Kai Asakura Finds New Opponent In Manel Kape, And Other Additions To RIZIN 20

Another pack of fights were announced for RIZIN 20, including a new bantamweight championship matchup.

Set for New Year’s Eve at Saitama Super Arena, Kai Asakura will now face Manel Kape for the promotion’s vacant Bantamweight Championship. The fight is a rematch, as Asakura previously defeated Kape via decision in 2018.

Kyoji Horiguchi was originally meant to defend his bantamweight belt against Asakura, although injury forced him to pull out and vacate his belt.

Former UFC fighter C.B. Dollaway will make his RIZIN debut in a light heavyweight championship bout against promotional veteran Jiri Prochazka. The fight will end Dollaway’s decade long tenure in the UFC.

Fresh out of participating in the 2019 PFL season, Satoshi Ishii will face Jake Heun. Although previously being under the PFL/WSOF banner as well, Heun never collided with Ishii. Heun is on a two-fight winning streak, recently defeating Vitaly Shemetov due to a cut at RIZIN 17.

Also added to the card was a clash of two highly ranked JMMA fighters in Hiromasa Ogikubo and Shintaro Ishiwatari. Both coming off of wins from RIZIN 17, the matchup is one that could determine who is next for a bantamweight title shot.

Vitaly Shemetov will make his second appearance in RIZIN on New Year’s Eve, welcoming Cameroon fighter Simon Biyong to the promotion. As previously mentioned, Shemetov lost to Heun in his promotional debut.

The day before, a rematch between RENA and Lindsey VanZandt was announced at a Shoot Boxing event.

Here’s the full card for RIZIN 20 as of right now:

1. Ayaka Hamasaki (19-2) vs. Seo Hee Ham (22-8) (RIZIN Super Atomweight Championship)
2. Kai Asakura (14-1) vs. Manel Kape (14-4) (RIZIN Vacant Bantamweight Championship)
3. Jiri Prochazka (25-3-1) vs. C.B. Dollaway (17-9) (RIZIN Light Heavyweight Championship)
4. RIZIN Lightweight GP Grand Final
5. Johnny Case (27-6-1) vs. Tofiq Musaev (16-3) (RIZIN Lightweight GP Semi-Final)
6. Patricky Pitbull (22-8) vs. Luiz Gustavo (10-1) (RIZIN Lightweight GP Semi-Final)
7. Yuki Motoya (23-7) vs. Patrick Mix (12-0) (135 lbs)
8. Mikuru Asakura (11-1) vs. John Teixeira (146 lbs)
9. Lindsey VanZandt (7-2) vs. RENA (9-3) (112 lbs)
10. Vitaly Shemetov (23-10) vs. Simon Biyong (6-1) (205 lbs)
11. Jake Heun (14-9) vs. Satoshi Ishii (22-10-1) (231 lbs)
12. Shintaro Ishiwatari (26-7-4) vs. Hiromasa Ogikubo (19-4-2) (134 lbs)