Benson Henderson vs. Michael Chandler 2 Added to Bellator Japan

A rematch between Benson Henderson and Michael Chandler was announced to be the co-main event of Bellator Japan, which takes place at Saitama Super Arena in Saitama, Japan on December 29th.

Henderson and Chandler first met in 2016 at Bellator 165. Chandler prevailed that evening, getting a split decision win after five rounds of competition.

Chandler recently dropped the Bellator Lightweight Championship to Patricio Pitbull, getting finished in just over a minute. The loss ended his thrid reign as the promotion’s 155 pound champ.

Henderson is currently on a four-fight winning streak, picking up a win most recently against Myles Jury in September.

The main event of Bellator Japan is set to be Fedor Emelianenko versus Quinton “Rampage” Jackson. The event will be co-promoted with Japanese MMA promotion RIZIN Fighting Federation.

RIZIN 19 Live Coverage

RIZIN will make their debut in Osaka, Japan on tonight with “RIZIN 19.” The stacked show includes the first round fights from the first round of the Lightweight Grand Prix, among other big matchups. Amid a typhoon in Japan which has made the whole country re-schedule and cancel events, RIZIN 19 went on. Live coverage of the event can be seen here as the night progresses.

Bout 1: Taisei Umei (7-6) vs. Seiki Ueyama (22-11) (123 lbs) (Kickboxing Rules)

The evening started with a kickboxing bout between Taisei Umei and Seiki Ueyama. Both fighters were fighting in their hometown. Ueyama had interesting pants, with one leg ending at the ankle and the other at the knee. In the first round both fighters were landing lots of low leg kicks. Umei had the better punches in the first three minutes.

In the second round the damage from leg kicks on Umei’s legs started to show. The tempo between the fighters stayed fast in the second round.

The third round was even better than the one before, with both fighters throwing everything at each other. Ueyama was really picking Umei apart as the fight was closing out. In the final seconds of the round, Umei was knocked down but endured. He had a bloody nose as the fight concluded. As expected after his performance, Seiki Ueyama got the unanimous decision victory.

Bout 2: Chang Hee Kim (1-4 1 NC) vs. Shoma Shibisai (4-2 1 NC) (Openweight Bout) (MMA Rules)

The next fight was an interesting one as it was a rare openweight bout. The much larger Chang Hee Kim faced Shoma Shibisai, who was smaller but came into the fight with a better record. Both fighters were given flowers before their fight. Early on, Kim went into a standing clinch with Shibisai. Shibisai got good knees in before getting put against the ropes. Shibisai tried for a kimura, taking Kim to the ground. He tapped out only seconds later. Getting a quick kimura victory, Shoma Shibisai bettered the much larger Chang Hee Kim.

Bout 3: Takuma Konishi (22-6-1) vs. HIROYA (38-17) (170 lbs) (Kickboxing Rules)

Switching back to kickboxing again, the next fight was between Takuma Konishi and HIROYA. Konishi’s originally opponent Shintaro Matsukara pulled out earlier this week, with HIROYA being announced as the replacement fight. HIROYA was targeting leg kicks early on. Konishi landed a counter-punch which dropped HIROYA only a minute into the round. He got back up and started to trade punches with Konishi. A knee was landed by Konishi which dropped HIROYA again and called an end to the bout.

Bout 4: Taiga (20-9-1) vs. Taiju Shiratori (17-5-1) (137 lbs) (Kickboxing Rules)

The final kickboxing figbt of the evening saw Taiga face TEAM TEPPEN’s Taiju Shiratori. Tenshin Nasukawa was in attendance to support Shiratori. The height and reach advantage was more than clear. After a minute of fighting, Shiratori landed a punch combination which dropped Taiga. It quickly became target practice for Shiratori.

Early in the first round Taiga took a tumble after getting hit with a hook. It was ruled as a knockdown. After Shiratori continued to land strikes, Taiga went down again making it the third knockdown of the fight.

The third round opened with a shocking overhand knockdown from Taiga. The crowd woke up because of this. Both fighters were connecting with wild punches. The final round was chaotic as both of them were scrambling to do damage. When consulting the scorecards, all three judges gave the fight to Taiju Shiratori. After the fight he asked to be on the New Year’s Eve show.

Bout 5: Marcos Yoshio Souza (8-1 1 NC) vs. K-Taro Nakamura (34-10-2 1 NC) (170 lbs) (MMA Rules)

Before the next fight, Tenshin Nasukawa came into the ring to say that he will fight on New Year’s Eve after healing a hand injury. The next fight saw brother of Roberto Satoshi Souza, Marcos Yoshio Souza face K-Taro Nakamura. This was the RIZIN debut for both fighters. Nakamura finished up his UFC run in his previous fight. Shizuka Sugiyama was shown at ringside supporting Nakamura. Early on, Souza slipped from a spinning back kick and found himself in bottom position on the ground. They got up shortly after with Nakamura landing a strike. Souza was dropped by a punch, with Nakamura doing ground and pound. Nakamura kept hitting Souza until his corner called the end to it. It was clear that K-Taro Nakamura was levels ahead of his opponent in his RIZIN debut. After the fight he had his wife and his kid in the ring with him. He said he wanted to be part of the collaborative card with Bellator on January 29th.

Bout 6: Damien Brown (19-12) vs. Tofiq Musayev (15-3) (RIZIN Lightweight Grand Prix First Round) (MMA Rules)

The next four fights on the card were in the first round of the RIZIN Lightweight Grand Prix. The first fight was between Damien Brown and Tofiq Musayev. Both of them have won twice in RIZIN before. Brown was hit with a low blow kick in the first minute causing a pause in the fight. They resumed quite quickly. Musayev was landing hard shots in the first round. With a minute left in the round, Brown got smothered with punches in the corner, eventually getting hit enough that the referee stepped in. Moving on to the second round of the Lightweight GP, Tofiq Musayev proved himself again as a dangerous fighter.

Bout 7: Hiroto Uesako (18-7) vs. Luiz Gustavo (9-1) (RIZIN Lightweight Grand Prix First Round) (MMA Rules)

The second of four first round fights was Hiroto Uesako facing “The Killer” Luiz Gustavo. Right off the bat, Uesako charged at Gustavo and put the pressure on him. Uesako was dropped by punches with two minutes left in the first round. They got up into a standing clinch in the corner, with Uesako cut open quite badly on the face. The referee called a pause to the fight with Uesako being checked by a doctor. Shortly after, the fight was called off, giving Luiz Gustavo the victory, moving on to the second round. As expected, Uesako was very upset about this.

Bout 8: Tatsuya Kawajiri (37-13-2) vs. Patricky Pitbull (21-8) (RIZIN Lightweight Grand Prix First Round) (MMA Rules)

After the first intermission of the night, the Lightweight Grand Prix continued. The next first round fight was between Bellator’s Patricky Pitbull and JMMA veteran Tatsuya Kawajiri. Pitbull stopped takedown attempts early on. Kawajiri ate a hard uppercut while trying for a takedown. Kawajiri caught a jumping knee but was hit with punches on the ground while holding the leg. The referee stepped in, giving Pitbull the win. Completely stunning the Osaka crowd, Patricky Pitbull brought Bellator to the second round of the Lightweight Grand Prix.

Bout 9: Roberto Satoshi Souza (9-0) vs. Johnny Case (26-6-1) (RIZIN Lightweight Grand Prix First Round) (MMA Rules)

The final of four Lightweight Grand Prix fights was between Johnny Case and Roberto Satoshi Souza. Early on, Case stuffed a takedown attempt. They went back to stand-up after Case avoided an omoplata. While Souza went down for a takedown he was hit with a punch which dropped him and made him tap out on the ground. It looked like the punch might have went in his eye. Johnny Case became the final fighter to move on to the semi-finals in an anti-climactic finish.

RIZIN Lightweight Grand Prix Semi-Finals Draw

Before the second intermission of the evening, all four Lightweight Grand Prix winners came out to draw the next round of matchups. There were four translators in the ring (one for Tofiq Musayev, one for Luiz Gustavo and Patricky Pitbull, and one for Johnny Case) since no Japanese fighter moved on to the semi-finals. Here were the second round picks:

Johnny Case vs. Tofiq Musayev
Luiz Gustavo vs. Patricky Pitbull

We were told later in the broadcast that the semi-finals and the finals of the tournament will take place on the New Year’s Eve card.

Bout 10: Alexandra Alvare (0-2) vs. RENA (8-3) (112 lbs) (MMA Rules)

After a lengthy second intermission, the next fight was RENA versus Alexandra Alvare. The fight was RENA’s return after losing to Lindsey VanZandt at Bellator 222. Alvare was a short notice replacement for RENA after Shawna Ram pulled out due to a concussion. RIZIN Super Atomweight Champion Ayaka Hamasaki was in the corner of RENA. RENA dropped and hurt Alvare within seconds, getting an easy victory. While against an extremely easy opponent, RENA had a return to form after a loss in the summer.

Bout 11: Miyuu Yamamoto (5-3) vs. Seo Hee Ham (21-8) (108 lbs) (MMA Rules)

After her RIZIN debut in the summer, Seo Hee Ham returned to face Miyuu Yamamoto. The fight was presumably a #1 contenders matchup for to decide the next opponent for Ayaka Hamasaki. Miyuu walked out to a mashup of songs including KID Yamamoto’s walkout theme. Her son Erson Yamamoto was cornering her for this fight. Yamamoto got a single leg takedown in the second minute of the fight. Ham got up quickly but was pushed back down. They stood back up into a clinch and then returned to stand-up. Ham stopped the next takedown attempt. Yamamoto got another takedown with two minutes left in the round. The referee stood them up due to inactivity with a minute left in the round. The round ended in stand-up.

Ham was able to stop a takedown early in the second round. Her striking was significantly better this round. Yamamoto was taken down and was hit with strikes from bottom position. The fight was paused as Ham went out of the right. Yamamoto got a cut around her ear that was checked out, although they were able to resume. When they resumed, Yamamoto went into a clinch and landed knees. Ham landed a few punches and then stuffed a takedown. With Yamamoto holding her leg, Ham let off some hammerfist punches to the head. They got back to a standing clinch where Yamamoto was thrown down and hit with two soccer kicks to the head. Yamamoto got back up but was shoved down again. Ham was on Yamamoto’s back, throwing hammerfist strikes. The strikes continued unanswered until the referee stepped in and ended it. Ham seemed sad after the stoppage, immediately hugging and bowing to Yamamoto while tearing up. Both of them were very emotional. After the fight, RIZIN Super Atomweight Champion Ayaka Hamasaki came out and accepted a challenge from Ham. They did a face-off photo as well.

Bellator Japan and RIZIN 20 Announcement

Before the next fight, it was announced that Bellator MMA will do a show on December 29th, and RIZIN 20 will take place on New Year’s Eve. Headlining Bellator Japan will be Rampage Jackson and Fedor Emelianenko. Names shown in the video package were Kyoji Horiguchi, Ayaka Hamasaki and Mikuru Asakura.

Bout 12: Kai Asakura (13-1) vs. Ulka Sasaki (22-7-2) (134 lbs) (MMA Rules)

After the third and final intermission of the evening, the show had it’s co-main event. It was 7 AM EST by the time this fight had come. The co-main event was Kai Asakura versus Ulka Sasaki. Asakura was hot off his huge upset win over Kyoji Horiguchi. Sasaki was coming back after his loss against Shintaro Ishiwatari. His edge over Asakura was really just experience. Kyoji Horiguchi was celebrating his birthday, watching the fight at ringside. As expected, Mikuru Asakura was in the corner of his brother Kai. The fight was chaotic from the start, with Sasaki being dropped in the first 20 seconds. Asakura started to land knees and kicks to a grounded Sasaki. The referee paused the fight to check out Sasaki, who had a broken jaw. Obviously due to the injury the fight was stopped. In under a minute, Kai Asakura added another W to his record, priming himself for a title fight with Horiguchi. After the fight, Horiguchi came into the ring and accepted a fight against Asakura.

