Just one month after her last appearance, RENA has been booked to face Park Si-woo at RIZIN’s 2021 New Year’s Eve event. The bout is one of three new pairings that were announced by the promotion Friday.
The new fights join RIZIN 33, which is set to happen at the Saitama Super Arena in Saitama, Japan on December 31st.
RENA made her return in November, scoring a second-round stoppage victory against Miyuu Yamamoto. The fight was her first appearance in over a year and extended her winning streak to four consecutive victories.
She now faces Park, a standout fighter from all-womens regional promotion DEEP Jewels.
Park has a pro record of five wins and four losses. She is on a two-fight skid, having dropped bouts to big names in the promotion like Saori Oshima and Seika Izawa.
Ota Booked Against Sone
Coming back after scoring his first MMA win, Shinobu Ota has been booked to face experienced fighter Kazuma Sone.
Ota, a former Olympian for Greco-Roman wrestling, used his athletic background to defeat former K-1 Japan kickboxer Yuta Kubo earlier this year. That fight put him into the win column after losing his debut late last year against Hideo Tokoro.
Sone, a veteran of over 40 pro fights, has yet to win in the RIZIN ring. Between three MMA bouts and a recent fight in kickboxing, the Shooto Japan regular has only lost in the promotion. He will now look for that elusive first win on New Year’s Eve.
Son of ‘King Kazu’ To Make MMA Debut
Kota Miura, the son of legendary football player Kazuyoshi Miura, will make his pro debut on the card. He will face YUSHI, who will also be making his pro debut.
Kazuyoshi Miura is a famous footballer in Japan who has played as a pro since 1986. Nicknamed “King Kazu,” the forward gained notoriety in the 1990s for his success with club Tokyo Verdy in the J-League.
The now 54-year-old is still active in professional football and is known by many as the oldest active player in the world.
Updated Lineup
The now-busy RIZIN 33 lineup has 14 bouts scheduled for it in total. Here’s what we know about the show thus far:
Bout 14: TBA vs. TBA (RIZIN Bantamweight Grand Prix Final)
Bout 13: Roberto Satoshi Souza (12-1) vs. Yusuke Yachi (23-11) (RIZIN Lightweight Championship)
Bout 12: Yutaka Saito (20-5-2) vs. Mikuru Asakura (15-3) (145 lbs) (MMA Bout)
Bout 11: Ayaka Hamasaki (23-3) vs. Seika Izawa (4-0) (108 lbs) (MMA Bout)
Bout 10: Kyohei Hagiwara (5-4) vs. Hiroaki Suzuki (1-0) (145 lbs) (MMA Bout)
Bout 9: Koji Takeda (12-2) vs. BeyNoah (1-1) (156 lbs) (MMA Bout)
Bout 8: Shoma Shibisai (7-2) vs. Hideki Sekine (10-5) (264 lbs) (MMA Bout)
Bout 7: Yuki Motoya (28-10) vs. Kintaro (14-10-2) (RIZIN Bantamweight Grand Prix Alternate Bout)
Bout 6: Hiromasa Ougikubo (23-5-2) vs. Naoki Inoue (15-2) (RIZIN Bantamweight Grand Prix Semi-Final)
Bout 5: Kai Asakura (18-3) vs. Kenta Takizawa (13-7) (RIZIN Bantamweight Grand Prix Semi-Final)
Bout 4: Shibatar vs. Yuta Kubo (198 lbs) (Custom Rules Bout)
Bout 3: RENA (12-3) vs. Park Si-woo (5-4) (110 lbs) (MMA Bout)
Bout 2: Kazuma Sone (24-21-1) vs. Shinobu Ota (1-1) (134 lbs) (MMA Bout)
Bout 1: Kota Miura (0-0) vs. YUSHI (0-0) (145 lbs) (MMA Bout)
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