UFC Fight Night: Nurmagomedov vs. Song  29 Aug 2026 · Oriental Sports Center, Shanghai, China, CN

Rei Tsuruya defeats Kevin Borjas by Submission

Win Rei Tsuruya 12-1-0
Loss Kevin Borjas 11-6-0
Submission

Round 1 · 4:14

Tsuruya vs Borjas — Flyweight · UFC Fight Night: Nurmagomedov vs. Song

Predictions summary

What happened

The result, the defining moments, and what the verdict means.

Rei Tsuruya took Kevin Borjas down in less than a minute and punished him from top position.

When Borjas stood, Tsuruya took his back and dragged him down again before securing a first-round rear-naked choke.

Pre-fight analysis — how we saw it going in

Case for Tsuruya

Five of Tsuruya's eleven wins are submissions, and the rates behind them are 5.03 takedowns and 2.01 submission attempts per 15 minutes. What he does not do is defend — 43% striking defence, 50% takedown defence — which is more survivable against an opponent who never shoots.

Case for Borjas

Borjas has recorded 0.00 takedowns and 0.00 submission attempts per 15 minutes: a striker who stays a striker, with eight knockouts among eleven wins and 73% takedown defence. The figure against him is 5.27 significant strikes absorbed a minute, more than the 3.87 he lands.

What We Were Watching For

  • Tsuruya's 5.03 takedowns per 15 minutes against Borjas's 73% takedown defence — and Borjas's own 0.00, which leaves Tsuruya nothing to defend.
  • Borjas has never recorded a submission attempt. Five of Tsuruya's eleven wins are submissions.
  • Tsuruya's 43% striking defence against a man who has stopped eight of his eleven opponents.
  • Borjas beat Andre Lima in June; Lima fights Namsrai Batbayar on this same card.
Records & career stats
Tsuruya Borjas
  1. OutputSig. strikes landed / min 2.85 3.70
  2. Striking def.Striking defense 43% 50%
  3. DurabilitySig. strikes absorbed / min 1.79 5.44
  4. Takedown def.Takedown defense 50% 70%
  5. FinishingFinish rate 83% 73%
11-1-0
Record
11-5-0
—
Recent formRecent formWin–loss record over the fighter’s last five bouts, newest first, as carried in their UFC/FightMetric career stats.
—
Japan
Nationality
Peru
24
Age
28
1.68 m
Height — Tsuruya leads
1.65 m
173 cm
Reach
173 cm
—
StanceStanceWhich side a fighter leads from — a striking term, not a religious one. Orthodox: right-handed, left foot and hand forward (the common default). Southpaw: the mirror image, right side forward (usually a left-hander). Switch: changes between the two during a fight.
—
83%
Finish rateFinish % — Tsuruya leadsFinish rateThe share of a fighter’s wins that ended inside the distance — by KO/TKO or submission — rather than going to the judges’ scorecards. Higher means more finishes.
73%
4
Wins by KO/TKOKO wins — Borjas leads
8
6
Wins by submissionSub wins — Tsuruya leads
0
2.85
Sig. strikes landed / minStr / min — Borjas leadsSignificant strikes landed per minuteAverage number of significant strikes a fighter lands for every minute of fight time — a read on striking output and pace. From UFC/FightMetric career stats.
3.70
1.79
Sig. strikes absorbed / minAbs / min — Tsuruya leadsSignificant strikes absorbed per minuteAverage number of significant strikes a fighter takes for every minute of fight time. Lower is better — it means they get hit less often. From UFC/FightMetric career stats.
5.44
43%
Striking defenseStrike def. — Borjas leadsStriking defenseThe percentage of opponents’ significant strikes that do not land — strikes slipped, blocked or evaded. Higher is better. Not the same as striking accuracy, which counts your own strikes that land. From UFC/FightMetric.
50%
50%
Takedown defenseTD def. — Borjas leadsTakedown defenseThe percentage of opponents’ takedown attempts that are stuffed. Higher means harder to put on the mat. From UFC/FightMetric.
70%
09:07
Avg. fight timeAvg. timeAverage fight timeThe mean length of the fighter’s bouts (minutes:seconds) — a rough read on whether they tend to finish early or go the distance. From UFC/FightMetric.
11:54
The BLACKBELT Japan
Team
Pitbull Martial Arts Center

Career stats per UFC.com; recent form is each fighter's last five bouts. Record is as of fight night; career stats, recent form and win totals are the latest on file and may include this fight. Bars compare each stat on a fixed scale; the “Edge” marker flags the leading corner where the gap is meaningful. The snapshot plots five career rates — output, striking defense, durability (strikes absorbed, inverted), takedown defense and finish rate — each normalised on its own scale.

