Daiju Takase: A Retrospective on the MMA Fighter’s Career

Daiju Takase is a Japanese mixed martial artist best remembered for two surprising PRIDE victories: a submission win over Anderson Silva and a win over the much larger Emmanuel Yarborough. He also competed in the UFC and across Japanese promotions during the sport’s early international growth.

Early UFC and PRIDE fights

Takase fought Jeremy Horn at UFC 21 in 1999 and lost by first-round TKO. He later competed in PRIDE, where he faced a wide range of opponents and weight classes. At PRIDE 3 in 1998, he submitted Emmanuel Yarborough with strikes in the second round.

The Anderson Silva upset

Takase’s most famous result came at PRIDE 26 in 2003. He submitted Anderson Silva with a triangle choke in the first round, handing the future UFC middleweight champion a rare early-career loss. Takase’s win over Silva remains an often-recalled upset, but it was one result within a career that included many different outcomes and opponents.

Takase continued competing after his early PRIDE appearances. He later lost to Daniel Acacio at PRIDE Bushido 6 in April 2005, and his fight record also includes bouts in smaller promotions after PRIDE ended. His story is a reminder that the careers of early Japanese fighters often stretched across multiple organizations and weight classes.

Selected Recorded Results

• Jul 25, 2015: Daiju Takase lost to Dong Sik Yoon at Road FC 24 – Road Fighting Championship 24; Decision (Split), round 3, 5:00.
• Dec 23, 2014: Daiju Takase lost to Carlos Toyota at RFC – Real Fight Championship 1; KO (Punch), round 1, 1:39.
• Jul 26, 2014: Daiju Takase won against Seung Bae Whi at Road FC 16 – Road Fighting Championship 16; TKO (Punches), round 1, 4:30.
• Dec 22, 2012: Daiju Takase won against Yuji Sakuragi at Deep – Haleo Impact; Submission (Guillotine Choke), round 2, 1:33.
• Jan 7, 2012: Daiju Takase won against Brandon Kesler at Dare Fight Sports – Dare 1/12; Decision (Unanimous), round 3, 5:00.

Sources

Sherdog: fight history; UFC: athlete profile; MMA; UFC; Career or result cross-check.

Article Tags

Daiju Takase, Mixed Martial Arts, Sports History