Tag: RIZIN News

RIZIN FF Adds Entire RIZIN 25 Card To Its YouTube Channel

RIZIN 25 went down this past weekend. The ten bout card took place inside the Osaka-j? Hall in Osaka, Japan. Five thousand fans were in attendance to witness the event, which was headlined by a clash between Mikuru Asakura and Yutaka Saito. The match up between the pair was for the inaugural Rizin Featherweight Championship. […]

RIZIN 25 went down this past weekend. The ten bout card took place inside the Osaka-j? Hall in Osaka, Japan. Five thousand fans were in attendance to witness the event, which was headlined by a clash between Mikuru Asakura and Yutaka Saito. The match up between the pair was for the inaugural Rizin Featherweight Championship.

The entire fight card has now been posted on the RIZIN FF’s YouTube channel, allowing fans who missed the action or could not afford the PPV a chance to catch up on what went down in Osaka.

After a tough few months due to Covid-19, the Japanese promotion has bounced back in a big way. It is set to end the year with one of its famous New Year’s Eve cards in Saitama. Headlining RIZIN 26 will be the highly anticipated rematch between Kai Asakura and Kyoji Horiguchi. Asakura will be defending his bantamweight championship against Horiguchi, who will be appearing in the ring for the first time since being knocked out by Asakura in 2019.

Until then, check out all the action from RIZIN 25.

RIZIN 25: Yutaka Saito Def. Mikuru Asakura To Earn Featherweight Title

RIZIN FF’s Yutaka Saito is now the promotion’s inaugural featherweight champion are earning a unanimous decision victory over Mikuru Asakura at RIZIN 25. Asakura was riding a three-fight win streak coming into this bout, while Saito’s most recent outing was a second-round KO victory over Kazumasa Majima at RIZIN 23. The first round was a […]

RIZIN FF’s Yutaka Saito is now the promotion’s inaugural featherweight champion are earning a unanimous decision victory over Mikuru Asakura at RIZIN 25.

Asakura was riding a three-fight win streak coming into this bout, while Saito’s most recent outing was a second-round KO victory over Kazumasa Majima at RIZIN 23.

The first round was a cagey affair. Asakura started the stronger of the two, landing a series of crisp kicks to his opponent’s body. A low-blow from the RIZIN superstar brought proceedings to a halt. Saito needed several minutes to collect himself before returning to the fray, but found himself struggling to match Asakura in the striking department.

Saito had more luck with his striking in the second stanza, even scoring himself a takedown. Going into the third, Saito began utilizing his grappling more: taking Asakura down and pinning his back to the ropes. However, he could not achieve anything of note, and the fight was soon back on its feet.

The fight exploded in the final minute, with Asakura landing a clean left hook, which sent Saito stumbling. After regaining his balance and knowing he could be down on the cards, Saito steamed forward, throwing caution to the wind, and landed several good strikes before Asakura came back at him. Despite Asakura having the more eye catching moments the judges felt Saito had done enough to earn the win in a closely fought match-up.

In the co-main event, Hiromasa Ougikubo bounced back from his loss to Kai Asakura at RIZIN 23 to defeat Kenta Takizawa in an enthralling bantamweight bout. The opening round saw the men trading kicks, with both fighters landing clean shots but neither causing any real damage. Takizawa edged ahead in the final moments with an impressive flurry towards the end of the first.

The second saw Takizawa continue to land a steady drumbeat of strikes on Ougikubo, who refused to wilt under pressure and maintained a consistent offense of his own. However, at the start of the third, Ougikubo dropped Takizawa before taking his opponent to the ground. Takizawa briefly returned to his feet before being slammed back to the mat. He then spent the bulk of the final stanza having to contend with Ougikubo’s superior grappling game while being on the receiving end of heavy punches.

In the final seconds of the bout, an exhausted Takizawa got back to his feet. However, an invigorated Ougikubo went looking for the finish and racked up enough damage in the final seconds to comfortably earn the win in the eyes of the judges.

Full Results:

  • Featherweight Championship: Yutaka Saito def. Mikuru Asakura via Unanimous Decision
  • Bantamweight: Hiromasa Ougikubo def. Kenta Takizawa via Unanimous Decision
  • Welterweight: Ryuichiro Sumimura def. Gota Yamashita via Split Decision
  • Flyweight: Tatsuki Saomoto def. Daichi Kitakata via Unanimous Decision
  • Featherweight: Kyohei Hagiwara def. Yojiro Uchimura via RD1 KO
  • Kickboxing Catchweight: Taiga Kawabe def. Yuma Yamahata via Unanimous Decision
  • Kickboxing Catchweight: Isami Sano def. Hidenori Ebata via Unanimous Decision
  • Featherweight: Rikuto Shirakawa def. Kotetsu Boku via RD3 TKO
  • Kickboxing Catchweight: Jin Mandokoro def. Syuto Sato via Unanimous Decision
  • Kickboxing Catchweight: Shohei Asahara def. Yuma Yamaguchi via RD3 KO

RIZIN 24: Tenshin Nasukawa Shines In Win Over Koji Tanaka

Japanese kickboxing sensation Tenshin Nasukawa put on a blistering performance at RIZIN 24, totally outclassing his opponent Koji Tanaka. The pair faced off in a catchweight kickboxing bout in the main event of RIZIN 24, which went down inside Tokyo’s Saitama Super Arena on Sunday, September 27. This fight was Tenshin’s first under the RIZIN […]

Japanese kickboxing sensation Tenshin Nasukawa put on a blistering performance at RIZIN 24, totally outclassing his opponent Koji Tanaka. The pair faced off in a catchweight kickboxing bout in the main event of RIZIN 24, which went down inside Tokyo’s Saitama Super Arena on Sunday, September 27.

