Which player won the Street Fighter IV singles tournament at EVO 2009?

Daigo Umehara won the Street Fighter IV singles tournament at EVO 2009. The Japanese player defeated fellow Japanese competitor Ryo “Mago” Sakuramoto in the grand final of the event.

EVO 2009 was held in Las Vegas and featured Street Fighter IV during the game’s first major competitive era. Daigo used Ryu, while Mago used Sagat, and the final showcased the precise spacing and punish-based play for which Daigo was known.

Daigo is often called “The Beast” and is one of fighting games’ most influential competitors. His EVO 2009 title is sometimes confused with his famous Street Fighter III: 3rd Strike moment at EVO 2004, when he parried Justin Wong’s Ken super art. That celebrated clip was not the 2009 Street Fighter IV final, although both events are central to Daigo’s competitive legacy.