Caol Uno
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Kaoru "Caol" Uno(宇野薫, Uno Kaoru) (born May 8, 1975) is a Japanese mixed martial artist and professional wrestler. He is the Co-Champion of the UFC 41 Lightweight Tournament and a former Shooto Lightweight Champion. As one of the early Ultimate Fighting Championship's elite Lightweight competitors, Uno competed for the UFC Lightweight Championship on two occasions. Despite falling short in both championship bouts; losing a five-round decision against Jens Pulver at UFC 30, to determine the inaugural UFC Lightweight Champion as well as a draw against B.J. Penn at UFC 41 (in a bout which would have determined the new UFC Lightweight Champion and UFC 41 Lightweight Tournament Winner), Uno is acknowledged as a pioneer for his impact and influence during the early era of the UFC Lightweight Division.
Mixed martial arts career
Early career
Uno finished second in the All Japan amateur Shooto tournament in 1996. He was a runner-up in the submission wrestling world championships at ADCC losing in the finals to world-renowned Jean Jacques Machado.
Shooto
Uno rose through the ranks of the Shooto mixed martial arts organization in Japan. In May 1999, Uno fought the then-legendary Rumina Sato. The fight was hailed as "Fight of the Year", an extremely fast-paced back and forth battle with a wide variety of stand-up and grappling exchanges.[citation needed] Eventually, Uno took the back of Sato and choked him into submission.
The two rematched in December 2000. This fight concluded with Uno standing over Sato on his back, then striking him with a knee and a punch while he was getting up, knocking him out.
UFC
After his second victory over Rumina Sato, Uno was recruited to fight for the UFC's Bantamweight (later renamed Lightweight) title against Jens Pulver. Throughout the fight, Pulver stopped Uno's takedown attempts and pressed the action on the feet. Uno, who had earned a reputation as being "unflappable", began to show frustration for the first time in his career as Pulver neutralized all his offensive efforts.[citation needed] Pulver took a majority decision win in the fight.
After Pulver left the UFC, the Lightweight Championship was vacated. A tournament was put together pitting the top Lightweights in the UFC (B.J. Penn, Din Thomas, Matt Serra and Caol Uno). In the first round, Uno faced Thomas. Thomas dominated the first round, setting a high pace. However, Uno turned things around, taking the second and third rounds to win the fight.
In the finals of the tournament, Uno faced Penn (who had previously defeated Uno by knockout in under 12 seconds). Uno used angles and effective wrestling techniques to frustrate Penn, who appeared tentative from the start, while Penn was dominant in spurts. The fight was called a draw and neither fighter won the championship belt.
Return to Japan
Uno then went on to fight Tatsuya Kawajiri in Shooto before fighting at K-1's 2004 Premium Dynamite!! and K-1 MAX: Japan Grand Prix 2005. His next eleven fights were for the then newly established promotion Hero's.
Uno next competed in DREAM's Lightweight Grand Prix. He was seeded directly into the second round, DREAM 3, where he beat Mitsuhiro Ishida via rear-naked choke submission to progress to the Dream 5: Lightweight Grand Prix 2008 Final Round. At Dream 5, Uno lost a unanimous decision to Shinya Aoki.
UFC return
Uno was spotted in attendance at UFC 94, fueling talk of a return to the UFC's Lightweight division. It was later confirmed that Uno had signed with the UFC and would face Spencer Fisher at UFC 99: The Comeback. In spite of finishing the bout pounding Fisher with punches from top crucifix position, Uno lost by a controversial unanimous decision. Then, on November 21, 2009, Uno fought UFC newcomer Fabrício Camões to a majority draw at UFC 106.
On March 31, 2010, Uno fought Gleison Tibau at UFC Fight Night 21. He was overpowered by the much bigger Tibau, and suffered a loss via TKO (punches). After the fight he was released from the promotion.
