RIZIN returns yet again for Japanese MMA’s traditional New Year’s Eve spectacular on FITE.TV. Unfortunately, the main attraction — a boxing exhibition between Floyd Mayweather and kickboxing superstar Tenshin Nasukawa — will not air in North America or Japan. We will still endeavor to give you all live updates, though.
MMAmania will have LIVE coverage of RIZIN 14, starting with the FITE.TV broadcast (watch it) at 1 a.m. ET later this evening (technically Dec. 31, 2018).
Even without Mayweather vs. Tenshin, though, the card remains fairly stacked. Fans willing to get up/stay up in time will get to see Kyoji Horiguchi — the best fighter outside of Ultimate Fighting Championship (UFC) — take on Bellator Bantamweight king Darrion Caldwell in a cool cross-promotional gimmick. Other attractions include a clash between top Atomweight fighters Kanna Asakura and Ayaka Hamasaki, the return of blue-chip Light Heavyweight Jiri Prochazka, the latest freakshow from Gabi Garcia, and what should be an absolute banger between UFC vets Daron Cruickshank and Damien Brown.
RIZIN 14 QUICK RESULTS
Floyd Mayweather vs. Tenshin Nasukawa
Kyoji Horiguchi vs Darrion Caldwell
Kanna Asakura vs Ayaka Hamasaki
Jiri Prochazka vs Brandon Halsey
Gabi Garcia vs Barbara Nepomuceno
Daron Cruickshank vs Damien Brown
Mika Nagano vs Miyuu Yamamoto
Kazuyuki Miyata vs Erson Yamamoto — Miyata def. Yamamoto by submission (hammerlock) in Round Two
Yusuke Yachi vs Johnny Case — Case def. Yachi by TKO (eye injury) in Round Two
Yuki Motoya vs Justin Scoggins — Motoya def. Scoggins by submission (teepee choke) in Round One
Ulka Sasaki vs Manel Kape — Sasaki def. Kape by unanimous decision
Shinju Auclair vs Justyna Haba — Haba def. Auclair by technical submission (rear naked choke) at 3:41 of Round Two
Tyson Nobumitsu vs Tofiq Musayev — Musayev def. Tyson by TKO (punches) at 1:19 of Round TwoRENA vs Samantha Jean Francois
RIZIN 14 ROUND-BY-ROUND COVERAGE
Floyd Mayweather vs. Tenshin Nasukawa
Round one:
Round two:
Round three:
Final result:
Kyoji Horiguchi vs Darrion Caldwell
Round one:
Round two:
Round three:
Final result:
Kanna Asakura vs Ayaka Hamasaki
Round one:
Round two:
Round three:
Final result:
Jiri Prochazka vs Brandon Halsey
Round one:
Round two:
Final result:
Gabi Garcia vs Barbara Nepomuceno
Round one:
Round two:
Round three:
Final result:
Daron Cruickshank vs Damien Brown
Round one:
Round two:
Round three:
Final result:
Mika Nagano vs Miyuu Yamamoto
Round one:
Round two:
Round three:
Final result:
Kazuyuki Miyata vs Erson Yamamoto
Round one: They collide in the center with flying knees to start the fight. Yamamoto pressing him against the ropes. He gets double underhooks and takes Miyata down into guard. Miyata threatens a triangle, so Yamamoto stands up straight to wriggle out. Miyata transitions to an armbar, then back to the triangle. Yamamoto slams his way out two minutes in. Good right hand from Yamamoto. Miyata threatens a sweep, then goes back to the triangle with two minutes to go.
Yamamoto again slams his way out and moves to half guard. Miyata snatches a kimura and sweeps into side control. Yamamoto using his legs to hold his hand steady, lands knees to the head and scrambles to his feet. Leg kick lands for Yamamoto. Miyata in the lead thanks to submission attempt.
Round two: Leg kick and straight right from Yamamoto. Miyata lands a left. Counter rights from Yamamoto. He tries a head kick. One minute in. Yamamoto hops in with a knee and drops Miyata with a right hand behind it. He follows Miyata down into side control, then half guard. Full guard. Good elbows from Yamamoto. A scramble ensues. Yamamoto misses a knee, lands punches and goes back into guard. Two minutes to go.
Miyata grabs a vicious-looking hammerlock, sweeping into mount and forcin ghte tap.
Final result: Miyata def. Yamamoto by submission (hammerlock)
Yusuke Yachi vs Johnny Case
Round one: Low kick from Yachi, head kick attempt from Case. 1-2 catches Yachi on one leg and Case follows up with a takedown into side control. Things slow way down. Yachi regains guard and scrambles to his feet tow minutes in. Case looking for a single-leg in the corner. They separate. Low kick from Yachi, then a body kick. Case lands a 1-2-1. Two minutes to go.
Check hook rattles Case, who shoots in response. Yachi lands a knee on the break. Case lands a body kick. Yachi tries a head kick, knocked back by a right hand. One minute to go. Both try 1-2s. Yachi lands a right hook to kick off a heavy exchange. Both try head kicks. Straight right from Case, right hook from Yachi. Close first round, maybe favoring Case a bit.
Round two: Yachi’s right eye is badly swollen, but he comes out for the next round. Counter hook lands for Yachi. Head kick attempt. Low kick from Case. 3-2 lands on the counter. One minute in. Case ducks a left hand for a takedown into butterfly guard. Yachi holding him close with an overhook. He briefly looks for a triangle/armbar. Two minutes to go.
