Tag: Mikuru Asakura

Rizin FF 26: Mikuru Asakura vows to return to ‘street fighting’ style to earn title rematch

Mikuru Asakura has vowed to return to his aggressive fighting style at Rizin FF 26 to earn a title rematch with his nemesis, Yutaka Saito.

[autotag]Mikuru Asakura[/autotag] has embraced the pain of defeat and has turned the negative of losing out on the Rizin FF featherweight title into a positive as he prepares to return to the ring on New Year’s Eve.

Asakura (13-2) suffered his first loss as a Rizin FF fighter at Rizin FF 25 on Nov. 25, when he lost out on the scorecards to Yutaka Saito for the vacant featherweight title.

Now the 28-year-old is set to return and says victory, coupled with his own star power, should propel him toward a rematch with Saito early in 2021.

“Saito is a stud, no doubt. But when Saito fights next time, how many people will buy tickets to watch him fight?” he asked. “Guys who have the numbers get to call the shots, and being a badass fighter is the icing on the cake. So I would like that revenge fight.”

After his defeat, Asakura recorded a YouTube video where he stated that he was pleased that he lost, saying, “It’s been a while since I’ve lost a fight. I’m happy about it. I’ve confirmed I really like fighting.”

His comments prompted a plethora of negative comments online, but Asakura is shaking off the haters.

“Of course, it’s mortifying,” he said during an episode of Rizin’s pre-fight video series, “Rizin Confessions.” “All I said was that I’ve reconfirmed my love for the sport and that loss motivated me. So many haters who won’t understand the meaning of my comment. Haters hating on me only generates more exposure for me. But this is part of the fight game. This is part of the fun.”

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Asakura will take on former DEEP featherweight champion [autotag]Satoshi Yamasu[/autotag] (11-5) at Rizin FF 26 on Dec. 31 in Saitama, Japan, and said that, following his below-par performance last time out, he plans to bring back the super-aggressive fighting style that catapulted him to stardom earlier in his career.

“Going the distance itself is embarrassing,” he said. “You find that zen moment during firefights. I think it would be fun to bring that from the beginning. I’d like to fight in a way that the fight will end in the very first round. I think of bringing back my old style, from the street fighting days. It’s that ‘kill or be killed’ mentality that I want to bring back to my next fight.”

For his part, Yamasu heads into the fight thinking he’s been chosen as the perfect opponent to get Asakura back into the win.

“This is a fight that Asakura cannot lose, so I got the call,” he said. “A salary man who trains part-time. Rizin’s extraordinary risk management skills bring me here today.

“When you look at us on paper, Asakura has the significant experience and accomplishments (advantage). But I possess the ability to beat opponents with higher credentials. I’ve developed that style which will definitely be utilized in this fight. I think I can be the better fighter for just that finishing sequence. It’d be more dramatic for the salary man to win.”

While he’s seemingly happy to play the role of underdog, Yamasu plans on scoring the upset and making a big impression of his own on his Rizin FF debut.

“He’s taking me lightly. I’m the sacrificial lamb, but the sacrificial lamb is still alive and can bite,” Yamasu said. “So-called ‘characters’ add more appeal and flavor after a few losses. I want to help him add more appeal.”

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Rizin FF 25 live results

Follow the results as they happen as the vacant featherweight title is put up for grabs in the main event of Rizin FF 25 in Osaka, Japan.

The Rizin FF ring lands in Osaka, Japan, with the promotion’s featherweight title up for grabs in the main event.

The 145-pound strap will be contested between two explosive contenders as [autotag]Mikuru Asakura[/autotag] (13-1), brother of current Rizin FF bantamweight champion Kai, will look to add a second title to the family collection when he takes on former two-time Shooto featherweight champion [autotag]Yutaka Saito[/autotag] (18-4-2).

