Bellator 237: Fedor vs. Rampage Preview

Concluding their 2019 season, Bellator heads to Japan for the first time on Saturday. The card is a co-promoted event with Japanese MMA organization RIZIN Fighting Federation. Many of the fights on the card see representatives from both promotions face off. The two promotions have collaborated in the past, most notably with Kyoji Horiguchi facing former Bellator Bantamweight Champion Darrion Caldwell twice.

Headlining this card is two well-known heavyweights in Fedor Emelianenko and Rampage Jackson. Deep into his career, Emelianenko is recognized as one of the most accomplished mixed-martial artists to never compete in the UFC. A good part of his career took place in Japan, as he competed in now-defunct promotion Pride FC many times. Prior to his UFC and Bellator run, Jackson also had a stint in Pride. While both fighting under the same banner, the two heavyweights never clashed before. Along with the main event is a quite stacked Bellator card, with many fights on it.

Main Card

Bout 1: Goiti Yamauchi (24-4) vs. Daron Cruickshank (22-12) (Lightweight)

In one of the truest Bellator versus RIZIN matches, Goiti Yamauchi faces Daron Cruickshank. What makes it a true promotional clash is the amount of experience each fighter has in their territory. Yamauchi is now 10-3 in Bellator, with Cruickshank being 5-4 in RIZIN. Cruickshank will try to break a two-fight losing streak, as he recently lost to Damien Brown and Tofiq Musaev. Yamauchi fought in October, defeating Saad Awad with a first-round armbar. Yamauchi came in at 157.8 lbs, missing the lightweight limit.

Bout 2: Ilara Joanne (9-4) vs. Kana Watanabe (8-0-1) (Flyweight)

The second women’s bout of the evening will see undefeated Kana Watanabe battle Bellator’s Ilara Joanne. Watanabe has fought primarily in RIZIN and DEEP JEWELS. In RIZIN, she defeated Shizuka Sugiyama twice, once in very brief fashion. She has won three times in 2019, most recently beating Hee Eun Kang on a DEEP JEWELS card. Joanne debuted in Bellator back in October, prevailing over Bec Rawlings with a second-round kneebar. While that was her only win in Bellator, it was over a notable name.

Bout 3: Lorenz Larkin (21-7) vs. K-Taro Nakamura (35-10-2) (Welterweight)

In the next bout of the evening, two former-UFC fighters who now represent different promotions will collide. Lorenz Larkin, who is on a three-fight winning streak in Bellator, will face K-Taro Nakamura, who just won his RIZIN debut back in October. Larkin is coming off of a split decision over Andrey Koreshkov at Bellator 229. Nakamura’s win was a brief and dominant one over Marcos Yoshiop de Souza at RIZIN 19. This marked the end of his UFC run, going 4-4 while with the promotion. Larkin missed weight by two-and-a-half pounds, although his fight will go on. It was reported by MMAJunkie that the comission will force Larkin to fight at middleweight in his next bout “unless doctor provides not that drop to 170 is safe.”

Bout 4: Michael Page (16-1) vs. Shinsho Anzai (11-3) (Welterweight)

Bellator’s walking highlight reel Michael “Venom” Page will return on this card, facing former UFC fighter Shinsho Anzai. Page has gotten two dominant wins on recent Bellator shows, making a turnaround from his first pro loss, a brutal knockout at the hands of Douglas Lima. This fight is a quick turnaround for Page, who’s last fight was under a month ago. Anzai finished his UFC career with a 2-2 record, returning to DEEP Impact in September with a win against Yoichiro Sato.

Bout 5: Michael Chandler (19-5) vs. Sidney Outlaw (14-3) (Lightweight)

The co-main event of the evening is a strictly Bellator collision, as Michael Chandler will face Sidney Outlaw. Originally, Chandler was meant to fight Benson Henderson in what would be a rematch from 2016. Henderson was pulled from the fight due to injury, with Outlaw being named the new opponent. The fight is Chandler’s return after losing his Bellator Lightweight Championship to Patricio Pitbull. Outlaw made his Bellator debut just last month, defeating Roger Huerta at Bellator 234.

Bout 6: Fedor Emelianenko (38-6) vs. Quinton Jackson (38-13) (Heavyweight) 44

In the main event, two MMA legends will collide. Fedor Emelianenko and Rampage Jackson will add another fight to their extensive MMA records on Saturday, which currently sits at 95 fights combined. Both fighters have deep ties in Japan. Some of Emelianenko’s best known work comes from his days in Pride FC, being undefeated during his run. Jackson also fought in Pride, although his record was not flawless. Despite both fighting in Pride, they never faced each other. Jackson’s last win was over fellow JMMA superstar Wanderlei Silva, stopping him in the second round at Bellator 206. That was just over a year ago. Since then, Emelianenko has fought twice. He stopped Chael Sonnen in one round at Bellator 208, and recently saw an abrupt loss to Ryan Bader at Bellator 214. While in the main event slot, the fight is only set for three rounds.

Postlims

Bout 7: Sergey Shemetov (9-6) vs. Shoma Shibisai (5-2) (Heavyweight)

After the main event, Saitama Super Arena will see post-lims which feature a mixture of RIZIN and Bellator fighters. It is still up in the air whether the international broadcast will be able to see these fights. One of the first preliminary bouts of the evening is Sergey Shemetov facing Shoma Shibisai. Shemetov is a relative to viral king Vitaly Shemetov, who made his RIZIN debut back at RIZIN 17. Shibisai has competed in Ganryujima pit fighting in the past, winning many times in that promotion. His last RIZIN fight was an openweight victory over Chang Hee Kim, landing in armbar to win in just over a minute.

Bout 8: Ryuichiro Sumimura (14-7) vs. Jon Tuck (10-5) (Lightweight)

Former UFC fighter Jon Tuck was meant to make his Bellator debut in September against Brandon Girtz. Unfortunately, that plan fell through for him. Instead, his debut will come against Ryuichiro Sumimura on this card. Tuck finished his UFC run with a 4-5 record, most recently losing to Drew Dober in 2018. Sumimura has fought mostly in regional promotion DEEP Impact, although has appeared once in RIZIN. In that fight, Sumimura tapped out to now-Bellator fighter Kiichi Kunimoto.

Bout 9: Andy Nguyen (6-8) vs. AI (5-1) (Strawweight)

2019 has been a breakout year for Krazy Bee’s AI. She got noticed by most eyes when she beat underground J-pop idol Nanaka Kawamura on New Year’s Eve with a dominant performance. She then went on to win twice more in promotion DEEP Jewels, then returned at RIZIN 18 to have a very close fight with Tabatha Watkins. Now being dubbed the “Princess Bee,” which follows the lineage of Miyuu Yamamoto being the “Queen Bee,” AI is seen as one of the prospects in JMMA. AI doesn’t have a blood-relation to the Yamamoto family, but like Yusuke Yachi is very representative of the Krazy Bee brand. She will face Andy Nguyen on this Bellator card. Nguyen has a 1-2 record in RIZIN, fighting twice against the previously mentioned Yamamoto.

Bout 10: Yusaku Nakamura (16-6-1) vs. Makoto Shinryu (9-1-1) (Flyweight)

Two experienced JMMA fighters in Yusaku Nakamura and Makoto Shinryu will fight in the next bout. Nakamura’s last fight was a decision win over Topnoi Tiger Muay Thai at RIZIN 16. Before then, he was winless in Bellator, losing to Manel Kape and Tenshin Nasukawa. Shinryu has never fought in RIZIN or Bellator, but has attained an impressive record in DEEP Impact.

Bout 11: Ren Hiramoto vs. Takahiro Ashida (Catchweight 150 lbs) (Kickboxing Rules)

The next fight on the post-lims is the card’s sole kickboxing bout. After being vacant from the kickboxing scene for nearly two years, Ren Hiramoto returns to face MMA fighter Takahiro Ashida. Hiramoto fought in Japanese kickboxing promotion K-1 World, getting 10 wins in his time there. Ashida has been an MMA fighter for his career, fighting all around Japan’s regional scene. He has two wins in 2019, prevailing over Isao Sakiyama and Tatsunao Nagakura.

