Rizin - The Next Incarnation

WMMAA1 · March 29, 2020

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"Rizin Fighting Federation will start the new chapter for fighting" - Nobuyuki Sakakibara

"PRIDE Fighting Championships is blue gloves, 10-minute rounds, and referees handing out yellow cards. PRIDE is Wanderlei Silva stomping Yuki Kondo's head. It's Quinton "Rampage" Jackson slamming Ricardo Arona. It's Mirko "Cro Cop" Filipovic head-kicking a guy in a luchador mask. It's Fedor Emelianenko nearly breaking his neck before winning moments later.

The PRIDE era was a long, violent, vital chapter of MMA history that ended a decade ago this Saturday, when the curtain fell on the aptly named PRIDE 34: Kamikaze, but the Japanese promotion made a contribution to combative sport that goes beyond simple nostalgia. While the early incarnation of the Ultimate Fighting Champion trafficked in dive-bar-brawl-on-steroids aesthetics that played up the peep-show unseemliness of no holds barred fighting, PRIDE made mixed martial arts into a comic book come to life, with tens of thousands in the audience at the Saitama Super Arena reading along.

When PRIDE FC emerged in 1997, it was a lifeline while no holds barred fighting grew ever more marginalized in North America. In the midst of the UFC's late 1990s cable blackout, former UFC heavyweight champion Mark Coleman, Mark Kerr, Don Frye, Gary Goodridge, and their peers found better wages in Japan. As NHB became MMA, PRIDE attracted most of the era's best fighters: Emelianenko, Rampage, Cro Cop, Wanderlei Silva, Mauricio "Shogun" Rua, Murilo Bustamante, Dan Henderson, Takanori Gomi, Paulo Filho, and too many others to count. Beyond the stomps and soccer kicks, its 10-minute opening rounds gave methodical grapplers room to breathe, and the judges' holistic scoring system eliminated the charade of round-stealing takedowns.

In time, PRIDE nailed a balance of the high- and low-brow: grand prix tournaments with the best fighters in a division, marquee title fights, and grotesque freak show match-ups. Pride Shockwave 2004, one of the promotion's seizure-inducing New Year's Eve events, is a perfect case study: Emelianenko pounded the shit out of Antonio Rodrigo Nogueira in the main event, Mark Hunt landed an atomic butt drop on Wanderlei Silva, Takanori Gomi knocked out Jens Pulver, and Giant mother****ing Silva lost a ridiculous fight, as happens when you're Giant Silva. But probably owing to its pro-wrestling ancestry, PRIDE's audiences and promoters had an idiosyncratic outlook on MMA's zero-sum nature, and fighting to win mattered less than fighting to entertain. Kazushi Sakuraba was a national hero not just because he beat a quartet of Gracies: it's because he got his skull caved in by Wanderlei Silva and had the courage to do it again. And again.

Dream Stage Entertainment embellished every PRIDE event with theatrics like Sakuraba's Super Mario Brothers-themed entrance. Fighters heard the "Crazy Pride Lady" do vocal gymnastics with their name over a PA system. Fighters became pop culture figures who occasionally shaved each other's faces on TV commercials, and ultimately, PRIDE was a huge draw on TV and at the gate. The Saitama Super Arena routinely drew dozens of thousands of fans, and in August 2002—still essentially dark days for MMA in North America—a PRIDE and K-1 collaboration drew a record 91,000 to the Tokyo National Stadium.

Under PRIDE, fighting was playful, skull-fracturing fun with mass appeal. By comparison, the early UFC was mean-spirited, low-rent, and often boring. Fat guys gouged each other's eyes. Tank Abbott mocked an opponent for having a seizure after he concussed him. The ring girls were on loan from the local Hooters. Tournament brackets fell apart, time limits stretched on and on, and it was all too easy to tune out. As the Zuffa-era UFC revised the image of MMA in North America and pushed forward with a sport-first mentality, PRIDE held the upper hand through better purses and sheer audacity.

It was also a product of the time. Chronic traumatic encephalopathy wasn't a concern. Allegations of fixed fights and PRIDE's notoriously lax attitude towards performance-enhancing drugs were cute quirks, not irresponsible and dangerous administrative defects. The sport had yet to show how thoroughly it could chew up a fighter to the point that Coleman tried to hock his 2000 Grand Prix trophy on eBay. The promotion's behind-the-scenes connections with the Japanese mafia had yet to surface. When they did, in 2006, PRIDE lost its mainstream television presence and fell apart within a year.

After the UFC bought PRIDE for $65 million, the migration of fighters marked an era of excitement we probably won't see again: the long-running debate over which promotion had the better fighters would find resolution. It really didn't though. Rampage, Shogun, and Nogueira won championships. Dan Henderson and Mark Hunt came pretty close. Cro Cop was a bust. Emelianenko never made it to the Octagon at all. It's hard to know how many PRIDE transplants showed up to the UFC diminished by their wars in Japan, an uncomfortable five-minutes-and-10-points-at-a-time rule set, or state-sanctioned drug testing.

More than a decade later, however, PRIDE's approach looks the future was firmly in the past. Rizin Fighting Federation has revived the full-blown garishness of MMA on New Year's Eve in Japan, booking behemoth female jiu-jitsu champions against aging pro wrestlers, putting a Gracie in main events, and hosting a grand prix where Cro Cop once again emerged champion. Meanwhile, the UFC and Bellator have both swerved away from pure-sport territory, prioritizing fights based on their ability to captivate (and maybe repulse) a paying audience. The promotion's ideology of entertainment outlives its corporeal form. Or, more bluntly, PRIDE never die."

RIZIN FF has seen 21 huge events since it began on December 29th 2015. Almost 5 years later and RIZIN are again set to begin "the new chapter for fighting". Founder and President Nobuyuki Sakakibara is set to speak to media later this week with big news expected..

WMMAA1 · March 29, 2020

RIZIN - The Next Incarnation

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"I want Rizin FF to be number one" - Nobuyuki Sakakibara

The gregarious Sakakibara is known for his verbosity, and he gets right down to core facts when asked directly about anything PRIDE. That era is still considered the golden age of MMA, and he was the ring leader. Sakakibara doesn’t see it as all gold as some might expect. “I wasn’t thinking about business. I wanted to make Rickson versus Takada. The first event was a flop. In all aspects it was a failure, but we wanted it to be legendary. We went through a lot of frustration and humiliation, so we just couldn’t end there. And so it became a business. “There reason I think it became phenomenal is because it was the perfect time. The UFC wasn’t able to put on legal events. There was a demand for the sport and content, and there weren’t as many competitors then. That was one of the key aspects why we were received well.”

After selling PRIDE to the UFC, Sakakibara turned his talents elsewhere under a seven-year non-compete clause. He jumped back into the game of MMA when it was over, causing an entire generation of fans to swivel their eyes back towards Japan in curiosity and anticipation. The business of MMA is littered with those who didn’t make it, yet here was a man trying not just to get back into the sport, but create a product that would again capture glory. Was this from vanity, or regrets? “Of course I regret selling PRIDE. I would not be here today — I would not try to revive the Japanese market with RIZIN if I did not regret selling PRIDE.”

And so RIZIN was born. During its first three and a half years, Sakakibara has faced challenges in a vastly different climate from new media to new fans and a plethora of new ways to reach them. Ultimately, as a businessman, he’s got one foot in the creative side and one foot in finance – the crucial element in the longevity of his project. “There are pros and cons about the current MMA market in making revenue. Its not like back in the day when you had only six channels to source your content. Now people can access any kind of content on the internet. Terrestrial television doesn’t control all the media content and information. People can choose what they want.

“However, it’s still the cornerstone. Fuji TV’s our primary partner. We are the only combat sports organization to put on live content on terrestrial television prime time in Japan. Being on Fuji TV is one of the biggest reasons we can generate noise in the Japanese public in a short period of time. We can find many more options to partner with on the internet. “Look, we need to capitalize on everything to meet this era. In terms of international partners, we want to be aggressive. Our goal right now is to look for a partner on the global scale especially in the North American market, someone who can share the same passion to work to develop our content. In 2019, that is our goal."

With a broadcast on Japanese television, a global stream on Fite.TV, and sold out live audiences into the tens of thousands, it seems that RIZIN is successful in creating the interest that can sustain itself in a new era. Having ridden the golden chariot before, Sakakibara is candid about what he feels is the needed direction now. It’s a combination of new stars and bold matches.

“In order to make a sport popular to fans, you need an absolute superstar. The Masters got attention because of Tiger. Tiger came first, golf came second. That’s the star we need to create. We started with Fedor and other legends, and it took three years to shift away to Horiguchi, Tenshin and Rena, to reach out to the general public and the younger generation to create new fans. “Japan has a lot of upcoming new talent who can be international stars. In terms of heavyweight stars, we dominate in judo and wrestling, after they are are done with their amateur careers, we have a wide talent pool to choose from. It’s a matter of us providing an appealing platform for them to continue their careers. “Please note, we didn’t start out as an MMA platform. We stared as everything. In our opening event, we had K-1 fighters Takeru and Hiroya fighting under kickboxing rules. Whatever people want to see, we will do that. I was never really an ambassador of MMA, it just happened that the demand was there. I wanted to put together the fights that fans wanted to see. Simple as that, that’s what led to the Grand Prix.”

As for the future of RIZIN, the world is laid out in front of Sakakibara like a chess board. He has a number of plans on different fronts. The scope of RIZIN continuing in its unique product is broad. “Our goal is to create premiere live entertainment, thats what we are aiming for. Not only for combat. We’d like to collaborate with music, get best value out of live entertainment content. “Our Pacquiao partnership puts a spotlight on Fritz Biagtan and young Filipino fighters, and it’s absolutely great. We hope to not stop with the Philippines market, we’d like to take it to a bigger global level. China is the blue ocean for any business, especially MMA. Being in the same time zone makes it appealing to Japanese business in terms of live events. There’s a difference in culture and business, so in order for us to penetrate the China market, we need the right partner, a solid business plan, time and planning.”