Bout 13: Fabio Maldonado (25-13) vs. Jiri Prochazka (24-3-1) (220 lbs) (MMA Rules)

The main event of the evening was Fabio Maldonado facing RIZIN Light Heavyweight Champion Jiri Prochazka in a non-championship bout. Prochazka started to clip Maldonado in the second mi nute of the fight. Cornered, Maldonado was completely covering up and letting Prochazka swing away. Shortly after being dropped by punches, the referee came in and ended it, giving Prochazka the win. In a completely one-sided bout, Jiri Prochazka gave himself his second win of the year.

RIZIN’s next event will be on December 29th, collaborating with Bellator for the promotion’s first show in Japan. After that, RIZIN will hold the traditional New Year’s Eve show. More updates will come in the next couple of months for the matchups on those shows.

RIZIN 18 Live Report

RIZIN wrapped up it’s action-packed summer of shows on Sunday, with RIZIN 18. The show had many of it’s big names like Kyoji Horiguchi, Kanna Asakura and Ayaka Hamasaki along with many other big names. The show also had a big focus on kickboxing, with many bouts under the ruleset throughout the show. In the promotions return to Nagoya, the show had lots of big matches. Follow along throughout the evening (or morning, depending on what timezone you’re in) for updates.

All MMA fights on this card have elbows allowed in them, as opposed to previous cards which had some fights without elbows allowed.

Bout 1: Uchu Sakurai (4-1) vs. Ryuji Horio (19-9-2) (Kickboxing Rules) (126 lbs)

Before the first fight, RIZIN had their usual fighter introductions. There was no large pyro since they’re in a venue with no real stage. Just like last time RIZIN was in Nagoya, there was a visible amount of empty seats in the venue. The first fight on the card was a kickboxing match between Uchu Sakurai and Ryuji Horio. It’s worth noting that Sakurai is 16 years old. Sakurai was getting most of the offence in through the first round. Horio was rocked in the end of the round, getting hit with a combination of strikes which made him stay put in guard until the round ended. He was hit with a knee to the head, then hit with punches after. Horio had a better second round, putting Sakurai in a corner and throwing lots of punches. There was a pause in the third round as seemingly Sakurai’s mouthguard wasn’t put back in in-between rounds. Sakurai was put in the corner and getting absolutely pummeled. He was given a standing 10 count with 30 seconds left. Sensing blood in the water, Horio kept coming forward. He couldn’t land another knockdown before the fight ran out of time. All three judges gave the fight to Ryuji Horio, earning his 20th professional win.

Bout 2: Kazuki Osaki (24-5-2 1 NC) vs. Shota Takiya (32-13) (Kickboxing Rules) (117 lbs)

The second match was a kickboxing battle, with two experienced kickboxers in Kazuki Osaki and Shota Takiya facing off. Takiya is apparently a big Dragon Ball fan, wanting to be a real-life Goku. Osaki was coming into this fight with more of a muay thai stance, versus the karate stance of Takiya. Both guys started really trading hard punches as the first round was in its final minute. Whenever they clinched up, Osaki would try to throw Takiya down. As the second round was concluding, Takiya was dropped by a combination of punches. He got back up and had an intense exchange with Osaki as the round ended. Takiya was completely defensive in the final round, with Osaki teeing off. Osaki was dropped yet again, this time in the final round from a right hook. Going to decision, Kazuki Osaki took the unanimous decision victory.

Bout 3: Tabatha Watkins (3-2) vs. AI (3-0) (MMA Rules) (108 lbs)

In the first MMA fight of the night, Krazy Bee prospect AI faced Tabatha Watkins. In the first minute of the fight, AI landed a takedown. Watkins put in an armbar which was very tight. AI stood up and started landing stomps to the head while in the move. AI eventually got out of the armbar, and tried landing strikes from above. On the ground in the second round, Watkins put in another armbar which was tight. There was a hand motion from AI which made it look like she tapped. Although it was either never seen, or it was just not considered a tap. AI got out of it, and almost found herself in a triangle choke but escaped it and moved into a north south. From that position, AI landed knees to the head. In side position, AI did knees to the mid-section. She also threw elbows to the body. Before the final round, Kanako Murata was spotted in the crowd. In the final round, AI had Watkins on the ground and threw strikes from above. AI dove down into side position again, throwing knees to the head. She threw tons of elbows to the head. Watkins started to bleed heavily. AI started to throw hammerfist punches, with it looking scary for Watkins for a second. The fight went the distance. While Watkins had two rounds with near finished, AI did a lot of damage in the final round, which is important since RIZIN doesn’t use the 10 point must system, but instead scores a fight altogether. The decision was unanimous, with all three judges giving AI the win.

Bout 4: Yutaro Muramoto (6-4-2) vs. Takaki Soya (10-4-1) (MMA Rules) (130 lbs)

The next fight had the RIZIN debut of Yutaro Muramoto versus Takaki Soya, who got a brutal victory two shows ago. Right off the bat, Muramoto tried for a jumping knee. It missed, making them go to the ground for a few moments before returning to stand-up. Muramoto had a takedown blocked by Soya. Muramoto was dropped by a right hook when they were trading punches halfway through the round. The fight went to the ground, with Muramoto landing punches from top position. In-between rounds, Yuki Motoya was spotted in the crowd. They traded punches in the second round, with Soya landing real good punches. After he strung together enough strikes, the referee stepped in and ended the fight. Another impressive win from Soya comes this summer.

Bout 5: Justin Scoggins (11-6) vs. Kazuma Sone (23-18-1) (134 lbs)

In a clash between two fighters on a multiple fight losing streak, Justin Scoggins fought Kazuma Sone. Scoggins lost his RIZIN debut on New Year’s Eve, coming from the UFC before then. Sone has lost in Shooto, also losing in Nagoya last year at RIZIN 12. When they faced off in the ring before the fight started, Scoggins had his fists up and looked intense. The English commentary mentioned numerous times on the broadcast that a 135 pound tournament could happen soon. The first round of this fight had close stand-up action, with both fighters landing good shots. In the second round, Scoggins clipped Sone with a right hook. Sone gave up his back after coming forward trying something, but got back to stand-up. A big cut around Sone’s right eye opened up in the second round. In the third round, Scoggins was confident, taunting frequently. Scoggins dropped Sone again with punches. The fight went all three rounds, and while Sone stayed in it until the end, Scoggins was clearly the better fighter. All three judges gave the fight to Justin Scoggins, who was confident way before his name was called. Scoggins got his first win since 2016, and his first win in RIZIN.

Bout 6: Yves Landu (15-7) vs. Hiroto Uesako (17-7) (157 lbs)

Before the next fight, the broadcast told us that this was a qualifier for the RIZIN Lightweight GP. From France, Yves Landu face Hiroto Uesako, who has found success on the Japanese regional circuit. Landu had athletic tape around his left shoulder and arm. Landu slipped after throwing a punch, which made Uesako throw a knee. Landu scored a takedown, They got up and went into a clinch up against the ropes/corner. Uesako did a judo throw, then tried for a kick which Landu caught. On the ground, Lando threw a few elbows as the round ended. Before the second round, Roberto Satoshi Souza was shown in the audience. Landu had a good start to the second round, throwing tons of punches and kicks including a switch kick. His movement shows that he’s very light on his feet. Uesako took top position on the ground and held it for a large amount of the round. He threw tons of punches, with the referee eventually ending the bout. While the punches weren’t hard, Landu was stuck in his position for quite some time.

Bout 7: Jarred Brooks (14-2) vs. Haruo Ochi (19-7-2) (117 lbs)

Jarred Brooks, who has the nickname “The Monkey God,” came out with a monkey mask, throwing bananas into the crowd. In his RIZIN debut, he faced Haruo Ochi, who sent Mitsuhisa Sunabe into the shadow realm back in the Fall at RIZIN 13. Right off the bat, Brooks landed a takedown. The fighters clashed heads, which made Ochi’s forehead cut open horribly. The fight was ruled a no-contest, with both fighters being visibly frustrated with the outcome.

Bout 8: Alesha Zappitella (5-1 1 NC) vs. Kanna Asakura (14-4) (108 lbs)

In the final fight before the intermission, Kanna Asakura attempted to bounce back from her loss against Miyuu Yamamoto, facing Alesha Zappitella, who has fought in the American Women’s promotion Invicta many times. Tenshin Nasukawa was shown sitting at ringside for this fight. Early in the fight, Zappitella was throwing hard punches. Asakura tried for a takedown but it was stopped in the first minute. Asakura was coming in with good shots. While Zappatella did a good job at defending takedowns throughout the round, Asakura kept landing good shots. In the second round, Zappitella scored a takedown, although most of the round stayed in stand-up. Zappitella took down Asakura in the final round and threw a short flurry of punches. They were both landing solid punches in the final round. Zappitella was walking around the edges of the ring. Zappitella tried for a single leg takedown in the final seconds of the fight which was landed. Zappitella’s corner was very confident as the fight ended. The judges had a split decision, with the third and final judge giving the fight to Kanna Asakura. Nasukawa looked happy at ringside, which is fitting since it was also his birthday.

Bout 9: Danilo Zanolini (41-12) vs. John Wayne Parr (99-33-1) (Kickboxing Rules) (165 lbs)

After the intermission, Tenshin Nasukawa came to the ring to speak. He talked about his September 16 fight in RISE, competing in the finals of a Grand Prix. He said he will return to RIZIN once the tournament is over. He also talked about how he is happy that it is his birthday. The next fight was a big one, as kickboxing legend John Wayne Parr looked for his 100th professional win against Danilo Zanolini. Parr walked out to Old Town Road. The first round had a ton of low kicks from both fighters. Parr got a cut on the left side of his head before round one ended. Zanolini was doing well throughout the first two rounds, although they could go either way. Zanolini was warned to not land elbows. Keeping a fast tempo through all three rounds, this fight was a close one to call. The fight went the distance, with both fighters putting on a close performance. The decision was a split decision, with Danilo Zanolini getting the win. John Wayne Parr was unable to earn his 100th pro career win.

Bout 10: Takeya Mizugaki (23-13-2) vs. Manel Kape (13-4) (MMA Rules) (134 lbs)

Shifting back to MMA for the rest of the night, the first match was Takeya Mizugaki versus Manel Kape. Mizugaki is a very experienced fighter, competing in the UFC up until 2017, being with them since 2011. Also, he competed in WEC from 2009 to 2010. Kape is a veteran of RIZIN, attempting to bounce back from a loss against Seiichiro Ito. Kape wore shoes and socks for this fight, making him the first person to do so on this show. After a minute of striking from both fighters, a pause came after Mizugaki was hit in the groin. Halfway through the round, Kape started to showboat, throwing slaps and fancy kicks behind the other leg. As the round ended, Kape did the pose that Tenshin Nasukawa often does. There were many times in the round where both fighters threw numerous punch combos. Just over a minute into the second round, Kape landed a right hook which gave him the win. He didn’t have to land another punch before the referee intervened. He mocked Nasukawa’s stance once again after the fight. After the fight, he called out Kyoji Horiguchi. Also, Kape claimed he is the most pretty boy fighter in Japan.

Bout 11: Trent Girdham (11-2) vs. Victor Henry (18-4) (MMA Rules) (134 lbs)

In the next fight, DEEP Bantamweight Champion Victor Henry challenged Trent Girdham. Both fighters made their RIZIN debut with this fight. There was a pause in the first round was Henry was kicked in the groin. With two minutes left in the round, Henry had Girdham retreating due to shots. A trip attempt by Girdham was defended, staying in standing clinch. Girdham threw down Henry and took his back. When they stood back up, Henry had a great combination of strikes and then scored a takedown as the round ended. Henry got hit in the groin again in the second round. Girdham was given another warning. A minute later it was Girdham who got hit with a low kick, cause another pause. Henry landed a takedown but Girdham reversed it. Girdham was in control for most of the time on the ground. Henry got a takedown as the second round closed out. Unfortunately, at the start of the final round, Girdham was hit in the round while throwing a spinning back kick. When they resumed, Henry took top position on the ground. Henry tried for a triangle choke on Girdham’s back, making him tap out. Right after he won, Victor Henry put on Zumba pants.

