RIZIN will showcase their super atomweight division on Sunday, presenting a championship rematch between Ayaka Hamasaki and Kanna Asakura. The title fight will headline RIZIN 27, which is scheduled to take place at the Nagoya Civic General Gymnasium in Nagoya, Japan.
Follow along throughout the day for live coverage of the event.
A full preview of the card can be viewed here.
Quick Results:
Main Card (1:00AM EDT / 2:00PM JST) (Live-Now / RIZIN Live)
Bout 1: Yuki Ito def. Kohei Sugiyama via TKO, Strikes (RD 1) (MMA Bout)
Bout 2: Ryota Naito def. HIROKI via Decision, Unanimous (Kickboxing Bout)
Bout 3: Riki Sakurai vs. Riku Yoshida via No Contest (RD 1) (Kickboxing Bout)
Bout 4: Masayoshi Kunimoto vs. Shuto Sato via Decision, Draw (Kickboxing Bout)
Bout 5: Yutaro Muramoto def. Seigo Yamamoto via TKO, Strikes (RD 1) (MMA Bout)
Bout 6: Shooto Watanabe def. Takumi Tamaru via Submission, Rear Naked Choke (RD 2) (MMA Bout)
Bout 7: Shian def. Kazuma Sone via TKO, Strikes (RD 1) (MMA Bout)
Bout 8: Yoshinori Horie def. Tetsuya Seki via TKO, Strikes (RD 3) (MMA Bout)
Bout 9: TAIGA def. Kanta Motoyama via Decision, Unanimous (Kickboxing Bout)
Bout 10: Tsuyoshi Sudario def. Kazushi Miyamoto via TKO, Strikes (RD 1) (MMA Bout)
Bout 11: Kleber Koike def. Kazumasa Majima via Submission, Triangle Choke (RD 2) (MMA Bout)
Bout 12: Koji Takeda def. Takasuke Kume via Decision, Unanimous (MMA Bout)
Bout 13: Roberto Satoshi Souza def. Kazuki Tokudome via Submission, Triangle Choke (RD 1) (MMA Bout)
Bout 14: Ayaka Hamasaki def. Kanna Asakura via Decision, Split (RIZIN Super Atomweight Championship)
Live Coverage:
Bout 14: Ayaka Hamasaki (21-3) vs. Kanna Asakura (18-4) (RIZIN Super Atomweight Championship)
Hamasaki Retains Super Atomweight Belt In Close Split Decision Against Asakura
Ayaka Hamasaki defended her RIZIN Super Atomweight Championship against Kanna Asakura, earning a challenging victory via split decision after three rounds.
Hamasaki’s win came through her striking and takedown abilities throughout all three rounds. The win was not a flawless performance by any means, as Asakura was able to win scrambles and score with ground and pound.
Hamasaki had a strong start to the fight, showing her boxing skills in the opening minute. She was able to connect with hard punches that hurt Asakura and did visible damage to her. Hamasaki scored a takedown in the opening round as well.
Asakura’s best round was the second round, as she prevailed in scrambles on the ground and put Hamasaki in trouble a few times. The round finished with Asakura in full mount, where she landed a series of punches to Hamasaki.
The final round started slow, with Hamasaki being able to land jabs to Asakura on the feet.
Asakura looked for another takedown late in the final round, although Hamasaki was able to stay on her feet and resist the attempt. The fight went to the ground in the final minute after Hamasaki tried a submission with Hamasaki’s arm.
The fight between Hamasaki and Asakura was a rematch, with their previous meeting being a New Year’s Eve bout in 2018. Hamasaki had a much smoother win back then, submitting Asakura in the second round.
Hamasaki defended her belt for the first time during her ongoing title reign on Sunday. The champion earned her belt in December last year, defeating Miyuu Yamamoto to claim the vacant belt.
Hamasaki was the promotion’s first super atomweight champion, although she lost the belt in 2019 to Seo Hee Ham. The title fight in December for Hamasaki came after Ham vacated the belt and moved to ONE Championship.
Asakura was given the title fight on Sunday after putting together four wins in RIZIN from 2019 to 2020. Her fourth victory was in December, where she fought to a unanimous decision against AI.
Bout 13: Roberto Satoshi Souza (10-1) vs. Kazuki Tokudome (20-10-1) (157 lbs) (MMA Bout)
Souza Submits Tokudome Early With Triangle Choke, Calls For Title Fight
Roberto Satoshi Souza needed less than two minutes to pick up a win in the co-main event, submitting Kazuki Tokudome with a triangle choke. Souza was able to apply the choke while on his back, causing Tokudome to tap out after fighting the submission for nearly a minute.
Souza asked for a title fight after his win, calling out Tofiq Musayev. He also mentioned he was open to fighting Koji Takeda for an interim belt.
Souza now has a RIZIN record of four wins and one loss. His previous bout was in August, where he used ground and pound to stop Yusuke Yachi in the main event of a RIZIN card.
Tokudome was appearing for the first time after a four-fight run in ONE from 2018 to 2019. He had a two-fight win streak before Sunday.