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Who Called It?

How the analysts' picks held up once the cage door closed.

Bedtime MMA

Current pick evidence

Picked: Rei Tsuruya · KO/TKO · Round 2

Fight result: Rei Tsuruya · Submission

Picks Rei Tsuruya for a second-round ground-and-pound stoppage.

“Rei Tsuruya, TKO via ground and pound in the second round.”

Analyst track record Track record countsWinner counts resolved calls. Method and Round count only after a correct winner call. Underdog counts picks for a strict underdog in frozen pre-fight odds.Methodology

  • Winner Accuracy 70.8% 121 50
  • Method Accuracy 62.9% 56 33
  • Round Accuracy 38.5% 10 16
  • Underdog Accuracy 48.5% 16 17
View full track record (171 calls)
TheWeasle

Current pick evidence

Picked: Rei Tsuruya · Sub · Round 2

Fight result: Rei Tsuruya · Submission

Picks Rei Tsuruya by second-round submission; the captioned name is garbled but the opponent and card context resolve the bout.

“I'm going to go with Ray Seruya to win this fight by a second round submission.”

Analyst track record Track record countsWinner counts resolved calls. Method and Round count only after a correct winner call. Underdog counts picks for a strict underdog in frozen pre-fight odds.Methodology

  • Winner Accuracy 70.6% 115 48
  • Method Accuracy 61.8% 47 29
  • Round Accuracy 36.5% 19 33
  • Underdog Accuracy 52.9% 9 8
View full track record (163 calls)
AJ Devito

Current pick evidence

Picked: Rei Tsuruya · Sub

Fight result: Rei Tsuruya · Submission

Picks Rei Tsuruya by submission.

“Rei Tsuruya sub is the pick.”

Analyst track record Track record countsWinner counts resolved calls. Method and Round count only after a correct winner call. Underdog counts picks for a strict underdog in frozen pre-fight odds.Methodology

  • Winner Accuracy 69.6% 165 72
  • Method Accuracy 58.4% 59 42
  • Round Accuracy 75.0% 6 2
  • Underdog Accuracy 46.2% 12 14
View full track record (237 calls)
The MMA Guru

Current pick evidence

Picked: Rei Tsuruya

Fight result: Rei Tsuruya · Submission

Picks Rei Tsuruya without committing to a method.

“I'm gonna go with Ray Turia.”

Analyst track record Track record countsWinner counts resolved calls. Method and Round count only after a correct winner call. Underdog counts picks for a strict underdog in frozen pre-fight odds.Methodology

  • Winner Accuracy 65.9% 203 105
  • Method Accuracy 52.8% 57 51
  • Round Accuracy 32.4% 12 25
  • Underdog Accuracy 47.2% 17 19
View full track record (308 calls)
JakeGerberMMA

Current pick evidence

Picked: Rei Tsuruya · Sub · Round 1

Fight result: Rei Tsuruya · Submission

Picks Rei Tsuruya for a first-round submission through his grappling advantage.

“First-round submission.”

Analyst track record Track record countsWinner counts resolved calls. Method and Round count only after a correct winner call. Underdog counts picks for a strict underdog in frozen pre-fight odds.Methodology

  • Winner Accuracy 65.4% 83 44
  • Method Accuracy 60.4% 29 19
  • Round Accuracy 44.4% 4 5
  • Underdog Accuracy 30.0% 3 7
View full track record (127 calls)
DFS By The Numbers

Current pick evidence

Picked: Rei Tsuruya

Fight result: Rei Tsuruya · Submission

Picks Rei Tsuruya and expects an early finish without committing to one exact outcome.

“I think it's Tsuruya here. I think it's done in rounds one or rounds two.”

