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.

RIZIN 15 Preview

On Sunday RIZIN will return with their first event of 2019. Their last event was the classic New Year’s Eve MMA event being held in Saitama Super Arena. The show saw kickboxing star Tenshin Nasukawa lose within a round of boxing to the 50-0 Floyd Mayweather. The loss went viral, as did Mayweather’s reported nine million dollar paycheck did. The show also saw the crowing of Kyoji Horiguchi and Ayaka Hamasaki as champions. Horiguchi defeated Bellator star Darrion Caldwell via submission to become a Bantamweight Champion, and Hamasaki beat Kanna Asakura with a second-round armbar to become a Super Atomweight Champion.

This weekend’s show will be headlined by Jiri Prochazka and Bellator’s King Mo, as they compete for the inagural RIZIN Heavyweight Championship. Below them on the card will also be RIZIN regulars Kyoji Horiguchi and Tenshin Nasukawa.

RIZIN 15 will see inaugural promotion’s return to Yokohama, with their last appearance being in April of 2017. With the order of this weekend’s card being unveiled this week, let’s preview the card in order.

Taiga vs. Thalisson Gomes Ferreira (Kickboxing Bout)

The first fight of the evening is contested under kickboxing rules, as Taiga returns to face RIZIN newcomer Thailisson Gomes Ferreria. Taiga competed at RIZIN 13, where he fought to a draw against Kento Haraguchi. Both fighters are coming off of losses from the RISE kickboxing promotion.

Kanako Murata vs. Saray Orozco

The matchup of Kanako Murata and Saray Orozco only became official this week when Orozco’s original opponent, Shinju Nozawa-Auclair backed out of the bout due to injury. Nozawa-Auclair noted on Instagram that she fought through an injury before, and it forced her to be sidelined for a year after the fight because of the severity of the injury afterwards. Kanako Murata is no newcomer to RIZIN as she has an established 4-1 record within the fighting federation. Saray Orozco has a 4-2 professional MMA record and is on a three-fight win streak heading into her battle in Yokohama.

Seiichiro Ito vs. Manel Kape

Manel Kape is an example of someone who RIZIN has really built up. Prior to his career within RIZIN, he didn’t compete in any major promotions. Although RIZIN has made him into a huge star, he hasn’t had an easy run. Out of his last four career losses, he has been given three of them in his last four fights. He lost to Ulka Sasaki on New Year’s Eve back when he was coming off a win against Yusaku Nakamura. He’ll be facing Seiichiro Ito in his next fight. Ito will be making his second RIZIN appearance, getting a win at the last Yokohama show. He’s a veteran within the ZST promotion in Japan and is coming off his first MMA loss in over five years.

Koji Takeda vs. Damien Brown

Damien Brown had a strong debut with RIZIN at New Year’s Eve after wrapping up his 2-4 UFC career. He defeated RIZIN veteran Daron Cruickshank via guillotine in just one round. He faces Koji Takeda, a DEEP promotion fighter who, despite only debuting in 2017, has racked up eight victories. His last win came against Satoru Kitaoka, who also fights on this card.

Kana Watanabe vs. Justyna Zofia Haba

Justyna Zofia Haba and Kana Watanabe are two success stories that came from the New Year’s Eve shows. Watanabe defeated Shizuka Sugiyama in 11 seconds after a knockdown (which Sugiyama protested about after the match) in their sequel fight, and Haba handed Shinju Nozawa-Auclair her first pro loss via submission. Watanabe’s fight came from RIZIN’s afternoon show “RIZIN Heisei’s Last Yarennoka!” Since then she has also gotten her either pro victory at DEEP JEWELS 23, defeating Soo Min Kang. While Watanabe isn’t a veteran by any means, her 8-0-1 record is many more minutes in the sport than what Haba has experienced in her 1-0 pro MMA career.

Mikuru Asakura vs. Luis Gustavo

This weekend’s show was set to be a showcase of both of the Asakura brothers, but couldn’t happen after Kai Asakura’s fight fell through. After Ulka Sasaki and Justin Scoggins both pulled out due to injury, RIZIN decided to bench Kai for the event. Mikuru’s bout is still set to happen, as he faces Luis Gustavo. The undefeated Brazilian left an impact in his debut in RIZIN when he dropped Yusuke Yachi in the main event of RIZIN 12. Mikuru defeated Shooto veteran Takeshi Inoue at the “Heisei’s Last Yarennoka” show on NYE.

RENA vs. Samantha Jean-Francois

A bout that was set to go down at RIZIN 14 will be tried for again at this event. Samantha Jean-Francois didn’t have an opponent last minute in December due to RENA suffering from anemia and dehydration during her weight cut. The last fight took place at 49 kg, and this fight will be held at 51 kg.