Bout 12: AMP The Rocket (3-1) vs. Ayaka Hamasaki (18-2) (MMA Rules) (108 lbs)

In the co-main event, Suwanan Boonsorn, also known as AMP The Rocket made her RIZIN debut against Ayaka Hamasaki. The commentary team said AMP has a muay thai record of 74-4. She came out sporting DEEP Jewels merch. Hamasaki has the RIZIN Super Atomweight Championship, although she is not defending it in this contest. Flowers were given to both fighters before the bout started. AMP landed a takedown in the first few seconds of the right. Hamasaki tried for a kimura while AMP was on her back. That didn’t work. AMP tried for a rear naked choke. It stayed on the chin of Hamasaki, never getting below that. AMP transitioned into a head and arm lock. Hamasaki was able to take mount, flipping around the position. Hamasaki put in an armbar, making AMP tap out in the first round.

Bout 13: Kai Asakura (12-1) vs. Kyoji Horiguchi (28-2) (MMA Rules) (134 lbs)

In the main event of the evening, Kai Asakura challenged the king of RIZIN, Kyoji Horiguchi. Mikuru Asakura, who won just a few weeks ago against Yusuke Yachi, was in the corner of his brother. In the first minute of the fight, Horiguchi was rocked by a right hook. Retreating, Horiguchi was hit with more punches, especially another right hook which dropped him and ended the fight. The crowd erupted, as this was a big upset. This ended Horiguchi’s 13 MMA fight winning streak, which goes into the last fights of his UFC run. The fight was not for Horiguchi’s RIZIN or Bellator Championships, but the victory certainly puts him in line for a shot.

RIZIN 17 Live Coverage

Just as UFC 240 ended, over at Saitama Super Arena RIZIN 17 was kicking off. The large card featured three fights at the top of the card that aim to have Japan’s biggest fighters going up against each other. In the main event was Mikuru Asakura versus Yusuke Yachi. Let’s go through the debut card from RIZIN’s 2019 debut at Saitama Super Arena.

Bout 1: Daiki Watabe (22-23-2) vs. Hideki (15-5-2) (Kickboxing Rules) (148 lbs)

After the promotion’s usual epic intro, we had our first bout. The first bout of the evening was a kickboxing contest Daiki Watabe and Hideki. It was both fighter’s debuts within the promotion. This time around there is no banners hung up of RIZIN’s partnered promotions. Watabe comes from Tenshin Nasukawa’s gym TEAM TEPPEN. As a matter of fact, Tenshin was in his corner for this fight. After a few minutes of close fighting, Hideki let his hands go and landed enough to give Watabe a standing 10 count. After that, Hideki continued to pepper on punches, but Watabe survived the round. The second round was closer, with Watabe landing lots of low kicks. Hideki did have a good opening, where he backed Watabe into a corner and teed off. It felt like Hideki glided through this round, just defending what Watabe threw. Hideki showboated throughout the bout. It went the distance with the fight going to Hideki via majority decision.

Bout 2: KING Reina (11-2) vs. Stephanie Egger (3-1) (MMA Rules) (139 lbs)

In the next bout we had KING Reina versus Stephanie Egger. Reina had a very epic entrance, keeping a real serious face. Early on it was Egger who threw Reina on the ground and took her back. Reina got up and avoided a rear naked choke. Egger landed a trip takedown in the second round. Egger tried for the rear naked choke again but couldn’t get it fully in. In stand-up, Egger had a significant height and reach advantage. In the third round, Egger tried for a rear anked choke for the third time. She escaped once again, with both fighters going to their feet for the final minute. Reina started coming forward aggressively with punches, but Egger stopped it by clinching up. The crowd started chanting Reina’s name. The fight went the distance, with Reina dropping to the ground as the fight ended. All three judges gave the fight to Stephanie Egger.

Bout 3: Seo Hee Ham (20-8) vs. Tomo Maesawa (12-9) (MMA Rules) (108 lbs)

In the next bout, we had a champion versus champion bout, with DEEP Jewels champion Tomo Maesawa facing Road FC Champion Seo Hee Ham. It was made clear at RIZIN 16 that Seo Hee Ham wants to face Ayake Hamasaki later on. They had close striking for a few minutes. Maesawa was dropped by knees to the body then Hamderlei capitalized by landing knees while Maesawa was down in the corner. Referee Jason Herzog stepped in and ended the bout. She called out Miyuu Yamamoto after the bout, saying she wants that fight before a title shot. Yamamoto entered the ring and accepted the challenge and did a face off.

Bout 4: Jake Heun (13-9) vs. Vitaly Shemetov (23-9) (MMA Rules) (205 lbs)

In the next bout, viral sensation Vitaly Shemetov faced Jake Heun. Sadly I can’t tell you why, but the song that Shemetov walked out to got a big pop. Also, Shemetov himself got a pretty loud reaction for when he walked out. Coming out in all white, Heun did a creative walkout dancing to “Stayin Alive” by Bee Gees. Someone delivered flowers to each fighter before the bout and got a huge crowd pop. As the referee was giving instructions, Shemetov gave a heart to the camera. So, safe to say he looked comfortable. Early on it was obvious that both of these guys were throwing some real power. Heun went for a takedown halfway through the first round. Shemetov got up after getting hit with some elbows on the ground. Shemetov got a takedown with a minute left, but Heun quickly took control. In the second round there was a pause when Shemetov was hit in the groin. Heun had a great string of strikes in the corner but it was interrupted by yet another hit to the groin. Shemetov was on the ground for quite some time this time. He eventually was able to continue. Heun was given a yellow card. Heun landed a slam, taking the fight to the ground. Heun attempted a hammerlock but couldn’t get it. He landed punches as the second round concluded. Early in the third round Shemetov had a good combination of punches. Going back to where he was finding success, Heun landed yet another takedown. Shemetov was cut open badly with a cut on the ground from an elbow, ending the fight abruptly.

Bout 5: Roberto Satoshi Souza (8-0) vs. Mizuto Hirota (18-10-2) (MMA Rules) (157 lbs)

The next contest had undefeated BJJ fighter Roberto Satoshi Souza face JMMA veteran Mizuto Hirota. Souza got a vicious takedown in the first minute of the bout. From top position, Souza landed strikes to the side of the head. They stood up after a few minutes on the ground. Souza tried another takedown but it was blocked. Souza landed an overhead right which rocked Hirota. He did another which dropped him, and then landed a few more strikes to close out the fight.

Bout 6: Tatsuya Kawajiri (36-13-2) vs. Ali Abdulkhalikov (7-0) (157 lbs)

Undefeated fighter Ali Abdulkhalikov challenged experienced fighter Tatsuya Kawajiri. Seconds into the bout Kawajiri missed a takedown and was hit with a hook to the head because of it. Abdulkhalikov’s strikes were looking fast. Kawajiri ducked a spinning backfist and tried for a takedown but couldn’t get it. Abdulkhalikov reversed a takedown then went back to the feet. Kawajiri caught a leg and brought Abdulkhalikov to his knees, but never fully secured the takedown. Upon another attempt, Kawajiri finally got a takedown. Kawajiri tried for a kimura but couldn’t as the round concluded. In the second round, Kawajiri tried for the kimura once again. He tried for a guillotine as well, but Abdulkhalikov’s head popped out. Kawajiri tried for the kimura a third time in the final round. He couldn’t get it, but transitioned into top position and tried for a choke. Kawajiri did elbows and punches until the fight ran out of time. All three judges gave the bout to Tatsuya Kawajiri.

Bout 7: Satoru Kitaoka (42-19-9) vs. Johnny Case (25-6-1) (MMA Rules) (157 lbs)

It wasn’t shown on the English broadcast, but the mayor of Saitama spoke in the ring before the next bout. The final bout before intermission was Satoru Kitaoka versus Johnny Case. Like many 157 pound bouts tonight, winners will have a chance at being in RIZIN’s Lightweight GP. Kitaoka tried for a takedown in the first minute and was given elbows to the head for his troubles. He refused to let go of Case’s leg, but kept getting hit. Case got a trip takedown. Kitaoka tried to a leg lock. Case escaped and started to rain down strikes. Kawajiri survived the first round. Kawajiri had to be carried by his team to the corner, and was laying on the ground before they got there. In-between rounds, Kitaoka’s corner surrendered the bout. Kitaoka was carried away on a gurney. Case told the crowd to say a prayer for Kitaoka.

Bout 8: Hikaru Machida (35-17-3) vs. Taiga (19-9-1) (Kickboxing Rules) (137 lbs)

Coming back from intermission, RIZIN had their second and final kickboxing bout of the evening. Shoot Boxing fighter Hikaru Machida fought Taiga. Machida is known for making the motion of pulling out a sword before throwing his sunday punches. He made the motion once in the first round but didn’t land a punch. Both fighters had their moments in the first round. Throughout the fight it was Machida that was advancing. Taiga had a good flurry at the end of the second round. Taiga landed a takedown in the final seconds of the bout, securing his victory. All three judges gave the fight to Taiga.

Bout 9: Ivan Shtyrkov (16-0-1) vs. Hoon Kim (10-15-2) (MMA Rules) (205 lbs)

In the second light heavyweight bout of the evening, Ivan Shtyrkov battled Hoon Kim. The difference in records between the two is quite drastic. They clinched early in the bout, but the referee separated them eventually. The fight went to the ground with Shtyrkov in top position. A standing clinch was broken yet again in the second round. Shtyrkov landed a takedown and landed very short strikes. He landed enough punches that the referee eventually stepped in and ended the bout. The crowd didn’t seem to interested in the bout by that point.

Bout 10: Yuki Motoya (23-6) vs. Hiromasa Ogikubo (18-4-2) (MMA Rules) (134 lbs)

Before the next bout a promo aired for RIZIN 18, which will take place on August 18th. Kyoji Horiguchi was introduced. He had his RIZIN and Bellator belts with him. He talked about his bout with Kai Asakura which will happen at the next event. The next match was the first of three Japan versus Japan matchups. Also, it was a Shooto versus DEEP matchup, with Motoya representing Shooto and Ogikubo representing DEEP. Ogikubo landed a takedown in the first minute of the contest. Motoya tried to counter with a guillotine, although he let go of it eventually. They got back up after Ogikubo tried for a rear naked choke. He landed another takedown. Ogikubo landed more takedowns in the second. There was more stand-up in the second round compared to the first. The final round had a crazy fist fight from both fighters. It was ended when Ogikubo scored a takedown. They stood back up shortly after and continued their chaotic exchange. Motoya was connecting with the better punches. Ogikubo landed another takedown after looking like he was in trouble on the feet. Ogikubo tried for a headlock as the fight ended. While Ogikubo was good on the ground throughout, Motoya’s campaign in the third round was very effective. The judges had it as a split decision, with Hiromasa Ogikubo winning it.

Bout 11: Shintaro Ishiwatari (25-7-4) vs. Ulka Sasaki (22-6-2) (MMA Rules) (134 lbs)

The co-main event was Shintaro Ishiwatari versus Ulka Sasaki. Sasaki had quite a grand entrance, conducting numerous people before walking down to the ring in a cape. Aljamain Sterling cornered Sasaki for this bout. Sasaki tried for a flying knee the second the fight started. He did not land it. They clinched up against the ropes in the second minute, with the referee eventually growing impatient and breaking them up. When they went to the ground later in the round there was a collision of heads. Ishiwatari had top position on the ground. Sasaki did a good job at getting top position before the round concluded. In the first minute of the second round, Sasaki tried for a takedown. Both fighters early got out of the ring during the attempt. Ishiwatari landed a takedown after trying to stop one from Sasaki for a minute or so. Near the end of the second round, Sasaki was dropped by Ishiwatari. He landed knees to the head and then put in a north south choke which made Sasaki tap out.

Bout 12: Yusuke Yachi (20-8) vs. Mikuru Asakura (10-1) (MMA Rules) (154 lbs)

Finally, the main event of the evening was Yusuke Yachi facing Mikuru Asakura in a complete grudge match. In the first minute Yachi was dropped with a kick, although it could have been also considered a slip as he threw a kick at the same time. Asakura was throwing strong punches in the first round. At the start of the second round Yachi tried for a takedown but was blocked. Later on, Yachi had a better look at a takedown but Asakura avoided it with help from the ropes. Throughout the second, Asakura was warned for holding onto the ropes to resist takedowns. Even in the third round Yachi continued to struggle with his takedown attempts. Crowd got louder when the two minute announcement was said. Asakura scored a takedown with two minutes left. They stood back up with a minute left and started to swing. Asakura egged on Yachi to continue as the fight entered final 10 seconds. Asakura dropped Yachi and didn’t go to finish but instead showed off as the bell rang. All three judges gave Mikuru Asakura the nod.