Post-UFC career
After parting ways with the UFC, the fighter's trajectory in the Japanese MMA circuit was marked by a diverse range of outcomes. Following his featherweight debut in Dynamite!! 2010, where he faced a unanimous decision loss against Kazuyuki Miyata, he rebounded with a victory over Akiyo Nishiura at Dream: Fight for Japan! in May 2011. However, a notable setback occurred in September 2011 when he suffered a knockout defeat due to a head kick from Takeshi Inoue at DREAM 17.
Undeterred, he demonstrated resilience in subsequent matches, securing wins via submission over opponents such as Kyu Hwa Kim, Anthony Avila, and Daniel Romero in 2013. The trend continued with victories against Jesse Brock, Taiki Tsuchiya, and Raja Shippen in 2014. Despite facing challenges and a decision loss to Yoshifumi Nakamura in January 2015, he rebounded with a submission win against Jung Ho Hwang in April 2016.
The fighter continued to navigate the competitive landscape, experiencing both victories and defeats. Notable moments include a submission win over Markus Held in November 2019 and a KO loss to Taison Naito in May 2021. The journey reached its recent chapter with decision losses to Akira Haraguchi in November 2021 and a knockout defeat to Shota Takagi at Shooto 2023 Vol.7 in November 2023.
Professional wrestling career
Uno debuted in professional wrestling in December 2000 as part of the Inoki Bom-Ba-Ye event. He teamed up with Akira Shoji against The Great Sasuke and Daijiro Matsui, but his team lost when Sasuke pinned him.
All Japan Pro Wrestling (2002–2003)
Uno then signed up with All Japan Pro Wrestling in June 2002, where he debuted as a partner for Kendo Kashin against Kaz Hayashi and Kashin's double Mr. Problem (played again by Matsui), albeit in another losing effort. In November, he became also part of the event Wrestle-1, co-promoted with K-1. Coming under a monkey mask (which he quickly lost) and the name "The Apeman Nigo", Uno teamed up with Kashin to defeat La Parka and Super Parka.
He returned to AJPW in May 2003 under his Apeman Nigo persona. He and Kaz Hayashi lost to Kashin and Low Ki, but at the next event he teamed up with Ki to beat Gran Naniwa and Ryuji Hijikata. At the next day, he competed under his true name with Keiji Mutoh, winning over 728% Machine and The Apeman 200%, and then recovered his Nigo mask to team with Mutoh and Taka Michinoku in a winning effort against The Great Sasuke, The Great Kosuke and The Apeman. Uno's last appearance for AJPW would be in July, allying with Kashin and Robbie Brookside to beat Hayashi, Jimmy Yang and Ebessan.
Championships and accomplishments
Mixed martial arts
- All Japan Amateur Shooto All Japan Amateur Shooto Tournament Runner-up (1996)
- Ultimate Fighting Championship UFC 41 Lightweight Tournament Co-Champion (drew with B.J. Penn in the finale)
