RIZIN will return to the legendary Saitama Super Arena in Saitama, Japan on Sunday night for a pair of events.
The evening will kick off with “Super RIZIN,” a card that will include a wide variety of combat sports matchups. This section of the show will include an exhibition boxing bout between Floyd Mayweather and Mikuru Asakura.
After then, RIZIN 38 will kick off. That part of the cared will include the return of Kyoji Horiguchi, the continuation of the RIZIN Super Atomweight Grand Prix, and much more.
Follow along throughout the evening for updates on the event.
Click here for a preview of the card.
Quick Results
Super RIZIN (11:00PM EDT / 12:00PM JST) (FITE / PPV)
Bout 1: Kota Miura def. Bunchuai Phonsungnoen via Submission, Armbar (RD 1) (MMA Bout)
Bout 2: Yoshinari Nadaka def. Bandasak So Trakunpet via TKO, Strikes (RD 1) (Kickboxing Bout)
Bout 3: Kouzi def. Jizzy via TKO, Strikes (RD 3) (Custom Standing Bout Rules)
Bout 4: Floyd Mayweather def. Mikuru Asakura via TKO, Strikes (RD 2) (Exhibition Boxing)
RIZIN 38 (2:00AM EDT / 3:00PM JST) (FITE / RIZIN Live)
Bout 5: Luiz Gustavo def. Juri Ohara via TKO, Strikes (RD 1) (MMA Bout)
Bout 6: Chihiro Suzuki def. Kyohei Hagiwara via Submission, Rear Naked Choke (RD 2) (MMA Bout)
Bout 8: Kim Soo-chul def. Hiromasa Ougikubo via Decision, Unanimous (MMA Bout)
Bout 11: Kyoji Horiguchi def. Kintaro via Submission, Arm Triangle Choke (MMA Bout)
Live Coverage
Bout 11: Kyoji Horiguchi (29-5) vs. Kintaro (14-11-2) (134 lbs) (MMA Bout)
Horiguchi Submits Kintaro In RIZIN Return, Ends Losing Streak
Kyoji Horiguchi snapped a two-fight skid in his return to RIZIN in Sunday night’s main event, submitting Kintaro in the second round.
Horiguchi put Kintaro to sleep with an arm triangle choke, causing the referee to end the fight. Horiguchi slowly worked his way to this submission, taking Kintaro to the canvas with a double leg takedown, moving into side control, then keeping with the choke until the fight ended.
Horiguchi had a tough first round prior to the finish, struggling in stand-up positions. He was hurt badly at one point, as Kintaro dropped him with a left cross.
Horiguchi, currently recognized as the RIZIN Bantamweight Champion, was appearing in the promotion for the first time since late 2020. He was coming off two high-profile losses in Bellator, dropping bouts to current champion Sergio Pettis and Patchy Mix.
Horiguchi is expected to return to Bellator following his performance at RIZIN this weekend.
Kintaro was also fighting to break a losing streak. He entered this weekend after losing to Naoki Inoue and Yuki Motoya in 2021.
Bout 10: Seika Izawa (7-0) vs. Anastasiya Svetkivska (2-1) (RIZIN Super Atomweight Grand Prix Semi-Final)
Undefeated Izawa Submits Svetkivska To Secure Grand Final Spot
RIZIN Super Atomweight Champion Seika Izawa secured her spot in the promotions 108-pound grand prix on Sunday night, submitting Anastasiya Svetkivska late in the second round of their tournament bout.
Izawa’s incredibly aggressive game plan on the feet culminated in the closing seconds of the second round, slipping in an armbar after previously looking for a triangle choke. The submission caused a tap from Svetkivska, drawing an end to the contest.
Izawa constantly looked for submissions during the second round of her fight against Svetkivska. This came after a somewhat strong first round from Svetkivska, where she was active with punches despite being in a bottom position against Izawa.
Izawa is now expected to face Park Si-woo in the grand finals of the RIZIN Super Atomweight Grand Prix on New Year’s Eve.
She extended her undefeated record with her win on Sunday night, now boasting a flawless record of eight wins.
Svetkivska was a short-notice opponent for this card, stepping in to replace RENA.
RENA beat Svetkivska earlier this year in the quarter-finals of the grand prix, although an injury stopped her from competing this weekend.
Bout 9: Ayaka Hamasaki (24-5) vs. Park Si-woo (8-4) (RIZIN Super Atomweight Grand Prix Semi-Final)
Park Defeats Former Champion Hamasaki In Grand Prix Bout
Park Si-woo scored a massive victory in the semi-finals of the RIZIN Super Atomweight Grand Prix, defeating former champion Ayaka Hamasaki in a clean unanimous decision.