Pancrase 306 Full Report

Finishing off June was a 17 fight card from Pancrase. Pancrase 306 included the crowning of an interim Welterweight Champion, a clash of veterans and some fun prelim fights. Let’s start with the first bout of the evening.

Preliminary Card

Bout 1: Takashi Araya vs. Tatsuki Ozaki (2019 Neo Blood Tournament Semifinal Strawweight) (3×3)

Starting off the evening of fights was a Neo Blood Strawweight Semifinal matchup. In the first 30 seconds, Araya landed a takedown. Ozaki got up and put in a guillotine choke, which made Araya tap out.

Bout 2: Yota Tatsunari vs. Yohei Nada (2019 Neo Blood Tournament Semifinal Featherweight) (3×3)

The next Neo Blood fight was a featherweight semifinal. Nada landed a punch which dropped Nada. When he got up he was hit with knees up against the cage. Nada jumped and put in a guillotine which made Tatsunari tap out. The first and second fight felt like deja vu.

Bout 3: Real King Date vs. Masayoshi Watanabe (2019 Neo Blood Tournament Final Welterweight) (3×3)

In the finale of the Welterweight Neo Blood Tournament, Real King DATE fought Masayoshi Watanabe. In the first round both fighters were frequently throwing kicks. It became apparently in the first round that this would be a pure striking matchup despite DATE’s submission experience. Watanabe made DATE slip due to a kick to the chest. This became the first fight for DATE that went into the third round. Neither fighters ever really threw combinations, but instead just threw signular punches and kicks. The final round ended with DATE in top position. In a split decision, Masayoshi Watanabe won the fight.

Bout 4: Kento Mizutani vs. Naoki Arikawa (Flyweight) (3×3)

In the first bout between fighters not involved in a Neo Blood Tournament, Kento Mizutani faced Naoki Arikawa. Arikawa landed a good combination of punches at the start of the round. Mizutani circled the outside of the cage for all of the first round. Mizutani tried for a takedown in the opening moments of the second round although Arikawa got in top position. Arikawa kept the dominant position but didn’t get much done. Arikawa got the top position on the ground in round three as well. The fight went the distance with Naoki Arikawa getting the unanimous decision victory.

Bout 5: Toru Fujii vs. Yuki Tashiro (Bantamweight) (3×3)

The next bout was a bantamweight battle between Toru Fujii and Yuki Tashiro. Over a minute into the first round, Tashiro landed a left hook which knocked out Fujii. The referee ended the fight shortly after.

Bout 6: Ippei Takase vs. Ryo Iseki (Bantamweight) (3×3)

In another bantamweight matchup we saw Ippei Takase versus Ryo Iseki. Iseki shot for a takedown early in the bout. On the ground he took Takase’s back, but didn’t get anything done. They stood up in clinch against the cage. Takase threw down Iseki and took top position. They got back up with 30 seconds left in the first round. The second round started with decent striking from both fighters. Iseki tripped Takase to the ground and kept him there with a takedown moments after. In the final round they went into clinch up against the cage. Iseki landed elbows in the clinch. He took it off the cage and landed a takedown. The fight went the full three rounds, with Ryo Iseki getting the nod.

Bout 7: Juan Lizama vs. Mitsuhiro Taki (Bantamweight) (3×3)

Ending off the prelims of Pancrase 306 was Juan Lizama versus Mitsuhiro Taki in a bantamweight bout. Lizama had the better striking and movement in the first round. Taki landed a takedown in the final minute of the second round. The final round was somewhat close until Lizama dropped Taki with a punch with a minute left. Taki recovered and took the fight to the ground. Lizama got out of the ground position as the fight concluded. Throughout it looked like Lizama was pushing the pace of the fight. Juan Lizama was given the split decision win.

Main Card

Bout 8: Kyohei Wakimoto (3-3) vs. Toshikazu Suzuki (8-7-1) (Welterweight) (3×3)

Starting off the main card was a battle between two fights with shaky records. Toshikazu Suzuki had a significant height and reach advantage over Kyohei Wakimoto. Early on in the fight Wakimoto put Suzuki up against the fence. Suzuki flipped the script, putting Wakimoto against the cage. They broke the clinch and went to striking. Halfway through the round Suzuki got dropped by punches but recovered. Wakimoto put Suzuki up against the cage once again. The round ended in this position. Wakimoto got a takedown early in the second round. Suzuki gave up his back. Wakimoto stayed on his back until the round concluded. Suzuki was knocked down yet again in the third round, with Wakimoto taking top position on the ground afterwards. Wakimoto did some strikes while in the position. The fight went the distance with Kyohei Wakimoto undoubtedly getting the unanimous decision victory.

Bout 9: Ukyo Abe (9-5-1) vs. Genpei Hayashi (8-8-1) (Lightweight) (3×3)

The next bout was a lightweight battle between Ukyo Abe and Genpei Hayashi. Moments into the first round, Abe landed a takedown. Abe tried to a rear naked choke on Hayashi’s back. He then flipped around and started landing strikes. The elbows he landed were strong. Hayashi tried for an armbar after getting hit quite a bit. Abe escaped the armbar and gets landing strikes. The referee finally stepped in and ended the bout.

Bout 10: Ryosuke Kano (7-5) vs. Kohei Sugiyama (7-4) (Flyweight) (3×3)

Ryosuke Kano faced Kohei Sugiyama in the final three minute round fight of the evening. Kano tried for a takedown early on but Sugiyama stayed standing. Kano was often walking down Sugiyama. With a minute left in the round Kano landed a takedown. Sugiyama tried for his own takedown in the second round and took the back of Kano. He put in a tight rear naked choke which Kano survived until the bell. In the third round Kano got a takedown. There was a pause in the third round to check out an eye of Kano. Sugiyama threw two punches then went for another takedown. He landed strikes from above as the round ended. In a split decision, Kohei Sugiyama won the fight.

Bout 11: Toshiya Takashima (4-3-1) (#10) vs. Suguru Hayasaka (18-13-5) (#9) (Strawweight) (3×5)

Toshiya Takashima and Suguru Hayasaki faced off against each other next in a five minute round fight. Early on Takashima landed a good right hook which dropped Hayasaka. He couldn’t capitalize off it as Hayasaka got up and pinned Takashima against the cage. When they went to the ground it was Takashima in control. Hayasaka was able to transition onto Takashima’s back. In the second round Hayasaka got a takedown. He stayed on the ground but didn’t do much. On the open scoring Takashima was ahead. Takashima brought Hayasaka to the ground. He landed some strikes as the round closed out. Toshiya Takashima took the unanimous decision victory.

Bout 12: Adam Antolin (13-5) vs. Teppei Maeyama (4-6) (#11) (Strawweight) (3×5)

In the next fight, American fighter Adam Antolin fought Teppei Maeyama. Antolin seemed to be the more composed and controlling fighter in the first round. Antolin kept landing harder strikes in the second. On the ground, he landed strikes as the round ended. Antolin’s dominance only continued in the third. He started to throw knees. In top position, Antolin landed hammerfist strikes and elbows until the referee stepped in and ended it.

Bout 13: J.J. Ambrose (31-8-2) vs. Akihiro Murayama (20-9-9) (#5) (Welterweight) (3×5)

In a fight between two fighters with experienced records, J.J. Ambrose fought Akihiro Murayama. Right off the bat in the fight Murayama put Ambrose up against the cage. They eventually separated and went back to stand-up. Ambrose landed numerous punches that dropped Murayama. He survived but was dropped three times and became very shaky afterwards. Murayama had a better second round, landing significant punches. Early in the final round Ambrose was in control in grappling. After Ambrose was in control for quite some time, Murayama flipped around and took top position. With a few seconds left, Murayama tried for an armbar but couldn’t finish the fight with it. In a unanimous decision, J.J. Ambrose got the victory.

Bout 14: Manabu Inoue (19-9-4) vs. Ryuichi Miki (19-12-4) (Flyweight) (3×5)

In the next bout Manabu Inoue faced Ryuichi Miki. Miki landed a takedown in the first minute. They got back up in no time. Miki landed a couple more takedowns in the round. Inoue kept trying for takedowns in the second round. In the final few seconds of the second round, Ryuichi Miki landed a walk-off knee KO. Afterwards, he claimed this was his comeback fight.

Bout 15: Kim Young Ji (1-3) vs. Yoko Higashi (3-1) (Featherweight) (3×5)

The next bout was the only women’s fight of the evening. Pancrase fighter Yoko Higashi fought Kim Young Ji, from Road FC. This was Higashi’s return to the featherweight division after fighting a few times in the bantamweight class. From the jump Higashi was throwing hard punches. Both fighters seemed to throw combos of punches with no guard. In the second round Higashi tried for a takedown. Heading into the final round it was apparent that Young Ji was behind. The whole fight stayed on the feet, with Higashi out-striking Young Ji. The fight went the distance with Yoko Higashi getting the unanimous decision victory.

Bout 16: Eiji Ishikawa (30-24-3) vs. Ikuhisa Minowa (65-42-8) (Middleweight) (3×3)

In the co-main event we had a bout that was nothing short of a veteran matchup. We went back to three minute rounds for this one. Ishikawa landed a takedown in the first minute. The round ended in this position. Ishikawa brought it back to the ground again in the second, after landing a couple of punches. He landed strikes from above as the round came and went. Ishikawa shot for a single leg takedown and got it in the final round. The final round was much like the ones before, with Ishikawa in top position. The fight went all three rounds. Eiji Ishikawa won the fight via decision.

Bout 17: Kenta Takagi (17-16) (#4) vs. Hiroyuki Tetsuka (6-3) (#1) (Interim Welterweight Championship) (5×5)

The main event of the evening was Kenta Takagi facing Hiroyuki Tetsuka for the Interim King of Pancrase Welterweight Championship. Tetsuka landed a left hook which caught Takagi in the first minute. Tetsuka landed a takedown after two minutes. Tetsuka put in a strong rear naked choke with a minute and a half left which made Takagi tap out. He celebrated with a backflip afterwards.

At the end of July, Pancrase will hold their 307 show. There is a special “Pancrase Osaka” show mid-way through the month, but coverage can’t be guaranteed as it is not listed on UFC Fight Pass.

Ayaka Hamasaki Retains RIZIN Atomweight Championship In Kobe

Ayaka Hamasaki retained her RIZIN Atomweight Championship in a three-round battle against Jinh Yu Frey on Sunday at RIZIN 16. The two fighters showcased their stand-up in the first and second rounds, with Hamasaki scoring a takedown early in the third and keeping it there for the whole round.

This was not the first time that Ayaka Hamasaki and Jinh Yu Frey have met, with their first meeting in 2016 at Invicta FC 19. While Hamasaki prevailed, it wasn’t in completely decisive fashion as it came via doctors stoppage due to a cut.

Road FC Atomweight Champion Seo Hee Ham was present for the event, delivering flowers to both fighters before the bout. “Hamderlei” recently defended her belt in December, defeating Jung Eun Park in Seoul, South Korea.

Hamasaki earned her Atomweight Championship on Near Year’s Eve at RIZIN 14, defeating Kanna Asakura with a second-round armbar. Before then she fought Mina Kurobe and Alyssa Garcia in RIZIN.

Full coverage of RIZIN 16 can be found here

RIZIN 16 Full Report: Nasukawa Becomes ISKA Featherweight Champion

RIZIN held “RIZIN.16” on Sunday, where they made their debut in Kobe, Japan. The event sold out, with the attendance being 8,107. The event had RIZIN banners on stage, but also banners from promotions they are partnered with. The banners this time were DEEP, Bellator Kickboxing, RISE, Bellator MMA and Shoot Boxing. Let’s look at the show and how it went down.

Bout 1: Tanaka Strike Yuki (21-7) vs. Yuya (22-11-3) (Kickboxing Rules) (3×3)

Before we got the formal intro for RIZIN, we had some preliminary bouts. The first one was a kickboxing bout between Tanaka Strike Yuki and Yuya. Yuya landed some good leg kicks in the first round. With one minute left in the first, Yuya dropped Yuki with a combo of punches. He got dropped a second time after a few more and a knee. Yuya put him down a third time to end the bout.

