Yuji Nagata

Yuji Nagata is the kind of pro wrestler I have a soft spot for, the grizzled lifer who just refuses to leave the spotlight. A Chiba kid out of the Nippon Sport Science University amateur wrestling pipeline, you can feel that pedigree in everything he does, every suplex and submission lands with real weight, nothing flashy, all business. He's the guy who went and tested himself in MMA too, won some, ate some, and came back to the ring carrying all of it. What I love most is that white-eyed warrior face, the one where he tilts his head back and roars like he's daring the world to come at him. He never chased the glossy-superstar path; he just stayed reliable, became the wall that younger guys have to get past, and quietly taught everyone what a veteran's back is supposed to look like.

Yuji Nagata is a Japanese professional wrestler and mixed martial artist born on April 24, 1968, in Narutomachi, Chiba Prefecture. A graduate of Nippon Sport Science University with a wrestling background, he has spent decades as a fixture of the New Japan Pro-Wrestling roster, known for his powerful submissions and throws. He has also competed in mixed martial arts, experiencing both wins and losses on major stages. Nagata is an inductee of the Wrestling Observer Newsletter Hall of Fame.

Name (English)

Yuji Nagata

Name (Japanese)

永田裕志

Reading

ながた ゆうじ

Born

April 24, 1968 (age 58)

Zodiac / Chinese zodiac

Taurus / Monkey

Origin

Narutomachi, Chiba Prefecture, Japan

Height

183 cm

Occupation

Professional Wrestler / Mixed Martial Artist

High school

Chiba Prefectural Narutomachi High School

University

Nippon Sport Science University

Awards & achievements

• Wrestling Observer Newsletter Hall of Fame (year unknown)

• Official sitehttps://nagata-lock.jp/
• Instagramhttps://www.instagram.com/yuji_nagata/
• Xhttps://x.com/nagata769
• Wikipedia (Japanese)https://ja.wikipedia.org/wiki/%E6%B0%B8%E7%94%B0%E8%A3%95%E5%BF%97
• Wikidatahttps://www.wikidata.org/wiki/Q3025614

Tags

• From Chiba Prefecture
• Professional Wrestler
• Mixed Martial Artist

Last updated

2026-06-02

Facts are limited to publicly available information up to 2024; non-public or unconfirmed items are omitted. English text is machine-assisted (facts translated by Sonnet, "My Take" written by Opus 4.8). The Japanese page is the source of record.