The fight card in Japan features six MMA bouts in total, with bantamweight contenders [autotag]Hiromasa Ogikubo[/autotag] (20-5-2) and [autotag]Kenta Takizawa[/autotag] (11-5) set to face off in the co-main event looking to earn a shot at the title in 2021, while former ONE lightweight champion [autotag]Kotetsu Boku[/autotag] (26-15-2) returns to action against [autotag]Rikuto Shirakawa[/autotag] (8-8-1).

Rizin FF 25 takes place Saturday, Nov. 21 at Osaka-Jo Hall in Osaka, Japan. The event streams live via online pay-per-view. Stay up to date with our live results below.

Rizin FF 25: Mikuru Asakura aims to match his brother and claim featherweight gold in Osaka

Mikuru Asakura will attempt to match his brother’s achievement by capturing a championship belt of his own at Rizin FF 25 on Nov. 21.

The Asakura family will hoping to celebrate championship success once again when Rizin FF returns to action in November.

Rizin FF 25 takes place Saturday, Nov. 21 at Osaka-Jo Hall in Osaka, Japan, with a battle for the promotion’s vacant featherweight title in the main event.

That fight will see [autotag]Mikuru Asakura[/autotag] (13-1), older brother of Rizin bantamweight champion Kai Asakura, take on two-time Shooto featherweight champion [autotag]Yutaka Saito[/autotag] (18-4-2) for the vacant strap with both men in red-hot form.

Asakura has won all seven of his fights under the Rizin banner, including three via head-kick knockout. Saito, meanwhile, is 6-1 from his last seven outings and made a big impression in his Rizin debut last time out with a soccer-kick finish of Kazumasa Majima at Rizin FF 23 in August.

Speaking ahead of the fight, Asakura said he plans on capturing the title, then squeezing in one more fight in 2020 at the promotion’s annual New Year’s Eve extravaganza.

“I haven’t fought since February, but I have constantly been training hard, so look forward on seeing a graded-up version of me,” he said (via press release). “I’m 7-0 in the organization, so I think I deserve this title shot the most. I saw my opponent fight in August, but he’s not my match. He’ll try to grapple me, but he will be met with a huge surprise. I plan to win this fight and fight on New Year’s Eve.”

Saito, meanwhile, was typically respectful in his comments ahead of the matchup, saying, “My opponent is a very tough opponent, so I will work hard to put on a good fight and become champion. I was expecting a few more fights before getting the title shot, but I think the timing is right. I don’t want to miss this opportunity, so I will do everything it takes to get that belt.”

Confirmed Rizin FF 25 fights include:

  • Mikuru Asakura vs. Yutaka Saito – for featherweight title
  • Hiromasa Ogikubo vs. Kenta Takizawa
  • Kyohei Hagiwara vs. Yojiro Uchimura
  • Ryuichiro Sumimura vs. Gota Yamashita
  • Daichi Kitakata vs. Tatsuki Saomoto

Rizin FF 21 results: Mikuru Asakura scores knockout finish, gets unexpected challenge

Mikuru Asakura scored another impressive win inside the Rizin FF ring, then received a new opponent, in the form of former ONE lightweight champion Kotetsu Boku.

Japanese featherweight star [autotag]Mikuru Asakura[/autotag] produced another crowd-pleasing finish to defeat Mexico’s [autotag]Daniel Salas[/autotag] in their 150-pound bout at Rizin FF 21 in Shizuoka, Japan, then received an unexpected callout from a former champion.

Salas mixed up his strikes well in the opening round and looked to use his jab and reach to work from range, but was countered with stiff, crisp southpaw shots from Asakura, whose punches looked much more solid than those of the Mexican. That power advantage was evident in the final seconds of the round when Asakura first connected with a head kick, then landed a powerful right hand that briefly stunned Salas.

Salas came out for the second round switching stances in a bid to confuse Asakura, but the Japanese contender looked calm and composed as he stalked his opponent around the ring. He walked Salas onto a counter left hook, then moments later connected with a jumping switch kick to the body that drew gasps from the crowd.

Asakura could sense a finish, and he got one with a big head kick, which landed flush to Salas’ temple and sent him to the canvas. Asakura then followed his man to the mat and landed a final salvo of ground strikes to secure the knockout finish.