Bout 2: Kengo (11-9-2) vs. Seiki Ueyama (21-11-1) (Kickboxing Rules) (3×3)

In the second kickboxing bout, Kengo fought Seiki Ueyama. Ueyama had much more of a grander walkout when it came to outfit, the delay before making the walk, and a posse with one person carrying a belt. Kengo showed powerful fists from the start. Ueyama landed a right hook that dropped Kengo. When he got back up, both guys started landing real bombs. It looked like they were just testing each other’s chins. Kengo was given a standing ten count as he had trouble standing. Ueyama landed a few more shots before the ref stepped in for the final time.

Bout 3: Kan Nakamura (7-0) vs. Itto (19-12-3) (Kickboxing Rules) (3×3)

Before the next bout, RIZIN had their usual opening for a show. After that, we had yet another kickboxing bout. Kan Nakamura reeked of charisma, dancing as the fight started. Nakamura started to land with combination strikes at the end of the first round. He got a knockdown with 11 seconds left. A few times in the round he fell due to how he recklessly threw his kicks. After a few more strikes, Nakamura did a kick to the head that not only dropped Itto but completely ended the bout. Itto was out for a while after that. Nakamura got the win and protected his undefeated streak.

Bout 4: Namiki Kawahara (5-2-2) vs. Takaki Soya (9-4-1) (MMA Bout Elbows Allowed) (3×5)

The next match was the first MMA fight of the evening. It was a DEEP versus Shooto promotion battle. Soya landed a left hook that dropped Kawahara every early on. Soya threw punches and kicks on the ground but Kawahara recovered. After being on the ground for a minute, they stood back up. Soya sort-of landed a takedown, but they got back up right after. Soya did a double leg takedown which got Kawahara. Kawahara tried for a guillotine, and after Soya threw a knee they got back up. With under a minute left in the first round, Soya landed a right hook that absolutely took out Kawahara.

Bout 5: Taiju Shiratori (14-5-1) vs. Hiroto Yamaguchi (23-15) (Kickboxing Rules) (3×3)

The next bout was a kickboxing competition between Taiju Shiratori and Hiroto Yamaguchi. The first round wasn’t super aggressive from either fighter, but Shiratori was landing more. It’s worth noting that he has a height and reach advantage. The second round was closer although Shiratori kept landing a lot. He didn’t get it, but he tried for a rolling thunder kick at one point. There was a pause in the final round when both fighters collided heads. The final minute of the last round was great as both fighters were going all out. This became the first bout that went the distance, with Shiratori taking the victory by unanimous decision.

Bout 6: Tim Eschtruth (4-1) vs. Erson Yamamoto (2-4) (MMA Rules Elbows Allowed) (3×5)

The next MMA bout was Tim Eschtruth facing Erson Yamamoto. Eschtruth was mean muggin’ heading out to the ring, which made him look pretty cool. Yamamoto was pretty fired up when making his walkout. The first few minutes of the round had pretty evenly matched striking. In a standing clinch, Yamamoto did a elbow punch that dropped Eschtruth and did some more strikes before the referee ended the bout. He had quite the celebration afterwards, doing nearly every dance in the book. Someone from Yamamoto’s corner said he wants to fight in RIZIN afterwards.

Bout 7: Ryuji Horio (19-11-3) vs. Kunitaka (51-34-3) (Kickboxing Rules) (3×3)

A very experience Kunitaka faced Ryuji Horio in the next kickboxing bout. The first round was close with both fighter landing good strikes. Through the second round both guys were throwing and landing a lot, although it was hard to see who was getting the edge. Horio looked like the fresher fighter in the final round. The fight went the distance with both fighters putting on a good performance. Ryuji Horio was favoured on all three scorecards.

Bout 8: Kana Hyatt (16-19) vs. Uoi Fullswing (22-6-4) (MMA Rules) (3×5)

In the next MMA bout, Uoi Fullswing fought Kana Hyatt. Fullswing seemed like quite the personality, carrying a baseball bat out to the ring. This bout looks like a huge mismatch when you look at the records. Hyatt was seemingly on the defence for the first minute of striking. The fight went to the round, with Hyatt in top position. After not much happened on the ground, the referee stood them up. The final minutes of the round were somewhat uneventful, with the only highlight being that Hyatt fell either due to a slip or a strike in the final seconds. Hyatt landed a good takedown in the opening minute of the second round. They got back up after just under a minute. The rest of the round had some evenly matched stand-up. Hyatt got into top position on the ground again in the third round. In the final seconds of the third round, both fighters finally started to unload. Fullswing did four hooks in a row that dropped Hyatt, and then after a few more strikes on the ground the referee stopped it.

Fight Announcements

Before the next bout, a few matchups for the next RIZIN shows. The matchups were Hiromasa Ogikubo versus Yuki Motoya, Ulka Sasaki versus Shintaro Ishiwatari and Mikuru Asakura versus Yusuke Yachi. Nobuyuki Sakakibara talked about the upcoming events in the ring. He talked about how the Japanese fighters need to face each other to become the best. Some fighters were also in the ring, and got a short bit of mic time too. Mikuru Asakura and Yusuke Yachi both trash talked each other when they had the chance. Marcos Yoshio de Souza was also there, although he doesn’t have an opponent announced.

Bout 9: Tofiq Musayev (14-3) vs. Daron Cruickshank (21-11) (MMA Rules) (3×5)

Back from intermission, the next bout was Tofiq Musayev versus RIZIN veteran Daron Cruickshank. Musayev had a dominant performance on New Year’s Eve against Nobumitsu Tyson. The first three minutes of the bout showed good stand-up striking and defence from both fighters. Musayev seemed to unload more combinations of punches in the final two minutes of the first. At the start of the second round, Cruickshank landed a spinning back fist clean, but it didn’t shake Musayev. With two minutes left in the second round, both fighters were warned by the referee that they need to pick up the action. In the final minute of round two, Musayev caught a leg kick and turned it into a takedown. Musayev landed strikes from above until the round ended. He landed another takedown halfway through the third round. Cruickshank got out but was thrown back down right after. Cruickshank tried for a kimura from bottom position but couldn’t get it completely. With a minute left, Cruickshank tried for a triangle choke. The round ended, making the fight go to decision. All three judges gave it to Tofiq Musayev. That makes it two losses in a row for Cruickshank. The last time he was on a two fight losing streak was in 2016 & 2017, when he lost to Satoru Kitaoka and Yusuke Yachi.

Bout 10: Topnoi Tiger Muay Thai (6-2) vs. Yusaku Nakamura (15-6-1) (MMA Rules) (3×5)

Both trying to bounce back from losses, Topnoi Tiger Muay Thai and Yusaku Nakamura faced off in the next bout. Tiger did his usual dancing walkout. Both guys were taunting before and during the fight. Topnoi landed some punches in the second minute that had Nakamura retreating. Topnoi was given a warning for grabbing ropes when both fighters were in clinch for a moment. They weren’t that active when doing stand-up fighting. There was a break in the first minute of the second where Topnoi has kicked in the groin. After Nakamura landed a good right hook he got poked in the eye which cause yet another pause. Another groin shot happened when Nakamura was being held up against the ropes. After a couple minutes of a pause, and yet another warning, the fight continued. Topnoi landed two jabs right down the middle with two minutes left in the second round which made Nakamura backtrack around half of the ring. Nakamura landed a takedown in the final minute of the round. In the third round Nakamura landed another takedown, with both fighters getting up only seconds afterwards. Around the final minute of the fight, Topnoi landed some good strikes on a now very tired Nakamura. The commentary team said Nakamura lost a tooth. He landed a takedown, which they stayed in for a few seconds. The fight went the fifteen minutes, with the judges all giving the win to Nakamura. Topnoi was not a fan of this. After the fight it was shown that his front teeth were knocked out. The crowd gasped when they saw this.

Bout 11: Jake Heun (12-9) vs. Roque Martinez (14-5-2) (MMA Rules) (3×5)

The next fight was a Heavyweight clash between Jake Heun and Roque Martinez. Heun had an entertaining walkout, dressed as Starlord from Guardians of the Galaxy, dancing to “Come and Get Your Love” by Redbone. Roque Martinez did his usual walkout to “Five More Hours” by Deorro and Chris Brown. Martinez wore wrestling shoes for this bout. Heun got a cut on his head within the first minute of the bout. Martinez also got a cut above his right eye. Heun threw tons of great punches and kicks in the first round. There was a pause in the second round where Martinez’s cuts were looked at. Luckily, this did not conclude the bout. Near the end of the round, Heun threw soccer kicks to Martinez, who was grounded. In the final round Martinez picked up Heun and slammed him hard. Heun started to bleed heavily in this round. Heun tried for a heel hook but didn’t fully get it. Martinez took top position and landed strikes until the round concluded. The commentary team were told that Martinez broke a hand in the first round. The judges had it in a split decision, with the third judge giving it to Jake Heun.

Bout 12: Miyuu Yamamoto (4-3) vs. Kanna Asakura (14-3) (MMA Rules) (3×5)

After a second intermission, we had our two women’s MMA fights of the evening. The first one was Miyuu Yamamoto versus Kanna Asakura. This was Asakura’s first fight in RIZIN since she lost to Ayaka Hamasaki on New Year’s Eve, losing her Championship in the process. Yamamoto went for a takedown in the first minute, utilizing her wrestling skills. Asakura was able to get back up, but was held in a corner and was hit with punches. The referee broke them up eventually. Asakura tried for a takedown of her own, and after some reversals, she ended up in top position. They stood up and exchanged blows in clinch. Asakura tried for another takedown but Miyuu successfully defended it. In the second round, Yamamoto defended yet another takedown attempt. When another takedown was shot by Asakura, Yamamoto took full control of it on the ground. She landed punches while holding onto Asakura from behind. Asakura did do a good throw in the final seconds of the round. At the start of the third round, Yamamoto turned a takedown attempt from Asakura into a guillotine attempt. Asakura escaped, but was hit with some punches from above. They stood up and went back to stand-up. Later on, Asakura tried for a triangle choke. The fight went the distance, with it being a great grappling competition with strikes integrated into it. As the scorecards were being read, Asakura started to cover her face with her hat. She was clearly disappointed. Miyuu Yamamoto unanimously was given the win.

Bout 13: Jinh Yu Frey (8-3) vs. Ayaka Hamasaki (17-2) (RIZIN Atomweight Championship) (3×5)

The next bout was the first of two championship bouts. This isn’t the first time that Jinh Yu Frey and Ayaka Hamasaki have faced off, with their first meeting being in Invicta FC. Hamasaki got the upper hand that time, but it ended due to a doctor’s stoppage, not giving a real decisive winner. Frey walked out to the Pride FC theme. Seo Hee Ham gave flowers to both fighters before the bout. Hamasaki landed a good right hook in the first minute of the bout. The whole first round was a great display of stand-up skills from both fighters. At the end of the second round, Frey landed a left hook that landed clean and had Hamasaki retreat. Hamasaki landed the first takedown of the fight at the start of the third. Hamasaki stayed on top for the whole round, landing elbows and punches until the round ended. The third round was easily the most one-sided one. Ayaka Hamasaki got the victory unanimously and retained her Atomweight Championship. The often stoic Hamasaki became very emotional in the post-fight interview.

Tenshin Nasukawa (30-0) vs. Martin Blanco (8-1-1) (Kickboxing Rules) (ISKA Featherweight Championship) (5×5)

Finally, the main event of RIZIN 16 was Tenshin Nasukawa challenging for the ISKA Featherweight Championship against Martin Blanco, the Bantamweight Champion. Before the fight, the Japanese and Argentine anthems played. This fight was scheduled for five rounds. The first round was somewhat slow. Nasukawa started to really light up in the second round. A cut started to appear of Blanco’s right eye. There was a pause after the first minute of the second round for Blanco to get the cut checked on. When they resumed Blanco landed a right hook that shook Nasukawa a little. Nasukawa landed a knee to the body which dropped Blanco. When he got back up, Nasukawa did another knee to the body which took him down. When he did a third knee which dropped Blanco, the referee finally ended it. Tenshin Nasukawa was crowned the ISKA Featherweight Champion after this victory.