Park’s sharp striking earned her the win on Sunday night. Her straight punches were what earned her the win, as she connected frequently throughout the fight with those blows.
Hamasaki was hurt in the final round, getting floored by a right cross from Park. Apart from that moment, she avoided taking damage in big moments but was constantly on the losing end of exchanges.
Park has now won all three of her RIZIN fights. She won the quarter-final fight in the tournament earlier this year, defeating 2017 grand prix winner Kanna Asakura via unanimous decision.
The fight was another big loss for Hamasaki recently.
Hamasaki has now lost three of her last five fights. Two of those losses came against Seika Izawa, marking the end of her reign as 108-pound champion.
Hamasaki’s grand prix quarter-final win came against veteran Jessica Aguilar, who she beat on scorecards.
Bout 8: Kim Soo-chul (17-6-1) vs. Hiromasa Ougikubo (25-5-2) (134 lbs) (MMA Bout)
Road FC Champ Kim Ends Ougikubo’s Winning Streak
Road FC Featherweight Champion Kim Soo-chul spoiled the return of Hiromasa Ougikubo, scoring a unanimous decision win over him after three rounds on Sunday night.
Kim showcased a well-rounded skillset against Ougikubo in the fight, holding his own in wrestling exchanges and doing damage on the feet.
The striking of Kim was his biggest strength in the fight. He notably nearly finished Ougikubo during the second frame.
Kim dropped Ougikubo early in the second round with a right hook. Kim continued to land shots against Ougikubo as he attempted to recover, scoring with a series of knees to the head.
Ougikubo started to suffer swelling around his left eye in the second round. The fight was paused briefly during this round so that a doctor could check on him.
The loss puts Ougikubo’s strong run in RIZIN to a sudden end. He won the promotion’s bantamweight grand prix last year, scoring four wins within a year to earn that title.
Kim was returning to RIZIN for the first time since 2015. He picked up the Road FC Featherweight Championship in his last bout, defeating Park Hae-jin in May.
Bout 7: Shoma Shibisai (8-3) vs. Cally Gibrainn de Oliveira (5-1) (265 lbs) (MMA Bout)
Shibisai Submits Gibrainn Early
Heavyweight Shoma Shibisai added another quick finish win to his record, submitting Callyu Gibrainn in the first round.
Shibisai took the back of Gibrainn after escaping a guillotine choke on the ground. He secured a rear naked choke from this position, getting his arm under the chin of Gibrainn and causing a tap to eventually emerge.
Shibisai took little damage in the fight apart from a cut that was opened in the opening minute of the contest.
Shibisai has now picked up three wins this year. His prior bout was also a quick showing, stopping Rihards Bigis in 96 seconds with strikes in April.
Gibrainn was making his RIZIN debut. He has succeeded in Japan as of late, winning in both kickboxing and MMA fights.
Bout 6: Kyohei Hagiwara (6-6) vs. Chihiro Suzuki (7-3) (146 lbs) (MMA Bout)
Suzuki Submits Hagiwara For Third Straight RIZIN Win
Chihiro Suzuki picked up his third consecutive RIZIN win on Sunday night, scoring a submission victory against Kyohei Hagiwara.
Suzuki ended his ground control-heavy performance in the second round, taking the back of Hagiwara for a rear naked choke. Hagiwara was quick to tap out to the fully applied choke, causing the fight to end.
Suzuki mostly had the advantage in grappling exchanges prior to the finish.
Suzuki’s previous wins in his current run came against Sora Yamamoto and Ren Hiramoto.
Hagiwara’s record is now a negative six wins and seven losses. He is on a three-fight skid, including losses to Kleber Koike and Satoshi Yamasu.
Bout 5: Juri Ohara (31-17-3) vs. Luiz Gustavo (11-2) (157 lbs) (MMA Bout)
Gustavo Stops Ohara Early, Calls For Title Fight
Luiz Gustavo scored a big win in RIZIN’s lightweight division this weekend, stopping veteran Juri Ohara in the first round of their bout.
Gustavo stormed Ohara with punches in the first round, landing a series of left and right hooks to his head. Ohara got hurt by these strikes, eventually causing him to crash to the canvas.
The fight ended an extensive run of victories that Ohara had in the RIZIN ring. The DEEP Impact Lightweight Champion had an eight-fight winning streak heading into this weekend, including three fights in RIZIN.