After the bout, a new challenge emerged in the form of 42-year-old former ONE lightweight champion [autotag]Kotetsu Boku[/autotag], who appeared with Rizin president Noboyuki Sakakibara to issue a challenge to the Japanese star, who looked less than impressed with the unexpected appearance of the man known to Japanese fans as “No Face”.

Henry calls for title shot after knockout win

In the night’s co-main event, American bantamweight contender [autotag]Victor Henry[/autotag] delivered a statement performance to finish Japanese veteran [autotag]Masanori Kanehara[/autotag] in the second round, before calling for a title shot in his own inimitable way.

After a cagey opening round, Henry loaded up on his punches at the start of the second stanza to score a quickfire knockout after the restart.

Two short right hands stunned Kanehara, who fell to the canvas in the corner. Henry moved in and landed more shots to his downed opponent before the referee moved in to stop the fight 45 seconds into the round.

With a second impressive stoppage victory under his belt in Rizin, Henry said he was ready to get a shot at the bantamweight title currently held by Portugal’s Manel Kape.

“I’ve been in the Rizin ring twice now,” he told the crowd after his victory. “The first time I ended it by submission. The second time, knockout of a legend. Whose leg do I gotta hump in order to get a title shot?”

Martinez KO’s ‘Shrek’ with twin head kicks

The most brutal finish of the night came in the heavyweight bout between American heavyweight [autotag]Roque Martinez[/autotag] and Japanese hulk [autotag]Hideki Sekine[/autotag].

Martinez (15-5-2) was clearly the more comfortable man in the stand-up as he regularly found a home for his punches and, after stuffing Sekine’s takedown attempts mid-way through the first round, let fly with his hands, then his feet, to score the big KO.

Martinez landed with a flurry of punches and eventually dropped Sekine (7-4) with a straight left before connecting with a soccer kick as the 46-year-old tried to get back to his feet.

The kick sent him back to his knees once again, and Martinez connected with a second, bigger, head kick that sent “Shrek” through the ropes and forced the referee to step in.

At first it looked like the official may be looking to bring Sekine back inside the ropes but, with the Japanese veteran clearly in no state to continue, the referee swiftly waved off the contest with just over a minute remaining in the opening round.

Jiu-jitsu ace Souza strikes back

The opening bout of the main card produced something of a surprise, as jiu-jitsu ace [autotag]Marcos Souza[/autotag] unleashed his striking to score a first-round TKO finish of Portugal’s [autotag]Falco Neto[/autotag].

Souza (9-2) was knocked out by Keita Nakamura on his Rizin debut at Rizin FF 19 in October 2019, and was widely expected to utilize his grappling skills to overcome Neto (11-11), who came into the bout with seven knockouts to his name.

But the Brazilian stayed on his feet, even when Neto ended up on the canvas, and unloaded a barrage of punches that eventually forced the referee to call an end to the bout at the 1:27 mark of the opening round.

Full Rizin FF 21 MMA results include:

MAIN CARD

  • Mikuru Asakura def. Daniel Salas via knockout (head kick and punches) – Round 2, 2:34
  • Victor Henry def. Masanori Kanehara via TKO (punches) – Round 2, 0:45
  • Roque Martinez def. Hideki Sekine via knockout (soccer kicks) – Round 1, 3:57
  • Marcos Souza def. Falco Neto via TKO (punches) – Round 1, 1:27

PRELIMINARY CARD

  • [autotag]Kintaro[/autotag] def. [autotag]Kenji Kato[/autotag] via submission (rear-naked choke) – Round 1, 4:21
  • [autotag]Naoki Inoue[/autotag] def. [autotag]Trent Girdham[/autotag] via unanimous decision
  • [autotag]Vugar Karamov[/autotag] def. [autotag]Kyle Aguon[/autotag] via unanimous decision

Rizin FF 21 live results

Follow the results as they happen with MMA Junkie’s live coverage of Rizin FF 21 in Shizuoka, Japan.