Would Sakakibara consider the biggest step in expanding RIZIN, going public? “Any company would think it great to go IPO. We need to grow our content and build value in what we produce. That’s what I feel as of right now. RIZIN was formed as a “fighting federation” rather that a stand-alone promotion. One of the most visible examples of this is the cooperation with Bellator. King Mo Lawal is back to head the main card for RIZIN.15, and fans await a co-promotion that will see more RIZIN versus Bellator fighters, including a rematch between RIZIN bantamweight champion Horiguchi and Bellator champion Darrion Caldwell. “We have a solid relation with Bellator, I respect Scott Coker as a promoter very much. We experienced the same era where MMA was considered barbaric. While there are many things I cannot disclose right now, we’re in communication and there’s definitely progress. There are going to be things that will make fight fans very excited. “At the end of the day, my goal is to put on the World Cup of MMA, so if we could work with everyone to determine the best fighter in the world, that would be fantastic.”

In regards to other promotions, two foreign promoters that are playing a part in the Japan market are UFC and One Championship. Sakakibara has often stated he wishes that UFC fighters could appear in RIZIN, although he knows that contractually it’s something unlikely to happen. His position on the competition is quite positive. “It’s always nice to have healthy competition, there’s no development if there’s no competition. We hope UFC comes back to Japan. UFC’s negotiations with (broadcaster) Wowow in Japan is a good thing. Although the Japanese market is not as big and lucrative as the US, we think there s a lot of potential, so we hope UFC continues the challenge here so we can have a healthy competitive relationship. “I think One Championship is doing a great thing for the industry, spreading the sport to the Asia region. I respect that they are investing a lot of money into the market and Japan and giving Japanese fighters a chance. I don’t know the details about their partnerships with Shooto and Pancrase, but I hope it will give flexibility to the fighters and more opportunities and open doors, not limit them.”

Founder, Owner and President of Rizin FF Nobuyuki Sakikibara has today announced huge changes to the future of not only Rizin FF, but also MMA across the world. Sakikibara's press conference this afternoon blew up the online forums as Rizin FF plans to "go private". Sakikibara told the media that Rizin FF will soon operate as a stand alone promotion, offering an alternative to ONE Championship in Asia. Rizin FF will take a leaf out of titans such as UFC, Bellator and ONE with exclusive fighters and multiple divisions with defending champions. Previously Rizin has hosted 21 events, all dubbed "super cards", Sakikibara exclaimed that whilst he has no intentions of watering down the product Rizin FF has so famously put out over the last 5 years, he wishes to push the company into a new chapter over the coming months.

WMMAA1 · March 29, 2020

Rizin - The Next Incarnation

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"We wish to build stars of the future, and keep them here at Rizin" - Nobuyuki Sakakibara

"Manel Kape (15-4) will look to make his first bantamweight title defense against Hiromasa Ogikubo (20-4-2), as previously reported. And now, we have a target date for the inevitable title clash. Following the RIZIN 21 fight card in Hamamatsu, RIZIN boss Nobuyuki Sakakibara spoke to on-site media and revealed that the current plan for RIZIN 22 in April is a bantamweight title fight between Kape and Ogikubo. The RIZIN bantamweight division has fast become one of the strongest divisions in the entire sport. Reigning above these true murderer’s row of 135-pound athlete is a slick Angolan in the form of Manel “Prodigo” Kape. Back in December at RIZIN 20, Kape fought for the vacant bantamweight strap and was able to secure a massive second-round knockout win over a red-hot Kai Asakura. This was Kape’s third-straight win in 2019, as the rest of the calendar year saw him put an absolute clinic on former ZST champion Seiichiro Ito before scoring a predicted knockout win over WEC and UFC veteran Takeya Mizugaki. The move to AKA Thailand in 2018 has proven to be incredibly smart on behalf of Manel Kape, as it’s evident having watched his fast rise and development as a fighter since doing so. Now, holding RIZIN’s 135-pound championship, Kape has a massive target on his back. First up to challenge the champion will be Shooto title-holder Hiromasa Ogikubo. The TUF 24 semi-finalist has lost two fights in his last sixteen, both of which against one of Japan’s finest in the form of former RIZIN and Bellator bantamweight champion Kyoji Horiguchi. Aside from these blemishes, Ogikubo has been perfect since 2010. This includes wins over Yosuke Saruta, Kana Hyatt, Czar Sklavos, Danny Martinez, Kiyotaka Shimizu, Yuki Motoya, and Shintaro Ishiwatari. In those names alone you have former Kings of Pancrase in Ishiwatari and Shimizu, a former ONE champion in Saruta, and a former DEEP champion in Yuki Motoya. In 2018, Hiromasa Ogikubo made his RIZIN Fighting Federation debut and lost to Horiguchi for the second time. In 2019, Ogikubo picked up three massive wins. Defeating Shimizu to defend his Shooto title before winning two-straight Fight of the Year contenders in RIZIN against Motoya and Ishiwatari."

RIZIN FF have confirmed that RIZIN 22 will go ahead. Sakakibara wishes to continue pushing forward with changes, but accepts that the transition may not be as simple as expected. With RIZIN 22 taking place in April, Sakakibara wishes to see out the remainder of 2020 with a huge New Years Eve event which has become synonymous with the company. Sakakibara again spoke to the media, informing them to expect huge changes within RIZIN's roster. He and his team are looking at every fighter who has fought for RIZIN over the last 5 years, with intentions to fill each division with world class talent. Taking a UFC approach to contract negotiations will be vital to the growth and status of RIZIN going forward into this new chapter. Stars such as Tenshin Nasukawa, Tofiq Musaev, Manel Kape and Kyoji Horiguchi will all no doubt be approached by the company to sign exclusive contracts, keeping them tied down to RIZIN as it looks to build its empire.

WMMAA1 · March 29, 2020

RIZIN - The Next Incarnation

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"We will look back at PRIDE as we head into the next chapter" - Nobuyuki Sakakibara

"If there's one thing from Pride that nobody can hate on, it was the rules.

The Pride rules were conducive to making great fights. In addition, they weren't easy to exploit—a feat which some say the current unified rules of MMA (the ones that the UFC adopts) can't boast of accomplishing. The argument against the unified rules goes like this:

First, allowing elbows on the ground enables fighters with strong takedowns and top games (read: wrestlers) to take a fighter down, "lay" in his opponent's guard, and pepper his opponent with little elbow strikes to avoid being stood up by the referee. Second, the judging criteria favors those who stall, "run" or otherwise avoid fighting rather than those who fight. However, this is debatable seeing as Leonard Garcia—famous for his brawling style in which he constantly moves forwards while throwing punches—has been gifted several decisions even though he wasn't terribly effective with his strikes. Then again, you can just as easily cite a contrary example—Carlos Condit vs. Nick Diaz. Condit wasn't the one moving forward and didn't control the center of the cage yet he earned the decision. The point unified rules critics try to make is that the judging criteria is poorly worded and inconsistent and they're right. Third, the lack of yellow-cards that warn a fighter and deduct a fighter's pay for stalling promote stalling and timid point-fighting since now there's no downside to doing it; a win is a win. Controversial MMA fighter Nick Diaz summed up the sentiments of unified rules haters in an interview with Ariel Helwani.

So, are the critics right? "Well, even if they are, there's not much that can be done about it, unfortunately."

The rules are determined by the athletic commissions, not the UFC itself. But, for argument's sake, let's just pretend that the UFC could just adopt whatever rules they wanted. If they could, should they adopt the Pride rules?

Some of them. Yellow cards, removing elbows on the ground, and allowing knees to the head of a downed opponent (or at least changing the rules to no longer consider a fighter with one fingertip on the ground as "downed") would all be helpful. Yellow cards would force action, removing elbows would in theory help BJJ players (although removing any technique harms the purity of MMA), and knees to the head of a downed opponent would help strikers fend off wrestlers, and would also aid wrestlers in finishing fighters they took down if they got to certain positions (see: Mark Coleman vs. Igor Vovchanchyn). However, there's a problem. Before the UFC's first event on FOX, UFC president Dana White accurately described the presence of the UFC in the whole of American society: "We live in this little bubble. I live in a world of armbars and rear-naked chokes and triangle chokes and ground-and-pound and all that stuff, but there's millions and millions of people who have never even heard of any of that and don't know anything about the UFC. As big as the UFC may seem, it's not. We're so far from mainstream still, and now we've been given the opportunity to do it."

What would those millions and millions of people who have never seen the sport think if they saw some poor fighter's head being stomped in or soccer-kicked? Even knees to the head of a grounded opponent might repel them and bring back the negative "bloodsport" image the UFC has tried so hard to rid itself and the sport of. Thus, Pride rules will likely never see the light of day in modern American mixed martial arts. Society is too squeamish, the sport's image too fragile, and the athletic commissions too impotent—a perfect storm of obstacles that will keep MMA—the one true sport—from reaching it's full excitement value and potential."

RIZIN FF have confirmed that their bouts will remain within a ring, not a cage like most promotions. This will remain their stance for the foreseen future as they look to implement new changes. Former PRIDE founder Sakakibara has expressed his desire to return to his former promotions hayday's with greater action within the ropes. PRIDE and its rulings look to be a huge inspiration for Sakakibara and RIZIN as it looks to spread across the globe. Fans across the world will jump with joy at this news, with many already praising Sakakibara for even considering bringing back PRIDE rules.

