Daijiro Matsui

Report Last Updated - 2/02
Birthdate - 12/5/72
5'9" 175 lbs. - ???, Japan
Team - Takada Dojo
Style - Pro Wrestling/Submission

Career Highlights -
- Makes his Pride debut and goes 25 minutes with Carlos Newton
- Beats Bob Schrjiber at Pride 7
- Goes the distance with Vanderlei Silva, but loses by split decision
- Defeats Rick Kerns at KOTC 8 via decision
- Scores a decision victory over "Pele" Landi at Pride 14

Striking - Matsui is like a poorman's Sakuraba with his unique and often shocking approach his use of the pro wrestling dropkick is the best example of this. Even when paired with an awesome striker, Matsui will surprise everyone with fast punches and ability to take a lot of damage.

Wrestling - One of the many pro wrestlers to step in the Pride ring, but he has proven to be a skilled grappler. He is a bundle of power and has good, often explosive, takedowns.

Hooking - True he does train with Sakuraba and so he knows his submissions, but Matsui has not never even forced a tap before.

Strengthes - The third leg of the Takada Dojo, Daijiro Matsui is often looked down upon because of his losing record, but he will catch people off and sometimes gets so-called upsets. He is very strong for his size and has that Japanese "fighting spirit" that carries him far in fights.

Weaknesses - Matsui seems to be a victim off tough matchmaking as he's fought the best: Vovchanchyn, Silva, Belfort, Newton and so on. His pairing with Sakuraba means he's often stuck with revenge matches and so fourth, but he's no where near to Saku's level. He is not really unbelievably strong in any area, but has an above average blend of everything.

Outlook - Constantly improving and impressing, Matsui is one of those underdog fighters that MMA groups seem to lack. He is fed opponents once and while to keep him credible, but will probably never be a serious threat. As he splits his time between big Pride payoff fights and underground worked shoot-style matches, Matsui is definitely an impressive combatant.