Hamamatsu Arena in Shizuoka, Japan plays host to the latest event from Japanese organization Rizin FF, with a fight card featuring a host of the promotion’s rising stars, plus a jiu-jitsu exhibition match unlike anything you’ve seen before.

Rizin FF 21 features Japanese contender [autotag]Mikuru Asakura[/autotag] (12-1), who takes on Mexican [autotag]Daniel Salas[/autotag] (16-6-1) in a 150-pound main event clash, while American bantamweight [autotag]Victor Henry[/autotag] (19-4) looks to extend his impressive win streak to seven with victory over Japanese veteran [autotag]Masanori Kanehara[/autotag] (27-13-5).

There’s also heavyweight action at the top end of the card, with Guam’s [autotag]Roque Martinez[/autotag] (14-5-2) lining up against hulking Japanese judoka [autotag]Hideki Sekine[/autotag] (7-3).

In non-MMA action, the event will also feature a unique jiu-jitsu exhibition contest as Brazil’s [autotag]Roberto Satoshi Souza[/autotag] goes solo to take on a five-person team, featuring Japanese BJJ legend Yuki Nakai, Japanese BJJ ambassador Edison Kagohara, Para-BJJ practitioner Koji Shigemitsu, comedian Hiroshi Shinagawa and ADCC kids gold medalist Yua Kimura in a one-versus-five elimination match.

Full Rizin FF 21 live MMA results include:

MAIN CARD

  • Mikuru Asakura vs. Daniel Salas
  • Victor Henry vs. Masanori Kanehara
  • Roque Martinez vs. Hideki Sekine
  • [autotag]Falco Neto[/autotag] vs. [autotag]Marcos Souza[/autotag]

PRELIMINARY CARD

  • [autotag]Kenji Kato[/autotag] vs. [autotag]Kintaro[/autotag]
  • [autotag]Trent Girdham[/autotag] vs. [autotag]Naoki Inoue[/autotag]
  • [autotag]Kyle Aguon[/autotag] vs. [autotag]Vugar Karamov[/autotag]

Rizin FF 21 sees promotional debut of UFC vets Masanori Kanehara, Naoki Inoue

Japan’s Rizin FF kicks off its 2020 schedule on Feb. 22, and a few UFC veterans will be making their promotional debut.

Japan’s Rizin FF kicks off its 2020 schedule on Feb. 22, and a few UFC veterans will be making their promotional debut.

Promotional officials recently announced that Rizin FF 21 takes place on that date at Hamamatsu Arena in Hamamatsu, Japan. Seven MMA bouts have been added to the lineup thus far, including three-time UFC veteran and former Sengoku featherweight champion [autotag]Masanori Kanehara[/autotag] (27-13-5), who takes on [autotag]Victor Henry[/autotag], as well as two-time UFC vet [autotag]Naoki Inoue[/autotag] (12-2), who meets fellow bantamweight [autotag]Trent Girdham[/autotag] (12-3).

“I’m honored to be fighting in the stacked Rizin bantamweight division,” Inoue stated. “I’ve cornered my teammate Ulka Sasaki’s fights a few times, and I have been wanting to fight on such a great platform in front of many fans, so I am very excited that this is finally happening. I think this is this is my opportunity to show the Japanese fans what I am capable of doing.

“Trent Girdham is a confident striker, but I will be able to take him on at every aspect of the fight, so I would like to finish him and make a statement.”

In the Rizin FF 21 main event, [autotag]Mikuru Asakura[/autotag] (12-1) returns quickly from a New Year’s Eve win over John Teixeira to take on “The Ultimate Fighter: Latin America 2” cast member [autotag]Daniel Salas[/autotag] (16-6-1).

“I know I can put on an entertaining fight regardless of my opponent, so I ask that everybody to come to Hamamatsu to watch the fights live and experience the fights,” Asakura stated. “I’ve seen a few minutes of my opponents’ fights, and I think he is very tough.”

