Teruto Ishihara

Teruto Ishihara is a Japanese mixed martial artist who built a solid foundation in Shooto before joining the UFC in 2015. Originally competing at featherweight, Ishihara earned his promotional contract through Road to UFC: Japan, drawing with Mizuto Hirota in the tournament final and securing a deal despite the draw. He showed early promise in his UFC tenure with two knockout victories, first dispatching Julian Erosa at UFC 196 in 2016, then stopping Horacio Gutierrez in the first round and earning a Performance of the Night bonus later that year.

Ishihara is an offensive-minded striker who lives for the knockout. His record shows eight career KO or TKO wins against just three decision victories, and his striking statistics reveal a fighter who operates primarily at distance with heavy hands. However, he is not a grappler: he has no submission victories, minimal takedown success (3 landed from 18 attempted), and weak takedown defense at 31 percent. This stylistic profile made him vulnerable to well-rounded opponents.

His UFC campaign faltered against rising talent. He suffered a first-round knockout loss to Petr Yan in June 2018, then dropped decisions to Artem Lobov and Gray Maynard before being submitted by Kyung Ho Kang in the first round of UFC 234 in February 2019, leading to his release. After leaving the promotion, Ishihara has competed in regional promotions including Shooto, Fury FC, and A1 Combat, posting a mixed record with wins and losses. At 31 years old and currently active, he remains a dangerous striker at the lower levels of competition but has not found a pathway back to the UFC.