Bout 12: Koji Takeda (11-1) vs. Takasuke Kume (24-6-3) (157 lbs) (MMA Bout)
Takeda Prevails Over Kume on Scorecards After Intense Fight
Koji Takeda earned his second consecutive RIZIN win on Sunday, defeating Takasuke Kume on scorecards after an intense three-round fight.
Takeda had the better performance late in the fight, landing strikes and takedowns that did damage.
Takeda closed the fight out with a strong final round. He was able to charge forward with punches that took Kume down in the opening minute of the final round.
When back on the feet, Takeda continued to land shots that hurt Kume. He slammed Kume down at one point, connecting with what looked like a german suplex.
Takeda started to bleed heavily in the final few minutes of the fight.
After the fight, Takeda called for the winner of the co-main event fight between Roberto Satoshi Souza and Kazuki Tokudome.
Takeda earned his first RIZIN fight in September, defeating Yuki Kawana on scorecards.
Similarly, Kume won his RIZIN debut in the Fall, defeating veteran Satoru Kitaoka via split decision.
Bout 11: Kleber Koike (26-5-1) vs. Kazumasa Majima (14-2) (146 lbs) (MMA Bout)
Koike Secures Triangle Choke For Win Against Majima
Kleber Koike’s close fight against Kazumasa Majima had a fast finish in the second round, as he quickly secured a triangle choke that prompted a tap from Majima.
Koike threw up the triangle choke Majima was in full guard on the ground. The finish came after nearly two full rounds of the featherweights battling in back-and-forth scrambles.
Koike, a former KSW Featherweight Champion, now has two wins in RIZIN. He made his promotional debut in December, submitting Pancrase alum Kyle Aguon.
Majima is now on a two-fight skid. His previous fight was a stoppage loss to Yutaka Saito in August of 2020.
Bout 10: Tsuyoshi Sudario (2-0) vs. Kazushi Miyamoto (0-0) (265 lbs) (MMA Bout)
Sudario Earns Quick Win Over Pro Wrestler Miyamoto, Causes Controversy With Late Punches
Former sumo wrestler Tsuyoshi Sudario had a controversial win in the return from intermission, stopping pro wrestler Kazushi Miyamoto in the first round with punches.
Sudario caught Miyamoto quickly in the first round, landing a right hand as he was getting back up to his feet after slipping. Chaos erupted in the ring afterwards as Sudario landed numerous shots after the referee stopped the bout.
The corners of both fighters got in each other’s faces following the incident, as someone from Miyamoto’s corner shoved a coach from Sudario’s corner.
The fight was Sudario’s third MMA win. His previous victories came last year against another pro wrestler and an MMA veteran in Minowaman.
Miyamoto, a 42-year-old pro wrestler, was making his pro MMA debut.
RIZIN Announces 16-Man Bantamweight Grand Prix
RIZIN CEO Nobuyuki Sakakibara announced that the promotion will hold a 16-man Bantamweight Grand Prix in the Spring. He mentioned that
Former RIZIN Bantamweight Champion Kai Asakura joined Sakakibara for the announcement to reveal his participation in the bracket.
Bout 9: TAIGA vs. Kanta Motoyama (134 lbs) (Kickboxing Bout)
TAIGA Takes Decision Win Over Motoyama In Kickboxing Shootout
RIZIN kickboxing veteran TAIGA gave 19-year-old Kanta Motoyama his second pro loss on Sunday, fighting to a unanimous decision in what became an all-out brawl in the final minutes.
The fight became close in the final round, as the bantamweights were going back-and-forth with their shots. This came after both fighters had their moments in the previous rounds.
TAIGA had a strong first round that saw him have a high output of strikes.
Motoyama made a comeback in the second round, putting together combinations that allowed him to take over the fight at points.
TAIGA now has two consecutive wins in RIZIN. His previous fight saw him defeat Yuma Yamahata in November.
The fight was Motoyama’s first in RIZIN.
Bout 8: Tetsuya Seki (13-6-1) vs. Yoshinori Horie (9-3) (146 lbs) (MMA Bout)
Horie Catches Seki With Right Cross To Win RIZIN Debut
Former UFC fighter Yoshinori Horie scored a stoppage win in his RIZIN debut, catching Tetsuya Seki in the third round with a right cross that stopped the fight.
The fight was close before Horie finished the bout. Seki and Horie were both landing good shots in the third round before the fight was stopped.
Seki was able to rock Horie in the second round with strikes. Horie controlled Seki in the opening round by pursuing takedowns and eventually landing one.
Horie was having his first fight on a big stage since his one-fight UFC run finished. He fought twice in Pancrase last year, resulting in a win and a loss.
Seki had a 10-fight undefeated streak broken with the fight. His previous appearance, his RIZIN debut, saw him defeat Kouya Kanda in August.
Bout 7: Kazuma Sone (24-20-1) vs. Shian (7-8) (134 lbs) (MMA Bout)
Shian Stops Sone In The First Minute With Left Hand
Shian evened his record with a fast stoppage win, catching Kazuma Sone as he came forward in the opening minute. Shian landed a left hook that dropped Sone in the first minute, causing the referee to step in and end the fight.