WMMAA1 · March 29, 2020

RIZIN - The Next Incarnation

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"Main and Co-Main set for RIZIN 22" - Rizinff.com

"RIZIN 21 just concluded and the main event saw fan-favorite superstar Mikuru Asakura (13-1, 1NC) cap-off the night with a second-round knockout win over Mexico’s Daniel Salas.

Following the win, Asakura took to the mic to leave the Hamamatsu Arena crowd with the night’s final comments. Mid-interview, however, RIZIN boss Nobuyuki Sakakibara came into the ring with a microphone followed by the first-ever ONE Championship lightweight title-holder Kotetsu Boku (26-14-2) of KRAZY BEE.

A brief three-man conversation proceeded, and it concluded with Sakakibara having Asakura and Boku face-off for the cameras, with the organization essentially confirming that a match-up between the two was coming. Though no date was given, prior to RIZIN 21 it was publicly revealed that the company was hopeful they would be able to have Mikuru Asakura be able to participate on RIZIN 22 after headlining RIZIN 21.

Everyone’s favorite street fighter, Mikuru Asakura has genuinely established himself as one of Japan’s top stars sinfe making his RIZIN debut in August of 2018. It didn’t hurt that in his first three fights with the promotion, Asakura was able to brutally knockout two Japanese legends and former Shooto champions in Takeshi Inoue and Hatsu Hioki. Between these two staggering knockout wins, Asakura was able to prove he was more than just a knockout-artist by putting together a fantastically well-rounded performance to defeat a hyped Kazakh in Karshyga Dautbek.

Last year, 2019, was an excellent year for Mikuru Asakura. As he started the year with a win over the red-hot Luiz Gustavo, outbrawling the brawler, before closing the year out with one-sided victories over Yusuke Yachi and John Teixeira, the last of which coming in an important RIZIN vs. Bellator super-fight. As previously mentioned, tonight Asakura competed in his first bout of the decade, and he scored a second-round knockout win over Daniel Salas. Dropping his foe with a picture-perfect headkick, he sent the Mexican into unconsciousness with some vicious follow-up shots. Though not 27-years-old and in the prime of his life like Asakura, one of KRAZY BEE’s top trainers Kotetsu Boku hopes to get back on the right track and earn a monumental win when he shares the ring with Asakura in the near future.

At 42-years-old, “No Face” has certainly seen better days than as of late. In 2019, Boku fought and lost twice under the ONE Championship banner. He opened the year with a first-round submission loss to Bruno Pucci, and closed the year with a quick knockout loss to highly-ranked contender Thanh Le. Prior to these two outings, he had not competed since 2017 where he was slammed and pounded out by current champion Christian Lee. This broke a sneakily solid two-fight streak for Boku that included wins over Timofey Nastyukhin and Eric Kelly. Despite the back-and-forth past couple of years, back in 2012 at ONE FC 6, Kotetsu Boku became the first-ever ONE Lightweight champion with a brutal third-round knockout of Zorobabel Moreira Jr.

In recent times, Boku has put a lot of his focus on coaching the young talent at KRAZY BEE alongside the likes of Issei Tamura. He’s had a decent role in the rise of Yusuke Yachi and has long been one of the gym’s top trainers, even more so since the crushing passing of Norifumi “KID” Yamamoto. Yusuke Yachi, of course, fought and lost to Mikuru Asakura last year. This was mentioned tonight in the RIZIN ring by Boku, and there is no doubt that the eventual Boku-Asakura fight will have some sort of underlying revenge-based rivalry. One more time, there is no confirmed date for this fight. But in the likely chance it is planned to take place at RIZIN 22, that show will take place on April 19 live from the Yokohama Arena in Yokohama, Japan."

In light of recent planned changes, RIZIN 22 now has its Main and Co-Main event. In April, Bantamweight Champion Manel Kape will defend against Hiromasa Ogikubu in the main event whilst Mikuru Asakura will face Ketetsu Boku in featherweight action. Kape has recently led instagram followers to believe his time at RIZIN FF were over, but Sakakibara has managed to tie the Champion down to an exclusive contract. A win here for Kape could likely set up a second bout with former Champion Horiguchi who vacated the belt due to injury. Kai Asakura has been pencilled in as a replacement in Horiguchi's injury keeps him out longer than expected. Victory Henry vs Ben Nguyen has also been announced for the upcoming event.

WMMAA1 · March 29, 2020

RIZIN - The Next Incarnation

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"RIZIN 22 - FULL CARD - Rizinff.com"

MAIN CARD

MAIN EVENT

RIZIN FF Bantamweight Championship

Manel Kape [c] vs Hiromasa Ogikubo

CO-MAIN EVENT

Featherweight Bout

Mikuru Asakura vs Kotetsu Boku

Lightweight Bout

Tatsuya Kawajiri vs Takamori Gomi

Bantamweight Bout

Naoki Inoue vs Taiga Kawabe

Heavyweight Bout

Kazuyuki Fujita vs Jerome Le Banner

PRELIMINARY CARD

Lightweight Bout

Diego Brandao vs Daron Cruickshank

Heavyweight Bout

Heath Herring vs Hideki Sekine

Bantamweight Bout

Ben Nguyen vs Dillin West

Lightweight Bout

Johnny Case vs Damien Brown

Bantamweight Bout

Victor Henry vs Kai Asakura

Featherweight Bout

Minoru Kimura vs Luiz Gustavo

Womens Straweight Bout

Dora Perjes vs Natalia Denisova

Manel Kape and Hiromasa Ogikubo face off for the RIZIN Bantamweight Championship. Kape will defend the belt fo the first time since capturing the vacant belt. Horiguchi remains injured but is pencilled in to face whomever walks away Bantamweight Champion. Asakura and Baku faced off in the ring after RIZIN 21 and look set for fireworks here. Takamori Gomi will face off against Kawajiri in his last bout for RIZIN, but where 1 story ends another begins as Taiga Kawabe begins his professional MMA car against Naoki Inoue. The Preliminary Bouts wiill he spearheaded by Brandao vs Cruickshank II, with the first ending via KO [Flying Knee] and Cruickshank picking up the victory. He has failed to win in his last 3 whilst Brandao has won 2 of his last 4. This event will be fought under standar RIZIN rules as Sakakibara begins to transition into The New Chapter.

WMMAA1 · March 29, 2020

RIZIN - The Next Incarnation

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"The Super Samoan Signs" - Rizinff.com

"It looks like UFC Adelaide was in fact Mark Hunt’s final bow in the UFC, and after Saturday’s fight, the UFC paid the heavyweight their respects. UFC Adelaide was almost certainly Mark Hunt’s final outing in the UFC. And while it didn’t turn out the way he wanted, Hunt, who has been at odds with the company for the past several years, has been given a show of respect by the promotion. Following the event, the UFC’s official Instagram account posted a farewell to the popular slugger. “Legend. Thank you for everything,” the statement read, with an accompanying video snippet.

Hunt (13–14–1 (1NC)) infamously was told to stay home when the UFC acquired Pride in 2007. The promotion offered to buy out his contract, valued at close to half a million dollars. Hunt declined, instead choosing to compete. Making his UFC debut in 2010, he lost — his sixth straight defeat. Then, the unlikely turnaround. Hunt won his next four bouts, against names including Ben Rothwell, Cheick Kongo, and Stefan Struves. Fans were solidly in Hunt’s corner. A loss to Junior Dos Santos didn’t change that. Then Hunt put on a heavyweight classic against Bigfoot Silva that ended in a draw (Hunt would later win their rematch). He became the first and only man to knock out Roy Nelson in the UFC. The led to an interim title fight against Fabricio Werdum, though Hunt was put away by a knee.

However, UFC 200 in 2016 saw Hunt’s relationship with the UFC sour. Paired up with Brock Lesnar, he was taken down and pounded on over three rounds, losing a decision. Then came news that Lesnar had failed a pre-fight drug test, but the results hadn’t come back in time to stop the fight. Given Lesnar had been allowed to bypass the usual USADA testing period for returning fighters, Hunt was livid. He sued both the UFC and Lesnar, a lawsuit that is still ongoing today. Hunt was unhappy with the number of drug cheats he’d been fighting. Bigfoot Silva, Ben Rothwell, Alistair Overeem, Frank Mir, Fabricio Werdum, Brock Lesnar — so many of his foes in the UFC would go on to fail drug tests. Even Junior Dos Santos would test positive for a tainted supplement, though he was later cleared of any intentional wrong doing. Hence Hunt fighting out his contract on Saturday in Adelaide. He finished his post-fight speech saying he’d see fans “somewhere else.” With fight still left in him, he’d be a great fit for Bellator, RIZIN, and especially ONE Championship, who have made some big moves in recent months. Of course, it’s unlikely the drug testing situation will be any better in those promotions. However, Hunt mainly just needs a change of scenery. And despite what amounts to a messy breakup, the UFC made an admirable choice in taking the high road and wishing Hunt well."

As expected, Mark Hunt has returned to Nobuyuki Sakakibara. "The Super Samoan" has signed for RIZIN FF on a 6 fight/3 year deal. Hunt hasnt fought since he left UFC losing 4 of his last 5 with his only win against Derrick Lewis. Hunt signing shows that RIZIN FF are serious about their new chapter. Rumours are circling that their will be a potential Heavyweight Grand Prix, likely at the end of the year as media get wind of RIZIN's Heavyweight targets. Former UFC fighter Anthony Johnson has announced his return from retirement, aswell as King Mo who has fought for RIZIN on multiple occasions. Add "Bigfoot" Silvas name to the hat and RIZIN may have an impressive Heavyweight Division. Gilbert Melendez joins Mark Hunt in signing for RIZIN FF, after his termination from UFC, losing all 5 of his previous 5 bouts. But with a record of 22-8, Melendez will be a great addition to the Featherweight divsion. C.B Dolloway also returns to RIZIN under an exclusive contract.