RIZIN’s next event will take place on July 28th at Saitama Super Arena. Until then, RIZIN talent will be seen on shows around the world. RENA will face Lindsey VanZandt, and Kyoji Horiguchi will face Darrion Caldwell at Bellator 222 in two weeks. RIZIN alumni Nanaka Kawamura and Rin Nakai will fight at DEEP JEWELS 24 next Sunday as well. One unique feature about RIZIN is how their performers are not usually exclusive to the promotion, so there’s always shows that have recognizable talent on.

Pancrase 305 Full Report: Kobayashi Gets Decision Win Over Malegarie

Japan’s busiest MMA promotion Pancrase returned last week with a 20 fight card. In the main event, Nazareno Malegarie and Isao Kobayashi put their respective Featherweight Championships on the line in a five round bout. The show also included UFC alumni, JMMA royalty, and much more. Let’s look at Pancrase 305.

Preliminary Card

Bout 1: Yohei Misawa vs. Satoru Enomoto (2019 Neo Blood Tournament Second Round Flyweight) (3×3)

Right off the bat it’s worth noting that the broadcast got a new graphics package. The first fight was a Neo Blood Tournament bout. Enomoto tried for a takedown in the first minute of the bout, pinning Misawa up against the cage. They stayed in a clinch until the referee pause the belt due to Enomoto getting hit below the belt. He got a cut on hit head around the hairline which also got cleaned up during the pause. The fight resumed but they didn’t start back up in the position they paused in. The second round showcased Misawa’s better striking. Enomoto landed a clean double leg takedown in the second minute of the second round. He landed some shots from top position until the round concluded. Misawa tried for a single leg takedown in the final round, but it was successfully defended. After being on the cage for a litte Enomoto did a leg trip to score another takedown. Enomoto’s ground work made up for his weaker stand-up striking. Satoru Enomoto got the unanimous decision victory.

Bout 2: Yosuke Shimoda vs. Kiyoshiro Akasaki (2019 Neo Blood Tournament Second Round Flyweight) (3×3)

The other second round fight in the flyweight tournament was next. Right off the bat, Akasaki went in for a takedown. Shimoda was able to fight it off and even try for a guillotine against the cage. Akasaki slammed down Shimoda, but the guillotine was not let go of. They stood up against the cage and stayed in a clinch for the rest of the round. Shimoda was hit with quite a few unanswered strikes in the final seconds. On the ground in the second, Akasaki landed a lot of strikes on the ground. After more and more grinding from Akasaki they stood up, but Shimoda was so tried that he fell from some strikes. The referee came in and stopped it after Shimoda fell.

Bout 3: Junpei Ueno vs. Nobuaki Yamamoto (2019 Neo Blood Tournament Second Round Bantamweight) (3×3)

The next two fights we saw were from the Bantamweight division of the competition. After some light striking from both fighters, Yamamoto tried for a double leg takedown. Sitting against the cage, Ueno tried for a guillotine. When standing up in clinch, Ueno delivered a knee to Yamamoto’s head. There was a groin shot in the opening seconds of the second round to Yamamoto. Yamamoto landed a good takedown in the second round, and did yet another when they stood up against the cage. Ueno had some good strikes when standing up, but Yamamoto took it to the ground once again when the third round started. Ueno tried for a rear naked choke in the final minute of the fight. The judges gave the fight to Junpei Ueno, which the commentators didn’t understand.

Bout 4: Masahide Hiraoka vs. Yuki Nagai (2019 Neo Blood Tournament Second Round Bantamweight (3×3)

To decide who would face Junpei Ueno in the finals, Masahida Hiraoka and Yuki Nagai fought each other next. Nagai chased a single leg takedown early but never fully got it. He was on Hiraoka against the cage for the whole round. Hiraoka had good striking in the second round but was trapped in more grappling when Nagai shot for another takedown. They stayed on the ground for the rest of the round. The final round felt like more of the same, with Hiraoka’s striking being stopped once he was put against the cage. Hiraoka ended up winning the bout via decision.

Bout 5: Kazuki Kasai vs. Takuya Saito (2019 Neo Blood Tournament Second Round Featherweight) (3×3)

We moved on to the Featherweight bouts next in the prelims. The first round was a busy one from both fighters. Kasai threw Saito to the ground and then tried for an arm triangle on the ground. Kasai was pretty dominant throughout the bout. Kasai was dominant with many throws in the second round as well. His ground game was showcased more than his striking in the first two rounds. Kasai was out-striking Saito in the final round. It’s worth noting that Kasai had a height and reach advantage. Saito tried for anything, even a rolling thunder. Kasai caught the rolling thunder and put in an arm triangle, which made Saito tap out.

Bout 6: Seio Date vs. Joji Goto (Bantamweight) (3×3)

In a break from the Neo Blood Tournament, Joji Goto faced Seio Date. Goto turned a missed strike into a guillotine, landing knees to the body when in clinch. Goto landed tons of punches while standing against the cage. His flurry was ended when he accidentally landed a knee to the groin. Quite a high amount of groin shots on these prelims. They clinched back against the cage for the rest of the round. When the second round started, Date was leaving the room for kicks, constantly backing up. On the ground, Date tried for a heel hook. Goto had a dominant final round, with Date backtracking the whole time due to strikes. The referee stopped the bout with only a second left in the round, giving Goto the victory. Date was struggling through that whole round.

Bout 7: Sho Sekihara vs. Nobuhisa Kudo (Bantamweight) (3×3)

In another Bantamweight bout, Sho Sekihara debuted against Nobuhisa Kudo. In the first minute of the bout, Sekihara stopped a takedown attempt, landing tons of hammerfist strikes while Kudo was holding onto his leg. Sekihara looked very comfortable in there. He taunted quite a bit during the fight as well. Kudo was wobbled in the final seconds of round one, but couldn’t finish it. Sekihara had a slower second round. The fight went all nine minutes with Sekihara having an even more laid back round. Sho Sekihara was given the victory by the judges.

Bout 8: Shun Miyakawa vs. Kohei Maeda (Bantamweight) (3×3)

Yet another Bantamweight bout was next. The first round had some close striking, with Maeda scoring a takedown before the final minute. Maeda got another takedown in the second round while clinching the body of Miyakawa. Maeda was in top position while landing strikes. A similar takedown was done in the final round by Maeda. Miyakawa was able to escape being on the ground this time, standing up for a few seconds. Unfortunately, he was thrown down once again seconds later. The fight went it’s scheduled distance, with Kohei Maeda being selected as the winner.

Bout 9: Yasutaka Kato vs. Kaneaki Watanabe (Featherweight) (3×3)

In the ninth bout, the Featherweights squared off. Watanabe shot for a takedown early, but Kato guarded it. They went back to stand-up, where Watanabe landed a right hook that dropped Kato and ended the bout.

Bout 10: Yuki Yamamoto vs. Tatsuya Tomozane (Lightweight) (3×3)

Finishing off the prelims was a Lightweight bout. Heading into this contest, Tatsuya Tomozane was making his Pancrase debut and was on a six-fight win streak.Tomozane landed a takedown halfway through the first round. Tomozane was moving much more quicker than Yamamoto was. At the very start of the final round, there was a hard groin shot to Tomozane. Yamamoto wasn’t successful with much throughout this bout, although he did last through the whole thing. The scorecards favoured Tatsuya Tomozane.

Main Card

Bout 11: Yuki Kosaka (14-6-2) vs. Shuhei Sakano (10-3-1) (Bantamweight) (3×3)

Shuhei Sakano, coming from Rebel FC, face Yuki Kosaka in the opening main card bout. Sakano had a great walkout, dancing to “Dream Fighter” by Perfume. Both fighters had some good moments in the opening minutes. Sakano backed up a few times while striking, making the fight go back into the center of the cage. Kosaka took the fight to the ground after Sakano resisted the takedown for a while. Kosaka never got to really do work on the ground as Sakano was resisting well enough. At the start of the second round both fighters threw tons of strikes but hardly connected, in part due to the distance they kept. Sakano landed a takedown and took Kosaka’s back, but lost the position quickl. They stood back up, where Kosaka tried for a single leg takedown. Sakano landed elbows while Kosaka was still trying for the takedown. Kosaka got the fight back to the ground for the final seconds of the second round. Sakano was dropped by a jab at the start of the third round. Sakano tried for an armbar when they went on the ground later. The final minute of the fight was close, with Sakano trying for a triangle choke and an armbar. Both fighters went the distance with the judges giving the win to Shuhei Sakano via split decision, although he looked as if he didn’t believed he deserved to win.

Bout 12: Takafumi Ato (8-8-1) vs. Yuta Miyazawa (3-2) (#11) (Strawweight) (3×3)

In the second main card bout, Takafumi Ato faced Yuta Miyazawa in a Strawweight bout. Miyazawa landed a strong takedown in the first minute of the bout, throwing down Ato a second time when he stood up. Ato got up a second time, while Miyazawa held him from behind and did some knees. They split up with a minute left in the first. In the final seconds of the round, Ato had Miyazawa backtracking due to some punches. Both fighters seemed to lose composure with their striking at the end. Miyazawak got a takedown after a minute of exchanging punches in the second. They stood back up for another hectic final minute of the round. Ato got dropped by a punch but recovered quickly. Ato was on Miyazawa’s back, throwing punches as the fight ended. In the opening moments of the third round, Miyazawa got a takedown but lost is right after. It seemed like Ato was more interested in engaging in a fire fight. Ato got a takedown but lost control, with Miyazawa landing knees against the cage whilst standing. They broke up with both fighters being very fatigued in the final minute. Miyazawa landed a final takedown, with the fighters both throwing punches as the fight ended. It was another split decision, with it going in favour of Yuta Miyazawa.

Bout 13: Yusuke Kawanago (15-6-2) vs. Katsushi Sugiyama (12-8-1) (#11) (Featherweight) (3×3)

In the final three minute round fight, Yusuke Kawanago faced Katsushi Sugiyama. Kawanago landed a takedown in the first minute after they traded punches. Kawanago got a cut above his left eye which made the fight pause for doctors to check. They decided to let the fight continue. Kawagano was dropped by a left and right combo, and then was given more punches on the ground until the referee stopped the fight. Similar to a finish earlier, Sugiyama got his win in the very last second of a round.

Bout 14: Joey Crisostomo Jr. (2-3) vs. Chihaya Yoneyama (6-1-1) (Bantamweight) (3×5)

The next Bantamweight fight saw the Pancrase debut of Spike22’s Joey Cristostomo Jr. against Chihaya Yoneyama. Yoneyama took the fight to the ground in the first after a kick tripped Chrisostomo. He landed elbows from top position. Crisostomo tried to get out, but Yoneyama put him back down and did more. The first round was nothing short of dominant for Yoneyama. They went back to the ground in no time when the second round started. While on top, Yoneyama started to unload with some punches. There was a pause where he tried for two submissions, then started doing elbows and punches which made the referee step in and end it.

Bout 15: Bakytbek Duishobaev (6-1) vs. Yuchi Ohashi (5-2) (#8) (Bantamweight) (3×5)

The next bout M-1 Challenge alumni Bakytbek Duishobaev facing Yuchi Ohashi. Ohashi landed a left hook into a clinch, and then landed a knee which dropped Duishobaev, making only a few more strikes necessary to win, in under a minute.

Bout 16: Takeshi Kasugai (22-6-1) vs. Hidekazu Fukushima (14-7) (#4) (Bantamweight) (3×5)

At this point in the show we started to see more experienced fighters square off. Takeshi Kasugai and Hidekazu Fukushima, who have 50 bouts combined, fought next. Kasugai showed off powerful hands in the first minute, dropping Fukushima, although Fukushima recovered almost instantly. They stayed on the ground after Kasugai got the knockdown, with Fukushima eventually even getting the top position in a half guard. Fukushima had some real dominant grappling, although Kasugai did land some punches on the ground near the end of the first round. Kasugai shot for a takedown at the start of the second round but did not get it. It was clear that Kasugai was the better striker. They stayed standing up for the majority of the second round. Fukushima failed to score another takedown in the initial minute of the final round. Fukushima seemed to heat up a little more in the last round, but Kasugai kept his striking up as well. The fight went the distance with Takeshi Kasugai getting the nod from all three judges.

