Tag: RIZIN 38

RIZIN 38 video: Kyoji Horiguchi survives knockdown, rallies for submission

Kyoji Horiguchi returned to Rizin FF for the first time since December 2020, and he got a much-needed win.

[autotag]Kyoji Horiguchi[/autotag] returned to Rizin FF for the first time since December 2020, and he got a much-needed win.

After suffering back-to-back losses under, former Bellator and Rizin bantamweight champ Horiguchi (30-5) went back to his native Japan for a clash with Yuto Hokamura (14-12-2) in the main event of RIZIN 38.

The fight, which took place at the famous Saitama Super Arena in Saitama, saw Horiguchi forced to overcome to adversity. Hokamura knocked him down in the first round before Horiguchi got it to the ground in the second round and locked in an arm-triangle choke for the finish.

Check out the replay of Horiguchi’s being knocked down then scoring the finish (via Twitter):

The result was an important one for Horiguchi. He was the recipient of the 2021 Knockout of the Year against Sergio Pettis at Bellator 272, then was unable to advance in the Bellator bantamweight grand prix when he lost a unanimous decision in his opening-round bout with Patchy Mix at Bellator 279 in April.

Horiguchi took some time off to recalibrate, and looked sharp in his return fora win that should set him up for bigger fights again going forward.

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Floyd Mayweather downplays RIZIN 38 exhibition as fight ‘between a jet and a fly’

Floyd Mayweather doesn’t take these exhibitions too seriously, because he doesn’t have to.

[autotag]Floyd Mayweather[/autotag] doesn’t take these exhibitions too seriously. He doesn’t have to.

The 45-year-old Hall of Famer is scheduled to face mixed martial artist Mikuru Asakura in a pay-per-view boxing exhibition Sunday in Saitama, Japan (Saturday in U.S.).

He was asked at a recent news conference how he prepares for such “fights.” He doesn’t do much.

“We don’t train as much as we did when we were competing,” said Mayweather, referring to his actual boxing career. “When we were competing, we were competing against the biggest and best in the sport of boxing.

“Now we do a little. We may train a few days, let the body rest a days, train a few days, let the body rest a few days. We really don’t train too much. We really just travel and enjoy life.”

In other words, he could dominate fighters like Asakura in his sleep.

“As far as boxing, competing at the highest level,” he said, “I did that for so long that when it’s time to go out and do what I got to do, I got that on lock.”

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Indeed, Mayweather expects to bring more than enough into the ring to inflict damage against Asakura, saying this is fight is “between a jet and a fly.”

“I know this is just an exhibition match,” he said, “but with my single punch I can guarantee you that his stomach will flare up like an eggplant.”

For his part, the mostly silent Asakura told Mayweather through a translator, “You talk a lot.”

Mayweather, whose last sanctioned bout was his knockout of Conor McGregor in 2017, has taken part in three previous exhibitions. He faced Japanese kickboxer Tenshin Nasukawa in 2018, YouTuber Logan Paul last year, and former sparring partner Don Moore this past May.

And Mayweather has said he might take part in one more exhibition before the end of the year.

Like boxing? Be sure to visit Boxing Junkie for all your coverage of the sweet science and follow @BoxingJunkie2 on Twitter.

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VIDEO: Floyd Mayweather’s bodyguard shoves RIZIN opponent Mikuru Asakura during faceoff

Things are heating up between Floyd Mayweather and Mikuru Asakura.

Things are heating up between [autotag]Floyd Mayweather[/autotag] and [autotag]Mikuru Asakura[/autotag].

The two fighters had a tense staredown following a press conference on Tuesday in Hawaii promoting their upcoming boxing exhibition bout. Mayweather and Asakura are scheduled to clash at Rizin 38 on Sept. 25 in Japan.

During their staredown, both fighters got up close and personal, and Mayweather’s bodyguard shoved Asakura after the Japanese star got too close to the former boxing champion.

You can watch their staredown in the video above.

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This exhibition bout will be the third such contest for Mayweather following his last professional bout which took place in 2017 against former two-division UFC champion Conor McGregor.

Mayweather’s first foray into exhibition bouts at the conclusion of his pro career came in 2018 against Japanese kickboxing star Tenshin Nasukawa, which took place at Rizin 14. Mayweather knocked Nasukawa down three times in the opening round, prompting his opponent’s corner to throw in the towel.

Mayweather’s second exhibition bout came against YouTuber Logan Paul last June. The fight would see the final bell after eight rounds, although no winner was announced. The most recent exhibition bout took place against former training partner Don Moore in May.

Mayweather was inducted into the International Boxing Hall of Fame this past June, an accomplishment that brought the undefeated professional boxer with 50 wins to tears during his speech.

Asakura (16-3 MMA) has fought under the Rizin banner for his 12 previous professional bouts. The 29-year-old featherweight has not competed in 2022, although he competed three times in 2021, winning the two most recent bouts by defeating Kyohei Hagiwara and Yutaka Saito by unanimous decision. Asakura has eight knockouts in his pro career, with his most recent finish coming against Satoshi Yamasu in the first round.

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Kyoji Horiguchi returns at RIZIN 38 in September, same card as Floyd Mayweather vs. Mikuru Asakura

Kyoji Horiguchi will return in search of his first win of 2022.

[autotag]Kyoji Horiguchi[/autotag] will return in search of his first win of 2022.

The former Bellator titleholder and current Rizin champion has been booked to return to the ring. Horiguchi (29-5) is set to take on [autotag]Yuto Hokamura[/autotag] (14-11-2) in a bantamweight bout at Rizin 38, which is scheduled for Sept. 25 at Saitama Super Arena in Japan.

The promotion announced the news Tuesday. It did not specify if the bout between Horiguchi and Hokamura is a championship fight.

Horiguchi is on the heels of the worst streak of his 12-year-career. The Japanese star is on a two-fight skid and 1-3 in his past four outings. Horiguchi was last seen in April when he was eliminated from the Bellator bantamweight grand prix in a unanimous decision loss to Patchy Mix. This upcoming fight will be Horiguchi’s first with Rizin since December 2020.

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Additionally, the previously reported exhibition boxing bout between [autotag]Floyd Mayweather[/autotag] and [autotag]Mikuru Asakura[/autotag] will take place on the same card.

Other matchups that were also announced: [autotag]Kyohei Hagiwara[/autotag] vs. [autotag]Chihiro Suzuki[/autotag] at featherweight; [autotag]Juri Ohara[/autotag] vs. [autotag]Luiz Gustavo[/autotag] at lightweight; [autotag]Shoma Shibisai[/autotag] vs. Callyu Gibrainn at heavyweight, [autotag]Hiromasa Ougikubo[/autotag] vs. [autotag]Soo Chul Kim[/autotag] at bantamweight, and [autotag]Nadaka Yoshinari[/autotag] vs. [autotag]Bandasak So Trakunpet[/autotag] at strawweight (kickboxing).

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