- Shooto Shooto Lightweight Championship (One Time) One successful title defense vs. Rumina Sato
- K-1 Hero's 2007 K-1 HERO'S Lightweight Tournament Semifinalist 2006 K-1 HERO'S Lightweight Tournament Runner Up 2005 K-1 HERO'S Lightweight Tournament Semifinalist
- DREAM 2008 DREAM Lightweight Grand Prix Semifinalist
Submission wrestling
- ADCC Submission Wrestling World Championship ADCC Submission Wrestling World Championship Silver Medalist 66k-76k (1999)
Mixed martial arts record
| 64matches | 35 wins | 24 losses |
| By knockout | 3 | 9 |
| By submission | 18 | 3 |
| By decision | 14 | 12 |
| Draws | 5 |
| Res. | Record | Opponent | Method | Event | Date | Round | Time | Location | Notes |
|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|
| Loss | 35–24–5 | Yoshihiro Koyama | Decision (unanimous) | Lemino Shooto Vol.7 | July 13, 2026 | 3 | 5:00 | Tokyo, Japan | |
| Win | 35–23–5 | Akihiko Mori | Decision (unanimous) | Shooto Torao 37 | December 7, 2025 | 3 | 5:00 | Yamaguchi, Japan | Catchweight (150 lb) bout. |
| Loss | 34–23–5 | Shota Takagi | KO (knee and punches) | Shooto 2023 Vol.7 | November 19, 2023 | 2 | 0:56 | Tokyo, Japan | |
| Loss | 34–22–5 | Akira Haraguchi | Decision (unanimous) | Vale Tudo Japan 2021 | November 6, 2021 | 3 | 5:00 | Tokyo, Japan | |
| Loss | 34–21–5 | Taison Naito | KO (punch) | Shooto 2021 Vol. 3 | May 16, 2021 | 2 | 4:59 | Tokyo, Japan | |
| Win | 34–20–5 | Markus Held | Submission (rear-naked choke) | Shooto: 30th Anniversary Tour 8th Round | November 24, 2019 | 2 | 1:56 | Tokyo, Japan | |
| Loss | 33–20–5 | Duane van Helvoirt | Decision (unanimous) | Shooto: 30th Anniversary Tour 3rd and 4th Round | May 6, 2019 | 3 | 5:00 | Tokyo, Japan | |
| Loss | 33–19–5 | Yutaka Saito | Decision (unanimous) | Shooto 4/23 | April 23, 2017 | 5 | 5:00 | Urayasu, Japan | For the Shooto Featherweight Championship. |
| Win | 33–18–5 | Hwang Jung-ho | Submission (rear-naked choke) | Shooto-Mobstyles Presents: Fight and Mosh | April 23, 2016 | 2 | 0:31 | Urayasu, Japan | |
| Loss | 32–18–5 | Shigeki Osawa | TKO (punches) | Shooto 7/26 | July 26, 2015 | 2 | 4:03 | Tokyo, Japan | |
| Loss | 32–17–5 | Yoshifumi Nakamura | Decision (unanimous) | Shooto: 1st Round 2015 | January 25, 2015 | 3 | 5:00 | Tokyo, Japan | For the vacant Shooto Pacific Rim Lightweight Championship (145 lb). |
| Win | 32–16–5 | Raja Shippen | Submission (rear-naked choke) | Vale Tudo Japan 6th | October 4, 2014 | 2 | 4:33 | Tokyo, Japan | |
| Win | 31–16–5 | Taiki Tsuchiya | Decision (unanimous) | Shooto: 4th Round 2014 | May 5, 2014 | 3 | 5:00 | Tokyo, Japan | |
| Win | 30–16–5 | Jesse Brock | Decision (unanimous) | Vale Tudo Japan 4th | February 23, 2014 | 3 | 5:00 | Tokyo, Japan | |
| Win | 29–16–5 | Daniel Romero | Submission (inverted triangle choke) | Vale Tudo Japan 3rd | October 5, 2013 | 2 | 2:23 | Tokyo, Japan | |
| Win | 28–16–5 | Anthony Avila | Submission (rear-naked choke) | Vale Tudo Japan 2nd | June 22, 2013 | 3 | 1:53 | Tokyo, Japan | |
