RIZIN 11 gets 3 new fights including Kanna Asakura vs. Rena rematch
On May 29th, RIZIN held a joint press conference; the fighters who made their appearances were surprisingly all female.
After a successful kickoff into the year 2018, RIZIN Fighting Federation has announced three more events:
RIZIN 11 on July 29th;
RIZIN 12 on August 12th; and,
RIZIN 13 on September 30th.
On May 29th, RIZIN held a joint press conference with Chairman Nobuyuki Sakakibara, GM Nobuhiko Takada and Shoot Boxing head Cesar Takeshi. The fighters who made their appearances were surprisingly all female athletes:
RIZIN super atomweight queen Kanna Asakura;
Shoot Boxing queen Rena Kubota;
Deep JEWELS veteran Saori Ishioka;
Women’s wrestling pioneer Miyuu Yamamoto; and,
Shoot Boxing ace Mio Tsumura.
RIZIN 2017 super atomweight GP winner Kanna Asakura (12-2) enjoyed a dominant win over Melissa Karagianis on RIZIN 10, held on May 6th. After her fight, former RIZIN Ace Rena Kubota appeared in the ring and asked for a rematch.
The two Atomweights fought in the finals of the RIZIN Super Atom weight GP held on New Year’s Eve of 2017, where the underdog Asakura choked the GP favorite unconscious. Rena Kubota (6-1), was riding her way to stardom before being derailed by the current champion. She has not competed in MMA or Shoot Boxing since the loss.
The Shoot boxing Queen looks to get back on track by challenging herself to two MMA bouts in July, her first fight being against Elaine Leal (5-5) on July 6th at her home sport of Shoot Boxing, and the rematch against Kanna Asakura in RIZIN on July 29.
In our last fight, I couldn’t get over a fact that I was fighting a friend,” said Kubota. “When we fought, she wasn’t my opponent to beat, she was my friend. But learned the hard way that I was wrong. Now that the fight is
set, I know she is my opponent, my mind is set so I will have no problem hurting her.
It was also announced that Jiri Prochazka will be fighting Bruno Cappelozza.
Prochazka (20-3-1), made his first RIZIN appearance in 2015 when he entered the Heavyweight GP. The Czech Republic native quickly made his presence known after knocking out Japanese favorite Satoshii Ishii in the quarterfinals, and edging Russian prospect Vadim Nemkov after a back and forth 10 minute round in the semifinals. Despite losing to Muhammed Lawal in the finals, the 25-year-old has been on a four-fight win streak and has an impressive 20-3-1 record with 17 KO/TKO wins.
Cappelozza (10-4) also made his first RIZIN appearance in the 2015 Heavyweight GP, but despite delivering an exciting performance, the Brazilian got caught with an overhand right from Lithuanian Judoka Teooras Aukstuolis in the quarterfinals which led him to be eliminated. After the loss, the elite striker fought back to back title fights, earning the Jungle Fights and Demolidor Fight light heavyweight titles, both by knockout. The 29-year-old holds a 10-4 record with a 100% KO/TKO rate.
Saori Ishioka (15-11) vs. Miyuu Yamamoto (1-3) will be a battle between two determined mothers. Both are coming off of losses, and look to bounce back with an exciting finish. The Zendokai product Ishioka has had her ups and downs in her eleven-year career, and needs to get the win to challenge her longtime rival Rena Kubota.
Japan women’s wrestling pioneer and veteran Miyuu Yamamoto made her transition into MMA in 2016, at the age of 42. The elite shooter has had a bumpy career in MMA, with the record of 1-3, but still looks to perform at the highest level and show other international female athletes still competing at her age they can reach the top.
Confirmed MMA Fights
Kyoji Horiguchi vs Hiromasa Ogikubo
Kanna Asakura vs Rena Kubota
Jiri Prochazka vs Bruno Cappelozza
Saori Ishioka vs Miyuu Yamamoto
Doors open at 1:30 PM with Opening Ceremony at 2:30 PM on Sunday, May 29th 2018 at the Saitama Super Arena. International tickets can be purchased at www.stubhub.com starting June 10th.