Analyst track record Track record countsWinner counts resolved calls. Method and Round count only after a correct winner call. Underdog counts picks for a strict underdog in frozen pre-fight odds.Methodology

  • Winner Accuracy 64.4% 94 52
  • Method Accuracy 58.5% 48 34
  • Round Accuracy 35.9% 14 25
  • Underdog Accuracy 35.0% 7 13
View full track record (146 calls)
HopperMMA

Current pick evidence

Picked: Rei Tsuruya · Sub · Round 1

Fight result: Rei Tsuruya · Submission

Picks Rei Tsuruya by first-round submission.

“Rei Tsuruya by sub in the first round.”

Analyst track record Track record countsWinner counts resolved calls. Method and Round count only after a correct winner call. Underdog counts picks for a strict underdog in frozen pre-fight odds.Methodology

  • Winner Accuracy 63.6% 77 44
  • Method Accuracy 64.6% 42 23
  • Round Accuracy 47.2% 17 19
  • Underdog Accuracy 26.3% 5 14
View full track record (121 calls)
MMA Prediction Guru (MMAPG)

Current pick evidence

Picked: Rei Tsuruya · Sub

Fight result: Rei Tsuruya · Submission

Picks Rei Tsuruya by submission, allowing either of the opening two rounds.

“Rei Tsuruya for me in this fight to win via submission.”

Analyst track record Track record countsWinner counts resolved calls. Method and Round count only after a correct winner call. Underdog counts picks for a strict underdog in frozen pre-fight odds.Methodology

  • Winner Accuracy 59.4% 41 28
  • Method Accuracy 57.7% 15 11
  • Round Accuracy 12.5% 1 7
  • Underdog Accuracy 30.8% 4 9
View full track record (69 calls)

Analyst picks: Bedtime MMA Hit; TheWeasle Hit; AJ Devito Hit; The MMA Guru Hit; JakeGerberMMA Hit; DFS By The Numbers Hit; HopperMMA Hit; MMA Prediction Guru (MMAPG) Hit.

Analyst prediction scorecards
Expand row
Bedtime MMA171 resolved calls
Bedtime MMA

Current pick evidence

Picked: Rei Tsuruya · KO/TKO · Round 2

Fight result: Rei Tsuruya · Submission

Picks Rei Tsuruya for a second-round ground-and-pound stoppage.

“Rei Tsuruya, TKO via ground and pound in the second round.”

Analyst track record Track record countsWinner counts resolved calls. Method and Round count only after a correct winner call. Underdog counts picks for a strict underdog in frozen pre-fight odds.Methodology

  • Winner Accuracy 70.8% 121 50
  • Method Accuracy 62.9% 56 33
  • Round Accuracy 38.5% 10 16
  • Underdog Accuracy 48.5% 16 17
View full track record (171 calls)
Historic market Favourite call, market price 87.5%. Tsuruya · KO/TKO · R2Tsuruya · Sub R1HitMissMiss
TheWeasle163 resolved calls
TheWeasle

Current pick evidence

Picked: Rei Tsuruya · Sub · Round 2

Fight result: Rei Tsuruya · Submission

Picks Rei Tsuruya by second-round submission; the captioned name is garbled but the opponent and card context resolve the bout.

“I'm going to go with Ray Seruya to win this fight by a second round submission.”

Analyst track record Track record countsWinner counts resolved calls. Method and Round count only after a correct winner call. Underdog counts picks for a strict underdog in frozen pre-fight odds.Methodology

  • Winner Accuracy 70.6% 115 48
  • Method Accuracy 61.8% 47 29
  • Round Accuracy 36.5% 19 33
  • Underdog Accuracy 52.9% 9 8
View full track record (163 calls)
Historic market Favourite call, market price 87.5%. Tsuruya · Sub · R2Tsuruya · Sub R1HitHitMiss
AJ Devito237 resolved calls
AJ Devito

Current pick evidence

Picked: Rei Tsuruya · Sub

Fight result: Rei Tsuruya · Submission

Picks Rei Tsuruya by submission.

“Rei Tsuruya sub is the pick.”

Analyst track record Track record countsWinner counts resolved calls. Method and Round count only after a correct winner call. Underdog counts picks for a strict underdog in frozen pre-fight odds.Methodology

  • Winner Accuracy 69.6% 165 72
  • Method Accuracy 58.4% 59 42
  • Round Accuracy 75.0% 6 2
  • Underdog Accuracy 46.2% 12 14
View full track record (237 calls)
Historic market Favourite call, market price 87.5%. Tsuruya · SubTsuruya · Sub R1HitHitNot called
The MMA Guru308 resolved calls
The MMA Guru

Current pick evidence

Picked: Rei Tsuruya

Fight result: Rei Tsuruya · Submission

Picks Rei Tsuruya without committing to a method.