| Win | 27–16–5 | Kim Kyu-hwa | Submission (rear-naked choke) | Shooto: 2nd Round 2013 | March 16, 2013 | 1 | 4:10 | Tokyo, Japan | |
| Loss | 26–16–5 | Shintaro Ishiwatari | Decision (unanimous) | Shooto: 10th Round | September 30, 2012 | 3 | 5:00 | Tokyo, Japan | Lightweight bout. |
| Loss | 26–15–5 | Takeshi Inoue | KO (head kick) | Dream 17 | September 24, 2011 | 1 | 4:17 | Saitama, Japan | |
| Win | 26–14–5 | Akiyo Nishiura | Decision (unanimous) | Dream: Fight For Japan! | May 29, 2011 | 2 | 5:00 | Saitama, Japan | |
| Loss | 25–14–5 | Kazuyuki Miyata | Decision (unanimous) | Dynamite!! 2010 | December 31, 2010 | 3 | 5:00 | Saitama, Japan | Featherweight debut. |
| Loss | 25–13–5 | Gleison Tibau | TKO (punches) | UFC Fight Night: Florian vs. Gomi | March 31, 2010 | 1 | 4:13 | Charlotte, North Carolina, United States | |
| Draw | 25–12–5 | Fabrício Camões | Draw (majority) | UFC 106 | November 21, 2009 | 3 | 5:00 | Las Vegas, Nevada, United States | |
| Loss | 25–12–4 | Spencer Fisher | Decision (unanimous) | UFC 99 | June 13, 2009 | 3 | 5:00 | Cologne, Germany | |
| Loss | 25–11–4 | Shinya Aoki | Decision (unanimous) | Dream 5 | July 21, 2008 | 2 | 5:00 | Osaka, Japan | 2008 Dream Lightweight Grand Prix Semifinal. |
| Win | 25–10–4 | Mitsuhiro Ishida | Submission (rear-naked choke) | Dream 3 | May 11, 2008 | 2 | 1:39 | Saitama, Japan | 2008 Dream Lightweight Grand Prix Quarterfinal. |
| Loss | 24–10–4 | Andre Amade | Decision (unanimous) | Hero's 10 | September 17, 2007 | 3 | 5:00 | Yokohama, Japan | 2007 Hero's Lightweight Grand Prix Semifinal. |
| Win | 24–9–4 | Katsuhiko Nagata | Decision (unanimous) | Hero's 9 | July 16, 2007 | 3 | 5:00 | Yokohama, Japan | 2007 Hero's Lightweight Grand Prix Quarterfinal. |
| Win | 23–9–4 | Ali Abdelaziz | Submission (armbar) | Hero's 8 | March 12, 2007 | 1 | 1:58 | Nagoya, Japan | |
| Loss | 22–9–4 | Gesias Cavalcante | Decision (majority) | Hero's 7 | October 9, 2006 | 2 | 5:00 | Yokohama, Japan | 2006 Hero's Lightweight Grand Prix Final. |
| Win | 22–8–4 | Ivan Menjivar | Decision (unanimous) | 2 | 5:00 | 2006 Hero's Lightweight Grand Prix Semifinal. | |||
| Win | 21–8–4 | Kultar Gill | Submission (rear-naked choke) | Hero's 6 | August 5, 2006 | 2 | 3:30 | Tokyo, Japan | 2006 Hero's Lightweight Grand Prix Quarterfinal. |
| Win | 20–8–4 | Ole Laursen | Submission (rear-naked choke) | Hero's 5 | May 3, 2006 | 2 | 4:36 | Tokyo, Japan | 2006 Hero's Lightweight Grand Prix Opening Round. |
| Win | 19–8–4 | Rich Clementi | Decision (unanimous) | Hero's 4 | March 15, 2006 | 2 | 5:00 | Tokyo, Japan | |
| Loss | 18–8–4 | Norifumi Yamamoto | TKO (doctor stoppage) | Hero's 3 | September 7, 2005 | 2 | 4:04 | Tokyo, Japan | 2005 Hero's Lightweight Grand Prix Semifinal. |
| Win | 18–7–4 | Hideo Tokoro | Decision (unanimous) | Hero's 3 | September 7, 2005 | 2 | 5:00 | Tokyo, Japan | 2005 Hero's Lightweight Grand Prix Quarterfinal. |