The Rizin FF 21 MMA lineup includes:

  • Mikuru Asakura vs. Daniel Salas
  • [autotag]Kyle Aguon[/autotag] vs. [autotag]Vugar Kyaramov[/autotag]
  • Victor Henry vs. Masanori Kanehara
  • Trent Girdham vs. Naoki Inoue
  • [autotag]Yuto Hokamura[/autotag] vs. [autotag]Kenji Kato[/autotag]
  • [autotag]Roque Martinez[/autotag] vs. [autotag]Hideki Sekine[/autotag]
  • [autotag]Marcos Yoshio de Souza[/autotag] vs. [autotag]Falco Neto[/autotag]

Bellator 237, Rizin FF 20 cards begin to fill out with multiple additions, including five crossover bouts

Multiple new additions have been added to December’s dual Bellator and Rizin FF cards in Japan, including five crossover contests.

Five additional fights have been added to the upcoming Bellator and Rizin FF joint cards being held in Saitama, Japan.

Bellator president Scott Coker shared the news of three crossover bouts that are headed to the Bellator 237 card at Saitama Super Arena, as well as two crossover bouts added to the Rizin FF 20 card also taking place at the same venue, two days later.

On the Bellator card, UFC veterans [autotag]Lorenz Larkin[/autotag] (21-7 MMA, 3-2 BMMA) and [autotag]Keita Nakamura[/autotag] (35-10-2 MMA, 0-0 BMMA) will both make quick turnarounds and square off in a welterweight bout. Since dropping his first two promotional bouts with Bellator, Larkin has won his last three in a row, most recently picking up a split-decision win over Andrey Koreshkov at Bellator 229. Nakamura made good in his Rizin debut, scoring a first round finish over Marcos Yoshio de Souza at Rizin FF 19.

Also headed to Bellator 237 is a women’s flyweight bout between [autotag]Ilara Joanne[/autotag] (9-4 MMA, 1-0 BMMA) and [autotag]Kana Watanabe[/autotag] (8-0-1 MMA, 0-0 BMMA). Joanne recently picked up the biggest win of her career, submitting UFC veteran Bec Rawlings in her Bellator debut last month. Joanne, who’s riding a three-fight winning streak, recently called out 125-pound champ Ilima-Lei Macfarlane, but instead draws Japan’s undefeated Watanabe.

The third bout added to Bellator 237 is a lightweight bout between [autotag]Goiti Yamauchi[/autotag] (24-4 MMA, 10-3 BMMA) and [autotag]Daron Cruickshank[/autotag] (22-12 MMA, 0-0 BMMA). Yamauchi is coming off back-to-back wins that include a decision over Daniel Weichel and a first-round submission over Saad Awad at October’s Bellator 229. Cruickshank, has dropped his last two in a row to Damien Brown and Tofiq Musaev, and he now looks to get back in the win column.

Meanwhile, on the Dec. 31 Rizin card, two bouts will take place under the Japanese promotion’s ruleset. [autotag]Yuki Motoya[/autotag] (23-7) faces undefeated [autotag]Patrick Mix[/autotag] (12-0) in a bantamweight bout, while [autotag]Mikuru Asakura[/autotag] (11-1) will take on [autotag]John Macapa[/autotag] (23-42) in a featherweight clash.

Meanwhile, Rizin officials announced a series of post-lim bouts to take place at Bellator 237, which the Japanese promotion is calling “Bellator Japan powered by RIZIN.”

The matchups include [autotag]Andy Nguyen[/autotag] (6-8) vs. [autotag]Ai Shimizu[/autotag] (5-1), [autotag]Ryuichiro Sumimura[/autotag] (14-7) vs. [autotag]Jon Tuck[/autotag] (10-5), [autotag]Jarred Brooks[/autotag] (15-2) vs. [autotag]Haruo Ochi[/autotag] (19-7-2) and [autotag]Hiroto Uesako[/autotag] (16-8) vs. [autotag]Yusuke Yachi[/autotag] (20-9).