“I'm gonna go with Ray Turia.”

Analyst track record Track record countsWinner counts resolved calls. Method and Round count only after a correct winner call. Underdog counts picks for a strict underdog in frozen pre-fight odds.Methodology

  • Winner Accuracy 65.9% 203 105
  • Method Accuracy 52.8% 57 51
  • Round Accuracy 32.4% 12 25
  • Underdog Accuracy 47.2% 17 19
View full track record (308 calls)
Historic market Favourite call, market price 87.5%. Tsuruya · to winTsuruya · Sub R1HitNot calledNot called
JakeGerberMMA127 resolved calls
JakeGerberMMA

Current pick evidence

Picked: Rei Tsuruya · Sub · Round 1

Fight result: Rei Tsuruya · Submission

Picks Rei Tsuruya for a first-round submission through his grappling advantage.

“First-round submission.”

Analyst track record Track record countsWinner counts resolved calls. Method and Round count only after a correct winner call. Underdog counts picks for a strict underdog in frozen pre-fight odds.Methodology

  • Winner Accuracy 65.4% 83 44
  • Method Accuracy 60.4% 29 19
  • Round Accuracy 44.4% 4 5
  • Underdog Accuracy 30.0% 3 7
View full track record (127 calls)
Historic market Favourite call, market price 87.5%. Tsuruya · Sub · R1Tsuruya · Sub R1HitHitHit
DFS By The Numbers146 resolved calls
DFS By The Numbers

Current pick evidence

Picked: Rei Tsuruya

Fight result: Rei Tsuruya · Submission

Picks Rei Tsuruya and expects an early finish without committing to one exact outcome.

“I think it's Tsuruya here. I think it's done in rounds one or rounds two.”

Analyst track record Track record countsWinner counts resolved calls. Method and Round count only after a correct winner call. Underdog counts picks for a strict underdog in frozen pre-fight odds.Methodology

  • Winner Accuracy 64.4% 94 52
  • Method Accuracy 58.5% 48 34
  • Round Accuracy 35.9% 14 25
  • Underdog Accuracy 35.0% 7 13
View full track record (146 calls)
Historic market Favourite call, market price 87.5%. Tsuruya · to winTsuruya · Sub R1HitNot calledNot called
HopperMMA121 resolved calls
HopperMMA

Current pick evidence

Picked: Rei Tsuruya · Sub · Round 1

Fight result: Rei Tsuruya · Submission

Picks Rei Tsuruya by first-round submission.

“Rei Tsuruya by sub in the first round.”

Analyst track record Track record countsWinner counts resolved calls. Method and Round count only after a correct winner call. Underdog counts picks for a strict underdog in frozen pre-fight odds.Methodology

  • Winner Accuracy 63.6% 77 44
  • Method Accuracy 64.6% 42 23
  • Round Accuracy 47.2% 17 19
  • Underdog Accuracy 26.3% 5 14
View full track record (121 calls)
Historic market Favourite call, market price 87.5%. Tsuruya · Sub · R1Tsuruya · Sub R1HitHitHit
MMA Prediction Guru (MMAPG)69 resolved calls
MMA Prediction Guru (MMAPG)

Current pick evidence

Picked: Rei Tsuruya · Sub

Fight result: Rei Tsuruya · Submission

Picks Rei Tsuruya by submission, allowing either of the opening two rounds.

“Rei Tsuruya for me in this fight to win via submission.”

Analyst track record Track record countsWinner counts resolved calls. Method and Round count only after a correct winner call. Underdog counts picks for a strict underdog in frozen pre-fight odds.Methodology

  • Winner Accuracy 59.4% 41 28
  • Method Accuracy 57.7% 15 11
  • Round Accuracy 12.5% 1 7
  • Underdog Accuracy 30.8% 4 9
View full track record (69 calls)
Historic market Favourite call, market price 87.5%. Tsuruya · SubTsuruya · Sub R1HitHitNot called

8 of 8 nailed it.