Bout 17: Akihiro Gono (36-23-8) vs. Yuki Kondo (60-35-9) (Welterweight) (3×3)

In a fight of two fighters with extensive records, Akihiro Gono faced Yuki Konda. This is a trilogy fight between these two fighters, with the series being 1-1. Their latest meeting was in 2006 at Pride Shockwave. This fight had three minute rounds. The first round had some close striking, with kicks from both fighters being frequent. They opened up more with punches in the second round, with Kondo walking down Gono. There was a low blow to Gono at the start of the third which cause a break. The third round was when both fighters really started to up their striking output. Unfortunately for Gono, he has hit with yet another low blow in the final seconds of the round. The fight went to decision. It was Yuki Kondo who got the upper hand in the trilogy, with all three judges giving the win to him.

Bout 18: Kazumasa Majima (12-1) vs. Issei Tamura (12-9) (#5) (Featherweight) (3×5)

In the next bout, #5 ranked Featherweight from Krazy Bee, Issei Tamura, fought Kazumasa Majima, who made is Pancrase debut coming from REBEL FC. Majima went for a takedown in the first minute of the bout, which Tamura stopped at first, but after some work against the cage, Majima had it his way. He showcased his dominant grappling for the rest of the first round. Majima brought the fight to the ground again in the second and tried for a rear naked choke. Majima held the fence at one point for quite a few seconds but the referee did not see it. The second round has similar to the first. The final round was the only time Majina really had some strikes, landing elbows and punches from top position. He put in an arm triangle with a minute and a half left in the round, making Tamura tap out.

Bout 19: Mamoru Yamaguchi (31-12-5) (#7) vs. Toru Ogawa (10-3) (#5) (Flyweight) (3×5)

In the co-main event of the evening, two ranked Flyweights in Mamoru Yamaguchi and Toru Ogawa faced off. Ogawa had the better striking in the first round. Ogawa’s dominant striking continued through the second. The whole fight was stand-up, with Ogawa being absolutely dominant. The judges had it as a unanimous victory for Toru Ogawa.

Bout 20: Isao Kobayashi (23-5-4) (Featherweight Interim Champion) vs. Nazareno Malegarie (29-5-1) (Featherweight Unified Champion) (Featherweight) (5×5)

The main event of Pancrase 305 was a clash between the two Pancrase Featherweight Champions, Isao Kobayashi and Nazareno Malegarie. It was noted by the broadcast team that Malegarie cut a large amount of weight for this fight. The first round was a methodical one, with Kobayashi getting some good shots in. The second round felt like an improvement for Malegarie while Kobayashi kept up with his striking as well. Kobayashi tried for a takedown in the final minute of the third round but couldn’t get it. All of the rounds in the fight had very close striking, with the tempo of strikes increasing as the fight went on. Both fighters tried for takedowns in the final round. There was never any moments that made one fighter stick out particularly. With a minute left Malegarie tried for a heel hook, but Kobayashi got out shortly. The fight went all 25 minutes, with the judges giving Isao Kobayashi the unanimous decision, making him the only Featherweight Champion.

Pancrase will return at the end of this month with Pancrase 306, main evented by Welterweights Hiroyuki Tetsuka and Hiromitsu Miura fighting for the vacant Pancrase Welterweight Championship.

RIZIN 15 Full Report

RIZIN made their second appearance in Yokohama this Sunday. The card had tons of action, so let’s look at how it went down.

Bout 1: Thalison Ferreira (14-2) vs. Taiga (19-7-1) (134 lbs) (Kickboxing Rules)

After RIZIN’s traditional show opening where every fighter was introduced, we had our first fight. The first bout on the card was a kickboxing battle between Thalison Ferreira and Taiga. Taiga has fought in RIZIN before, fighting to a draw at RIZIN 13. Thalison Ferreira had a very intense and long walkout. Both guys were fighting at a fast tempo throughout the first round. Ferreira kept trying for a spinning back fist. With under 20 seconds left in the round, Ferreira was hit with a knee to the body, causing a knockdown. He barely escaped the round. His team was very late for leaving the ring after the first round. Taiga was dropped at the start of round two from an overhand right but recovered. Another overhand that was landed maybe a minute later took Taiga down once again. Ferreira saw red at this point and was fully on the offense. Taiga went down after a jab with under 30 seconds left, causing the referee to end the bout.

Bout 2: Kanako Murata (8-1) vs. Saray Orozco (4-2) (126 lbs) (Elbows Allowed)

The second bout was Kanako Murata filling in for Shinju Nozawa-Auclair, facing Saray Orozco. Early in the fight Murata took it to the ground, landing a takedown. They got back up after Murata landed some strikes on the ground. Murata did another takedown and started trying for a guillotine. In general, Murata had the upper hand on the ground, but wasn’t completely dominant. After Murata picked up Orozco and put her down, she put in a von flue choke, which made the fight end via referee stoppage. As usual for Murata, she threw around her cornermen and cornerwomen after the bout.

Bout 3: Seiichiro Ito (12-2-2) vs. Manel Kape (12-4) (128 lbs) (Elbows Allowed)

In the next fight, longtime ZST fighter Seiichiro Ito fought Manel Kape. Kape had a new look, wearing long pants and shoes in the ring. Within the first minute of the bout, Ito was hit in the groin with a shoe. Kape landed a good takedown in the second minute. Ito had a takedown attempt denied near the end of the round. Kape started to amp up his striking in the second round. There we many moments where Ito was in full defensive mode. From punches to spinning back fists, to grounded knees, Kape was hitting all of his spots in the second round. With a minute left, the referee stepped in to end the fight, giving Kape the stoppage victory. After the fight he dedicated the fight to his mother.

Bout 4: Koji Takeda (8-0) vs. Damien Brown (18-12) (157 lbs) (Elbows Allowed)

After his successful performance at New Year’s Eve, Damien Brown returned to face Koji Takeda. The first round was only stand-up, with Damien Brown having a great round. In-between rounds, Yusuke Yachi was spotted in the crowd. Takeda held onto Brown’s back for a portion of the second round. After an amazing scramble, they went back to kickboxing. Brown seemed to be more dominant in the striking. Takanori Gomi was spotted in the crowd during the second break. Early in the final round, there was a pause due to Brown getting poked in the eye. Takeda was completely defensive in the closing minutes of the fight. This became the first fight of the night to go it’s scheduled distance, with Brown winning via unanimous decision.

Bout 5: Kana Watanabe (6-0-1) vs. Justyna Zofia Haba (1-0) (126 lbs) (Elbows Allowed)

It was a battle of undefeated fighters in the next match when Kana Watanabe battled Justyna Zofia Haba. After a few minutes of stand-up, Watanabe did a trip to take it to the ground. Watanabe landed some forearms on the ground before the round ended. Kana Asakura and KING Reina were shown on the broadcast in-between rounds. In the second round there was a stoppage for Watanabe’s nose to be checked by a doctor. Miyuu Yamamoto and AI Shimizu were seen in the crowd before the third round started. From the ground, Watanabe was landing tons of strikes in the final round. Her nose was bleeding quite a bit during this. The fight went the distance, with the final round being the most dominant for Watanabe. The judges gave Watanabe the nod via unanimous decision.

Bout 6: Mikuru Asakura (9-1) vs. Luiz Gustavo (9-0) (150 lbs) (No Elbows Allowed)

In what is a great fight to have before intermission, Luiz Gustavo fought Mikuru Asakura. Gustavo landed a hard kick to the head early into the fight. Asakura landed a takedown shortly after. They were stood up after nothing happened on the ground. The referee stopped the fight after Asakura claimed an eye poke. After a doctor extensively checked him out the fight resumed. Back on the ground, Gustavo put in a guillotine but was broken as they almost fully got out of the ring. At the start of the second round, Asakura did a good kick to the ribs. Gustavo jumped into a takedown after trying to do a kick. When back on their feet, Asakura and Gustavo got into a swinging battle. Gustavo got dropped from a right hand but recovered and was taken down moments later. Gustavo got fully out of the ring while Asakura was on top, forcing a break. This caused Gustavo to be given a yellow card. The final minute was more powerful strikes from both fighters. In the third round Gustavo started to bleed from the left eye. The final round was the most intense as both guys were swinging for the fences. Asakura did a takedown with over a minute left, but Gustavo backed out of the ring again. Both fighters survived all three rounds. The judges gave Mikuru Asakura the unanimous win.

Bout 7: RENA (7-2) vs. Samantha Jean-Francois (4-5) (112 lbs) (Elbows Allowed)

After the first intermission ended, RENA faced Samantha Jean-Francois in a match that was originally scheduled for New Year’s Eve. This time around RENA was able to survive the weight cut, so the fight went through. Francois was wearing wrestling shoes for this match. After clinching for a little in the first, RENA threw Francois onto the ground, but got immediately reversed. Francois did a trip shortly after, with RENA attempting an armbar from the bottom position. Francois escaped the armbar, going back into a standing clinch in the corner. RENA tried for a judo throw, but Francois sort of collapsed on her and assumed top position on the ground. Francois tried for a rear naked choke but couldn’t find it as the round ended. RENA landed some good stand-up shots at the start of the second, but was taken down shortly after. RENA tried for an armbar and got slammed by Francois but kept ahold of the move. They found themselves in a stalemate as RENA stood up and Francois stayed on the ground. RENA dove down for a punch, but stood back up shortly after. The referee stood Francois up this time. Francois landed another takedown but RENA reversed it using momentum. From top mount, RENA started to land strikes. After some hammer fist strikes, RENA tried for more submission moves. The round ended in this position. In RENA’s corner, she got her coach to slap her in the face with both hands before the final round started. In the final round, Francois landed a takedown but RENA fought her way into the top position. They got stood up after being in that position for a few minutes. RENA defended a takedown successfully in the final minute, taking top position once again from it. In a north south position, RENA landed some knee strikes to the head. The fight went the full distance. All three judges gave RENA the victory.

Bout 8: Karl Albrektsson (8-2) vs. Christiano Frolich (10-4) (205 lbs) (Elbows Allowed)

In a Light Heavyweight bout, Karl Albrektsson fought Christiano Frolich next. Albrektsson had a huge height advantage over Frolich. In the first minute, Albrektsson landed a left kick to the body that dropped Frohlich and echoed throughout the building. That exchange brought the fight to the ground. Albrektsson was dominant with strikes on the ground. Albrektsson was dropped by punches in the final ten seconds, possibly being saved by the bell. The second round had an emphasis on kickboxing. In the first minute of the final round, Albrektsson landed a takedown that almost made Frohlich fall out of the ring. Despite landing this, since they went out of the ring he lost the position. Albrektsson got a top position on the ground and landed tons of strikes. The fight went the distance, with Albrektsson winning via scorecards.

Bout 9: Satoru Kitaoka (42-18-9) vs. Roberto Satoshi Souza (7-0) (156 lbs) (No Elbows Allowed)

Veteran JMMA fighter Satoru Kitaoka faced BJJ ace Roberto Satoshi Souza in the next bout. This was Kitaoka’s 70th pro MMA fight. After some striking, Kitaoka had a guillotine on that Souza rolled out of. Souza got a large cut on his head which cause a break in the bout. After a somewhat contained battle, both guys let their hands fly for a few seconds in the final minute. Kitaoka got a takedown early in the second. The fight was stopped once again, this time to look at a cut on Kitaoka’s head. The fight continued, with Souza landing some good combos of punches before Kitaoka shot for another takedown. Kitaoka tried for a leg lock on the ground (a move that got him put to sleep against Diego Brandao). Souza reversed the move into a rear naked choke and then a triangle choke. Kitaoka was able to escape the predicament. They were stood up after a bit of inactivity on the ground. They started to trade strikes, with Kitaoka being dropped after numerous strikes, and was hit a few more times before the referee dove in. Souza had an emotional speech after the fight, talking about how he watched PRIDE as a kid, and how this was a dream come true.