This fight was Tenshin’s first under the RIZIN banner since the promotions New Years’ Eve show last December. In Koji, he was facing a kickboxing veteran who had captured multiple titles across multiple promotions. 

Tenshin came out in the opening round, looking like he had something to prove, and immediately took the fight to Koji, landing impressive punch combinations as well as a flying knee. The RIZIN newcomer ended the round with a cut above his left eye and swelling on his face.

Koji had some minor success at the start of the second, landing a solid right, but the attacking arsenal of Tenshin meant he was never really in the contest. The year 31-year-old was buffeted by a dizzying array of attacks ranging from airborne spinning kicks to brutal punch combinations.

When the judges’ decisions were called out, there was never any doubt that Tenshin would be the one to have his arm raised.

In the co-main event, RIZIN bantamweight champion Kai Asakura demolished Shoji Maruyam in the opening round of their non-title clash. After dropping Maruyam with a straight right, the 26-year-old sealed the deal by landing a massive soccer kick to the head of Maruyam as his opponent tried to get back to his feet. At this point, the referee wisely stepped in to save Maruyam from taking any more unnecessary damage.

Earlier in the night, fan-favorite Rena scored a unanimous decision win over Emi Tomimatsu in their strawweight clash. Rena’s standup game was too strong for Tomimatsu, who was making he RIZIN debut. The 38-year-old Tomimatsu did experience some success on the ground, but not enough to impress the judges. 

Full Results:

  • Catchweight ( Kickboxing): Tenshin Nasukawa def. Koji Tanaka by Unanimous Decision 
  • Bantamweight: Kai Asakura def. Shoji Maruyama via RD1 TKO
  • Lightweight: Koji Takeda def. Yuki Kawana via Split Decision
  • Lightweight: Takasuke Kume def. Satoru Kitaoka via Split Decision
  • Catchweight (Kickboxing): Taishi Hiratsuka def. Yuuki Kitagawa via RD2 KO
  • Bantamweight: Kenta Takizawa def. Yuto Hokamura via Split Decision
  • Women’s Strawweight: Rena Kubota def. Emi Tomimatsu via Unanimous Decision
  • Featherweight: Takahiro Ashida def. Kyohei Hagiwara via RD2 Submission
  • Heavyweight: Sudario Tsuyoshi def. Dylan James via RD1 TKO (Dr. Stoppage)
  • Catchweight ( Kickboxing): Mutsuki Ebata def. Rasta via Unanimous Decision
  • Lightweight: Juri Ohara def. Yusuke Yachi via Split Decision

RIZIN 24 Sees The Return Of Tenshin Nasukawa

It’s a big weekend for Japanese MMA fans with RIZIN 24 going down on Sunday, September 27, in Tokyo, Japan. This weekend’s event will also see 5000 fans in attendance. The Japanese government still has regulations on how many people can be at an event, but 5000 is a huge step up from having to […]

It’s a big weekend for Japanese MMA fans with RIZIN 24 going down on Sunday, September 27, in Tokyo, Japan. This weekend’s event will also see 5000 fans in attendance. The Japanese government still has regulations on how many people can be at an event, but 5000 is a huge step up from having to stage shows behind closed doors.

The 11-bout card contains several exciting matchups. However, it’s the main event that will generate the most interest as it features the return of kickboxing superstar Tenshin Nasukawa. The 22-year-old’s most recent promotional outing was on New Year’s Eve at RIZIN 20. It would be fair to say that the world has changed a lot since then, but what hasn’t changed is the hype surrounding a Nasukawa fight. Thankfully, this weekend’s bout is well worth the wait, with Nasukawa facing off against Koji Tanaka in a catchweight bout.

Tanaka — more commonly known as Koji — is a veteran of the Japanse kickboxing scene, and has racked up multiple titles throughout his career. The 31-year-old , who will be making his promotional debut, is an elite kickboxer and comes into this fight riding a three-bout winning streak.

The co-main event will see RIZIN FF bantamweight champion Kai Asakura, taking on Shoji Maruyama in a non-title fight. If Asakura wins this, as he should, then it should pave the way for a likely rematch with former RIZIN bantamweight champion Kyoji Horiguchi.

RIZIN 24 also sees the return of fan-favorite Rena. The 29-year-old last fought at RIZIN 20, where she defeated the USA’s Lindsey VanZandt via third-round TKO. The 29-year-old will take on Emi Tomimatsu, who will be making her first appearance under the RIZIN banner.