The experts above are a lens, not credentials we conferred — analyst, fighter or betting desk.

Results

Pre-fight calls vs result. Market: sportsbook snapshot or historic market reconstruction.

Actual Tsuruya · Submission · R1

Closest probability Gemini put 85% on Tsuruya.

ChatGPT47 of 81 winner picks correct · 58% hit rate
72% Tsuruya
28% Borjas
PickTsuruya · Submission · R2ActualTsuruya · Submission · R1
WinnerHitMethodHitRoundMissHistoric market favouriteHistoric market favourite: FavouriteThe selected fighter had the higher market-implied chance of winning.Historic market favourite: favourite call
Claude46 of 75 winner picks correct · 61% hit rate
82% Tsuruya
18% Borjas
PickTsuruya · DecisionActualTsuruya · Submission · R1
WinnerHitMethodMissRoundNot calledHistoric market favouriteHistoric market favourite: FavouriteThe selected fighter had the higher market-implied chance of winning.Historic market favourite: favourite call
Gemini50 of 81 winner picks correct · 62% hit rate
85% Tsuruya
15% Borjas
PickTsuruya · Submission · R1ActualTsuruya · Submission · R1
WinnerHitMethodHitRoundHitHistoric market favouriteHistoric market favourite: FavouriteThe selected fighter had the higher market-implied chance of winning.Historic market favourite: favourite call
AI Predictions — pre-fight snapshot

AI Predictions

Independent forecasts from ChatGPT, Claude and Gemini · latest 24 Aug, 4 days before the fight

All 3 models pick Tsuruya

They differ on how the fight ends, with win chances from 72% (ChatGPT) to 85% (Gemini).

Method mix differs most for Decision: 23% (Gemini) to 41% (Claude), a 18-point range.

  • ChatGPT

    47 of 81 winner picks correct · 58% hit rate

    Pick Tsuruya by submission in round 2

    Win probability: Tsuruya 72%, Borjas 28%.

    gpt-5.6-sol · 23 Aug

    High confidence
  • Claude

    46 of 75 winner picks correct · 61% hit rate

    Pick Tsuruya by decision

    Win probability: Tsuruya 82%, Borjas 18%.

    claude-opus-5 · 24 Aug

    High confidence
  • Gemini

    50 of 81 winner picks correct · 62% hit rate

    Pick Tsuruya by submission in round 1

    Win probability: Tsuruya 85%, Borjas 15%.

    gemini-3.1-pro-high · 24 Aug

    High confidence

ChatGPT reads the fight as “Rei Tsuruya is favored because the locked distribution assigns him a 72% overall win probability, led by a 36% submission outcome. Kevin Borjas's strongest path is a KO/TKO at 18%, but the model's likeliest single outcome is a Tsuruya submission in round two.”

What to watch

  • Tsuruya holds a 72% overall win probability in the locked distribution.
  • Tsuruya by submission is the largest individual outcome at 36%.
  • Borjas by KO/TKO is the principal upset outcome at 18%.

Swing factor

Whether Borjas can keep the fight in the phase most favorable to his 18% KO/TKO path before Tsuruya can realize the model's submission-heavy advantage.

More detail3 areas differ

The models differ on finish method, round timing, probability distribution.

Forecast comparison by model
DetailChatGPTClaudeGemini
How it endsKO/TKOSubmissionDecisionTop to bottom in each stack
RoundRound 2—Round 1
Forecast comparison by model
DetailChatGPTClaudeGemini
How it endsKO/TKOSubmissionDecisionTop to bottom in each stack
RoundRound 2—Round 1

ChatGPT

Pick

Tsuruya by submission in round 2

High confidenceConfidence labelBased on the higher win probability: Low below 58%, Medium 58–69%, High 70% or more. This is a coarse probability band, not a separate calibrated score.
Win probability: Tsuruya 72%, Borjas 28%

Winner probability by method

KO/TKO, 25% overall: Tsuruya 7%, Borjas 18%
Submission, 37% overall: Tsuruya 36%, Borjas 1%
Decision, 38% overall: Tsuruya 29%, Borjas 9%

How ChatGPT sees the fight

Rei Tsuruya is favored because the locked distribution assigns him a 72% overall win probability, led by a 36% submission outcome. Kevin Borjas's strongest path is a KO/TKO at 18%, but the model's likeliest single outcome is a Tsuruya submission in round two.