Noteable departures; Kosaka has signed for ONE Championship, along with Stephanie Egger. Hiroyuki Takaya signs for KSW whilst Akiyo Nishiura has signed for Brave CF with Hatsu Hioki and Sakurai. Brave CF have also signed Sergio Moraes, Chris Camozzi and Tom Lawlor all of who RIZIN FF were in negotiations with.

WMMAA1 · March 29, 2020

RIZIN - The Next Incarnation

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"Gamrot and Mokhtarian coming to RIZIN" - Rizinff.com

After fifteen months away from fighting, two-weight KSW champion Mateusz Gamrot will return to the sport, only now with RIZIN FF. KSW's featherweight and lightweight king, Gamrot is widely considered to be one of the sport’s top fighters in Europe. At 15-0, 1 NC, Gamrot has taken out all comers during his time in the KSW cage. However, since moving down to featherweight to defeat submission ace Kleber Koike Erbst for the vacant title back in December of 2018, Gamrot has been conspicuously absent from KSW. Rumors abounded as to what Gamrot’s fighting future would be, though a May report from Polish site Sportowe Fakty (Sports Facts) cited a vlog post by Gamrot that cleared up some confusion. According to Sports Facts, Gamrot said that he was not retiring from MMA, but rather said “dissatisfaction” with his KSW contract was to blame. Per a translated version of Sports Facts’s article, Gamrot said, “I think and many of my managers and trainers also think that I didn’t get enough money,” with the report adding that the negotiations between KSW and Gamrot were “long and stormy.” Sports Facts also reported that there was purportedly a disagreement to some extent over the terms of Gamrot’s KSW contract regarding the length of time and number of fights remaining intact.

While away from MMA, Gamrot stayed busy by competing in submission grappling, even reaching the pinnacle of no-gi submission grappling, the 2019 Abu Dhabi Combat Club (ADDC) championships. There, he fell short to undefeated ONE Championship fighter and multi-time EBI champion Garry Tonon by rear-naked choke on the tournament’s opening day. In Gamrot’s absence, KSW crowned two interim champions in his respective divisions. Young undefeated French phenom Salahdine Parnasse (14-0-1) captured interim featherweight gold, while two-time Gamrot foe Norman Parke (28-6-1, 1 NC) scored a potential third shot against his rival with an interim lightweight title victory.

RIZIN FF have today announced the double capture of Mateusz Gamrot and Ashkan Mokhtarian. The former vacates KSW's Featherweight and Lightweight Belts in hopes of a greater challenger in Japan. Gamrot who is undefeated [Albeit with a No Contest Score] is young enough to take RIZIN by storm and help carry it into the next stage of its growth. Mokhtarian has suffered 3 consecutive losses, but managed a 7 and 6 win streak prior with only 1 loss seperating the 2. RIZIN have also announced the signing of 2 former UFC fighters, Ben Saunders and Artem Lobov who looks to get back into MMA after a brief stint with Bareknuckle Boxing.

WMMAA1 · March 29, 2020

RIZIN - The Next Incarnation

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"Uncle Creepy is coming for you[Manel Kape]" - Ian McCall

"Ian McCall’s unprecedented bad luck continued today at Rizin FF 8 when he suffered one of the more bizarre stoppage losses in recent memory. McCall (13-6-1) was making his promotional debut at the event, which streamed as an online pay-per-view from Saitama Super Arena in Saitama, Japan. He lost his bantamweight grand prix bantamweight quarterfinal matchup to Manel Kape (9-1) by doctor’s stoppage in the opening round after the ring ropes appeared to have opened a deep cut on his forehead. “Uncle Creepy,” who parted ways with the UFC earlier this year after a crushing string of last-minute fight cancellations, was forcing his way into a grappling exchange with Kape. The cut seemingly opened as his head skimmed along the ropes, and shortly after, Kape landed a knee and went for a guillotine that caused blood to spurt everywhere. The referee broke up the action, and after some deliberation from the ringside physician, the fight was called off (via Twitter): With the outcome, McCall falls to 2-4 in his past six fights and is winless since July 2014."

"Uncle Creepy" Ian McCall has today announced his return to MMA. The Californian will return to RIZIN FF after an unsuccessful first run. His debut freak stoppage against Manel Kape was followed by a 9 Second KO Loss to Horiguchi. McCall has been training hard for his return and has set his eyes on Bantamweight Gold. He told his instagram followers that he will need to shake off the little ring rust that he has, but ultimately is looking to dethrone Kape and avenge his loss to the now Champion. It remains to be seen if McCall and Horiguchi will clash again after such an emphatic knockout. RIZIN also announce the signings of Richie Vaculik, Womens Flyweight Rin Nakai, Eddie Ng and Ryogo Takahashi.

WMMAA1 · March 29, 2020

RIZIN - The Next Incarnation

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"Manel Kape Defends Bantamweight Championship" - Rizinff.com

MAIN CARD

MAIN EVENT

RIZIN FF Bantamweight Championship

Manel Kape [c] def Hiromasa Ogikubo TKO [strikes] 1:35 Round 1

Manel Kape retains The Bantamweight Championship

CO-MAIN EVENT

Featherweight Bout

Mikuru Asakura def Kotetsu Boku TKO [strikes] 4:31 Round 1

Lightweight Bout

Tatsuya Kawajiri vs Takamori Gomi Unanimous Decision

Bantamweight Bout

Naoki Inoue def Taiga Kawabe Unanimous Decision

Heavyweight Bout

Kazuyuki Fujita def Jerome Le Banner Submission [Kneebar] 3:56 Round 2

PRELIMINARY CARD

Lightweight Bout

Diego Brandao def Daron Cruickshank TKO [strikes] 2:18 Round 1

Heavyweight Bout

Hideki Sekine def Heath Herring Submission [Leglock] 3:57 Round 2

Bantamweight Bout

Ben Nguyen def Dillin West TKO [strikes] 1:20 Round 2

Lightweight Bout

Damien Brown [def Johnny Case Unanimous Decision

Bantamweight Bout

Kai Asakura def Victor Henry Unanimous Decision

Featherweight Bout

Luiz Gustavo def Minoru Kimura Split Decision

Womens Straweight Bout

Natalia Denisova def Dora Perjes TKO [strikes] 2:41 Round 2

RIZIN 22 was shown across multiple platforms across the world. RIZIN FF have expressed a desire to partner with a larger broadcaster on a more permanent basis, just as UFC have with ESPN and ESPN+. The commentary was held together by former UFC commentator Brendan Fitzgerald after he was recently cut for financial reasons. Fitzgerald was flanked by veteran commentator Todd Harris with Frank Shamrock on analysis. RIZIN have since released a press statement announcing their plans to continue the trio's activity together.

The opening preliminary bout saw Dorja Perjes lose to Natalie Denisova. Denisova took the opportunity to issue a challenge to Angela Magana. Luiz Gustavo and Kai Asakura both continued to show promise with success in the ring. Officials have since expressed a desire for Gustavo to welcome Gilbert Melendez to the division. Johnny Case lost momentum with a loss against Damien Brown, who took a moment to thank his sponsors and camp. He expressed a desire to get back in the ring as quick as possible, eyeing a move for Koshi Matsumoto as his next fight. The crowd seemed to get behind Brown as he lapped up his time on the microphone. Ben Nguyen picked up a long awaited victory and immediately called for his next opponent, Shintaro Ishiwatari as he looks to build his way up the rankings. The final preliminary bout saw Brandao vs Cruickshank II, both now with a victory a piece. Brandao perhaps prematurely called out Lightweight Champion Tofiq Musayev after his Grand Prix victory in 2019 saw him become the inaugural belt holder. The RIZIN president spoke out at the press conference, whilst considering granting Brandao his challenge request, he is also considering another challenge for the victor before he makes the step up to title challenger.

In what was fight of the night, Jerome Lebanner lost to Kazuyuki Fujita which only served to bolster the Heavyweight Division. Debutant Taiga Kawabe was unsuccessful in his first step into MMA after Naoki Inoue ruined his night. Mikuru Asakura continued his RIZIN momentum. In the Main Event, Manel Kape became the first Champion to defend The Bantamweight Championship after forcing his opponent to submit. The top of The Bantamweight Division has become very interesting after this victory with Ian McCall's return to MMA. Kape has expressed a desire to test himself against former Bantamweight Horiguchi who vacated the title due to injury.

It is unknown as to how long Horiguchi will be out for and a potential second fight with the returning Ian McCall could be a suitable alternative, however "Uncle Creepy" has expressed a wish to shake off the ring rust before stepping up. RIZIN officials have slated McCalls return fight to be 1 of 2 matches, said Championship bout against Kape or a Featherweight Bout against Haruo Ochi. Either way, the aforementioned 3 fighters all have links to eachother with Horiguchi defeating McCall in 9 Seconds. It will remain to be seen where RIZIN Officials go with these match ups.

WMMAA1 · March 29, 2020

RIZIN - The Next Incarnation

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"Wonderboy makes for wonderful signing" - Rizinff.com

"Everyone should take notes from Stephen Thompson on how to handle a loss. Throughout his entire kickboxing and MMA career, two-time UFC welterweight title challenger “Wonderboy” had never been stopped in a fight. But that ended at UFC on ESPN+ 6 in Nashville at the hands of former lightweight champion Anthony Pettis, who had moved up to 170 pounds and was a heavy underdog going into the bout. It was a technical chess match, but with seconds winding down in Round 2, Pettis threw a Superman punch that Thompson never saw coming. It knocked him out cold. In typical “NMF” fashion, the always humble Thompson decided to watch himself hit the mat, and even emulated his motions when he stiffened up. He rebounded nicely though, with a unanimous decision win over the streaking Vicente Luque at UFC 244 and picked up a $50,000 bonus to go with it. They say you're only as good as your last fight, but the Pettis loss might take a while for Thompson to forget about. At least he's a good sport about it."

Strangely, Thompson was cut by UFC after a loss to Damian Maia, submitting to a Kimura in the first round. The details have not unfolded yet as to why he was released, or even granted his release, but RIZIN FF have capitalized the opportunity, signing "Wonderboy" to a multi fight, multi year deal which will see him join the likes of former UFC stars Eddie Alvarez and Demetrius Johnson who also took new routes a few years ago. RIZIN's Welterweight Division is not exactly stacked, but Thompson is in good company with Ben Saunders and Shinso Anzai, who have both recently signed for the company. Its unknown as to when and who Thompson will face in his debut for RIZIN with Sakakibara likely to continue to add to the division and RIZIN's roster as a whole.

WMMAA1 · March 29, 2020

RIZIN - The Next Incarnation

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"Fighters need a place to fight" - Nobuyuki Sakakibara

"UFC President Dana White was speaking specifically of former UFC lightweight champion Eddie Alvarez when he said he didn’t have a problem with Alvarez going elsewhere to end his MMA career, but White was also sending a not so subtle message to the entire UFC roster at the same time. Eddie Alvarez fought out his UFC contract in a losing effort to Dustin Poirier in their UFC on FOX... “I like Eddie Alvarez,” White said on the UFC Unfiltered podcast. “I like him personally, and I like him professionally. He’s at an age now where he needs to make some decisions for his family and for what will probably be the last contract he signs for the rest of his career. I’m in a place if Eddie wants to go somewhere else and try it, I’m cool with that. If Eddie wants to stay, I’d keep him here too. “I told him that. I told him, ‘Listen, if you want to finish your career with me I would like that. If you want to finish your career somewhere else, I have no problem with that either, man.’ When guys get to the point where it’s the last contract they’ll ever sign, I understand.” Alvarez, who turns 35 in January, fought out his UFC contract when he met Dustin Poirier in the main event of UFC on FOX 30 on July 28. Unfortunately for Alvarez, Poirier won that fight by second-round TKO. The loss dropped Alvarez’s UFC record to 4-3-0-1. Before he signed with the promotion, the well-traveled Alvarez had put together an impressive record of 25-3. What Alvarez’s UFC record does not show is that he’s fought some of the fiercest competitors in the lightweight division while with the promotion. Those fighters have included three men who held the UFC lightweight title at some point – Conor McGregor, Anthony Pettis and Rafael dos Anjos – as well as competitors who held titles in organizations outside the UFC – Justin Gaethje and Gilbert Melendez. However, at 34, it doesn’t seem likely that Alvarez will have the time to make the climb back to a title fight with the UFC, and that’s where White suggested things could come to a head if the UFC and Alvarez do sit down at the negotiating table. “At the end of the day, what we’re looking for here are young guys that want to be world champions,” White said. “Young guys that know they can be a world champion in the UFC. Or girls that know they can be a world champion in the UFC. If you feel that you can’t be and you feel there’s a better decision you can make at this point in your career for the last contract you’ll ever sign, I absolutely understand that.” What White is implying with those words is that if you’re a veteran fighter who hopes to cash in on your name recognition and past accomplishments, well, maybe the UFC isn’t the right place for you. Because the UFC might not value those post accomplishments as much as you do. However, if you’re a young and hungry fighter who has yet to establish yourself as a marketable fighter who can demand a top-dollar contract, well then, the UFC is more than happy to have you – and underpay you – as you pursue your goal of becoming a UFC champion. That’s not to say the UFC will be inclined to let all of its highly visible free agents walk, but in a division as deep as lightweight, Alvarez is someone who the UFC can let walk without any effect on its bottom line."

Heavyweight

Mark Hunt - Antonio "Bigfoot" Silva - Mindaugas Gerve - Ante delija - Giacome Lemos - Valdrin Istrefe

Light Heavyweight

Duke Didier - Nathan Reddy

Middleweight

Antonio Brago Neto - Rob Wilkinson - C.B Dolloway - Matt Hallam

Welterweight

Stephen Thompson - Theo Christakos - Shinso Anzai - Han Seul Kim - Sean Spencer - Ben Saunders

Lightweight

Mateusz Gamrot - Eddie Ng - Ryogo Takahashi - Rafa Garcia - Arnoud Lepont

Featherweight

Enrique Barzola - Mark Eddiva - Gilbert Melendez - Artem Lobov - Muin Gafurov

Bantamweight

Ian McCall - Issei Tamura

Flyweight

Ashkan Mokhterian - Richie Vaculik - Ronaldo Candido

Women's Strawweight

Jessica Aguilar

Women's Flyweight

Rin Nakai

Women's Atomweight

Jujeath Nagaowa - Naho Sugiyama

WMMAA1 · March 30, 2020

RIZIN - The Next Incarnation

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"Heavyweight Grand Prix Scheduled For New Years Eve Event" - Rizinff.com

"RIZIN 20 was viewed as an objectively fun show by many of the fans that tuned in to watch, and with reports suggesting that all 26,000 available seats were sold out at the Saitama Super Arena for the New Year’s Eve spectacular. Alas, while it may have been a spectacular set of fights for the fans to enjoy, it doesn’t appear as if they were able to translate that into a successful night in terms of viewership ratings. The belief is that RIZIN wound up doing their worst ratings for a New Year’s Eve show in Japan yet, marking a significant decrease for the popular promotion, as reported by Sponichi.co.jp. RIZIN worked in partnership with Bellator for these two end-of-year events, with both promotions putting out some of their very best stars in an effort to really push their product out there to the masses. The hope and expectation was that the four-week break from the UFC may draw more fans than usual over to RIZIN’s product, but it doesn’t appear as if their risk has paid off. The audience is certainly there for RIZIN to build on and they’re still a relatively young promotion, but this will raise questions as to the overall benefits of cross-promotion. Or, at the very least, this particular pairing. Only running a handful of shows every year seems to be the route that they’re going to continue to go down, and it’s a strategy that has worked particularly well for Polish promotion KSW. It’s a stark contrast to UFC and Bellator’s strategy of putting on a whole host of shows on a year to year basis, but either way, it’s worth keeping an eye on how RIZIN’s events continue to perform as we look ahead to what should be a vital year for them in 2020. At the very least, the action-packed RIZIN 20 show should have fans buzzing ahead of their next card."

Nobuyuki Sakakibara has today announced via Rizinff.com that plans for its famous New Years Eve event will continue with their transition into The Next Chapter of the company. RIZIN's New Years Eve Show will host a One Night Heavyweight Grand Prix to crown the inagural RIZIN FF Heavyweight Champion. Nobuyuki Sakakibara also stated that this will be RIZIN's first event of The Next Chapter and will be fought under their proposed new rules, which are likely to be similar to those of PRIDE. With RIZIN's new additions to the heavyweight roster you could expect to see the likes of Mark Hunt and Antonio Silva compete. Sakakibara said he was disappointed that negotiations with King Mo and Rumble Johnson fell through with the former joining ONE and the latter returning to UFC, but he promised to continue to sign big names for RIZIN's biggest division.

WMMAA1 · March 30, 2020

RIZIN - The Next Incarnation

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"RIZIN 23 - FULL CARD - Rizinff.com"

MAIN CARD

MAIN EVENT

Lightweight Bout

Diego Brandao vs Mateusz Gamrot

CO-MAIN EVENT

Featherweight Bout

Gilbert Melendez vs Mikuru Asakura

Flyweight Bout

Tenshin Nasukawa vs Seiichiro Ito

Bantamweight Bout

Taiga Kawabe vs Erson Yamamoto

Welterweight Bout

Ben Saunders vs Theo Christakos

PRELIMINARY CARD

Flyweight Bout

Haruo Ochi vs Ian McCall

Featherweight Bout

Artem Lobov vs Minoru Kimura

Women's Atomweight Bout

Kanna Asakura vs Rena Kubuta

Flyweight Bout

Ronaldo Candido vs Ashkan Mokhtarian

Women's Strawweight

Angela Magana vs Natalia Denisova

Light Heavyweight Bout

Ivan Shtyrkov vs Karl Albrektsson

Women's Strawweight

Aleksandra Toncheva vs Bestare Kicaj

Nobuyuki Sakakibara has told Diego Brandao that it is 1 step too early for his title challenge, but if he beats Mateusz Gamrot then he will grant his request. Sakakibara continued that Gamrot, who is a former KSW Double Champion, will also be granted the opportunity to face Lightweight Champion Tofiq Musaev if he can get through Brandao. Asakura is undefeated in RIZIN with an impressive record of 8-0 after he beat Boku in the 1st round at RIZIN 22. Melendez will be tasked with a tough debut challenge, but experience may prevail. Ito will face the tough challenge of facing Kickboxer and RIZIN Goldeboy Tenshin Nasukawa. Former UFC fighter Ben Saunders will debut against Australian Christakos who also debuts. McCall will face Ochi in the Flyweight Division. Sakakibara has offered the former retired star a chance to brush off the rust before a potential bout with Bantamweight Champion Manel Kape, if he can get by Ochi who will not be a walk in the park. Artem Lobov debuts as does Ashkan Mokhtarian and Ronaldo Candido who face off against eachother. The latter was undefeated before his loss to Carlos Candelario on Dana Whites Tuesday Night Contender Series. Denisova returns after her victory at RIZIN 22 and will face a tough test in Angela Magana after the latter accepted her challenge.

rodrigoviolim · March 30, 2020

Great dynasty I'm following!

WMMAA1 · March 30, 2020

RIZIN - The Next Incarnation

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"Enter The Prince Of War" - Greg Hardy

"Hardy spoke with TMZ Sports about his 53-second demolition of Ray Jones at Xtreme Fight Night 352 in Tulsa, Oklahoma, and what the future holds: The former Carolina Panthers and Dallas Cowboys defensive end's three professional fights have all lasted less than a minute, and he had a message for future opponents: "It's dangerous for somebody to be in there with me. I want people to know that." After winning a trio of amateur fights via first-round knockout, Hardy competed in Dana White's Tuesday Night Contender Series twice, notching first-round knockout wins over Austen Lane and Tebaris Gordon. The UFC president signed Hardy to a UFC developmental deal, and the former NFL player is waiting to be part of an official UFC card. With regard to when that chance will come, Hardy said, "I'm hoping the top of next year." He already carries name recognition as a former Pro Bowler, and considering how easily he has beaten his competition, Hardy has the makings of a major draw in the UFC's heavyweight division."

RIZIN FF have again bolstered their Heavyweight Division with the signing of "The Prince of War" Greg Hardy. Hardy was cut by UFC after 2 straight Unanimous Decision losses following a No Contest ruling prior. Sakakibara told media that the land of RIZIN is the perfect opportunity for Hardy to sharpen his skills and become a huge star in Japan. With the Heavyweight Grand Prix looming, Hardy will be keen to make an early case for a place in the tournament.

RIZIN FF have also announced further signings as the company look to make a name for their selves. Heavyweight Alain Ngalani and Light Heavyweight Alan Baudot join Lightweight Isi Fitikefu,Megumi Morioka who continues to fill RIZIN's Women's Atomweight Division.

WMMAA1 · March 30, 2020

Great dynasty I'm following!

Thank you, Rodrigo. Hopefully im keeping it interesting for any followers.

WMMAA1 · March 30, 2020

RIZIN - The Next Incarnation

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"Diego Brandao Earns Title Shot - Rizinff.com"

MAIN CARD

MAIN EVENT

Lightweight Bout

Diego Brandao def Mateusz Gamrot TKO [strikes] 1:30 Round 1

CO-MAIN EVENT

Featherweight Bout

Gilbert Melendez def Mikuru Asakura TKO [strikes] 3:30 Round 1

Flyweight Bout

Tenshin Nasukawa def Seiichiro Ito Unanimous Decision

Bantamweight Bout

Taiga Kawabe def Erson Yamamoto KO [Punch] 2:51 Round 2

Welterweight Bout

Theo Christakos def Ben Saunders TKO [strikes] 3:26 Round 1

PRELIMINARY CARD

Flyweight Bout

Haruo Ochi def Ian McCall Unanimous Decision

Featherweight Bout

Artem Lobov def Minoru Kimura TKO [strikes] 3:22 Round 3

Women's Atomweight Bout

Rena Kubuta def Kanna Asakura Unanimous Decision

Flyweight Bout

Ronaldo Candido def Ashkan Mokhtarian Submission [Kimura] 3:54 Round 1

Women's Strawweight

Angela Magana def Natalia Denisova Unanimous Decision

Light Heavyweight Bout

Ivan Shtyrkov def Karl Albrektsson Unanimous Decision

Women's Strawweight

Bestare Kicaj def Aleksandra Toncheva Unanimous Decision

After a huge victory over Mateusz Gamrot, Diego Brandao's next fight will be against Lightweight Champion Musayev. Brandao has fought in 2 consecutive events and has expressed a desire to challenge Musayev by the end of the year, he said after his fight that being considered the underdog spurred him on to prove his critics wrong. Gamrot will look to refind his previous glory as he remains highly thought of with RIZIN top brass. Nasukawa defeated Ito but questions are being asked as to when he will face a top opponent. Taiga Kawabe turned over his debut loss with a win over Yamamoto. Christakos defeated Saunders and is now being touted for a return to the ring against "Wonderboy" Thompson. McCall's return did not go to plan as lost to Ochi. McCall has now lost all 3 of his RIZIN bouts and a match up with Manel Kape now seem's out of his reach. Horiguchi will likely challenge Kape next, medical staff have advised he is likely on the bench for atleast another 2 months. The question to be asked is how long Kape will be willing to wait. Lobov broke his monstrous losing streak and challenged newcomer and former TUF finalist Tyler Diamond. Ronaldo Candido impressed with a 1st round submission over Ashkan Mokhtarian and is now looking for a quick return to the ring.

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WMMAA1 · March 30, 2020

RIZIN - The Next Incarnation

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"RIZIN FF Rules Changes To Take Place NYE" - Rizinff.com

"There are many differences between Pride and UFC rules. And consequently, this results in different fight strategies used by the fighters in their respective organizations. We are not here to argue which set of rules is better than the other. But the general consensus among MMA fans is that the Pride fighting rules were significantly more violent than UFC. The fact that the Pride rules are banned in UFC matches attests to this. Now violence by itself does not make it better. But to watch fighters at this skill level fight under these rules is pretty exciting. If you want violence for the sake of violence, by all means go watch any street fight video on google. Pride fighting and UFC are a level above that garbage.

Let's break down the major differences below:

Pride Rules:

Fighters fight in a ring as opposed to a cage

Soccer kicks to the face, stomps, and knees to the head of a grounded opponent are all allowed (This is probably the most famous aspect of Pride)

Up-kicks from the man on bottom are allowed

No elbows to the face

Judges judge the entire fight in making a decision, and not by round

Ten minute first rounds

Fighters are allowed to wear wrestling shoes in the ring

Yellow cards are issued to fighters for stalling (along with a 10% deduction of the fighter's pay, which sometimes was too harsh)

Fighters are allowed to fight other fighters in different weight classes. (Larger vs Smaller man, but the Larger man didn't always win...)

Entire event cards would consist of just heavyweights (over 205 lbs) and light heavyweights (under 205 lbs) - No little guys fighting to bore you

It's legal to spike/slam a guy on his head (this is very dangerous but rare)

All of the items listed above are not allowed in UFC. Both organizations do not allow head butts and attacks to the back of the head or spine, which is good. MMA organizations that allow these types of attacks do not care about the safety of the fighters.

Now going over each one of these points in more detail:

Using a ring as opposed to fighting in a cage: This exhibits a more professional image for the sport. Especially to casual observers of MMA; seeing fighters in a cage has a trashier image to it, as if fighting like animals. Fighting in a ring is better for a live audience, because they can see the action better.

The difference in fight strategy is significant between a ring vs. a cage. You can trap a guy in a corner by cutting off the ring, where in an octagon the fighter can keep circling away from you and its harder to cut him off, so fighting in a ring favors strikers more. In Pride, if fighters were on the ground and at the edge of the ring, about to go out, the referee would stop the action, have both fighters go back to the center of the ring, and resume fighting in the position they were in before being moved. This was done for two reasons; the first being that they wanted the fighters to have adequate space to work their moves, and not be hindered by an obstacle. This rule is because of the belief that a real fight would happen in an open space where there are no barriers to effect your fight, such as gladiators fighting in an arena. The other reason was for audience viewing purposes, not every one in a 20k+ sold out arena can see the action well when the fighters are about to go under the ropes on one side of the ring. You can still pin a guy against the ropes or in a corner and unleash damage if the fight is in stand-up though.

In UFC, the cage plays a major strategic purpose in a fight. To pin a guy against a cage to then launch an attack happens a lot. Also, when a guy is pressed up against a cage on the ground, it can be harder to pull off submissions on him, but his mobility is greatly reduced.

The UFC’s thought is that if you are in a real fight, you will probably have barriers around you, which will effect the fight, such as being in a small room and getting pressed up against the wall.

The other factor is when watching a caged mma match as a live audience. It can be difficult to see what is going on between the chain links.

It is a matter of personal preference on whether you prefer the ring or the cage. But since this is a tribute site to Pride, we are going to say the ring was superior to work moves and more professional to fight in.

In both organizations, fighters were not allowed to hold onto the ropes or cage for leverage, which is good. Of course it still happens a little in both.

Stomps, soccer kicks to the face, and knees to the head of a grounded opponent: While this clearly makes fights much more violent, the strategic aspect of allowing these rules is obvious to any fighter. To not allow these rules completely changes the strategy of how to approach a fight. For instance, if a guy fails when taking a shot, and the other guy sprawls, the guy who failed at his shot is still relatively safe because the other guy cannot throw knees to the head of a grounded opponent. This is defined as a guy who has his hands or knees on the ground, so being on all fours qualifies. The guy who failed at his shot does not have to pay the price with knees to the head for not getting the takedown. Securing the side mount is not nearly as effective when these rules are not allowed. By not allowing soccer kicks to the face there is no reward for the guy who stands up before the other guy to launch a soccer kick. These are huge strategic differences to a fight, and some would argue the UFC rules are designed to protect wrestlers, which is the most popular combat sport in America.

I will admit it can be quite brutal to watch Pride rules in action. It is not for the faint hearted. But the strategic and entertainment value of allowing these rules makes the fights much more realistic and exciting.

The Pride rules were overall more realistic. Because they were more realistic, some consider it too violent for mainstream American audiences (which is hypocritical - consider the violence in many movies and video games in America). The funny thing was is that it was mainstream in Japan. A white collar sport. We'll talk more about that in another article.

Up-kicks from the man on bottom: I'm really not sure why this is not allowed in UFC. Other than to protect wrestlers on top. I guess we want to fix the rules to show that wrestling is the best type of fighting style, but when the rules are as they are, its easy to give wrestlers an edge. Wrestlers did well under Pride rules too though. It's not like an up-kick is too brutal to watch, compared to a guy getting soccer kicked in the face.

An up-kick has huge strategic value for the man on bottom. You can definitely inflict damage on the guy on top with a good up-kick, or a slashing heel kick, and also prevent pouncing attacks and flying stomps from the guy on his feet while the other remains on the ground. A couple good examples of up-kicks are Quinton Jackson vs Ricardo Arona as an offensive move, and Shogun Rua vs Antonio Rogerio Nogueria as a defensive move.

I do believe UFC should allow up-kicks in the future.

UFC rules are watered down designed to protect wrestlers. When I watch a UFC fight I see so many opportunities to knee a guy's head on the ground it makes me think I'm not even watching the same sport. It isn't as realistic.

No Elbows to the Face: You would think considering how violent Pride was that they would allow elbows. Not so. Both organizations don't allow elbows straight down, but in UFC you are allowed to throw elbows sideways. This does make UFC more brutal in this respect.

Elbows are a cheap shot to cause blood, just like headbutts. The majority of the time you will not knock a guy out throwing elbows. But you will cut him badly, getting blood everywhere and potentially causing a stoppage of the fight due to the cut. Did you beat the other man? Not really, you just cut him bad using the sharpest point on your body. The man cut is still physically able to fight on in most cases, but we don't want any long term damage to the fighter who has been cut. Granted it's a low percentage of fights that end due to an elbow cut, but the long term skin damage /scars you can get from all those cheap elbow cuts is real.

Some people think making a guy bleed with elbows is strategic. But to win in Pride it's not about making the other guy bleed the most, it's about beating him in a fight. You should be able to tell the difference. The whole argument "but he would bleed out or couldn't see in a real fight" would be more valid if UFC fighters had to fight non-stop for 30 minutes straight and under full vale tudo rules, just like "in a real fight".

Let's just acknowledge that elbows to the face are a major contributor to bloody fights. However, bloody fights may actually be preferable for American audiences.

I'm glad Pride did not allow elbows to the face. If a fight ends because a massive cut was opened up another way. That is okay. Some would argue no elbows slows down the ground game. Would you rather see a guy on top with no skill throwing elbows, or a guy with skill go through a cycle of submission attempts or trying to get side mount or north-south position? I'll take the latter.

Judge the Entire Fight - Not by Round: This does not get talked about enough among MMA enthusiasts. Judging the entire fight, and not by round, makes fights much more interesting and unpredictable. Comebacks are possible under this system. Fighters do not stall in the later rounds if a fighter knows he won the earlier rounds. A great example in Pride is Dan Henderson vs Ninja Hua, Ninja was winning the first two rounds before Henderson launched an awesome comeback that rocked Ninja. We have all seen those boring "lay and pray" fights where a guy is just stalling his way to a decision victory.

Ten Minute 1st Rounds: This is an extreme test of endurance. The majority of fights end in the first round. It is hard for people to truly understand what a test of physical fitness this is until you try it. It will be one of the most exhausting things you ever do. It also helps avoid guys getting saved by the bell.

Fighters are allowed to wear wrestling shoes in the ring: I have mixed feelings about this rule. I do like that being allowed to wear wrestling shoes gives a guy better grip on the mat. But if the guy is a kicker, it may be too easy to cut the other guy's face with shoes on. I do not have conclusive evidence that kicking with wrestling shoes on did indeed cut the other guy's face easier. (We know elbows do.)

Yellow cards issued for stalling along with a 10% deduction of a fighter's purse: While I like the idea of issuing stern warnings when fighters are stalling, the 10% deduction of the fighter's purse was sometimes too harsh. About 30% of the time it was too harsh. It takes courage to even step into the ring under Pride rules. To try to make a living this way is very tough and dangerous.

The yellow cards should have at most been used as a detrimental factor when judging the fighter, should the fight go to a decision. This still provides motivation to win the fight, because usually the fighter who wins gets paid more than the loser. Unless of course it is a big name fighter against a smaller name.

I'm glad UFC doesn't deduct fighter's pay for stalling. However, there are definitely some fights with major stalling. This is partly due to the judging system of UFC, where a fighter wins the first couple rounds, and then just hangs out in the later rounds for an uneventful decision victory.

Fighters can fight guys in different weight classes: I love this one... To see a guy outweighed by 20, 30, or 50+ pounds and still win the fight, or put up a good showing, is incredible. The early UFC's were fascinating in this aspect, Royce Gracie beating all those bigger guys; but the skill level is different at Pride. It proves that just because a guy is bigger doesn't mean he is going to win the fight. However, usually the bigger guy does win the fight. He can throw more powerful shots and take more damage. His inherent weakness against a smaller guy would be his stamina, depending on how big of a size difference.

These types of fights can be really exciting. Think Dan Henderson vs Rodrigo Nogueira, or Wanderlei Silva vs Mark Hunt (Silva technically won this fight, a 72 lb weight difference!). We see heroic efforts by the smaller men. Not to mention all the heavyweight bouts where a guy is around 220-230 lbs fighting a guy around 250+ lbs.

Or... these types of fights can be a massacre to watch, quite one sided. Think Sergei Kharitonov vs Ninja Rua (Rua was in the hospital for three days after) or Sakuraba vs Cro Cop (Sakuraba suffered a broken orbital bone).

You have to have some balls to fight a guy who's bigger and stronger than you. It is very dangerous. Especially in a fight against a trained bigger fighter under Pride rules. The possibility of serious injury is real. I have nothing but respect for the smaller guys who did it.

I don't think fights with weight class differences will be allowed in America because of the inherent danger the smaller guy will be severely injured. That being said, I sure do miss it from Pride.

Entire Event Cards would consist of just Light Heavyweights (under 205 lbs) and Heavyweights (over 205 lbs): This results in truly stacked cards with consistently good fights. Way more finishes than decisions at these events. What more can I say about how awesome that was. People who recognize how cool it was get it about seeing the best of the best fighters on the planet.

You can say whatever you want about smaller fighters moving faster and are more acrobatic or whatever, but for those who just want to see the biggest and baddest men on the planet, anything under 175 lbs is unacceptable. If a heavyweight or light heavyweight fighter is good in Pride, then I can safely assume he can beat up over 99.5% of the other men in the world in a hand-to-hand fight with no weapons. That's what I mean by the baddest.

I have seen good fights between smaller guys, (Gomi vs Diaz for example). But an average trained heavyweight fighter could crush the best 160 lb fighter, except in rare cases in a professional MMA bout. In real life, if the smaller guy has good mma knowledge and training, and the bigger guy does not, it is easily possible the smaller guy will win. But not against a trained bigger fighter.

There are too many weight classes nowadays, and anyone fighting under 175lbs is not as exciting. No 150 lb man will ever be the baddest man on the planet. I don't care how many fights he's won in his weight class. Fight a guy who's 205 lbs and watch what happens.

I don't care about Pride Bushido either, unless they had heavier guys fighting in the event. They usually had to have at least one fight between bigger guys to make the card exciting.

I am not aware of any current MMA organizations that only have stacked cards of light heavyweights and heavyweights unfortunately. UFC doesn't and it sucks. Maybe smaller guys and women like to see the smaller fighters. I really don't mean that in an insulting way. But I would think that bigger guys just like seeing big guys fight, because they are physically the best at fighting.

The only thing worse than seeing little guys fighting in MMA is seeing women fighting in MMA. Women fighting in MMA is just butch nasty. I guess some people like the freak show aspect of it.

Legal to spike/slam a guy on his head: To see this happen in a Pride fight is shocking. This is extremely rare, and it is extremely dangerous if it happens. You could paralyze a guy from a slam on his head.

This is not allowed in UFC because it is so dangerous. It would be really bad publicity if a guy was seriously injured getting spiked or slammed on his head, but then again guys get slammed on their head in Greco-Roman, Freestyle and Sambo wrestling without incident. That's because they train themselves how to land while being thrown. In the UFC this exciting move is taken away for the sake of mainstream safety.

So these are the differences between Pride and UFC rules. It is quite a lot."

Rizin FF President Nobuyuki Sakakibara today announced that New Rules will come into effect at The New Years Eve Show, which will host The Heavyweight Grand Prix. The proposed rules are as follows -

RIZIN FF will continue to compete in a ring, not in a cage. The 1st round will be 10 minutes long, and if needed a further 5 minutes will be given with a 2nd 5 minutes for title bouts. Elbow strikes to a downed opponent will once again become legal.Soccer kicks to the head and body, along with Knee strikes and Foot stomps will remain legal.

Further to these changes, RIZIN FF are looking into stripping fighters of "Cutting" Stage, allowing for fighters to remain healthier and less likely to pull out of fights with tough weight limits. If this does go ahead, each fighter will be placed into a suitable weight division based on their "Walking/Natural Weight" as opposed to how intense of a weight loss they can inflict on theirselves.</div>

WMMAA1 · March 30, 2020

RIZIN - The Next Incarnation

<div style="text-align:center;"><a href="<a href="https://imgbb.com/" rel="external nofollow">https://imgbb.com/"><img</a> src="<a href="https://i.ibb.co/RhHv1d9/015.jpg" rel="external nofollow">https://i.ibb.co/RhHv1d9/015.jpg"</a> alt="015" border="0"></a>

"Gabi Garcia Cut As RIZIN Looks To Build Women's Divisions" - Rizinff.com

Gabi Garcia has today been cut from RIZIN FF's roster. Garcia was a monster within RIZIN's ranks but with very little competition, RIZIN have decided to focus efforts on other Weight Classes. RIZIN have today announced the signings of the following additions to their Atom Weight Class - Jinh Yu Frey and Tomo Maesawa. Former UFC star Tecia Torres joins their Straw Weight Division whilst Larissa Pacheco, Sarah Kaufman and Rachael Ostovich all join The Womens Bantamweight Division. The Bantamweight division has recently been created with The Flyweight Division closing for the foreseen future. RIZIN FF officials commented that this is best for the company right now as it had fighters who could move up to expand a larger division, whilst other fighters were unable to drop and make a lower weight. This is all likely to change again if RIZIN's new weight cut rules come into play.</div>