| Loss | 17–7–4 | Joachim Hansen | KO (knee) | Hero's 1 | March 26, 2005 | 3 | 4:48 | Saitama, Japan | |
| Win | 17–6–4 | Serkan Yılmaz | Submission (armbar) | K-1 MAX: Japan Grand Prix 2005 | February 23, 2005 | 1 | 1:59 | Tokyo, Japan | |
| Win | 16–6–4 | Chandet Sorpantrey | Submission (rear-naked choke) | K-1 Premium 2004 Dynamite!! | December 31, 2004 | 2 | 0:19 | Osaka, Japan | |
| Draw | 15–6–4 | Tatsuya Kawajiri | Draw (majority) | Shooto: 3/22 in Korakuen Hall | March 22, 2004 | 3 | 5:00 | Tokyo, Japan | |
| Loss | 15–6–3 | Hermes França | KO (punch) | UFC 44 | September 26, 2003 | 2 | 2:46 | Las Vegas, Nevada, United States | |
| Draw | 15–5–3 | B.J. Penn | Draw (split) | UFC 41 | February 28, 2003 | 5 | 5:00 | Atlantic City, New Jersey, United States | UFC Lightweight Tournament Final. For the vacant UFC Lightweight Championship. |
| Win | 15–5–2 | Din Thomas | Decision (unanimous) | UFC 39 | September 27, 2002 | 3 | 5:00 | Uncasville, Connecticut, United States | UFC Lightweight Tournament Semifinal. |
| Win | 14–5–2 | Yves Edwards | Decision (unanimous) | UFC 37 | May 10, 2002 | 3 | 5:00 | Bossier City, Louisiana, United States | |
| Loss | 13–5–2 | B.J. Penn | KO (punches) | UFC 34 | November 2, 2001 | 1 | 0:11 | Las Vegas, Nevada, United States | UFC Lightweight title eliminator. |
| Win | 13–4–2 | Fabiano Iha | TKO (punches) | UFC 32 | June 29, 2001 | 1 | 1:48 | East Rutherford, New Jersey, United States | |
| Loss | 12–4–2 | Jens Pulver | Decision (unanimous) | UFC 30 | February 23, 2001 | 5 | 5:00 | Atlantic City, New Jersey, United States | For the inaugural UFC Lightweight Championship. |
| Win | 12–3–2 | Rumina Sato | KO (punch) | Shooto: R.E.A.D. Final | December 17, 2000 | 1 | 2:21 | Urayasu, Japan | Defended the Shooto Lightweight Championship. |
| Loss | 11–3–2 | Marcio Ramos Barbosa | Technical Submission (guillotine choke) | Shooto: R.E.A.D. 9 | August 27, 2000 | 3 | 1:49 | Yokohama, Japan | |
| Win | 11–2–2 | Dennis Hallman | Decision (unanimous) | Shooto: R.E.A.D. 3 | April 2, 2000 | 3 | 5:00 | Osaka, Japan | |
| Draw | 10–2–2 | André Pederneiras | Draw | Vale Tudo Japan 1999 | December 11, 1999 | 3 | 8:00 | Tokyo, Japan | |
| Win | 10–2–1 | Din Thomas | Submission (rear-naked choke) | Shooto: Renaxis 4 | September 5, 1999 | 3 | 3:16 | Tokyo, Japan | |
| Win | 9–2–1 | Rumina Sato | Submission (rear-naked choke) | Shooto: 10th Anniversary Event | May 29, 1999 | 3 | 4:02 | Yokohama, Japan | Won the vacant Shooto Lightweight Championship. |
| Win | 8–2–1 | Ricardo Botelho | TKO (submission to punches) | Vale Tudo Japan 1998 | October 25, 1998 | 3 | 2:03 | Tokyo, Japan | |
| Win | 7–2–1 | Zvonko Jakovcevic | Submission (triangle choke) | Shooto: Las Grandes Viajes 4 | July 29, 1998 | 1 | 3:15 | Tokyo, Japan | |
