Junji Ito (fighter)

Junji Ito has spent his entire career fighting for the Shooto organization. He is known for his punching power,[4] with the majority of his wins coming by knockout.

Junji Ito began his MMA career 2007, with Shooto, where he amassed an 7-2 record in three years of competing. His first serious challenge came against Junji Ikoma when he fought for the Shooto flyweight title. He lost a unanimous decision. During Shooto: Bout Sustain 3, he faced Yuki Shojo, winning the bout by majority decision.[5] This win earned him a title shot against the strawweight champion Mikihito Yamagami. He would lose the fight in the second round, by way of a rear naked choke.[6] Ito bounced back with a decision win against Tadaaki Yamamoto,[7] and fought against Shinya Murofushi for the vacant flyweight title. He would against fail to secure the title, losing by way of a rear naked choke.[8] He won the next three fights by TKO and again challenged for the flyweight title, held at the time by Yoshitaka Naito. He lost by a unanimous decision.[9]

In his only fight outside Shooto, at WSOF Global Championship 2, he faced the undefeated Jarred Brooks, losing in the second round by TKO.[10] Returning to Shooto he accrued a 4-1-2 record, with the most notable fights being a decision win against the undefeated Ryosuke Honda,[11] and a draw against the future Shooto strawweight and ONE Championship flyweight champion Yosuke Saruta.[12]

• Professional MMA record for Junji Ito from Sherdog