Bout 12: Jarred Brooks (15-2) vs. Haruo Ochi (19-7-2) (Flyweight)

Back at RIZIN 18, Jarred Brooks and Haruo Ochi were set to face off in a strawweight matchup. The competition ended abruptly however, as a head collision early cut Ochi on the head, making the fight a no contest. They’ll run it back on this Bellator card, this time under the flyweight class. Brooks got a regional American win before this event, defeating Victor Altamirano at WXC 83. Ochi is currently on an impressive seven-fight win streak. Most wins came from the promotion DEEP Impact, with one win being against former-Pancrase Champion Mistuhisa Sunabe at RIZIN 13.

Bout 13: Kanna Asakura (15-4) vs. Jayme Hinshaw (4-3) (Atomweight)

A year ago, Kanna Asakura found herself high on the card of RIZIN 14, attempting to beat Ayaka Hamasaki with the RIZIN Super Atomweight belt on the line. That didn’t go her way, as she lost with a second round armbar ending Hamasaki’s dominant performance. She has went 2-1 in 2019 so far, recently winning over Alesha Zappitella at RIZIN 18. She now faces Jayme Hinshaw, who will be making her debut in Bellator. She had previously fought in King of the Cage for all of her pro-career. While having just slightly more wins than losses, Hinshaw is currently riding a three-fight winning streak.

Bout 14: Hiroto Uesako (16-8) vs. Yusuke Yachi (20-9) (Lightweight)

In an all-RIZIN affair, Hiroto Uesako and Yusuke Yachi face-off in the next preliminary bout. Uesako and Yachi are one of the more well-known lightweights in the promotion. While Yachi has name recognition, he is currently on a three-fight losing streak that dates back to RIZIN 12. Uesako debuted in RIZIN earlier this year, defeating Yves Landu to secure his spot in the Lightweight Grand Prix. He lost in the first round of that tournament to Luiz Gustavo in October.

After this event, Bellator will return in late January with Bellator 238. Headlining the card will be Cris Cyborg, making her Bellator debut against Featherweight Champion Julia Budd. However, before the year concludes, some Bellator talent will be seen on RIZIN’s New Year’s Eve card at Saitama Super Arena.

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 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.

RIZIN 14 Preview

With their traditional New Year’s Eve event this year, RIZIN is putting a focus on the North American market. There are three main ways that they are doing this: by having lots of recent UFC fighters in action, by having a collaboration fight with Bellator Champion Darrion Caldwell, and by giving young kickboxer Tenshin Nasukawa fight in an exhibition boxing match against Floyd Mayweather. The initial promotion of this event had a bump in the road, as after an initial press conference, Mayweather took to Instagram to say that he was mislead and that he has backed out of the bout. Since then things have seemingly been worked out between the boxer and the promoter Nobuyuki Sakakibara, since the fight is back on.

The official ruleset will be pure boxing, with no scorecards after the scheduled three rounds. The fight will also not affect anyone’s professional records. Nasukawa, the undefeated kickboxer, showed up in Nevada for on open workout at Mayweather’s gym earlier this month. This will be the second fight in a row for Tenshin where he is fighting a crossover bout. In September he battle RIZIN’s MMA star Kyoji Horiguchi in a kickboxing match. Nasukawa trained in Nevada leading up to this fight with boxer Jorge Linares.

There are two championship bouts on this card, with the biggest one being between Darrion Caldwell and Kyoji Horiguchi. Caldwell is a champion in Bellator, but won’t be defending his belt. Instead, he will face Horiguchi for the inaugural RIZIN Bantamweight Championship. The fight is expected to be only the start of a collaboration between the two promotions. Horiguchi has been undefeated in MMA since joining RIZIN. Putting that together with his final UFC fights, he is currently on a 10 fight win streak.

The biggest women’s fight on the card is Kanna Asakura defending her RIZIN Atomweight Championship against Ayaka Hamasaki. Hamasaki is 2-0 after making the move from Invicta to RIZIN. Asakura’s first title fight was against RENA, who she also defeated once before. Hamasaki’s last win was against Mina Kurobe, who was at the time the DEEP Jewels Atomweight Champion. The story going into that RIZIN 13 fight was it was two champions (Kurobe had her DEEP JEWELS belt and Hamasaki was a former Invicta champion) fighting, with the winner challenging Asakura.

