Rei Tsuruya targets “revenge” after lone professional loss to Joshua Van

Rei Tsuruya is looking ahead with the kind of focus that comes after a rare misstep. In a recent interview, the Japanese fighter said he hopes to channel “revenge” for what he learned from his only professional loss, a defeat to Joshua Van.

For Tsuruya, the Joshua Van fight stands out because it is the singular blemish on his pro record. Outside of that night, he has maintained an unblemished run in his professional career, a fact that has helped position him as a fighter who can separate results from mistakes and still keep building.

Tsuruya framed the setback less as a detour and more as instruction. He described the loss as a lesson that clarified what he needs to do differently going forward, emphasizing that the experience changed how he evaluates moments inside fights and how he prepares for the next opponent.

The “revenge” language matters in mixed martial arts because it indicates more than emotion. It often reflects a fighter’s belief that the opponent’s style or the bout’s key turning points are solvable with adjustments, whether that means altering pacing, tightening defense, or refining how and when he commits to attacks. In Tsuruya’s case, the emphasis has been on learning from the Joshua Van defeat rather than letting it define him.

UFC fans know that momentum can evaporate quickly when a prospect faces a stylistic problem they cannot correct. Tsuruya’s approach suggests he is treating the Van loss as a roadmap, using it to strengthen decision-making under pressure. That mindset is frequently the difference between a promising early-career run and a fighter who can withstand the sharper competition that arrives as name recognition grows.

Still, what comes next is not guaranteed by any single interview. A rematch is not something a fighter controls, and mixed martial arts matchmaking depends on divisions, rankings, event planning, and the availability of opponents. Tsuruya’s most immediate opportunity, therefore, is to translate his stated lessons into the next performance, regardless of whether Joshua Van is the opponent.

When Tsuruya discusses “revenge,” the practical question for his career is whether he can keep converting improvement into results at a level where mistakes are punished. His next fight will be the clearest answer to how thoroughly he processed the lessons from the lone loss that stands out on his record.