Tag: Manel Kape

Rizin FF 20 results: Manel Kape, Seo Hee Ham crowned new champions in Saitama

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)

Rizin FF 20 live results

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

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Rizin FF 20 faceoffs: Intense Manel Kape chews up cardboard cutout of Kai Asakura

A fired-up Mandel Kape rips a cardboard cutout of Kai Asakura apart, then gets in his face at the weigh-ins.

[autotag]Manel Kape[/autotag] is fired up.

Prior to facing off with [autotag]Kai Asakura[/autotag] at the Rizin FF 20 weigh-ins, Kape sent an early message to his opponent by tearing his cardboard cutout to pieces and declaring, “Nanda yo omae,” which translates to “You are already dead.”

The two meet in a rematch for Rizin’s vacant bantamweight title Tuesday at the promotion’s New Year’s Eve show at Saitama Super Arena in Saitama, Japan, near Tokyo. Monday, they engaged in an intense faceoff at the weigh-ins ahead of their title fight.

Akamura (14-1 MMA, 6-0 Rizin FF) narrowly edged Kape (14-4 MMA, 5-3 Rizin FF) in 2018 with a split decision at Rizin FF 10.

Currently riding a six-fight winning streak, Akamura may have 2019’s biggest upset. He shocked the MMA world by taking out two-promotion bantamweight champion Kyoji Horiguchi in a little more than a minute in a non-title bout in August. He followed that with another first-round finish over UFC veteran Ulka Sasaki, breaking his jaw in 54 seconds.

That set up the highly anticipated rematch between Akamura and Horiguchi, this time for the title. But Horiguchi was forced out due to a knee injury that required surgery. He decided to relinquish the belt, which set up the bout between Akamura and Kape for the vacant 135-pound title.

Kape is coming off back-to-back second-round finishes over Seiichiro Ito and UFC veteran Takeya Mizugaki. He is looking to avenge his loss to Akamura and capture the bantamweight title.

The Blue Corner is MMA Junkie’s blog space. We don’t take it overly serious, and neither should you. If you come complaining to us that something you read here is not hard-hitting news, expect to have the previous sentence repeated in ALL CAPS.

Rizin Shine: Kai Asakura gets his shot at superstardom in Saitama at Rizin FF 20

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.

Full Rizin FF 20 MMA fight card includes:

MAIN CARD

  • Kai Asakura vs. Manel Kape – for vacant bantamweight title
  • Champion Ayaka Hamasaki vs. Seo Hee Ham – for super atomweight title
  • Mikuru Asakura vs. John Teixeira
  • Rena Kubota vs. Lindsey VanZandt

PRELIMINARY CARD

  • Rizin FF Lightweight Grand Prix Final
  • Champion Jiri Prochazka vs. C.B. Dolloway – 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

Kai Asakura vs. Manel Kape booked for vacant Rizin belt, additional Bellator 237 bouts announced

Japan’a Rizin FF has confirmed a clutch of new matchups for their end-of-year event, as well as their contributions to Bellator 237.

Japanese promotion Rizin FF has confirmed a clutch of new matchups for their end-of-year event, as well as their contributions to Bellator 237.

Rizin FF 20 takes place Dec. 31 at Saitama Super Arena in Japan. In the night’s headliner, [autotag]Manel Kape[/autotag] (14-4) has been added to face the previously announced [autotag]Kai Asakura[/autotag] (14-1) for the Rizin bantamweight title recently vacated by the injured Kyoji Horiguchi.

That brings the total number of Rizin title fights on the card to three.

A host of other fight bookings has also been made for the event, with Russia’s [autotag]Vitaly Shemetov[/autotag] (23-10) vs. EFC light heavyweight champion [autotag]Simon Biyong[/autotag] (6-1), [autotag]Jake Heun[/autotag] (14-9) vs. Olympic gold medalist [autotag]Satoshi Ishii[/autotag] (22-10-1) and former Pancrase bantamweight champion [autotag]Shintaro Ishiwatari[/autotag] (26-7-4) will take on “The Ultimate Fighter 24” runner-up [autotag]Hiromasa Ogikubo[/autotag] (19-4-2) in a bantamweight title eliminator, with the winner set to face the winner of the Asakura-Kape matchup early in 2020.

Rizin also announced a pair of new matchups for their co-promoted Dec. 29 event, Bellator 237, with 2017 Rizin grand prix champion [autotag]Kanna Asakura[/autotag] (15-4) set to face [autotag]Jayme Hinshaw[/autotag] (4-3), while heavyweights are set to collide as Japan’s [autotag]Shoma Shibisai[/autotag] (5-2) takes on Russia’s [autotag]Sergey Shemetov[/autotag] (9-6).

Rizin FF 20 confirmed fights include:

  • Kai Asakura vs. Manel Kape – for vacant bantamweight title
  • Champ Jiri Prochazka vs. C.B. Dollaway – for light heavyweight title
  • Champ Ayaka Hamasaki vs. Seo Hee Ham – for super atomweight title
  • Johnny Case vs. Tofiq Musaev – lightweight grand prix semifinal
  • Patricky “Pitbull” Freire vs. Luiz Gustavo – lightweight grand prix semifinal
  • Patrick Mix vs. Yuki Motoya
  • Mikuru Asakura vs. John Teixeira
  • Simon Biyong vs. Vitaly Shemetov
  • Jake Heun vs. Satoshi Ishii
  • Rena Kubota vs. Lindsey Vanzandt
  • Shintaro Ishiwatari vs. Hiromasa Ogikubo

* * * *

Bellator 237 confirmed fights include:

MAIN CARD

  • Fedor Emelianenko vs. Quinton “Rampage” Jackson
  • Michael Chandler vs. Benson Henderson
  • Lorenz Larkin vs. Keita Nakamura
  • Ilara Joanne vs. Kana Watanabe
  • Daron Cruickshank vs. Goiti Yamauchi

POSTLIMS

  • Andy Nguyen vs. Ai Shimizu
  • Ryuichiro Sumimura vs. Jon Tuck
  • Jarred Brooks vs. Haruo Ochi
  • Hiroto Uesako vs. Yusuke Yachi
  • Kanna Asakura vs. Jayme Hinshaw
  • Sergey Shemetov vs. Shoma Shibisai