is a Japanese kickboxer, currently competing in the featherweight division of K-1, where he is the current featherweight champion. A professional competitor since 2015, Gunji is the 2022 K-1 Featherweight World Grand Prix winner, the former Krush Bantamweight champion, and a two-time Krush Super Bantamweight title challenger. As of January 2023, he is ranked as the best bantamweight (-58 kg) and ninth best pound for pound kickboxer in the world by Beyond Kick and the best super flyweight (-58 kg) and tenth best pound for pound kickboxer by Combat Press, who have ranked him in the top ten since August 2021. Kickboxing career Amateur career Gunji made his kickboxing debut by participating in the 2014 K-1 Challenge B-Class tournament. He won the two-minute quarterfinal and semifinal bouts against Tatsuki Kitayama and Koki by decision, and faced Akihiro Kaneko in the finals. He beat Kaneko by decision. Two months later, Gunji took part in the 2014 K-1 Challenge A-Class tournament, and faced Natsuki Mizukoshi in the semifinals. He beat Mizukoshi by decision, and took on Masahiro Osawa in the finals. Gunji beat Osawa in the same manner, winning by decision. On August 15, 2015, Gunji entered the K-1 Koshien tournament, open to highschool aged kickboxers. He beat Takumi Naito by unanimous decision in the second round and Issei Ichiki by majority decision in the quarterfinals. Gunji lost to Tatsuya Tsubakihara in the semifinals by split decision, after two additional rounds were contested. A year later, on July 30, 2016, Gunji participated in the 2016 K-1 Koshien tournament. He beat Kouka Minowa by unanimous decision in the second round, and notched knockouts of Shizuma Nakashima and Issei Ichiki in the quarterfinal and semifinal respectively. Gunji fought a rematch with Tatsuya Tsubakihara in the tournament finals, winning by unanimous decision. Bantamweight career Early career Gunji made his professional debut against Katsuhiro at Krush 51 on February 6, 2015. He won the bout by majority decision, with scores of 29-29, 30-29 and 29-28. Gunji was then scheduled to face Takuya Suzuki at Krush 54 on May 4, 2015. The fight ended in a majority draw, with two of the judges scoring the fight 29-29, while the third judge scored it 30-28 for Gunji. Gunji faced Yoshiki at Krush 60 on November 14, 2015. He won the fight by a first-round knockout, dropping his opponent with a head kick mid-way through the round. Gunji was