RIZIN women’s super atomweight grand prix booked for Oct. 15 in Japan

RIZIN Fighting Federation recently announced its first women’s grand prix, contested at super atomweight (108 pounds) beginning Oct. 15, 2017 inside Marine Messe Fukuoka Arena in Fukuoka, Japan.

The winner nets close to $100,000 U.S. dollars

The opening round will feature undefeated Japanese sensation Rena Kubota (4-0) taking on King of the Cage atomweight champion Andy Nguyen (5-3). Also expected to compete is freestyle wrestler Miyu Yamamoto (1-2), as well as grizzled veterans Saori Ishioka (15-10) and Kanna Asakura (7-2).

“We are very excited to be able to hold the first ever woman’s GP, and we believe that with having the total amount of 10 million Japanese yen prize money, this is the biggest woman’s tournament in the world,” Chairman Nobuyuki Sakakibara said. “I hope that we could continue this for the next five, 10 years and look back at this event and say that this was the beginning.”

More bouts will be announced in the coming weeks.

Elsewhere on the card, the promotion’s bantamweight grand prix continues while PRIDE FC legends Kazushi Sakuraba and Dan Henderson compete in an exhibition grappling match (more on that here).

RIZIN Fighting Federation recently announced its first women’s grand prix, contested at super atomweight (108 pounds) beginning Oct. 15, 2017 inside Marine Messe Fukuoka Arena in Fukuoka, Japan.

The winner nets close to $100,000 U.S. dollars

The opening round will feature undefeated Japanese sensation Rena Kubota (4-0) taking on King of the Cage atomweight champion Andy Nguyen (5-3). Also expected to compete is freestyle wrestler Miyu Yamamoto (1-2), as well as grizzled veterans Saori Ishioka (15-10) and Kanna Asakura (7-2).

“We are very excited to be able to hold the first ever woman’s GP, and we believe that with having the total amount of 10 million Japanese yen prize money, this is the biggest woman’s tournament in the world,” Chairman Nobuyuki Sakakibara said. “I hope that we could continue this for the next five, 10 years and look back at this event and say that this was the beginning.”

More bouts will be announced in the coming weeks.

Elsewhere on the card, the promotion’s bantamweight grand prix continues while PRIDE FC legends Kazushi Sakuraba and Dan Henderson compete in an exhibition grappling match (more on that here).