Karl Albrektsson vs. Christiano Frolich

Karl Albrektsson will make his return to RIZIN, facing Christiano Frolich, who will make his debut in the promotion. Albrektsson’s last fight in RIZIN was against Jiri Prochazka, losing in the first round via punches. Since then he has gotten two more wins in the Swedish promotion “Superior Challenge,” making his record 8-2. Frolich comes into RIZIN with a 10-4 record, with his last fight being a win in July against Eduardo Rufino.

Roberto de Souza vs. Satoru Kitaoka

Nearly two decades into his MMA career, Satoru Kitaoka is still fighting frequently. After defeating Tatsuya Kawajiri on New Year’s Eve, Kitaoka will face Roberto de Souza in his next battle. Souza is a Brazilian Jiu-Jitsu based MMA fighter, having presence in Japan through his participation in QUINTET events.

Kyoji Horiguchi vs. Ben Nguyen

RIZIN’s top MMA dog Kyoji Horiguchi will face former UFC fighter Ben Nguyen in his next fight. Horiguchi is coming off a championship victory in December. Nguyen will be making his first appearance outside the UFC after he first fought for them in 2015. At the end of his stint with the promotion, he lost two fights, finishing with a UFC record of 4-3. This fight won’t be for a title, and will only be three rounds.

Tenshin Nasukawa vs. Fritz Aldin Biagtan

Tenshin Nasukawa’s recent fights seemingly follow a theme of being involved with people who don’t have much to do with kickboxing. At RIZIN 13, he fought Kyoji Horiguchi in a kickboxing match. At RIZIN 14, he lost to Floyd Mayweather in boxing after being knocked down three times. And now at RIZIN 15, Nasukawa will face a kickboxer that has been brought in through famous boxer Manny Pacquiao. Fritz Aldin Biagtan was the fighter that “Pac-Man” assigned for the event. The Filipino fighter is a current WBC Muay Thai Featherweight Champion and will be facing Nasukawa in Kickboxing rules. Nasukawa’s last fight was last month at RISE, competing in the first round of the promotion’s 58kg tournament.

King Mo vs. Jiri Prochazka (RIZIN Heavyweight Championship Match)

RIZIN will have their first Heavyweight Championship match in the main event of the show. Muhammed Lawal, also known as King Mo will come into the promotion from Bellator to face Jiri Prochazka. Prochazka is currently on a seven-fight win streak, defeating Brandon Halsey in December. He has fought for RIZIN since their inaugural event. This won’t be the first time he’s squared off against Mo, as he took his third and most recent loss to him back in 2015 via punches. King Mo has lost his last two fights, both being via strikes. In RIZIN he has a record of 3-1.

After RIZIN makes it’s long-awaited return to Yokohama, the promotion will make their debut in Kobe afterwards. On the 2nd of June, RIZIN will go to the World Memorial Hall for RIZIN 16. But until then, there are 12 bouts that have the potential to be very entertaining.

Pancrase 304 Results

Live from Shinbika Studio Coast, commentated by Stewart Fulton and Guy Delumaeu, let’s look at how Pancrase 304 went down.

Preliminary Card:

Bout 1: Tatsuki Ozaki vs. Ryuji Abe (2019 Neo Blood Tournament First Round Strawweight) (3×3)

The first bout of the evening was Tatsuki Ozaki versus Ryuji Abe in the first round of the Neo Blood strawweight Tournament. Abe landed a takedown after a minute of standup. Ozaki landed some elbows to the head while being pinned up against the cage. Ozaki tried for a guillotine but it did not work. Ozaki rolled out of the clinch and then took top mount, which Abe escaped in the final seconds, rolling out and trying for a flying knee. In the first minute of the second round Ozaki had some good striking. Abe landed another takedown and took Ozaki up against the cage once again. They escaped clinch and went back to stand-up. The final round started with Ozaki being aggressive with striking, but found himself against the cage again. He broke free with two minutes left, but was hit with a double-leg takedown. The fight went the full nine minutes, leaving the judges to decide who won. The judges gave Tatsuki Ozaki the win, which surprised the commentators.

Bout 2: Kei Arimura vs. Takashi Araya (Neo Blood Tournament First Round Strawweight) (3×3)

The second of two strawweight tournament fights was next. Arimura was the better striker from the get-go. Araya landed a takedown as he started to bleed. They stook back up after Arimura escaped. Araya did land some strikes to the head while in top mount. Araya got a second takedown before the round ended. At the start of the second round it was Araya who was quick to bring it to the ground. Araya was on top mount for most of the round, but with a few seconds left in the round Arimura landed a few more stand-up punches. It was clear that Arimura was the superior striker while Araya was the better grappler. Most of the third round was on the ground. The fight was put up for decision, where Araya was favoured.

