RIZIN is a little over a month away from their second-ever trip outside of Japan for an MMA card.
The leading Japanese MMA brand will make the trip to the Paradise City hotel in Incheon, South Korea, for a card on May 31st, the promotion has confirmed. The event will be their debut in the country and their first overseas trip in over a year.
An 11-bout lineup has been confirmed for the show, with an underlying Korea vs. RIZIN theme to the matchups.
Some of the most recognizable Korean names to RIZIN viewers will be in action, except this time with a home-crowd advantage. Former title challenger Kim Soo-chul, bantamweight stand-out Yang Ji-yong, and past RENA opponent Shim Yu-ri are among the many fighters set to compete lower on the lineup.
The main event of the night will see long-reigning lightweight RIZIN champ Roberto Satoshi Souza face off against Korean vet Kim Won-bin in a non-title matchup.
Souza has held RIZIN’s lightweight belt since 2021, having defended the title four times since then. He most recently scored a first-round submission win against Vugar Karamov at the promotion’s New Year’s Eve extravaganza, catching him with a triangle choke for the win.
While Kim hasn’t fought in RIZIN before, his appearances around the Korean scene and Asia as a whole make him a notable figure. The past Dougle G FC and GLADIATOR champ has appeared on the “Road To UFC” series numerous times from 2022 to 2024, most recently scoring a stoppage win as part of a showcase bout on last year’s season.
RIZIN has previously only ventured out of Japan for a 2023 fight card in Baku, Azerbaijan, which was headlined by defending featherweight king Vugar Karamov and soon-to-be champion Chihiro Suzuki.
For years, RIZIN has frequently brought in Korean fighters, many through a partnership with Road FC. Now, the promotion sees a chance to make their official entry into the region with a full fight card.
Here’s a look at what RIZIN has to offer for Korea in a little over a month:
Bout 11: Roberto Satoshi Souza (18-3) vs. Ki Won-bin (18-9) (Lightweight)
Bout 10: Juri Ohara (36-21-2) vs. Johnny Case (28-10-1) (Lightweight)
Bout 9: Kim Soo-chul (23-8-1) vs. Shoko Sato (36-16-2) (Bantamweight)Bout 8: Ji Min-hyuk (4-1) vs. Koji Takeda (17-7) (Featherweight)
Bout 7: Yang Ji-yong (9-3) vs. Kintaro (15-14-2) (Bantamweight)
Bout 6: Song Jae-young (7-1-1) vs. Yoshiki Nakahara (18-7) (Featherweight)
Bout 5: Shim Yu-ri (6-5) vs. Kate Lotus (6-7) (Super Atomweight)
Bout 4: Kim Si-won (4-1) vs. Sho Patrick Usami (7-4) (Lightweight)
Bout 3: Kwon Yong-chul (0-0) vs. Kota Miura (2-2) (Catchweight 139 lbs)
Bout 2: Kang Bum-jung vs. Seiya Inoue (Bantamweight Kickboxing)
Bout 1: Cho San-hae vs. Hide Meison Usami (Catchweight 149 lbs Kickboxing)
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