Name Ryo Chonan
Nickname Piranha
Association [[Team M.A.D.]]/Team Quest
Weight Class Middleweight (185 lbs.) / Welterweight (170 lbs.)
Height 5′ 9″ (175 cm)
Style Kyokushin Kaikan
Birth Date October 8, 1976
Fighting Out Of Yamagata City, Japan
Country Japan
Ryo Chonan Pictures Official Website

”’Ryo Chonan”’ is a Japanese mixed martial artist who competes as a Middleweight. He has previously competed in PRIDE Fighting Championships, DEEP, and the UFC as a Middleweight. He is known for being one of the few men to defeat Anderson Silva. Once being let go by the UFC, Chonan has returned to DEEP.

== Professional Record ==

Record 20 – 13 – 0 (Win â€Â“ Loss â€Â“ Draw)
Wins 7 (T)KOs
2 Submissions
11 Decisions
Losses 4 (T)KOs
1 Submissions
8 Decisions
Result Opponent Method Event Title Date Round Time Notes
Loss Hayato Sakurai Decision (Unanimous) [[Dream Fight For Japan! New Year! 2011]] 12/31/2011 3 5:00
Win Naoki Samukawa Decision (Unanimous) Deep: Cage Impact 2011 in Tokyo, 2nd Round 10/29/2011 3 5:00
Win Shigetoshi Iwase KO (Punch) Deep: 54 Impact 6/24/2011 1 4:45
Loss Taisuke Okuno KO (Punch) World Victory Road Presents Sengoku Soul of Fight 12/30/2010 1 0:19
Win Jun Hee Moon TKO (Punches) Deep: 50 Impact 10/24/2010 3 2:57
Loss Jung Hwan Cha KO (Punches) Astra: Yoshida’s Farewell 4/25/2010 2 1:16
Win Andrews Nakahara Decision (Unanimous) DREAM 13 3/22/2010 2 5:00
Win Jutaro Nakao Decision (Unanimous) DEEP: 43 Impact 8/23/2009 3 5:00
Loss TJ Grant Decision (Split) UFC 97 Redemption 4/18/2009 3 5:00 After second consecutive loss, Chonan was released from the UFC
Loss Brad Blackburn Decision (Unanimous) UFC 92 The Ultimate 2008 12/27/2008 3 5:00
Win Roan Carneiro Decision (Split) UFC 88 Breakthrough 9/06/2008 3 5:00
Loss Karo Parisyan Decision (Unanimous) UFC 78 Validation 11/17/2007 3 5:00 UFC debut
Win Doo Won Seo TKO (Punches) DEEP: DEEP in Yamagata 6/24/2007 1 2:58 Defended DEEP Middleweight Championship; Vacated title in order to compete in the UFC
Win Ryuta Sakurai Decision (Majority) DEEP: 28 Impact 2/16/2007 3 5:00 Defended DEEP Middleweight Championship
Loss Paulo Filho Submission (Armbar) PRIDE Bushido 12 8/26/2006 1 2:30
Win Joey Villasenor Decision (Split) PRIDE Bushido 11 6/04/2006 2 5:00
Win Ryuta Sakurai TKO (Cut) DEEP: 23 Impact 2/05/2006 1 1:57 Won DEEP Middleweight Championship
Loss Dan Henderson KO (Punch) PRIDE Bushido 9 9/25/2005 1 0:22
Loss Phil Baroni KO (Punch) PRIDE Bushido 8 7/17/2005 1 1:40
Win Antonio Schembri Decision (Unanimous) PRIDE Bushido 7 5/22/2005 2 5:00
Win Roan Carneiro TKO (Cut) DEEP: 18th Impact 2/12/2005 3 2:15
Win Anderson Silva Submission (Flying Scissor Heel Hook) PRIDE Shockwave 2004 12/31/2004 3 3:08
Win Carlos Newton Decision (Unanimous) PRIDE Bushido 5 10/14/2004 2 5:00
Loss Ricardo Almeida Decision (Unanimous) PRIDE Bushido 3 5/23/2004 2 5:00
Win Daijiro Matsui Decision (Majority) DEEP: 13th Impact 1/22/2004 3 5:00
Win Hayato Sakurai TKO (Cut) DEEP: 12th Impact 9/15/2003 3 2:10
Win Yuji Hisamatsu Decision (Majority) DEEP: 11th Impact 7/13/2003 3 5:00
Loss Masanori Suda Decision (Split) DEEP: 7th Impact 12/08/2002 3 5:00
Win Katsumi Usuta TKO (Punches) DEEP: 6th Impact 9/07/2002 1 0:05
Loss Eiji Ishikawa Decision (Majority) DEEP: 5th Impact 6/09/2002 2 5:00
Win Kenji Akiyama Submission (Punches) DEEP: 4th Impact 3/30/2002 1 4:22
Win Takaku Fuke Decision (Unanimous) DEEP: 3rd Impact 12/23/2001 3 5:00
Loss Hikaru Sato Decision (Unanimous) Pancrase: 2001 Neo-Blood Tournament Eliminations 5/05/2001 3 5:00

== Mixed Martial Arts Career ==
Chonan is currently a part of the Team Quest, along with former PRIDE Fighting Championships middleweight and welterweight champion Dan Henderson, Matt Lindland, [[Jason “Mayhem” Miller]], and Rameau Thierry Sokoudjou.

One of Chonan’s most well known wins was against future UFC Middleweight champion Anderson Silva at PRIDE Shockwave 2004, where he executed a flying scissor-lock takedown, followed quickly by a heel-hook submission. In the 2006 PRIDE Welterweight Grand Prix, Chonan suffered a broken orbital bone at the end of his match against Joey Villasenor caused by a stomp but was able to continue in the tournament. In his next match of the tournament, against Paulo Filho, Chonan was submitted by armbar early in the first round.

In February 2007, Chonan returned to DEEP and defeated former DEEP Middleweight champion Ryuta Sakurai to retain the middleweight championship.

=== UFC Career ===
Ryo Chonan made his UFC debut against Karo Parisyan on November 17, 2007 at UFC 78 which Chonan lost via unanimous decision after three rounds.

Chonan then defeated Roan Carneiro via split decision on September 6, 2008 at UFC 88.

Chonan would go on to lose two consecutive bouts to Brad Blackburn and then UFC new-comer T.J. Grant. After the consecutive losses, Chonan was let go by the UFC. He returned to DEEP, stating that he wanted to regain his title.

=== Return to Japan===
Chonan’s return to Japan saw him return to DEEP. It took place at DEEP: 43 Impact on August 23, 2009. He defeated Jutaro Nakao via unanimous decision to end his two-fight losing streak.

He then made an appearance in DREAM on March 22, 2010 at DREAM 13, where he faced Andrews Nakahara, who he went on to defeat by Decision (Unanimous). Then on April 24, 2010, Chonan returned at an event titled Astra: Yoshida’s Farewell, where he faced Jung Hwan Cha, a relatively unknown fighter who had competed almost entirely with SpiritMC. In a shocking upset, Cha ended the fight in the second round by way of KO (Punches), handing Chonan the loss.

== Ranks and Titles ==
* Third Deep Middleweight Champion