Bout 3: Daiki Nishimura vs. Yosuke Shimoda (Neo Blood Tournament First Round Flyweight (3×3)

After the strawweights we saw a flyweight tournament bout. It was noted that both fighters were making their pro debut. Shimoda landed a single leg takedown after a minute of stand-up, but Nishimura took his back after a roll. They went back to stand-up after that. Early in round two Shimoda landed a spinning back kick to the head. The whole round was a good striking battle. In the final round Nishimura tried for a guillotine but did not find success with it. After three rounds, Shimoda was given the victory.

Bout 4: Ryosuke Takasugi vs. Masahide Hiraoka (Neo Blood Tournament First Round Bantamweight) (3×3)

The next fight was a bantamweight Neo Blood fight. Masahide Hiraoka fought out of Krazy Bee. The first round had Takasugi landing a takedown, with Hiraoka escaping in the final seconds of the round. Takasugi shot for another takedown in the second after Hiraoka had some decent ground game. Hiraoka’s striking was really successful in this round. The final round was mostly stand-up. Hiraoka was given the victory from the judges.

Bout 5: Tatsuhiko Iwamoto vs. Michio Ito (Neo Blood Tournament First Round Featherweight) (3×3)

The next fight was a featherweight battle. Ito is representing Krazy Bee as well. The first round was grappling heavy as both fighters tried for many moves. Ito had some heavy heads in the second round, and then landed a double leg takedown up against the cage. In the final round, Ito was in top mount when he stared landing hammer fists, so much so that the referee stopped the bout.

Bout 6: Ryosuke Shiotsu vs. Yota Tatsunari (Neo Blood Tournament First Round Featherweight) (3×3)

We saw a second featherweight fight next. The first round show aggressive striking and grappling from both fighters. Very early in the second round, Tatsunari landed a kick and then strikes on the ground afterwards making the ref stop the bout. Watching the replay, it was revealed that before the exchange Shiotsu had tweaked is leg and fallen down. He was carried out via stretcher.

Bout 7: Yohei Nada vs. Darani Date (Neo Blood Tournament First Round Featherweight) (3×3)

In another Featherweight fight, we saw Yohei Nada and Darani Date compete. Nada landed a takedown within the first minute of the bout. He had complete control on the ground, staying dominant for the whole round. Nada continued with his well done grappling in the second and third round. The fight went the distance. Nada won the fight from the scorecards.

Bout 8: Takashi Yamashita vs. Masayoshi Watanabe (Neo Blood Tournament First Round Welterweight) (3×3)

Moving up the weight classes more, we had welterweights Takashi Yamashita and Masayoshi Watanabe fight next. The first round was purely stand-up. Watanabe landed a takedown in the final round, making the rest of the fight stay on the ground. Both fighters lasted all three rounds with Watanabe getting the nod.

Bout 9: Yuma Nakajima vs. Naoki Arikawa (Flyweight) (3×3)

The final preliminary fight was the only one that wasn’t contested within a Neo Blood Tournament. On the ground, Arikawa was landing strikes throughout the first. In the second round, Arikawa had a headlock on the ground that made Nakajima tap out.

Main Card:

Bout 10: Kazuma Maruyama (7-5) vs. Kenta Takagi (#5) (16-16) (Wellterweight) (3×3)

The first main card fight was a Welterweight fight. After a minute and a half of stand-up fighting, Maruyama was hit with a left hook while going for a kick, absolutely knocking him out.

Bout 11: Mayra Cantuaria (4-3-1) vs. Emiko Raika (8-5-1) (Flyweight) (3×5)

The next fight was a Flyweight battle between Mayra Cantuaria and Emiko Raika. Cantuaria was aggressive from the start, landing knees in a clinch. She landed a takedown and took half guard. Landing strikes periodically, Cantuaria was in position for a rear naked choke. She landed numerous unanswered strikes, but it didn’t stop the bout. Cantuaria put in an armbar while trapping a leg, making Raika tap.

Bout 12: Masayuki Kikuiri (4-0) (#8) vs. Yusuke Kasuya (9-5-2) (Lightweight) (3×5)

Masayuki Kikuiri put his undefeated record on the line when he faced Yusuke Kasuya in a Lightweight bout. Kasuya landed a good couple of strikes and then a double leg takedown. On the ground, he threw down hard strikes to win the match in just over a minute. He celebrated with what I would assume is his two children afterwards.

