Wataru Sakata

is a Japanese retired mixed martial artist and professional wrestler. A professional MMA competitor from 1994 until 2016, Sakata fought for Fighting Network RINGS, Pride FC, Deep and Rizin Fighting Federation, and holds notable victories over RINGS King of Kings 2000 Tournament runner up Valentijn Overeem, UFC 23 Middleweight Tournament winner Kenichi Yamamoto, ADCC bronze medallist and RINGS Light Heavyweight title contender Chris Haseman, and NCAA All-American and UFC veteran Branden Lee Hinkle. Career A former Kyokushin karateka, Sakata trained in professional wrestling at Animal Hamaguchi's gym and joined Akira Maeda's Fighting Network RINGS immediately after, training in shoot wrestling. Fighting Network RINGS Sakata debuted in RINGS in 1994 against Nobuhiro Tsurumaki. Making the transition to mixed martial arts before most of his native colleagues, he started to take part in shootfights the same year of his debut. Over the years, Sakata would develop a rivalry with Willie Peeters in a long series of shootfighting bouts. Peeters defeated Wataru by TKO on their first fight On November 16, 1995, and they went to fight a rematch on June 29, 1996. During the latter, Sakata broke late a toehold and injured Peeters, who retaliated by illegally knocking him out with a close-fisted punch. Although the act gave Peeters a red card, he would win by KO due palm strikes. The two met again on August 24, where Sakata was dominated in a grappling contest and defeated by north/south choke.