Five years away from the Pancrase cage have given Masayuki Kikuiri a different perspective on the international MMA landscape. Now, the former welterweight champion is coming back to the promotion where he captured a belt, and an opponent with more than two decades of professional experience will be waiting for him.
On Sunday, Nov. 8, Pancrase 368 takes place at New Pier Hall in Tokyo, Japan. The latest addition to the card pairs Kikuiri with American veteran Alonzo Martinez in a welterweight contest scheduled for three five-minute rounds.
Kikuiri enters with an 11–4–1 record after competing five times across Bellator and the Professional Fighters League, collecting three victories, all by knockout. His last Pancrase appearance came in October 2021, when he defeated Akihiro Murayama to claim the interim welterweight championship. The promotion’s 14th welterweight King of Pancrase now returns after testing himself outside Japan.
Martinez brings a considerably longer résumé into the matchup. The Premier Combat Center representative is 46–24–1 across 71 MMA bouts, with 15 knockout victories and 20 submission wins. His career has included appearances in Bellator, Strikeforce and King of the Cage, along with more recent competition in the Bare Knuckle Fighting Championship.
For Kikuiri, the return offers a chance to bring his international experience back to familiar surroundings. Martinez presents a veteran opponent whose finishing record extends to both the striking and submission sides of the sport.
Another welterweight matchup pits third-ranked Gabriel Levan against fourth-ranked Akira Hirata. Levan, who holds a 2–4 record, earned his first Pancrase victory in July, stopping Shinsuke Nishio with a right straight followed by ground-and-pound. He followed the win by declaring his intention to pursue the championship.
Hirata, the 2025 Neo Blood Tournament middleweight winner, moved down to welterweight for his Sept. 6 meeting with Murayama and secured a ground-and-pound stoppage. The victory brought his record to 3–3 and earned him a spot in the rankings. Both Levan and Hirata have won all of their professional victories by knockout, giving this matchup a clear finishing threat on either side as they pursue a place closer to Goiti Yamauchi’s welterweight title.
At middleweight, first-ranked Haruki Tezuka faces Yuji Arai in a meeting between a newcomer and a returning tournament winner. Tezuka is 1–0 after defeating this year’s Neo Blood Tournament middleweight champion, Kazuki Okamura, by unanimous decision in July. With 20 years of judo experience behind him, Tezuka used his takedowns to control his professional debut.
Arai, the 2020 Neo Blood Tournament middleweight winner, returns to Pancrase after approximately a year and a half away from the promotion. He brings a 7–11 record and previously posted consecutive Pancrase victories over Hirata and Okamura. Tezuka has already made an impression with one professional appearance, but Arai has beaten two fighters who remain part of the division’s rankings.
At bantamweight, Kohei Maeda and Daiki Gojima will get another opportunity to settle a matchup originally scheduled for November 2025. Maeda’s injury withdrawal canceled that meeting, and the two now meet one year later.
The ninth-ranked Maeda, an 11–9–1 veteran and 2018 IMMAF Oceania championship winner, rebounded from consecutive losses with a ground-and-pound victory over Toya Obara in July. Gojima, ranked 12th with a 12–11–2 record, returned in 2024 following a six-year absence and defeated Obara and Takeru Ando before suffering two losses in 2025.
Three preliminary contests round out the seven bouts announced so far. Jyoichiro Hiraga meets professional newcomer Ryo Ushikubo at flyweight, while Shota Taguchi faces Kohei Yamada and Guilherme Nakagawa welcomes Taiju Hayashida to the professional ranks in featherweight bouts.
Doors are scheduled to open at 1 p.m. Japan Standard Time, with the event scheduled to begin at 1:30 p.m. JST. U-NEXT will carry the event exclusively in Japan, while UFC Fight Pass will provide international coverage. Separate broadcast start times have not been announced.
Fan club ticket presales begin Oct. 6, followed by general sales on Oct. 7 through MORE TIGET. Tickets are priced at ¥20,000 for S seats, ¥13,000 for A seats and ¥10,000 for general admission, with standing room applicable if the general admission seats fill.
Pancrase 368 Announced Fight Card
The following is the announcement’s listing order. A final running order and designated main event have not been confirmed. All seven bouts are scheduled for three five-minute rounds.
Main Card
- Welterweight: Masayuki Kikuiri vs. Alonzo Martinez
- Welterweight: Gabriel Levan vs. Akira Hirata
- Middleweight: Haruki Tezuka vs. Yuji Arai
- Bantamweight: Kohei Maeda vs. Daiki Gojima
Preliminary Card
- Flyweight: Jyoichiro Hiraga vs. Ryo Ushikubo
- Featherweight: Shota Taguchi vs. Kohei Yamada
- Featherweight: Guilherme Nakagawa vs. Taiju Hayashida