Yachi tries an upkick and scrambles up. Low kick exchange. One minute to go. Yachi tries a head kick and they trade hooks. Both land hard near the corner. Hard left hand and Yachi’s eye is pouring blood. Ref steps in. There’s just too much damage to the eye and the ref calls it.
Final result: Case def. Yachi by TKO (eye injury)
Yuki Motoya vs Justin Scoggins
Round one: Motoya targeting the lead leg early. Head kick from Scoggins. 2-1 lands. Switching stance. Side kick and hook kick attempts. Motoya ties up a minute in, gets pressed against the ropes for a moment. 1-2-head kick attempt, then a body kick from Scoggins. Motoya buzzes him with a straight right, eats a left on the ropes. Scoggins hits a takedown into guard. Motoya tries a triangle, stymied by Scoggins’ hand. Two minutes in. The hand’s out and the triangle is locked in. This is deep. Two minutes to go.
Trading hammerfists. Motoya transitions to a teepee choke and gets the finish.
Final result: Motoya def. Scoggins by submission (teepee choke)
Ulka Sasaki vs Manel Kape
Round one: Sasaki pressuring early. Kape catches a pair of kicks, lands a body shot. Trading punches in the center. Kape taunts, digs a right to the body. Sasaki with a body kick. Short right from Kape. Hard right hand and left hook. Step-back right connects a minute in. Sasaki goes for a low single in the corner. He completes it after a long struggle. Kape scrambles up and sprawls on the next shot, but Sasaki continues to drive. Again Kape scrambles up and puts him on the ropes. Trading knees. They separate. Two minutes to go.
Head kick and lefts from Sasaki. Low kick lands. Body kick, low kick, head kick attempt. Straight left, counter knee. Knee upstairs with a minute to go. They trade power hands. Sasaki hits another low takedown on the ropes. He quickly transitions to the back, but loses it and lands elbows. Kape sweeps into side control. Sasaki ahead.
Round two: Kape lands a jab and head kick, then stuffs a takedown. Check hook from Sasaki, Kape comes back with a combo that drops Sasaki. Sasaki shoots, eats a knee on the way up. Well-timed level change from Sasaki puts him in half guard. Lovely transition to the back. Looking for the choke with one hook in. Dropping left hands. Kape spins into half guard two minutes in. Kape gets to his knees, separates, gets taken down again on the ropes. Sasaki pulls his head out of a guillotine with two minutes to go.
Sasaki passes to side control, then starts dropping punches and elbows from the crucifix. He goes to mount and the back in quick succession. One minute to go. He worms his forearm under Kape’s chin, can’t complete it. Looking to soften him up with punches. Kape saved by the bell as the ground-and-pound continue. Kape will need something massive to win this.
Round three: Kape stuffs an early takedown. 2-1 from Sasaki. One minute in. Kape with a straight right. Sasaki lands a straight left, can’t complete a shot. Overhand left from Kape. Straight from Sasaki. He shoots again, sprawled on. Two minutes in. Head kick attempt from Sasaki. Body kicks. Kape lands a lead left, eats jabs. Two minutes to go.
Sasaki with another low takedown, eats hammerfists from Kape but completes it. Half guard. Sasaki maintaining position well. Kape tries to scramble free from his knees, can’t do so. Sasaki should certainly get the decision.
Final result: Sasaki def. Kape by unanimous decision
Shinju Auclair vs Justyna Haba
Round one: Both women looking to find their range in the early going. Right hand lands for Haba. Both connect with rights in the corner. Another overhand by Haba. One minute in. Right cross from Auclair and she ties up. Can’t get the trip. They trade rights near the corner. Haba lands a low kick, eats a right hand and slugs her with her own in the clinch. Two minutes in. Auclair drops her with a right hand on the ropes and follows her down into guard. Haba clears her head and quickly transitions from a triangle to an armbar. Auclair working her elbow free. Two minutes to go.
Haba transitions to a toe hold, eats heel kicks to the face. Auclair escapes and transitions to the back. Auclair with some knees on the turtling Haba, then puts in a hook. She goes for an armbar, runs out of time. Auclair ahead.
Round two: Auclair wades in with a series of right hands and attempts a clinch. Haba with a left on the break. Haba lands her own rights inside. Auclair looks for a head-and-arm throw and puts in both hooks on the way down. Haba spins into her guard. Auclair goes for an armbar, but surrenders mount. Haba dropping punches two minutes in. Elbows as well. She continues to land. Two minutes to go.
Auclair surrendering her back. Haba pins an arm down with her leg and locks up the RNC, putting Auclair to sleep.
Final result: Haba def. Auclair by technical submission (rear naked choke)
Tyson Nobumitsu vs Tofiq Musayev
Round one: Musayev switching stance constantly. Low kick from Tyson. Leg kick exchange. Musayev tries a head kick. One minute in. Tyson leg kick. Musayev tries a spinning back kick. Two minutes in. Both whiff on overhand rights. They exchange on the ropes. Good punching flurry from Musayev. Two minutes to go.
Tyson leg kick, Musayev straight right. Wheel kick falls short. Tyson blasts him with a 2-3 inside. Low kick exchange. One minute to go. Counter right lands for Musayev. Spinning back fist to body kick. Musayev lands a left hook and hits a takedown before dropping heavy ground-and-pound at the bell. He’s moderately ahead so far.
Round two: Trading kicks to start the round. Musayev lands an overhand right and takes him down in the corner. Punches from Musayev. One minute in. Musayev ramps up the hammerfists to prompt the stoppage.
Final result: Musayev def. Tyson by TKO (punches)
RENA vs Samantha Jean Francois
Round one:
Round two:
Round three:
Final result: