Super atomweight champion Ayaka Hamasaki held on to her title by the slimmest of margins after earning a split-decision win at Rizin FF 27.
[autotag]Ayaka Hamasaki[/autotag] was pushed to the limit in her rematch against [autotag]Kanna Asakura[/autotag], but did just enough to earn the split-decision verdict from the ringside judges as she retained her Rizin FF super atomweight title by the slimmest of margins in Nagoya, Japan.
Hamasaki’s title bout with Asakura was the main event of Rizin FF 27, and saw the champion hang on to title after a grueling three round battle at Nippongaishi Hall.
After the fight was paused in the opening seconds for an accidental low blow, the action resumed with both women engaging in a wild exchange that eventually saw the action move to the canvas, with the champion on top.
Hamasaki (22-3) landed a pair of powerful knees to her downed opponent, but Asakura (18-5) showed her grit by battling to her feet, before picking up the champion and slamming her powerfully into the canvas.
Round 2 saw Asakura push the pace as she forced Hamasaki onto her back and set to work from the champion’s guard. But Hamasaki defended well and threatened with an armbar off her back before eventually escaping and returning to her feet. Asakura wouldn’t be denied, however, and after taking Hamasaki to the mat again, the challenger moved into mount and rained down a salvo of strikes as the bell sounded to save the champion from a TKO defeat.
After a cagey start to the final round, Asakura landed a takedown and pushed for a finish, but Hamasaki had successes of her own through the final stanza, as she attempted to snatch a final-round submission from the challenger with a standing armbar in the corner.
Neither athlete could make the crucial breakthrough, however, as the bout went to the judges, with Hamasaki hanging on to her title via split decision.
The women’s super atomweight title is on the line as Ayaka Hamasaki looks to defend her title at Rizin FF 27 in Nagoya, Japan.
The women’s super atomweight title is on the line as Japanese promotion Rizin FF returns for Rizin FF 27 in Nagoya, Japan.
Defending champion [autotag]Ayaka Hamasaki [/autotag]wil take center stage in the main event when she puts her title on the line against challenger [autotag]Kanna Asakura[/autotag]. Two-time champ Hamasaki (21-3) captured the promotion’s vacant 108-pound title by defeating Asakura at Rizin FF 14 on New Year’s Eve, 2018, but lost her title to South Korea’s Seo Hee Ham in her third title defense at Rizin FF 20 a year later.
Hamasaki bounced back with a submission victory over Tomo Maesawa at Rizin FF 22 to set up another shot at the vacant title at Rizin FF 26, where she submitted Miyuu Yamamoto in the first round via leg scissors to reclaim the title.
Now Hamasaki will take on Asakura (18-4) once again, with the challenger heading into the rematch riding a four-fight winning streak.
Since her defeat to Hamasaki in 2018, Asakura has defeated Alesha Zappitella, Jayme Hinshaw, Mizuki Furuse and Ai Shimizu to push her back to the top of the contender list at 108 pounds.
The co-main event features Japan-based Brazilian grappler [autotag]Roberto de Souza[/autotag] (10-1), who will take on Japanese veteran and former lightweight King of Pancrase [autotag]Kazuki Tokudome[/autotag] (20-10-1).
Rizin FF 27 results include:
Champ Ayaka Hamasaki vs. Kanna Asakura – for women’s super atomweight title
A battle for the women’s super atomweight title tops the list of confirmed fights at Rizin FF 27 in Nagoya, Japan.
Japanese promotion Rizin FF has announced eight bouts for its next event, with a battle for the women’s super atomweight title at the top of the card.
Rizin FF 27 takes place Sunday, March 21 at Nippon Gaishi Hall in Nagoya, Japan. The event streams live via Rizin Live PPV.
Topping the list of confirmed bouts is a super atomweight title rematch between defending champion [autotag]Ayaka Hamasaki[/autotag] and former foe [autotag]Kanna Asakura[/autotag].
Two-time champ Hamasaki (21-3) captured the promotion’s vacant 108-pound title by defeating Asakura at Rizin FF 14 on New Year’s Eve, 2018, but lost her title to South Korea’s Seo Hee Ham in her third title defense at Rizin FF 20 a year later.
Hamasaki bounced back with a submission victory over Tomo Maesawa at Rizin FF 22 to set up another shot at the vacant title at Rizin FF 26, where she submitted Miyuu Yamamoto in the first round via leg scissors to reclaim the title.
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Now Hamasaki will take on Asakura (18-4) once again, with the challenger heading into the rematch riding a four-fight winning streak.
Since her defeat to Hamasaki in 2018, Asakura has defeated Alesha Zappitella, Jayme Hinshaw, Mizuki Furuse and Ai Shimizu to push her back to the top of the contenders list at 108 pounds.
Also set for action on the card include Japan-based Brazilian grappler [autotag]Roberto de Souza[/autotag] (10-1), who will take on Japanese veteran and former lightweight King of Pancrase [autotag]Kazuki Tokudome[/autotag] (20-10-1).
Confirmed bouts for Rizin FF 27 include:
Champ Ayaka Hamasaki vs. Kanna Asakura – for super atomweight title
Returning to the sport after a one-year injury hiatus, Kyoji Horiguchi reclaimed the Rizin FF bantamweight title with a first-round finish of Kai Asakura in Saitama.
[autotag]Kyoji Horiguchi[/autotag] exacted sweet revenge on his nemesis with a stunning first-round TKO to dethrone [autotag]Kai Asakura[/autotag] and mark his return to action by reclaiming the Rizin FF bantamweight title.
Horiguchi (29-3) faced off against Asakura (16-3) in the main event of Rizin FF 26, which took place at the Saitama Super Arena in Saitama, Japan, and the former UFC title challenger showed no signs of ring rust as he made his return from a one-year injury hiatus to stun the champion and reclaim the title he never lost in the ring.
Horiguchi was shocked in 68 seconds by Asakura in a non-title fight at Rizin FF 18 in August 2019. The rematch for the title was scrapped when Horiguchi sustained a torn ACL that required surgery and forced him out of action for more than a year. As a result, he also relinquished his Rizin and Bellator bantamweight titles.
After an unsuccessful first attempt to claim the vacant belt against Manel Kape, Asakura eventually won the belt during Horiguchi’s absence to set up an eagerly anticipated rematch upon Horiguchi’s return, and the 30-year-old rose to the occasion to finish Asakura in the first round and return to the bantamweight throne once again.
Perhaps a little wary of Asakura’s power after their first meeting, Horiguchi stayed largely on the outside and looked to pick off the champion as he attempted to close the distance. Asakura, meanwhile, looked to load up with powerful punches from the very start.
The 10,000-strong crowd inside the Saitama Super Arena gasped as a Horiguchi low kick appeared to briefly trouble the champion, and that gasp turned into a roar when he connected perfectly with a counter right hand as Asakura leaped in with a flying knee attempt.
Horiguchi then grabbed the back of the stunned champion’s neck and connected with two more hard rights to the temple that sent Asakura down to the canvas. A couple of ground strikes were all the referee needed to see before he dived in to wave off the bout at the 2:48 mark of the opening round.
It means that Horiguchi has now reclaimed one of the two titles he relinquished due to his injury, and it’s likely he’ll be keen to arrange a return to the Bellator cage to challenge Juan Archuleta for the Bellator crown in 2021.
Follow the results as they happen with MMA Junkie’s live coverage of Rizin FF 22 in Yokohama, Japan.
Yokohama’s Pia Arena plays host to the first of two back-to-back events as Japanese promotion Rizin FF makes its return to action following the advent of the COVID-19 pandemic.
Taglined “Starting Over,” the show boasts a nine-fight card, featuring seven MMA bouts.
The main event features a 157-pound battle between Brazilian fan-favorite [autotag]Roberto de Souza[/autotag] who is looking to bounce back to winning ways following his elimination from the promotion’s lightweight grand prix at Rizin FF 19 last October. He’ll face [autotag]Yusuke Yachi[/autotag], who snapped a three-fight losing run in Rizin FF when he defeated Hiroto Uesako at Bellator 237 last December.
The co-main event features the return of former Rizin FF women’s super atomweight champion [autotag]Ayaka Hamasaki[/autotag], who is looking to bounce straight back into title contention after losing her title to Seo Hee Ham at Rizin FF 20 on New Year’s Eve last year. She’s facing [autotag]Tomo Maesawa[/autotag], who is looking to mark her second appearance in the Rizin FF ring with a victory after capturing the Deep Jewels atomweight title in October last year.
Japanese MMA promotion Rizin FF rounded off the decade by crowning two new champions at its New Year’s Eve event Saitama.
Japanese MMA promotion Rizin FF ended the decade by crowning two new champions at its traditional end-of-year event Tuesday at the Saitama Super Arena.
The main event of the evening saw Portuguese pocket rocket [autotag]Manel Kape[/autotag] stun favored Japanese star [autotag]Kai Asakura[/autotag] in the second round to capture the bantamweight title vacated earlier in the year by the injured Kyoji Horiguchi.
After Asakura’s stunning one-round demolition of the champion in a non-title fight at Rizin FF 18, many believed the Japanese challenger (14-2 MMA, 6-1 Rizin) was the natural successor to Horiguchi’s throne, but the explosive Kape (15-4 MMA, 6-3 Rizin) had other ideas as he imposed his will on the bout from the opening bell and did not relent until the referee had waved off the action 38 seconds into the second round.
Kape started out the aggressor as he looked to blitz in and land heavy punches, while Asakura seemed content to work from the outside and catch his opposite number as he stepped into rage. But it was Kape who had the better of the opening round as he landed a succession of big punches, plus an eye-catching head kick, in a high-energy opening frame.
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After finding himself largely on the receiving end through the first five minutes, Asakura came out of his corner for Round 2 looking to take control of the exchanges as he upped his aggression level. But things went spectacularly wrong for the Japanese star as, after stepping in and connecting with a two-punch combination, he was badly dropped by a powerful counter from Kape. The AKA Thailand man then followed his man to the mat and battered him with ground strikes until referee Jason Herzog decided he had seen enough and waved off the fight inside the opening minute of the round.
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Also crowned a new champion was South Korea’s [autotag]Seo Hee Ham[/autotag], who produced a superb all-round performance to defeat reigning super atomweight champion [autotag]Ayaka Hamasaki[/autotag] via split decision after three rounds.
Ham (23-8 MMA, 3-0 Rizin) came out swinging in the first round, then had Hamasaki trapped in a triangle choke for more than two minutes of Round 2 as she pushed hard to finish the defending champion. But Hamasaki (19-3 MMA, 5-1 Rizin) held on and survived the round, leaving Seo struggling to walk back to her corner due to the lactic acid build-up in her legs from her extended submission attempt.
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But any thoughts of the South Korean challenger suffering were put to bed early in the third as the pair went toe to toe in the center of the ring. Hamasaki eventually took the action to the mat and had Seo pinned to the canvas, taking shots, but referee Herzog saw the strikes weren’t concussive or damaging, and allowed the fight to go all the way to the scorecards.
And when the judges’ verdicts were read, it was a slightly surprised and very emotional Seo whose hand was raised in victory, as she avenged her loss to Hamasaki in Japanese female promotion Jewels eight years earlier.
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Full Rizin FF 20 live results include:
MAIN CARD
Manel Kape def. Kai Asakura via TKO (punches) – Round 2, 0:38 – for vacant bantamweight title (PHOTOS)
Seo Hee Ham def. Ayaka Hamasaki via split decision – for women’s super atomweight title (PHOTOS)
Mikuru Asakura def. John Teixeira via unanimous decision (PHOTOS)
Rena Kubota def. Lindsey VanZandt via TKO (corner stoppage) – Round 3, 4:42 (PHOTOS)
PRELIMINARY CARD
Tofiq Musaev def. Patricky Freire via unanimous decision – for lightweight title (PHOTOS)
Jiri Prochazka def. C.B. Dollaway via KO (punch) – Round 1, 1:55 – for light heavyweight title (PHOTOS)
Simon Biyong def. Vitaly Shemetov via TKO (tap due to strikes) – Round 2, 0:58 (PHOTOS)
Hiromasa Ogikubo def. Shintaro Ishiwatari via split decision (PHOTOS)
Jake Heun def. Satoshi Ishii via TKO (punches) – Round 1, 1:12 (PHOTOS)
Patrick Mix def. Yuki Motoya via submission (guillotine choke) – Round 1, 1:36 (PHOTOS)
Miyuu Yamamoto def. Suwanan Boonsorn via unanimous decision (PHOTOS)
Patricky Freire def. Luiz Gustavo via TKO (punches and soccer kick) – Round 1, 0:28 (PHOTOS)
Tofiq Musaev def. Johnny Case via TKO (punches) – Round 1, 2:46 (PHOTOS)
Follow the results as they happen with MMA Junkie’s live coverage of Rizin FF 20 in Saitama, Japan.
Japan’s iconic Saitama Super Arena plays host to its second major MMA event in the space of three days as top Japanese promotion Rizin FF stages its annual New Year’s Eve spectacular.
Rizin FF 20 features a trio of title fights, with Japanese contender — and the man who stunned Kyoji Horiguchi inside a round at Rizin FF 18 — [autotag]Kai Asakura[/autotag], takes on the explosive [autotag]Manel Kape[/autotag] for the vacant bantamweight title in the event’s headline bout.
Reigning Rizin champions [autotag]Ayaka Hamasaki[/autotag] and [autotag]Jiri Prochazka[/autotag] are also set for action as they put their super atomweight and light heavyweight titles on the line against [autotag]Seo Hee Ham[/autotag] and [autotag]C.B. Dollaway[/autotag] respectively.
The event also features the semifinals and final of the lightweight grand prix tournament, with Bellator star [autotag]Patricky Freire[/autotag] and former UFC lightweight [autotag]Johnny Case[/autotag] on opposite sides of the draw heading into the final four.
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Rizin FF 20 live results include:
MAIN CARD
Kai Asakura vs. Manel Kape – for vacant bantamweight title
Champion Ayaka Hamasaki vs. Seo Hee Ham – for women’s super atomweight title
Mikuru Asakura vs. John Teixeira
Rena Kubota vs. Lindsey VanZandt
PRELIMINARY CARD
TBA vs. TBA – lightweight grand prix final
Champion Jiri Prochazka vs. C.B. Dollaway – for light heavyweight title
Simon Biyong vs. Vitaly Shemetov
Shintaro Ishiwatari vs. Hiromasa Ogikubo
Jake Heun vs. Satoshi Ishii
Patrick Mix vs. Yuki Motoya
Suwanan Boonsorn vs. Miyuu Yamamoto
Patricky Freire vs. Luiz Gustavo – lightweight grand prix semifinal
Johnny Case vs. Tofiq Musaev – lightweight grand prix semifinal
MMA Junkie’s Simon Head looks ahead to Rizin FF’s end-of-year spectacular at the Saitama Super Arena on New Year’s Eve.
Things didn’t work out as originally planned for Rizin FF, but the Japanese promotion’s New Year’s Eve spectacular at the Saitama Super Arena will still finish with a wild scrap for their bantamweight title.
Rizin FF 20 was all set to feature the hotly-anticipated rematch between Kyoji Horiguchi and the man who shocked the MMA world when he finished the two-promotion bantamweight champion in their non-title meeting at Rizin FF 18 in October, [autotag]Kai Asakura[/autotag].
Asakura’s 68-second demolition of Horiguchi in Nagoya stunned the Japanese MMA community, and when Asakura (14-1, 6-0 Rizin FF) repeated the trick with a 54-second knockout of Ulka Sasaki at Rizin 19 that left the former UFC fighter with a broken jaw, it was clear that the 26-year-old was the undeniable number-one contender for Horiguchi’s title.
Everything seemed set for an end-of-year showdown in Saitama, but disaster struck in November when news emerged that Horiguchi had sustained a knee injury that would require surgery and an estimated layoff of around 10 months. But, in an honorable move from the American Top Team man, Horiguchi decided to relinquish his Rizin and Bellator bantamweight titles to free up the belts and allow Rizin to book an alternative title fight for New Year’s Eve.
Now the vacant bantamweight strap will be up for grabs in the night’s main event, with Asakura taking on the explosive [autotag]Manel Kape[/autotag] (, whose second-round knockouts of Seiichiro Ito and Takeya Mizugaki at Rizin FF 15 and 18 respectively made him a compelling replacement opponent for Dec. 31. And with Asakura taking the spoils when the pair battled to a split decision back in May 2018, there’s fighting pride, as well as a championship belt, at stake.
Hamasaki and Seo set for super-atomweight showdown
A second title fight will also feature at the top end of the main card, with reigning Rizin women’s super atomweight champion [autotag]Ayaka Hamasaki[/autotag] returning to action to face the challenge of South Korea’s [autotag]Seo Hee Ham[/autotag] in a title fight between fighters with a combined 51 fights to their name.
Hamasaki (19-2, 5-0 Rizin FF) captured the vacant title at Rizin FF 14 last December via second-round armbar finish of Kanna Asakura, then defended her title with a unanimous decision against Jihn Yu Frey in June. Most recently, she armbarred Suwanan Boonsorn in a non-title showcase at Rizin FF 18. Now she takes on former UFC strawweight Seo (22-8, 2-0 Rizin FF) Hee Ham, who hasn’t lost since departing the UFC at the end of 2016.
Rizin FF women’s atomweight champion: Ayaka Hamasaki (L) with Seo Hee Ham
Seo has won five in a row, with her last two victories coming via stoppage inside the Rizin ring. Tomo Maesawa was dispatched inside a round, then Seo finished Japanese amateur wrestling icon Miyuu Yamamoto via second-round TKO at Rizin FF 19 in October. Now the 32-year-old from Busan will bid to capture her second title since leaving the UFC as she aims to add the Rizin title to the Road FC atomweight title she won in December 2017.
Dolloway aims for redemption – and a championship belt
A USADA anti-doping suspension may have left [autotag]C.B. Dolloway[/autotag] unable to compete Stateside, but the MMA free-agent has been handed not just a lifeline, but the opportunity of a lifetime, as he takes on reigning champion [autotag]Jiri Prochazka[/autotag] for the Rizin light heavyweight title.
Dolloway (17-9, 0-0 Rizin FF) was handed a two-year ban by USADA after a pair out-of-competition tests came back positive, while an IV infusion was also adjudged to be over the allowable limit.
It resulted in Dolloway’s eventual release from the UFC, with the American seemingly banned from competition until mid-December 2020. But with Rizin not recognizing USADA’s suspensions, Dolloway is free to fight for the Japanese promotion, and will challenge the dominant champ Prochazka (25-3-1, 10-1 Rizin FF), who is riding a 10-fight, four-year win streak. The big Czech has finished nine of those 10 victories, with eight of those coming inside the opening round.
Lightweight grand prix reaches its climax
In addition to the three title fights on the card, Rizin FF 20 will also feature the two semifinals, then the final, of the promotion’s lightweight grand prix tournament.
The semis will see America’s [autotag]Johnny Case[/autotag] face off with dangerous Azerbaijani contender [autotag]Tofiq Musaev[/autotag], while the other half of the draw features Bellator star [autotag]Patricky Freire[/autotag], who will take on fellow countryman [autotag]Luiz Gustavo[/autotag].
The four men will contest their semifinal matchups early on the preliminary card, with the two winners facing off in the tournament final in the final bout before the intermission.
And finally…
Look out for Bellator bantamweight contender [autotag]Patrick Mix[/autotag], who will be representing his promotion with pride as he takes on former DEEP bantamweight champion [autotag]Yuki Motoya[/autotag].
Former King of the Cage bantamweight champ Mix has been one of the big success stories of Bellator’s lower weight classes after joining the promotion midway through the year and producing a pair of highlight-reel first-round submissions.
After his Suloev stretch finish of Isiah Chapman at Bellator 232, Mix told MMA Junkie he was only just scratching the surface of his capabilities, and now he gets the chance to showcase his grappling prowess inside the Rizin ring.
And perhaps the biggest reception of the night could come early on the card, as [autotag]Miyuu Yamamoto[/autotag] returns to action against [autotag]Suwanan Boonsorn[/autotag] (4-2, 0-1 Rizin FF). Yamamoto (5-4, 5-4 Rizin FF) is still competing in MMA and grappling tournaments at the age of 45, and the former amateur wrestling phenom and sister of the late, great Norifumi “Kid” Yamamoto remains a firm favorite with the Japanese fight fans wherever she competes.