The fight put Shian back onto winning ways after losing four of his previous five bouts.
Sone had a win in his previous fight, defeating former UFC fighter Teruto Ishihara on a card in January. Before then, he had a five-fight skid from 2018 to 2020.
Bout 6: Shooto Watanabe (21-5-6) vs. Takumi Tamaru (12-2-1) (134 lbs) (MMA Bout)
Tamaru Submits Watanabe Late In The Second, Makes Bid For Tournament Spot
Shooto Watanabe kept on the back of Takumi Tamaru for most of the second round, eventually working towards a rear naked choke that caused a tap.
Watanabe was pressuring Tamaru on the ground for most of the second round, remaining on his back for minutes before the stoppage.
Watanabe was able to grapple in the first round as well, taking Tamaru down in the opening minute.
Watanabe asked for a spot in RIZIN’s Bantamweight Grand Prix afterwards, a tournament which was announced by the English broadcast earlier in the show.
The win was Watanabe’s first in RIZIN. He appeared in the promotion for the first time in August, where he lost a fight to Naoki Inoue.
Tamaru, a Shooto Japan regular, was making his RIZIN debut. He had earned a win in his last bout, defeating Daiki Tsubota in December.
Bout 5: Yutaro Muramoto (7-5-2) vs. Seigo Yamamoto (4-5-1) (126 lbs) (MMA Bout)
Muramoto Stops Aggressive Yamamoto With Right Hand
Yutaro Muramoto earned a brutal finish win, stopping Seigo Yamamoto in the first round with punches. Muramoto dropped Yamamoto with a right hand while coming forward, then finished him with a diving punch to the ground in the first round.
Yamamoto was aggressive before being stopped, coming forward with numerous flying knee attempts that backed Muramoto into a corner. Muramoto was able to play a counter-striking role, picking the chance to connect with shots that hurt and eventually finished Yamamoto.
Muramoto was competing under the RIZIN banner for the second time. His previous appearance was in 2019, where he lost a fight to Takaki Soya. He bounced back with a win last year against Naoto Ayuta on a DEEP Impact card.
The bout snapped a two-fight win streak that Yamamoto had. He was returning after over a year outside of action.
Bout 4: Shuto Sato vs. Masayoshi Kunimoto (117 lbs) (Kickboxing Bout)
Kunimoto Fights To Draw Against Sota
Masayoshi Kunimoto and Shuto Sato fought to a majority draw in a kickboxing bout on Sunday. The close fight saw Sato have a good start, with Kunimoto taking over in the final minutes.
Kunimoto landed lots of leg kicks throughout the fight, even causing Sato to fall down once late in the second round.
Kunimoto had a strong final round, walking down a hurt and fatigued Sato with strikes throughout the frame.
Sato was looking for his first RIZIN win, fighting under the promotion for the third time.
The fight was Kunimoto’s first appearance for RIZIN.
Bout 3: Riki Sakurai vs. Riku Yoshida (141 lbs) (Kickboxing Bout)
Sakurai Has Quick Performance, Although Weight Issues Force No Contest Result
Riki Sakurai had an explosive first-round stoppage against Riku Yoshida, although him missing weight for the fight resulted in his win getting overturned to a no contest.
Sakurai scored a knockdown only seconds into the bout, landing a right hand that floored Yoshida during a back-and-forth exchange. Sakurai continued to pour on with strikes afterwards, causing the referee to step in and end the fight.
Sakurai missed weight for the bout, coming in four pounds of the limit. Due to this, the result of him winning was ruled as a no contest instead. Sakurai was given a two-point deduction at the start of the fight as well due to the weight issues.
Bout 2: Ryota Naito vs. HIROKI (121 lbs) (Kickboxing Bout)
Naito Picks Up Decision Win, Ends Losing Streak
Ryota Naito picked up his first RIZIN victory in the second bout, taking a unanimous decision against HIROKI. The former DEEP Kick Champion returned to the win column with the win after losing some bouts on the regional scene.
The kickboxers kept a quick pace throughout all three rounds, often trading blows in the pocket.
Naito was often the fighter advancing throughout the fight, connecting with his shots throughout.
Bout 1: Kohei Sugiyama (10-5) vs. Yuki Ito (6-1) (126 lbs) (MMA Bout)
Ito Scores Left Hand For RIZIN Debut Win
Yuki Ito picked up a quick win in the opening bout, knocking Kohei Sugiyama down with a left cross that caused the fight to end in the first round. Ito’s left hand clearly hurt Sugiyama right after it landed, causing the referee to intervene after a few shots were landed on the ground.
The fight was Ito’s first appearance in RIZIN. He was coming off a loss against Naoto Ayuta on a DEEP Impact card. Prior to the loss, he had a six-fight win streak as a pro.
Sugiyama has now lost two consecutive bouts. He was entering the bout representing Pancrase, a promotion that he has spent the majority of his career in.
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