Founding (1993)
Pancrase was established in 1993 by professional wrestlers Masakatsu Funaki and Minoru Suzuki, who, along with Ken Shamrock, Takaku Fuke and other shoot-style wrestlers, departed Yoshiaki Fujiwara's Fujiwara Gumi promotion over its drift toward worked, predetermined matches. The operating company, World Pancrase Create Inc. (WPC), was incorporated on May 16, 1993, and the promotion staged its first event on September 21, 1993, at Tokyo Bay NK Hall. The name was taken from pankration, the submission-and-striking combat sport of the ancient Olympic Games, reflecting the founders' goal of presenting legitimate, full-contact contests rather than scripted spectacle.
Early Shoot-Style Era and Rules (1993-1998)
Pancrase's early rules grew out of catch wrestling and the shoot-style wrestling tradition, producing a hybrid format distinct from later MMA. Closed-fist strikes to the head were banned (open-palm strikes were permitted), and a system of rope escapes allowed a fighter caught in a submission near the ropes to break the hold at the cost of a point deduction, with disqualification following after a set number of escapes. Bouts also used a boxing-style knockdown count. Within this framework the promotion crowned its first King of Pancrase: Ken Shamrock won the inaugural openweight tournament in December 1994, defeating Manabu Yamada in the final. Founders Funaki and Suzuki, strikers Bas Rutten (Dutch) and Frank Shamrock (American), and Guy Mezger headlined this period, establishing Pancrase as one of the most credible fight organizations of the 1990s.
Transition to Modern MMA (1999-2011)
As mixed martial arts standardized internationally, Pancrase progressively abandoned its shoot-style restrictions. From around 1999 the rules moved closer to conventional MMA, permitting closed-fist strikes and phasing out the rope-escape system, while still maintaining its own particulars such as restrictions on knees to a grounded opponent. The promotion expanded into multiple weight classes with King of Pancrase titles in each division and served as a development ground for fighters who later reached the UFC, WEC and other major organizations. During this era Pancrase remained a fixture of the Japanese MMA scene alongside Pride FC and other promotions, valued for its long-running, competitively matched cards.
Sale to Smash (2012)
On June 1, 2012, Pancrase announced that it had been sold to businessman Masakazu Sakai and his Smash organization, with Sakai installed as president and veteran referee Yuji Shimada involved in event production. Under the new ownership the promotion modernized its presentation: in May 2014 it replaced its traditional ring with a ten-sided cage (described as a decagon) to align with international standards, and in May 2016 it formally adopted the unified rules of MMA as codified by the Association of Boxing Commissions.
Modern Era (2016-present)
Operating under Smash, Pancrase has continued as a regular regional promotion centered in Tokyo, running numbered events and maintaining King of Pancrase championships across men's and women's weight classes. In March 2022 its organizational structure was reformed, with the operation reconstituted as the Pancrase Executive Committee and title oversight handled by the King of Pancrase Council. The promotion remains an established feeder and proving ground within Japanese MMA, with champions and prospects regularly moving on to larger global organizations.