If you are in the mood for a fight heavy on the spectacle, then the bout between Sudario Tsuyoshi and Dylan James is the one for you. Both men will be making their MMA debuts, with Tsuyoshi coming from a sumo background, while James comes from All Japan Pro Wrestling.

International fans can watch the event via PPV by clicking on the following link [RIZIN 24], which contains all the info you need to know.

Check out the full card below.

RIZIN FF Upload Full RIZIN 22 And 23 Cards To YouTube

After a five-month hiatus RIZIN FF returned this week. The Japanese promotion staged RIZIN 22: Starting Over and RIZIN 23: Calling Over, back to back on Sun. Aug 9 and Mon. Aug 10. The two shows took place inside the Pia Arena MM in Yokohama, Japan. Each card contained nine bouts and was made up […]

After a five-month hiatus RIZIN FF returned this week. The Japanese promotion staged RIZIN 22: Starting Over and RIZIN 23: Calling Over, back to back on Sun. Aug 9 and Mon. Aug 10. The two shows took place inside the Pia Arena MM in Yokohama, Japan.

Each card contained nine bouts and was made up exclusively of fighters based in Japan. Both events were available to overseas fans on PPV. However if you wanted to watch, you had had to watch live as the shows were not available on demand.

Thankfully, today RIZIN has answered the prayers of any JMMA fans unfortunate enough to have missed the shows by uploading both cards to its YouTube channel.

All 18 fights have been posted, including the title bout between Kai Asakura and Hiromasa Ogikubo for the vacant RIZIN Bantamweight Championship.

Will you be checking out the events?

RIZIN Announce Major Signing, Adds More Bouts To RIZIN 22,23

RIZIN FF held a press conference over the weekend in which it announced further fights for its upcoming events RIZIN 22 and 23, as well as a big-name signing for its kickboxing stable. After a five-month enforced break due to Covid-19, the Japanese promotion returns next month with back-to-back shows scheduled on August 9 and […]

RIZIN FF held a press conference over the weekend in which it announced further fights for its upcoming events RIZIN 22 and 23, as well as a big-name signing for its kickboxing stable. After a five-month enforced break due to Covid-19, the Japanese promotion returns next month with back-to-back shows scheduled on August 9 and 10. 

RIZIN 22: Starting over will be headlined by a bantamweight clash between former UFC fighter Naoki Inoue and RIZIN newcomer Shooto Watanabe. The company announced a further three bouts for the card at this weekend’s press conference. The name that will get the most attention from this new batch is Japanese stand-up sensation Nadaka Yoshinari. 

The 19-year-old has won Muay Thai titles at the world-renowned Lumpinee and Rajadamnern Stadiums in Thailand and will be making his promotional debut against compatriot Yushin.

A bantamweight clash will also headline RIZIN 23:Starting Over when Kai Asakura takes on Hiromasa Ougikubo. Five fights were added to the lineup over the weekend, one of which will see Japanese MMA legend Kotetsu Boku make his first appearance under the RIZIN banner.  

 The 43-year-old is in the sunset days of his career and arrives at RIZIN after spending the last eight years fighting for ONE Championship. Boku makes his entrance riding a three-fight losing streak and will be hoping a change of scenery brings a change in fortune when he meets former Shooto veteran Jin Aoi.

After the additional fights were released RIZIN’s president Nobuyuki Sakakibara revelaed to the assembled media that the company had signed K-1 kickboxer Koji Tanaka. The 31-year-old Oska-native is one of the world’s top flyweights and his signing is a huge coup for RIZIN and could see a mega-bout between Koji and Tenshin Nasukawa take place in the future.

Here are the updated lineups for RIZIN 22 and 23

RIZIN 22: Starting Over

  • Bantamweight: Naoki Inoue vs. Shooto Watanabe
  • Featherweight: Tetsuya Seki vs. Yojiro Uchimura
  • Women’s Super Atomweight: Kanna Asakura vs. Mizuki Furuse
  • Lightweight: Yusuke Yachi vs. Roberto Satoshi Souza
  • Kickboxing Catchweight: Nadaka Yoshinari vs. Yushin
  • Bantamweight: Erson Yamamoto vs. Kenji Kato
  • Featherweight: Rikuto Shirakawa vs. Kyohei Hagiwara

RIZIN 23: Calling Over

  • Bantamweight: Hiromasa Ougikubo vs. Kai Asakura
  • Catchweight: Seiichirio Ito vs. Makoto Takahashi
  • Bantamweight: Yuki Motoya vs. Mamoru Uoi
  • Featherweight: Yutaka Saito vs. Kazumasa Majima
  • Kickboxing Catchweight: Shintaro Matsukura vs. Koji Mori
  • Kickboxing Catchweight: Kaito vs. Daryl Lokoku
  • Flyweight: Yusaku Nakamura vs. Tatsuki Saomoto
  • Featherweight: Kotetsu Boku vs. Jin Aoi
  • Kickboxing Bantamweight: Kento Haraguchi vs. Taiga