Gustavo has now picked up two victories since making his return. Earlier this year he earned a finish win against Yusuke Yachi in what was his first appearance since the 2019.
Gustavo called for a title fight against Robert Satoshi Souza during his post-fight interview.
Bout 4: Floyd Mayweather vs. Mikuru Asakura (Exhibition Boxing)
Mayweather Stops Asakura In Exhibition Boxing Match
Retired boxer Floyd Mayweather picked up another exhibition win on Sunday night, stopping MMA fighter Mikuru Asakura late in the second round with strikes. The finish capped off a fast-paced bout that saw Asakura push forward with punches but also leave himself open for shots in return.
Mayweather dropped Asakura in the closing moments of the second round with a right cross. The bell went just moments after this shot was scored, but Asakura remained on the canvas of the ring in a shocked state. After he remained grounded for a few more moments, the referee stepped in and decided to end the bout.
Asakura was aggressive in his boxing bout against Mayweather prior to the stoppage. He engaged in scrappy exchanges with Mayweather, connecting many times with shots to the body and head. Mayweather was able to connect with his own strikes as well, eventually forcing a finish.
“He landed a couple of shots that made it more exciting,” said Mayweather in his post-fight interview.
Mayweather has appeared in many exhibition boxing bouts since he retired from the sport in 2017 with a flawless record of 50 wins.
He has notably previously appeared in RIZIN, scoring a first-round stoppage against kickboxer Tenshin Nasukawa in late 2018.
Mayweather mentioned afterward that he hopes to appear in an exhibition bout in Japan next year as well.
Asakura, a former featherweight title challenger in RIZIN, is one of the promotion’s most popular names. His notoriety mostly comes from entertainment ventures.
Asakura’s Youtube channel currently has 2.7 million subscribers. He is also the host of popular fighting series
Bout 3: Kouzi vs. Jizzy (Custom Standing Bout Rules)
Kouzi Ends Grudge Match Against Mayweather’s Bodyguard With Stoppage
Kickboxer Kouzi picked up a win in a special boxing bout against Floyd Mayweather’s bodyguard, Jizzy Mack.
Kouzi finished Jizzy in the third round of their exhibition, scoring a clean left hook. Jizzy reacted badly to this shot, falling to the ground and causing the referee to stop the fight.
The fight between Jizzy and Kouzi was made a few weeks ago after a seemingly choreographed rivalry between them started to brew. This began at RIZIN’s Hawaii press conference, where Jizzy took issue with how Kouzi has used Mayweather’s during his rivalry with fellow kickboxer Tenshin Nasukawa.
Jizzy has been a bodyguard for Mayweather for more than a decade. However, he has never appeared in a combat sports bout before.
Kouzi has appeared in numerous RIZIN kickboxing bouts before, including a 2020 bout against Tenshin Nasukawa.
Bout 2: Yoshinari Nadaka vs. Bandasak So Trakunpet (117 lbs) (Kickboxing Bout)
Nadaka Scores Another Quick Win
Muay Thai talent Yoshinari Nadaka picked up yet another kick win on Sunday night, putting away veteran Bandasak So Trakunpet in the first round.
Nadaka prevailed in a one-sided right against Bandasak, scoring just one knockdown before a stoppage came.
Nadaka scored his first knockdown two minutes into the fight, scoring with a right hook to the head and body of Bandasak. Moments later, another slick combination of punches from Nadaka connected, causing the referee to step in and wave off the bout.
Nadaka has now won six wins under the RIZIN banner. He has also remained active in other Muay Thai promotions, mainly BOM.
Bout 1: Kota Miura (1-0) vs. Bunchuai Phonsungnoen (0-0) (150 lbs) (MMA Bout)
Miura Earns Second Pro Win
Kota Miura, the son of famous footballer Kazuyoshi Miura, picked up his second pro win in the opening bout on Sunday night.
Miura made quick work of Bunchuai Phongsungnoen, submitting him in the first round with an armbar.
Miura pulled guard in the first minute of the fight, taking Bunchuai to the ground. He later transitioned into an armbar position, where he fully extended the arm of Bunchuai for a tap out.
Miura is a famous person outside of the RIZIN ring. Along with his notoriety from being the son of a notable Japanese football player, he has become a subject in many viral TikToks.
He won his MMA debut on New Year’s Eve last year, stopping YUSHI in the first round of a bout with strikes. His return was in the works for months, as two previous bookings in 2022 fell through.
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