| Win | 6–2–1 | Ian James Schaffa | Technical Submission (armbar) | Shooto: Las Grandes Viajes 3 | May 13, 1998 | 3 | 3:13 | Tokyo, Japan | |
| Win | 5–2–1 | Yuji Fujita | Decision (unanimous) | Shooto: Las Grandes Viajes 2 | March 1, 1998 | 2 | 5:00 | Tokyo, Japan | |
| Loss | 4–2–1 | Naoya Uematsu | Submission (Achilles lock) | Lumax Cup: Tournament of J '97 Lightweight Tournament | December 20, 1997 | 1 | 0:23 | Tokyo, Japan | Lumax Cup Lightweight Tournament Final. |
| Win | 4–1–1 | Hiroki Kotani | Decision (unanimous) | 2 | 3:00 | Lumax Cup Lightweight Tournament Semifinal. | |||
| Win | 3–1–1 | Masahito Wachi | Decision (unanimous) | 2 | 3:00 | Lumax Cup Lightweight Tournament Quarterfinal. | |||
| Draw | 2–1–1 | Takuya Kuwabara | Draw (split) | Shooto: Reconquista 4 | October 12, 1997 | 2 | 5:00 | Tokyo, Japan | |
| Win | 2–1 | Yuzo Tateishi | Submission (rear-naked choke) | Shooto: Gig | June 25, 1997 | 1 | 2:14 | Tokyo, Japan | Lightweight debut. |
| Win | 1–1 | Patrick Tapels | Submission (rear-naked choke) | Japan Extreme Challenge Vale Tudo Open | May 28, 1997 | 1 | 2:20 | Tokyo, Japan | |
| Loss | 0–1 | Hayato Sakurai | Submission (armbar) | Shooto: Let's Get Lost | October 4, 1996 | 1 | 2:52 | Tokyo, Japan | Welterweight debut. |
Submission grappling record
KO PUNCHES
| Result | Opponent | Method | Event | Date | Round | Time | Notes |
|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|
| Win | England Leigh Remedios | Submission (straight armlock) | Polaris 10 | May 25, 2019 | 1 | 5:10 | |
| Loss | Brazil Marcos de Souza | Submission (armbar) | Quintet | April 11, 2018 | 1 | ||
| Loss | Brazil Fredson Paixao | Submission (armbar) | UFC Fan Expo | 2010 | 2 | 3:15 | |
| Win | United States Javier Vazquez | Decision | CAND | 2004 | 3 | ||
| Loss | Japan Minoru Suzuki and Japan Tsuyoshi Kohsaka | Submission | The Contenders X-Rage Vol.2 | October 3, 2002 | 1 | 14:39 | Partnered with Japan Osami Shibuya |
| Draw | Japan Minoru Suzuki and Japan Takafumi Ito | Draw | The Contenders 5 Prospective M-1 | October 6, 2001 | 1 | 10:00 | Partnered with Japan Daiju Takase |
| Loss | Brazil Fernando Vasconcelos | Points | ADCC 2001 Absolute | 2001 | |||
| Loss | Japan Takanori Gomi | Decision | The CONTENDERS 6 | October 8, 2001 | 3 | ||
| Win | Japan Yasushi Miyake | Decision | The CONTENDERS 4 | 2000 | |||
| Loss | Japan Genki Sudo | Decision | The CONTENDERS 2000 | 2000 | 2 | ||
| Loss | Brazil Marcio Feitosa Souza | Points | ADCC 2000 –77kg | 2000 | 1 | ||
| Loss | Brazil Jean-Jacques Machado | Submission (rear naked choke) | ADCC 1999 –77kg | 1999 | 1 | 4:45 | |
| Win | Brazil Eddie Ruiz | Submission | ADCC 1999 –77kg | 1999 | 1 | 6:00 | |
| Win | Brazil Pedro Duarte | Decision | ADCC 1999 –77kg | 1999 | 3 | 20:00 | |
| Win | United States John Lewis | Submission (rear naked choke) | ADCC 1999 –77kg | 1999 | 1 | 8:05 | |
| Draw | Japan Yasushi Miyake | - | The CONTENDERS 1 | 1999 | 3 |