Pro Wrestling NOAH’s Ulka Sasaki Headed to WWE NXT

NXT is about to get a hard-hitting addition. Ulka Sasaki, known for his work in Japan’s Pro Wrestling NOAH, just posted a Vlog confirming a trip to Florida. The video is in Japanese, but per The Wrestling Observer’s Figure Four Online, he confirms in it that he’s there to attend the WWE Performance Center and get ready for a WWE NXT stint.

Sasaki also noted that he has gotten tips from previous NOAH opponent Shinsuke Nakamura about how to adjust to life in the U.S.

Sasaki, whose real first name is Yuta, took the name Ulka from Sanskrit, in which it refers to Tengu, the flying monkey-like yokai from Shinto mythology. He’s a UFC veteran, with a a total MMA record of 24-10-2. In NOAH, he frequently tag teams with Kenoh. Sasaki officially made his pro wrestling debut in 2024, and placed at #270 on the Pro Wrestling Illustrated 500 that same year.

As is their wont, WWE will very likely give him a new name and count on him to speak more English if he stays, though this could just be part of the regular Japanese talent exchange. Yoshiki Inamura did a stint in NXT before returning to Japan, and this could be a similar deal.

You can see the full video below, though it may not mean much if you don’t speak Japanese.