada | Submission (kneebar) | Shooto - Shooto | May 31, 1991 | 1 | 0:58 | Tokyo, Japan | |
| Win | 5-0-2 | Naoki Sakurada | Submission (guillotine choke) | Shooto - Shooto | January 13, 1991 | 1 | 0:00 | Tokyo, Japan | |
| Win | 4-0-2 | Yuji Ito | KO (punches) | Shooto - Shooto | November 28, 1990 | 3 | 0:37 | Tokyo, Japan | |
| Draw | 3-0-2 | Yasuto Sekishima | Draw | Shooto - Shooto | March 17, 1990 | 5 | 3:00 | Tokyo, Japan | |
| Win | 3-0-1 | Naoki Sakurada | TKO (punches) | Shooto - Shooto | January 13, 1990 | 4 | 1:29 | Tokyo, Japan | |
| Win | 2-0-1 | Mitsuo Fujikura | Submission (armbar) | Shooto - Shooto | October 19, 1989 | 2 | 0:41 | Tokyo, Japan | |
| Draw | 1-0-1 | Yuji Ito | Draw | Shooto - Shooto | July 29, 1989 | 4 | 3:00 | Tokyo, Japan | |
| Win | 1-0 | Tadashi Yokoyama | Submission (kneebar) | Shooto - Shooto | May 18, 1989 | 1 | 0:00 | Tokyo, Japan |