Japanese MMA promotion RIZIN announced two events for November, including their first show in the Okinawa prefecture and the debut of a new series called “TRIGGER.”
The announcements came Tuesday during a press conference.
RENA vs. Yamamoto Among Three Fights Set For RIZIN 32
The promotion’s debut event in Okinawa is set to have a rematch between RIZIN veterans. RENA is expected to meet Miyuu Yamamoto at RIZIN 32 on November 20th at the Okinawa Arena in Okinawa, Japan.
RENA and Yamamoto met early in their MMA careers. Their first fight was in 2016, when Yamamoto was making her pro debut and RENA was only competing in MMA for the second time.
RENA scored a win within a round in that fight, stopping Yamamoto via submission.
Both fighters have since continued to remain active in RIZIN. Yamamoto fought for the promotion’s super atomweight belt in her last appearance, losing to Ayaka Hamasaki in December.
RENA is coming back after somewhat of a layoff, as her last fight was a decision win over Emi Tomimatsu in September 2020.
While the fight between RENA and Yamamoto is set for the card, the specific weight limit for the fight is not known at the moment.
Former Strawweight King of Pancrase Mitsuhisa Sunabe will also return to RIZIN on the card, facing Yutaro Muramoto up at flyweight.
Sunabe dropped his Pancrase belt in his last fight, getting stopped by Daichi Kitakata in July 2019. He has fought twice in RIZIN before, losing under kickboxing and MMA rules each.
Muramoto is riding the momentum of his first RIZIN win, scoring a first-round stoppage over Seigo Yamamoto in March.
In a double RIZIN debut, experienced flyweights Tomohiro Adaniya and Yuichi Miyagi will meet in November as well.
Adaniya has fought as a pro for over a decade, with his more recent fights being in regional promotion DEEP Impact. He lost to RIZIN alum Yuki Ito in his last fight, getting submitted in June.
Miyagi has fought around the regional JMMA scene since 2006. He has lost three of his last five, including a loss he took last month against Masayuki Watanabe.
While their matchups haven’t been set, fighters Nisse, BeyNoah and Kouzi are also expected to appear on the card. Kickboxers BeyNoah and Kouzi will both be looking to return to the win column, and Nisse will be aiming to make an impact in RIZIN after a seven-fight run in DEEP Jewels.
RIZIN To Debut ‘TRIGGER’ Series
RIZIN announced Wednesday that they will debut a series called RIZIN TRIGGER on November 28th. The event will be held at the Kobe World Memorial Hall in Kobe, Japan.
The TRIGGER series of events will aim to act as a feeder for the top RIZIN events. A statement from RIZIN’s English social media account says the shows will include “new” and “veteran” fighters, with the successful performers getting a shot on bigger cards.
Unlike other RIZIN shows, the TRIGGER series will take place in a cage instead of ring.
No fights have been unveiled for the card yet, although bantamweight Kyohei Hagiwara was named to appear on the lineup.
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