In the 21st century, women have achieved and conquered every field, whether it is education or sports.
Here were are talking about an outstanding personality who is a professional wrestler and former Mixed Martial Artist (MMA).
Sumie Sakai is a Japanese-born professional wrestler and a former mixed martial artist.
Currently, she is part of the professional wrestling promotion based in the states. She started her career as a wrestler in 1997 and as an MMA fighter from 2006 to 2013.
Before landing in the world of wrestling, she competed as a judo fighter. Nonetheless, she earned the reputation of being one of the best wrestlers in the world.
With all her dedication and devotion, she proved herself a no. 1 fighter. Besides all her achievements, she was the first “Women of Honor World Champion.”
We’ll talk more about her career succession, achievements, awards, and personal life. But, before that, let’s jump into the quick facts.
Quick Facts:
| Full Name | Sumie Sakai |
| Birth Date | November 24, 1971 |
| Birth Place |
Suzuka, Mie Japan
|
| Ring name | Yellow Michinoku Ranger |
| Religion | Not known |
| Nationality | Japanese |
| Ethnicity | Asian |
| Education | None |
| Horoscope | Sagittarius |
| Father’s Name | Not Available |
| Mother’s Name | Not Available |
| Siblings | Not Available |
| Age | 52 years old |
| Height | 5 feet 1 inch |
| Weight | 54 kg (119 lb) |
| Hair Color | Brown |
| Eye Color | Brown |
| Build | Athletic |
| Profession | Wrestler, Former MMA fighter |
| Current Team | Professional Wrestling Promotions |
| Billed from | Osaka Tokyo |
| Active Years | 2012 – Present |
| Marital Status | Unmarried |
| Tattoo | N/A |
| Salary | Not known |
| Net Worth | Not known |
| Social Media | Twitter, Facebook, |
| Merch | Autographed Miscellaneous Item, Signed 2018 Leaf Executive Collection |
| Last Update | April, 2024 |
Sumie Sakai | Early life, Nationality & Ethnicity
Sumie Sakai, the Yellow Michinoku Ranger, was born on November 24, 1971, in Suzuka, Mie, Japan. She is of Japanese nationality and belongs to the Asian ethnicity.
Born in November, her zodiac sign is Sagittarius. Sakai is very secretive and protective of her loved ones. Hence, there is less info about her parents.
However, via news, we found her father was a former wrestler. But there is no info about her siblings. Before becoming a professional wrestler, she practiced Judo in Japan.
Sumie Sakai | Professional Wrestling Career & MMA
Wrestling in Japan
Sakai’s wrestling career started when one of her friends, Megumi Yabushita, invited her to the sport. Then former wrestling player and trainer Rimi Yakota trained her.
Likewise, Sumie made her wrestling debut on April 20, 1997, with the Yoshimoto Ladies.
She later formed a tag team with Yabushita named Yabusaka. In 1997, Sumei started wrestling for Yokota’s JD Star promotion.
At the beginning of her career, Sakai bagged the JDStar Junior Championship and the JDStar Queen of the Ring Championship.
Furthermore, she also managed to win the Women’s Championship of the affiliated American Wrestling Federation.
Not only the coveted Women’s Championship, but she also held the title of “Tag Team Championship.”
While competing in Japan, she faced several prominent fighters, including Dick Togo, The Great Sasuke, and Jinsei Sinzaki.
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Wrestling in United States-Independent Circuit
After conquering the homeland turf, Sakai started wrestling in the United States in 2002. However, she was involved with only promotion at the start.
However, in 2003, she left the JD Star and became part of American Wrestling. Since 2002, Sakai has been associated with Independent Wrestling.
In 2009, she took training from Brazilian jiu-jitsu black belt holder Bill Scott. Right now, Sakai herself is a blue belt holder.
Sumie Sakai Rise as a “Ring of Honor”
In June 2002, Sakai defeated Simply Luscious in the first match of “Ring of Honor.” Again in December 2003, she defeated Canadian wrestler Alison Danger.
However, in January 2004, she lost the fight against Alexis Laree and April Hunter.
Sakai Journey to the MMA’s World
On October 14, 2006, Sakai made her MMA debut. In her debut game, she competed with American kickboxer Amy Davis.
However, the game ended with no result. Talking about her MMA record, she had two wins in 7 matches. Her victory included two submissions.
Moreover, she lost four matches: two by knockouts, one by submission, and one by decision.
After returning to ROH, Sakai performed regularly with ROH. On September 26, 2015, she competed and lost to Veda Scott.
Women of Honor Championship (2018)
In 2018, Sakai participated in the tournament and was crowned the inaugural ROH Women of Honor World Champion.
To clinch the title, she defeated prominent fighters like Kelly Klein, Hanna Kimura, Madison Rayne, and Tanille Dashwood.
Moreover, she teamed up with Nicole Savoy and lost the game against Angelina Love and Mandy Leon. They competed at the Saturday Night at Center Stage.
Learn more about her career stats and latest matches on ESPN.
Women of Honor World Championship Match and Heel Turn (2019)
Sumie received her first Women of Honor World Championship match since losing the title when she challenged Klein on January 26, 2019.
