Kanna Asakura, one of the most notable women in RIZIN history, has decided to call it a career.
Asakura announced her retirement from MMA on Sunday following a unanimous decision loss to current super atomweight champion Seika Izawa at RIZIN 48.
The 26-year-old is leaving the sport after becoming a stand-out name in the under-represented atomweight class of MMA, winning a notable tournament and remaining one of the division’s top names for years.
Asakura first started competing as a pro at the age of 16, fighting on Japan’s regional scene. She built up a record of six wins and two losses through the early years of her career, appearing in promotions like DEEP Jewels, Pancrase, and Shooto.
After a pair of one-off RIZIN appearances, Asakura joined the promotion’s 2017 eight-woman super atomweight tournament. The bracket was the promotion’s first major venture in women’s MMA, and established them alongside Invicta FC as a notable promotion willing to house an atomweight division.
Asakura got past Sylwia Juskiewicz and Maria Oliveira in the early rounds of the tournament, then was matched up against Shoot Boxing star RENA in the finals. While RENA entered the tournament with the hype and fanfare of a figure who was on the verge of breaking into Japan’s mainstream, Asakura utilized her superior grappling skills to score a first-round submission win and capture the tournament belt.
A year after that win, Asakura faced veteran talent Ayaka Hamasaki at the promotion’s 2018 New Year’s Eve card for the inaugural super atomweight title. Hamasaki won the title with a second-round armbar submission.
Asakura rallied together a run of four consecutive wins in the following years, lining her up for a 2021 rematch against Hamasaki that ended in a split decision loss. She continued to face some of the division’s top names in the following years, including fights against Park Si-woo and Saori Oshima.
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