RIZIN announced the first four matches for its final card of the year, featuring two championship bouts, including Juan Archuleta defending his bantamweight belt against Kai Asakura and Kyoji Horiguchi and Makoto Shinryu rematching for the vacant flyweight throne, as well as Hiromasa Ougikubo vs. John Dodson and Kleber Koike vs. Yutaka Saito.
RIZIN, the renowned mixed martial arts promotion, has disclosed the first four matches for its highly anticipated final event of the year, set to take place on December 31 at the Saitama Super Arena. Appealing to fight fans worldwide, half of these exciting matchups will be championship bouts. Among the thrilling matchups, Juan Archuleta will valiantly defend his bantamweight belt against the formidable Japanese superstar Kai Asakura. Additionally, Kyoji Horiguchi and Makoto Shinryu will engage in a thrilling rematch to determine the vacant flyweight champion. Moreover, the captivating fight card will witness Hiromasa Ougikubo facing John Dodson and Kleber Koike squaring off against Yutaka Saito.
Juan Archuleta, a three-time challenger for the Bellator championship, will enter the ring as the reigning bantamweight belt holder. With an impressive record of 29 victories and only 4 losses, Archuleta’s triumph in July over Hiromasa Ougikubo solidified his pursuit of greatness. Remarkably, this marked his fourth consecutive win in Japan within a span of 12 months.
Kai Asakura, an esteemed Japanese fighter, had been initially slated to face Archuleta in July but was hindered by an injury. Nevertheless, Asakura has left an indelible mark on the RIZIN stage, triumphing in 12 of his 15 appearances, including notable victories over the likes of Kyoji Horiguchi, Manel Kape, and Ulka Sasaki.
The matchup between Kyoji Horiguchi and Makoto Shinryu promises to be a spectacle, as they seek to claim the vacant flyweight throne. Horiguchi, with an impressive record of 31 wins, 5 losses, and 1 no contest, emerged victorious against Yuto Hokamura and Hiromasa Ougikubo. However, their last encounter ended abruptly in a 25-second no-contest due to an unintentional eye poke. Shinryu, carrying a commendable streak of ten consecutive victories, stands as a formidable opponent with four submissions under his belt.
In addition, RIZIN recently confirmed the finalized lineup for its upcoming event, RIZIN Landmark 7, scheduled to take place on November 4 at the Baku National Gymnasium in Baku, Azerbaijan. This captivating event features an array of thrilling matchups, including Vugar Karamov vs. Chihiro Suzuki for the featherweight title, Tofiq Musayev vs. Koji Takeda, and many more. The dynamic duo of RIZIN events promises to captivate MMA enthusiasts as the year unfolds.