Bout 10: Kyoji Horiguchi (26-2) vs. Ben Nguyen (16-8) (132 lbs) (Elbows Allowed)

The first of three huge fights on the card was RIZIN’s star Kyoji Horiguchi facing Ben Nguyen. The crowd was very electric for this fight. Nguyen was wearing shoes in the ring. Right off the bat, Nguyen was the aggressor. He got onto Horiguchi’s back while he was standing, but was taken out of the position after Horiguchi spun. They clinched up against the ropes for a while. Horiguchi started to land some good hooks. Nguyen stopped being the fight who was pushing the pace as he stated getting tagged. Nguyen was dropped twice, and after being hit in the corner many times, the referee stepped in and concluded the bout. After the fight, Nobuyuki Sakakibara got in the ring and asked Horiguchi if he wants to fight on Bellator’s Madison Square Garden card. The implication was that Horiguchi would face Darrion Caldwell for his Bellator Championship.

Bout 11: Tenshin Nasukawa (29-0) vs. Fritz Biagtan (12-3) (130 lbs) (Kickboxing Rules)

After the second intermission ended, Manny Pacquiao came to the ring and thanked everyone for the opportunity to be here, and for his kickboxer Fritz Biagtan to fight Tenshin Nasukawa. He took a seat at ringside for the fight. The first round was very methodical, with both guys having a feeling out process. There was a pause due to Nasukawa getting un-intentionally hit in the groin. Biagtan was landing strikes in the second round, but it felt like Nasukawa was controlling the bout. In the final minute of the second round, there was a moment where Biagtan was spun into a corner and then hit a few times clean on the chin. In the final round, Nasukawa started to really egg on with strikes. He landed a knockdown after a knee to the body. With another knee only second laster, Nasukawa got a second knockdown and a victory. He did the Street Fighter “Hadouken” pose after winning.

Bout 12: King Mo (21-8) vs. Jiri Prochazka (23-3-1) (Light Heavyweight Title Match) (Elbows Allowed)

In the main event of RIZIN 15, Jiri Prochazka and King Mo fought to become the first ever RIZIN Light Heavyweight Champion. Like many people tonight, King Mo fought in shoes. Before the main event happened, the Czech Republic and United States National Anthems were played. Despite being a championship bout, it was only scheduled for three rounds. The first round of the fight felt very slow, and while Prochazka landed some, it wasn’t a huge round for him. There was a pause in the action when a doctor had to check on a cut around Prochazka’s left eye. Prochazka was more aggressive than King Mo in this round. With two minutes left in the final round, Prochazka started to land head strikes, dropping King Mo and eventually closing out the fight. Jiri Prochazka is RIZIN’s first Light Heavyweight Champion.

With RIZIN’s evening of fights concluded, we look to the future. RIZIN is scheduled to have their next event on June 2nd in Kobe, Japan, making it the promotion’s debut in the city. It will be in World Memorial Hall, a venue that has 8,000 seats in it. No fights are booked for the event yet, but once we edge closer to the date some bouts are eventually going to be announced.

ROH/NJPW Honor Rising: Japan 2019 Day 2 Results and Review

This show was the second of two Honor Rising shows this year. Ring of Honor sent over some of their talent to compete with NJPW’s talent. The first night had three title matches, and so did this one. Let’s look at night two.

Honor Rising Day 1 Results and Review

Toa Henare & Johnathan Gresham vs. TAKA Michinoku & Zack Sabre Jr.

Before the first match, TAKA Michinoku cut a promo on his team’s opponents. He didn’t or at least pretended he didn’t know who Johnathan Gresham is. Man, TAKA’s slogans and all of that are so cool. I wish he would do the English promo more often. Henare jumped his opponents to start the show. ZSJ and Gresham showed a great battle of grappling at the start. Henare got a hot tag and hit a combo of moves on ZSJ. He got a two count from a Samoan Drop. ZSJ turned a vertical Suplex attempt into a Guillotine. Henare fought out of it and landed a Clothesline after getting hit with a kick. ZSJ landed a DDT off the ropes, allowing him to tag in Michinoku. TAKA was given a Samoan Drop off the ropes, and then Johnathan Gresham was tagged in. Gresham was in a 2-on-1 situation, landing a Moonsault onto ZSJ and then a Tope Suicida onto Michinoku. Gresham did a Shooting Star Press onto TAKA but ZSJ broke up the pin. Gresham put in the Octopus Lock, making TAKA tap out. Gresham really stuck out to me in this match. We didn’t get to see much of him on day 1 because his tag match was so short.

Robbie Eagles vs. Marty Scurll

They showed the wrong image on the screen in Korakuen Hall for this match. Robbie Eagles fought Marty Scurll in this bout. Right out the gates both of these guys traded blows. Eagles did a Huricanrana and then was given a clothesline by Scurll. Eagles got thrown out of the ring and hit a Springboard Dropkick when getting back in. Later on, Eagles tried for a 450 Splash but Scurll avoided it. They traded roll-up pin attempts after. Scurll did a Small Package Piledriver, but Eagles kicked out at two. He attempted to follow it up with a Crossface Chickenwing but had to settle with a German Suplex. On the top rope, Eagles hit a Huricanrana. This was impressive cause when I said they were on the top rope, I meant they were both standing on the top rope with no support for balance except each other. Scurll took some kicks and then spat at Eagles. The crowd booed when Eagles avoided his fingers getting snapped. When Eagles went off the ropes he was hit with a strike and then given a Crossface Chickenwing to end the match. I thought the finish was a little abrupt but the match was still good. The top rope spot was impressive.

Cheeseburger & Delirious vs. Colt Cabana & Toru Yano

It’s time for a comedy match. Cheeseburger and Delirious faced Colt Cabana and Toru Yano. Cabana teamed with Cheeseburger and Delirious last night for 6-man titles but lost, which caused some beef within the trio. Cabana helped promote Yano’s curry line during his entrance. Cheeseburger teased leaving the match when the crowd was chanting against him. Yano wasn’t as successful with undoing the turnbuckles tonight. Instead, Cabana brought in a long corner pad that NJPW usually uses. Delirious hit Yano with it. When Cheeseburger was trying for a Sunset Flip, Cabana gave Yano another corner pad, letting him hit Cheeseburger in the head with it. Cheeseburger gave Cabana his palm strike, but he kicked out. When the ref wasn’t looking, Delirious took a play out of Yano’s book and gave Cabana a low blow for a two count. Cabana gave Delirious a Chicago Skyline to win the match.

Dalton Castle & Jeff Cobb vs. Hirooki Goto & Will Ospreay

The next match combined both of yesterdays singles matches that were for titles. Cobb got a hot tag late in this match. He was striking Goto when Ospreay came in and was given a huge belly-to-belly German Suplex. Cobb did a Samoa Drop and then a Standing Moonsault onto Goto for a two count. Ospreay tagged in and prevented Castle from coming in. After Ospreay did a Springboard Forearm, he did a flippy move off of Goto’s back. After other tag members came in and out of the ring, Ospreay did a Robinson Special. He tried for an Os-Cutter but it was reversed into a slap. Cobb tried for a Tour of the Islands but Ospreay escaped. Goto and Ospreay both gave him strikes, and then Ospreay did his elbow strike which is still terrifying. Ospreay lifted Cobb in impressive fashion for a Storm Breaker to end the match. Ospreay never ceases to amaze. Simple as that. Also, Cobb is quite the competitor as well.

Vinny Marseglia & Matt Taven vs. Shingo Takagi & Tetsuya Naito

The next match was The Kingdom versus Los Ingobernables. Colt Cabana joined the English commentary team at this point. The Kingdom jumped their opponents before the bell. In this match Takagi avoided a Swanton Bomb and then gave Marseglia a Back Bodydrop and a Shoulder Tackle, finally allowing him to tag in Naito. He gave Taven a dropkick and then spat at him. Naito was given a backbreaker by Marseglia but kicked out at two. Takagi and Naito teamed up at the end, letting Naito hit the Destino to win the match. I thought the teamwork from LIJ at the end was good, but overall I wasn’t a huge fan of this.

TK O’Ryan vs. Jay Lethal (ROH World Championship Match)

The first championship match was for the ROH World Title. It’s odd that the biggest title was the first defence on the show. Lethal caught O’Ryan off guard, diving to the outside before the bell. Jay did a Suplex on the floor. They got in the ring eventually and the match started. I liked a spot where Lethal had a Figure Four in, and when O’Ryan would lie down he would get counted for a pin, and have to sit up. When Lethal tried for it again, O’Ryan tried for a roll-up. Lethal tried for a Lethal Injection but O’Ryan stopped it. O’Ryan nearly almost won the match with a roll-up but the ref stopped counting before three. Lethal did his own roll-up and then went off the ropes to hit a Lethal Injection to retain the belt. After the match, Matt Taven attacked Jay Lethal. That’s the matchup set for Ring of Honor’s anniversary show. I thought this match was good. I haven’t seen a ton of O’Ryan but he worked well with Lethal.

Tama Tonga & Tonga Loa w/ Jado vs. SANADA & EVIL (IWGP Heavyweight Tag Team Championship Match)

The next championship match was for the IWGP Heavyweight tag belts. The team’s last defence was at the second night of New Beginning in Sapporo against Minoru Suzuki and Zack Sabre Jr. For anyone who hasn’t watched recently, Tama Tonga isn’t a good guy anymore. During the match, SANADA took out Jado with a Crossbody while Tonga Loa was in a Paradise Lock. There was some weird spot where Tonga dodged a dropkick from SANADA but also awkwardly brushed into him. It didn’t look like it was meant to be done the way it was. EVIL almost got a hot tag but was stopped by Tonga, who pushed him off the apron. Minutes after EVIL got tagged in he found himself on the top rope with Loa. Loa landed a Superplex for a two count. SANADA leapfrogged over Tonga twice and then did a dropkick.

After many reversals, Tonga hit the Tonga Twist. SANADA did a Dropkick on Loa and then EVIL clotheslined him out of the ring. They called for the Magic Killer but Tonga escaped it, giving EVIL a DDT. Tonga tried for a Gun Stun but SANADA caught it and turned it into a Skull End. Tonga wasn’t tapping, so he let go of the hold. SANADA tried for a Moonsault off the top but Tonga escaped. The English team was criticizing SANADA for letting go of the hold. They tried again for a Magic Killer but Tonga escaped, shoving SANADA into the referee. Jado came in and tried using a kendo stick. He didn’t use it, and almost got hit with a Magic Killer but Loa came in to stop it. Loa and Tonga hit a double team move on EVIL. SANADA went off the top and was hit with a Gun Stun. The team landed a Super Powerbomb while EVIL was being held back by Jado. The pinfall after made them win the match and crowned them as the new champions.

The finishing combination of this match was amazing. I’m really enjoying Jado as a manager for this team. He has a purpose every time he is out there. It’s also good that at least one title changed hands on this tour since there were six title matches. It would be too predictable if everyone retained.

David Finlay & Juice Robinson vs. Mark Briscoe & Jay Briscoe (ROH World Tag Team Championship Match)

The main event for this show was the team of Lifeblood challenging The Briscoes for the ROH World Tag Titles. Early in the match, Mark did an Elbow Drop off the apron onto the floor. Later on Mark also did a Moonsault off the top onto both of his opponents. Robinson ran into both Briscoes and then gave Mark a Juicebox after spinning around. Off the ropes, Jay did a Death Valley Driver for a two count. Lifeblood did dual summersault dives off the apron onto the floor. They also did cannonballs into the barricades. On the top rope, Finlay was given a Superplex and then an Elbow Drop for a two count. They tried for a Doomsday Device but Finlay escaped. Finlay hit a Spear on one Briscoe and a backbreaker on another. The team landed their own Doomsday Device, but Jay kicked out. Finlay was held down while being hit with a Froggy-Bow to end the match. The Briscoes retain.

I wasn’t as interested in this match compared to the one before. Although that could be because I’m more invested in the teams in the match before. Finlay was being checked out after the match with something happening to his elbow. I’m unsure about whether that’s a real injury or not. If it is real then I hope he is okay. After the match, The Briscoes cut a promo. They talked about how the Guerillas of Destiny won the IWGP tag belts in the match before. They challenged Loa and Tonga in a title versus title match on the April 6th show at Madison Square Garden. The team came out and took the challenge. This was a good way to finish the show since the MSG show is a big one between these two promotions, and it’s worth having an angle on this show about it.

This show was pretty good. My favourite match was probably the IWGP Heavyweight Tag Team Title match. These were two fun shows to watch this weekend as NJPW takes a week or so off before their anniversary show.

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