Bout 13: Shinsuke Kamei (4-0) (#11) vs. Yojiro Uchimura (16-12-3) (#10) (Featherweight) (3×5)

This next fight was similar to the one before in that it was a 4-0 fighter facing a more experienced fighter. The two fighters were next to each other in the Featherweight rankings. In the first round both guys were swinging for the fences. In the final minute, Uchimura went to the ground, but the commentators suspected it was over a slip and not a knockdown. At the start of the second round Uchimura landed a beautiful Superman punch and tried to finish the fight with strikes afterwards but Kamei recovered. With a few seconds left in the second round, Kamei got dropped yet again by a left hook. Uchimura landed more strikes up against the cage and then turned around and stopped as if the fight had ended. The fight didn’t end, the ref didn’t do anything to signal it did, so this was complete instinct by Uchimura. The fight continued into the third round. After they were up against the cage for a while in the third, Kamei rolled into a leg lock, but Uchimura escaped. Both fighters were exhausted at this point. They kept swinging until the fight ended. They hugged after the bout ended. This fight had the crowd amped up as it was fast from the get-go. Uchimura got the unanimous victory.

Bout 14: Kenichiro Togashi (18-14-5) (#7) vs. Akira Okada (13-6-3) (#4) (Lightweight) (3×5)

Bout 14 of the evening was Kenichiro Togashi versus Akira Okada. Nearly halfway into the first round, Okada was hit with a right that dropped him. The second round was a slow, methodical stand-up battle between the two. Okada was checked by doctors in-between rounds two and three but was able to continue. In the final round, Okada landed elbows in a clinch that made Togashi start bleeding. He tried for a takedown but was stopped. He landed a takedown from a leg sweep as the fight came to a close. The judges favoured Togashi, giving him his 19th professional win.

Bout 15: Yuto Hokamura (14-8-2) (#6) vs. Toshinori Tsunemura (13-8-4) (#1) (Bantamweight) (3×5)

The #1 ranked Bantamweight Toshinori Tsunemura also known as “Tsune” faced Yuto Hokamura in the next bout. With under two minutes left in the first round, Hokamura landed a kick to the head that made Tsune go absolutely numb. “We almost saw Tsunemura’s head fly into the crowd,” said commentator Stewart Fulton.

Bout 16: Kseniia Guseva (4-0-1) vs. Emi Fujino (22-11-1) (#2) (Strawweight) (3×5)

In the next fight, Kseniia Guseva, current #2 ranked Flyweight in Pancrase faced #2 fighter in Strawweight, Emi Fujino. I recognized Shizuka Sugiyama in Fujino’s corner. The majority of the first round was spent up against the cage. The second round was very similar. They finally went to the ground in the final two minutes. Fujino landed some punches from the top mount and half guard. The fight went the distance with Fujino getting the unanimous decision.

Bout 17: Kyle Aguon (12-7) (#3) vs. Taichi Nakajima (13-9-1) (#2) (Featherweight) (3×5)

The next bout was a Featherweight battle between Kyle Aguon and Taichi Nakajima. Augon fights out of the Spike22 gym in Guam, which also plays host to DEEP’s Roque Martinez. The first round of this fight had lots of stand-up fighting, with Aguon landing some good strikes. Augon tried for a guillotine in the final minute but didn’t keep it for long. Miyuu Yamamoto was in Aguon’s corner for this fight. The fight was very close throughout. It went all 15 minutes, with Aguon getting a split decision victory.

Bout 18: Tatsuya So (17-16-4) (#4) vs. Daichi Kitakata (18-8-1) (#1) (Strawweight) (3×5)

In the 18th fight, Tatsuya So and Daichi Kitakata competed. The first round was close, but Kitakata had a strong ending to the round, dropping So with strikes and then putting in a guillotine for a few seconds. Kitakata landed a takedown after some good strikes at the start of the third round. On the ground, Kitakata attempted a rear naked choke, but did make it work. So tried for his own move but wasn’t able to put anything in. The fight ended with both fighters swinging. The judges gave Kitakata the victory.

Bout 19: Sidy Rocha (9-5-2) (#3) vs. Takayo Hashi (16-6-1) (#1) (Women’s Flyweight Championship) (5×5)

The co-main event of the evening was Sidy Rocha and Takayo Hashi fighting for Pancrase’s Women’s Flyweight Championship. Rocha had a clear advantage due to height and reach when trading blows. In the final seconds of the last round, Rocha landed a takedown. Most rounds felt like the first, where Hashi was being outboxed. In the fifth however, Hashi landed a takedown. Hashi’s work in the final round wasn’t enough though, as Rocha took the decision victory to win the Women’s Flyweight Championship.

Bout 20: Tom Santos (10-6) (#5) vs. Takasuke Kume (21-5-4) (Champion) (Lightweight Championship) (5×5)

The main event of the evening was Tom Santos challenging Takasuke Kume for his Lightweight Championship. In the first round of the fight, Kume landed a trip after a strike to bring the fight to the ground. He landed strikes on the ground for a few minutes. Kume landed another takedown at the start of the second round. Kume continued his ground and pound style. At the start of the third round Santos went down from a right hook. Kume landed more strikes on the ground, and then put in a triangle choke that Santos tapped out to.