WMMAA1 · March 31, 2020

RIZIN - The Next Incarnation

<a href="

https://ibb.co/yVqrdbx"><img src="https://i.ibb.co/N7KMtHG/RIZIN024.jpg" alt="RIZIN024" border="0"></a>

"RIZIN 24 Full Card Announced" - Rizinff.com

MAIN CARD

MAIN EVENT

Heavyweight Bout

Mark Hunt vs Antonio "Bigfoot" Silva III

CO-MAIN EVENT

Women's Super Atomweight Championship

Seo Hee Ham [c] vs Ayaka Hamasaki

Middleweight Bout

Elias Theodorou vs C.B Dolloway

Women's Super Flyweight Bout

Rin Nakai vs Kana Watanabe

Bantamweight Bout

Trent Girdham vs Kizaemon Saiga

PRELIMINARY CARD

Heavyweight Bout

Greg Hardy vs Alison Vicente

Flyweight Bout

Yuta Sasaki vs Richie Vaculik

Women's Super Atomweight Bout

Kanako Murata vs Cassie Robb

Lightweight Bout

Eddie Ng vs Rafa Garcia

Light Heavyweight Bout

Jake Heun vs Hoon Kim

Heavyweight Bout

Chris Barnett vs Mindaugas Gerve

Bantamweight Bout

Yuto Hokamura vs Yusaku Nakamura

Mark Hunt and "Bigfoot" Silva's highly anticipated RIZIN debuts will come at the same time as they face off in their 3rd battle. Hunt won the last battle whilst the 1st was deemed a majority draw. Hunt has been touted as potential champion at RIZIN but a loss to bitter rival Silva could see his chances of becoming a champion washed down the drain. Hunt never managed to hold a UFC belt and will be looking to wipe away the critics. Silva's speed has gone in recent year's but his power remains. This bout has Knockout written all over it. The winner should easily earn a spot in The New Years Eve Heavyweight Grand Prix. Greg Hardy and Alison Vicente could also earn a spot in the nights 2nd Heavyweight bout. Hardy was cut after a controversial UFC career, but RIZIN officials have handed him a 2nd opportunity at becoming a star. Former Super Atomweight Champion Ayaka Hamasaki will look to become a 2nd time champion as she challenges Seo Hee Ham who currently sits 2nd in the World Rankings. C.B Dolloway returns against former UFC star Elias Theodorou in a middleweight bout. Kana Watanabe has the makings of a superstar and will face a tough challenge in Rin Nakai. Rafa Garcia begins his RIZIN career with 11 wins and 0 losses and will face off against Eddie Ng. Jake Heun returns as he looks to climb the Light Heavyweight Ladder. The 3rd and final Heavyweight bout sees the experienced Chris Barnett welcome Mindaugas Gerve as he makes his RIZIN debut.

WMMAA1 · March 31, 2020

RIZIN - The Next Incarnation

<a href="

https://imgbb.com/"><img src="https://i.ibb.co/KwVkckz/016.jpg" alt="016" border="0"></a>

"Mark Hunt defeats "Bigfoot" Silva" - Rizinff.com

MAIN CARD

MAIN EVENT

Heavyweight Bout

Mark Hunt def Antonio "Bigfoot" Silva Knockout [Punch] 2:46 Round 1

CO-MAIN EVENT

Women's Super Atomweight Championship

Ayaka Hamasaki [c] def Seo Hee Ham Unanimous Decision

Ayaka Hamasaki becomes The New Women's Super Atomweight Champion

Middleweight Bout

C.B Dolloway def Elias Theodorou Submission [Kimura] 3:57 Round 2

Women's Super Flyweight Bout

Rin Nakai def Kana Watanabe Submission [RNC] 1:27 Round 2

Bantamweight Bout

Kizaemon Saiga def Trent Girdham Unanimous Decision

PRELIMINARY CARD

Heavyweight Bout

Alison Vicente def Greg Hardy Submission [Kimura] 4:06 Round 1

Flyweight Bout

Yuta Sasaki def Richie Vaculik Submission [Guillotine] 2:45 Round 1

Women's Super Atomweight Bout

Kanako Murata def Cassie Robb TKO [strikes] 0:41 Round 2

Lightweight Bout

Rafa Garcia def Eddie Ng Unanimous Decision

Light Heavyweight Bout

Jake Heun def Hoon Kim Knockout [Punch] 3:54 Round 1

Heavyweight Bout

Mindaugas Gerve def Chris Barnett Unanimous Decision

Bantamweight Bout

Yuto Hokamura def Yusaku Nakamura Unanimous Decision

Mark Hunt seemed to have settled his bitter rivalry with "Bigfoot" Silva. The 2 have traded insult after insult in the build up to this match, but a huge 1st round knockout for Hunt has officially earned his spot in The New Years Eve Heavyweight Grand Prix, RIZIN officials have confirmed. After the fight, Hunt called for Justin Willis to sign the paperwork and meet him in the ring after rumours have circulated that the Heavyweight is in negotiations with the company. Ayaka Hamasaki becomes the 1st 2 time Women's Super Atomweight Champion after she regains the title from the very woman she lost it to. RIZIN officials are weighing up a 3rd bout between the 2 women to settle the rivalry before a new challenge emerges. C.B Dolloway picked up his first RIZIN win. Alison Vicente is likely to join Hunt and Gerve in The New Years Eve Heavyweight Grand Prix with victories over Greg Hardy and Chris Barnett. Hardy's debut was disappointing, but RIZIN officials seem to be willing to help him regine his skills. Rafa Garcia remains undefeated and is already looking at Brandao vs Musaev's winner as his next challenge. Jake Heun leaves Rizin 24 back on winning ways. Wantanabe missed her weight by 2lbs, but the fight continued as she forgave a cut of her earnings.

WMMAA1 · March 31, 2020

RIZIN - The Next Incarnation

<a href="

https://imgbb.com/"><img src="https://i.ibb.co/S6JKJ8q/017.jpg" alt="017" border="0"></a>

"Justin Willis Puts Pen To Paper" - Rizinff.com

"Justin Willis sent Mark Hunt out of the UFC on a low note on Saturday when he defeated the heavyweight legend at UFC Fight Night 142. Willis (8-1 MMA, 4-0 UFC) earned the biggest victory of his career thus far when he topped Hunt (13-14-1 MMA, 8-8-1 UFC) by unanimous decision in the featured bout at UFC Fight Night 142, which took place at Adelaide Entertainment Centre in Adelaide, Australia and aired on FS1 following early prelims on UFC Fight Pass."

Justin Willis has today signed a RIZIN FF Heavyweight Contract. The former UFC star says a potential fight with Mark Hunt is the 1st thing on his mind after defeating "The Super Samoan" in their 1st bout. RIZIN officials are rumoured to want to see Willis in The New Years Eve Heavyweight Grand Prix" but also want to test their latest acquisition 1st. Willis joins a host of new names who continue to expand RIZIN's divisions. Ante Delija resigns with RIZIN. Alain Ngalani, Ben Rothwell, Alex Caceres and former UFC Middleweight Brad Tavares all sign with RIZIN this week.

RIZIN also sign Alan Baudot who leaves DEEP, vacating his Light Heavyweight Championship. RIZIN officials have stated that they are continuing to sign talent to their divisions and would like to get the block of this done by the end of the year before they transition to their next chapter.

WMMAA1 · March 31, 2020

RIZIN - The Next Incarnation

<a href="

https://ibb.co/NYvnrcZ"><img src="https://i.ibb.co/w6kr75M/RIZIN025.jpg" alt="RIZIN025" border="0"></a>

"RIZIN 25 Full Card Announced" - Rizinff.com

MAIN CARD

MAIN EVENT

Lightweight Bout

Tatsuya Kawajiri vs Diego Nunes

CO-MAIN EVENT

Welterweight Bout

Stephen Thompson vs Shinso Anzai

Heavyweight Bout

Kazuyuki Fujita vs Justin Willis

Middleweight Bout

David Branch vs Matt Hallam

Welterweight Bout

Ismail Naurdiev vs Keita Nakamura

PRELIMINARY CARD

Lightweight Bout

Ryogo Takahasi vs Damien Brown

Bantamweight Bout

Issei Tamura vs Shintaro Ishiwatari

Women's Atomweight Bout

Saori Ishioka vs Miyuu Yamamoto

Lightweight Bout

Johnny Case vs Roberto de Souza

Middleweight Bout

Rob Wilkinson vs Shane Mitchell

Featherweight Bout

Luiz Gustavo vs Muin Gafurov

Light Heavyweight Bout

Duke Didier vs Vitaly Bigdash

This main event has been tipped as an unofficial eliminator with the winner rumored to be next in line to challenge for The Lightweight Championship once decided between Musaev and Brandao. "Wonderboy" makes his RIZIN FF debut against Anzai who also debuts after a DEEP victory. Veteran Fujita welcomes Justin Willis to the Heavyweight Division, a win for either should secure their spot in The New Years Eve Grand Prix, or in Willis' case a potential bout with Mark Hunt. Former UFC star David Branch takes on Matt Hallam whilst Nakamura and "The Austrian Wonderboy" open the main card. Damien Brown is gaining momentum and will look to continue doing so against Takahashi. Roberto de Souza will face Johnny Case who will need to pick up a win here. Wilkinson and Mitchell debut in The Middleweight Division. The two preliminary openers see 3 debutants, with Gustavo looking to add another victory to his record.

Black Dog · April 1, 2020

This is actually a very well planned dynasty so far. While you did jump at grabbing some UFC talent right away, you didn't make big reaches and kept everything feeling realistic which I appreciate (and never expect to see when reading these tbh).

I'd like to see the writing fleshed out a bit more. What you've done so far is solid, the booking and realism is there, I'd love to see the story told in even greater detail as you move forward. Especially when it comes to fight results.

Just my two cents. Good luck.

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