Keys to victory

  • Tsuruya holds a 72% overall win probability in the locked distribution.
  • Tsuruya by submission is the largest individual outcome at 36%.
  • Borjas by KO/TKO is the principal upset outcome at 18%.

X-factor

Whether Borjas can keep the fight in the phase most favorable to his 18% KO/TKO path before Tsuruya can realize the model's submission-heavy advantage.

gpt-5.6-sol · 23 Aug47 of 81 winner picks correct · 58% hit rate

Claude

Pick

Tsuruya by decision

High confidenceConfidence labelBased on the higher win probability: Low below 58%, Medium 58–69%, High 70% or more. This is a coarse probability band, not a separate calibrated score.
Win probability: Tsuruya 82%, Borjas 18%

Winner probability by method

KO/TKO, 24% overall: Tsuruya 12%, Borjas 12%
Submission, 35% overall: Tsuruya 34%, Borjas 1%
Decision, 41% overall: Tsuruya 36%, Borjas 5%

How Claude sees the fight

Rei Tsuruya should win by imposing a wrestling-first game: entries, control, back-take, choke. Tsuruya's UFC takedown completion is only ~25% (8/32) and his striking output is low (17/32/17 sig. strikes in three UFC bouts), so a grindy decision is at least as likely as a finish. Kevin Borjas has the output and pop edge standing (3.87 vs 2.40 SLpM) but absorbs 5.27/min, has 0 UFC takedowns and 73% TDD, and is on a 70-day turnaround in his third fight in six months after missing weight in June. The model prices Tsuruya ~82%, marginally under the ~85% no-vig market.

Keys to victory

  • Grappling gap: Rei Tsuruya's wrestling base and 2.01 subs/15min vs Kevin Borjas' 73% TDD; Borjas was taken down before Imanol Rodriguez finished him
  • Standing risk is real: Kevin Borjas has the volume (3.87 SLpM) and knockdown edge against Rei Tsuruya's 43% strike defense and 0.00 knockdown average
  • Load and weight: Borjas' 70-day turnaround, three fights in six months and a 3 lb miss in June vs Tsuruya's first 125 lb cut since March 2025

X-factor

Weigh-ins (Aug 28) were unknown at research close: Kevin Borjas missed weight last time after walking around 170, and Rei Tsuruya returns to 125 post-layoff — either bad cut reshapes the grappling.

claude-opus-5 · 24 Aug46 of 75 winner picks correct · 61% hit rate

Gemini

Pick

Tsuruya by submission in round 1

High confidenceConfidence labelBased on the higher win probability: Low below 58%, Medium 58–69%, High 70% or more. This is a coarse probability band, not a separate calibrated score.
Win probability: Tsuruya 85%, Borjas 15%

Winner probability by method

KO/TKO, 30% overall: Tsuruya 20%, Borjas 10%
Submission, 47% overall: Tsuruya 45%, Borjas 2%
Decision, 23% overall: Tsuruya 20%, Borjas 3%

How Gemini sees the fight

Based on the provided records and inferred stylistic profiles from the assignment, Rei Tsuruya (11-1-0) enters as the clear favorite over Kevin Borjas (11-5-0). Model inference suggests that Tsuruya will effectively implement a dominant, likely grappling-heavy game plan, exploiting Borjas's statistical defensive gaps to secure a submission or TKO. Borjas's most viable path to victory relies on landing a concussive strike, which remains a low-probability outcome given the respective trajectories of both fighters.

Keys to victory

  • Rei Tsuruya's strong 11-1-0 record suggests a dominant stylistic advantage, inferred to be a high-level grappling skill set.
  • Kevin Borjas's 11-5-0 record indicates exploitable defensive vulnerabilities against top-tier prospects.
  • Model inference points to a likely early finish for Tsuruya via submission or ground strikes due to the notable disparity in their professional records.

X-factor

High-variance striking exchanges in the opening minutes representing Borjas's primary path to an upset.

gemini-3.1-pro-high · 24 Aug50 of 81 winner picks correct · 62% hit rate

AI-generated · Not betting advice · 18+ (21+ where required) · Gambling help (opens in new tab) ↗

No market odds are available for this fight yet.