However, she was unsuccessful in achieving the title. Further, Sakai teamed with Nicole Savoy and faced The Allure at the Saturday Night at Center Stage on January 11, 2020.
Sadly, they lost the match, and after the match, Sumei attacked Savoy out of frustration, turning heel in the process.
Moreover, that same day, Sumei defeated Savoy during their second encounter against each other.
Sumie Sakai re-signed with the Ring of Honor.
On January 9, 2021, it was official that Sakai would be part of ROH as she re-signed with the company. However, there is no detailed information about Sumie’s next matches.
Sumie Sakai | Injury & Dedication Towards Wrestling
In wrestling, injuries are most common. We have seen multiple injuries resulting from various attacks and in various forms. Some are even life-threatening.
Talking about Sakai, she also has been injured on several occasions. In 1999, Sumie broke her legs while competing with Lioness Asuka.
Furthermore, she also suffered from a broken orbital bone at G1 Supercard in April.
Likewise, she also suffered another injury during the six-woman tag match at Madison Square Garden. However, she healed from the injury and was ready for her next fight.
Despite being in her late forties and being injured twice, Sakai has a great passion for wrestling. During an interview, she mentioned:
“I would like to give a big shout-out and an even bigger THANK YOU to my parents for passing their great genetics on to me! I’m still humble. I’m still learning. I still wanna get better, and I always want to have a good match with all of my opponents.”
Sumie Sakai | Age, Height, Measurements
Professional wrestler and MMA fighter Sakai has an average height of 5 feet 1 inch, about 1.55. Furthermore, she weighs around 54 kgs.
Likewise, she has perfect measurements of 38-26-35. Years of training have made her body toned and tough. The color of her eye color is black, whereas her hair color is brown.
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Is Sumie Sakai married? Who is her husband? Personal Life
Sumie earned the limelight regarding her professional life. However, when it comes to her affair and relationship, there is no information.
As mentioned above, Sumie is secretive when it comes to her personal affairs. However, it seems, Sumie is neither married nor in any relationship.
But she might have dated earlier. Still, she has not talked anything about her past affair.
Even after analyzing and seeing all her social media accounts, there are no details on her personal life or any ongoing affairs.
Besides Sumie’s professional career, she loves traveling. Her favorite destination happens to be Hawaii and Maldives.
Also, when she was young, she weaved a dream to be an Olympian medalist or teacher.
Moreover, she worked at the old age care center and still believes in charity and social work. And she also associates herself with a childcare organization in Philadelphia.
Apart from traveling and social work, she loves American shows. Her favorite shows are “Jerry Springer” and “Maury.”
She is also a foodie. Her favorite foods are Sour Patch/Sour Kitties. Not to mention, Sumie loves Japanese foods.
In her spare time, Sakai loves to spend time in the gym and learn from her trainer Daniel Gracie.
Added to that, Sakai is fond of animals. She even has a couple of kittens in her house.
Sumie Sakai | Salary & Net Worth
Wrestlers’ and Mixed Martial Artists’ earnings depend on the league, experience, skills, contracts, and pay-per-view.
Usually, a common wrestler earns $100,000 – $400,000 in a year. But some famous wrestlers can make more than $1 million per annum.
Besides that, some freshers can earn about $100+ per match. It’s no secret that Sumie Sakai has been an outstanding wrestler since 1997.
She is not only a prominent wrestler but has also excelled as an MMA fighter. So what are the income, salary, and net worth of Sumie Sakai?
Undoubtedly, Sakai is an incredible wrestler. But there is no info about her salaries and earnings. Her salary is still under review.
But as per some sources, Sakai has an estimated net worth of $4 million, which is still increasing.
Social Media Presence:
Like some other celebrities, Sumie is also popular on social networking sites. Therefore, one can easily follow her on social media.
She is active on Facebook and Twitter as well. Normally, on her social media, she posts about her daily activities, travel, upcoming fights, and many more.
Some FAQs:
Who is Sumie Sakai?
Sumie Sakai is a former Judo player and former MMA fighter. She currently competes in Independent Wrestling.
Is Sumie Sakai is married?
No, it seems the Japanese wrestler is single at the moment. Also, there is no information about her relationships.
Who won Sumie Sakai vs. Tenille Dashwood?
Although Dashwood seemed dominant in the match for a while, Sakai won the match and retained her Women of Honor champion title.
Did Renee Michelle defeat Sumie Sakai?
Renee Michelle and Davienne defeated Sumie Sakai and Willow Nightingale on August 9, 2015.
Who did Sumie Sakai face in the 2009 Ring of Honor?
Sumie Sakai faced Reo Hazuki in 2009 Ring of Honor Wrestling.
Have Tenille and Sumie Sakai ever faced each other?
Sumie Sakai and Tenille Dashwood fought for the Women of Honor Championship at “ROH Death Before Dishonor” in 2018.
Who won Kacee Carlisle vs. Sumie Sakai?
Kacee Carlisle defeated Sumie Sakai to become the inaugural Queen of Valkyrie for Valkyrie Women’s Professional Wrestling on October 24, 2014.