After Norifumi “KID” Yamamoto unfortunately passed away in September, three Krazy Bee fighters were booked on this show. One of the fighters was Yusuke Yachi, who was highlighted on RIZIN’s web-docuseries “RIZIN Confessions.” On the show it was shown that Yachi is on a road to redemption. Before fighting in RIZIN he spent time in Shooto and Pancrase. From 2016 to 2018 Yachi was on a tear, getting five wins with three of them being first round stoppages. His momentum was halted at RIZIN 12 when he lost to Luis Gustavo. Part of his loss came because of his long hair getting in his eyes during the fight. On the web series he teased that he might go bald for NYE. He is set to face Johnny Case, who had a short stint in PFL after being released from the UFC.

Norifumi’s sister, Miyuu Yamamoto is also in action. The wrestler only delved into MMA in 2016, currently holding an even record of 3-3. She is set to face Mika Nagano, who is a veteran of the DEEP JEWELS promotion, making her RIZIN debut. Her son, Erson Yamamoto is scheduled to make his return to MMA after a round one loss to Manel Kape back in 2017. He looks to break even with his pro MMA record when he challenges Kazuyuki Miyata. Miyata is also coming off a long layoff, with his last fight being in 2016, defeating Andy Souwer in the first round of a Bushido Rules fight.

On the card there are three fights where RIZIN is feeding fighters to the promotions talent. These three bouts are an attempt to put RENA, Gabi Garcia and Shinju Nozawa-Auclair into the spotlight. In RENA’s case, her fight is a way to bounce back from the two losses she received from Kanna Asakura in her last two RIZIN fights. She is matched up against Samantha Jean-Francois, who has a professional record of 3-5-0. Nozawa-Auclair is clearly being built up as a star in the promotion since her mother, Naoko Nozawa is a well known Japanese comedian. In her first two RIZIN bouts she got first round Armbar victories, with one of the wins avenging her only amateur MMA loss. She fights Justyna Zofia Haba. Haba hasn’t had a professional MMA fight, and had her one amateur win back in 2014. Now longtime RIZIN fighter Gabi Garcia returns after a Road FC win back in the Spring. She fights Barbara Nepomuceno, a kickboxer making her MMA debut.

Former UFC fighter Damien Brown will be welcomed into the promotion by Daron Cruickshank. Also a former UFC competitor, Cruickshank has made himself known in RIZIN as a fighter who doesn’t rely on scorecards to win the bout. Currently on a four fight winning streak, Cruickshank has a 6-2 record in the promotion, all via stoppage. Brown’s run in UFC ended after he lost three fights in a row, exiting the promotion with a 2-4 record.

In a similar situation, former UFC Flyweight Ulka Sasaki will make his RIZIN debut against young fighter Manel Kape. Kape is currently bouncing back from two losses in a row, as he put on a dominant performance against Yusaku Nakamura at RIZIN 13. At age 25 he seems like a young prospect for the promotion. Sasaki had a 50/50 sort of run in the UFC, with his last fight being just last month against Alexandre Pantoja at Fight Night 140.

The fight between Nobumitsu Osawa and Tofik Masaev will be a battle of the newcomers. Osawa has been a fighter for the Shooto promotion for all of his career, and comes into RIZIN on a three fight win streak. Masaev is a fighter with an impressive 13-3 record, which has been collected from fights in China, Turkey and Azerbaijan, among other places.

For a couple of years now, Yuki Motoya has went back and forth between RIZIN and his main promotion DEEP. Currently on a four fight win streak, including one of them being at RIZIN 12, he will face Justin Scoggins. Scoggins is, like many people on this card, a former UFC fighter coming into the promotion. He had a three fight losing streak in the UFC, with one of those losses coming from the previously mentioned Ulka Sasaki.

Back in 2015 Jiri Prochazka joined RIZIN. Since then he has been a regular for the promotion, only losing one of his nine fights. He is currently on a six fight winning streak and is set to battle Brandon Halsey, who competed in PFL Season 1.

The prequel to the evening’s events, “RIZIN Heisei’s Last Yarennoka!,” kicks off in the late evening on the west. The headliner for that show is veteran fighters Tatsuya Kawajiri and Satoru Kitaoka. In Japan the show will be televised on Fuji TV, and in the rest of the world it can be seen via purchase on FITE TV. The 14 fight show is one that will be the main focus of the MMA world before we all say goodbye to 2018, and welcome the new year.