RIZIN FF News
Kyoji Horiguchi gets immediate title shot in return to Bellator, challenges Sergio Pettis
Drake Riggs - October 20, 2021
RIZIN bantamweight champion Kyoji Horiguchi is set to attempt to reclaim the title he never lost. Bellator announced on Wednesday that their newest Bellator 135-pound champion in Sergio Pettis has his next challenger. Pettis will defend against the RIZIN titlist in Horiguchi on Dec. 3 at Bellator 272 in Uncasville, Connecticut.
Kyoji Horiguchi joins Bellator roster, expected to still compete in Japan
Drake Riggs - September 9, 2021
Kyoji Horiguchi is taking new steps forward in his storied career. It was revealed Thursday to BJPenn.com that the current RIZIN bantamweight champion has joined the Bellator roster. RIZIN, Bellator President Scott Coker, and Horiguchi himself announced the news via social media.
Dana White on working with RIZIN in future: 'I'm not saying I would but I'm not saying I wouldn't'
Drake Riggs - June 14, 2021
UFC President Dana White and RIZIN FF Founder Nobuyuki Sakakibara go way back. During the rise of the UFC in the early 2000s, PRIDE FC was doing its thing over in Japan. 15 years later and two most prolific MMA bosses reunited recently.
Rule changes and lightweight title fight announced for RIZIN 28
Drake Riggs - May 31, 2021
RIZIN 28 is the return to the Tokyo Dome for the great sport of MMA and Japan’s premier organization. The centerpiece of the next two RIZIN events is undeniably the big 16-man bantamweight Grand Prix tournament. The action begins with four opening round bouts on this first June 13 card while things conclude on the 27th in Osaka at RIZIN 29. But first, there needs to be some rounding out for the big show in PRIDE’s old stomping grounds.
Video | Heavyweight sumo wrestler Tsuyoshi Sudario earns fastest knockout in RIZIN history
Adam D Martin - March 22, 2021
Heavyweight sumo wrestler Tsuyoshi Sudario earned the fastest knockout in RIZIN history during past weekend’s RIZIN 27 event. Sudario is a 23-year-old native of Japan who comes from a sumo wrestling background who trains MMA under the legendary Enson Inoue. In September 2020, he made his pro debut in mixed martial arts and finished Dylan James via first-round TKO (doctor stoppage) at RIZIN 24. He then returned to the cage at RIZIN 26 in December 2020 and finished Minowaman with strikes in the first round. Considering his young age, his grappling credentials, and his apparent knockout power on the feet, Sudario looks like a really good prospect. And if you thought he was already looking good, imagine what you might think now after the youngster just pulled off scoring the fastest in company history at RIZN 27.
Report: Rizin star Jake Heun charged with drug trafficking
Andrew Whitelaw - March 16, 2021
Rizin favourite, Jake Heun has reportedly got himself into some serious trouble Down Under. According to a report from Jack Wannan in Knockdown News, the 33 year old Heun is facing a slew of drug charges in Melbourne, Australia.
UFC expressed interest in Tenshin Nasukawa 'a few years ago' says longtime Japanese MMA manager Shu Hirata
Drake Riggs - March 16, 2021
Prodigy kickboxing sensation Tenshin Nasukawa is already one of the best ever in his sport despite his age. Apparently, there was a point where the world’s premier MMA promotion wanted to get their hands on the Chiba Prefecture native. 41-0 at just age 22, Nasukawa first stepped foot inside the RIZIN FF ring at RIZIN 9 in 2017. He’s fought under the banner 13 times overall and looked virtually flawless in all outings – excluding an exhibition boxing match vs. Floyd Mayweather.
RIZIN boss interested in "working with" Alistair Overeem
Tom Taylor - March 4, 2021
RIZIN CEO Nobuyuki Sakakibara is interested in working with heavyweight mixed martial arts legend Alistair Overeem. Overeem, the former DREAM, Strikeforce and K-1 heavyweight champion, has spent the recent years of his illustrious career fighting for the UFC, but was released by the promotion earlier this week.
RIZIN 26 results: Kyoji Horiguchi gets his vengeance, reclaims title
Tom Taylor - December 31, 2020
On New Years Eve in Japan (Thursday morning in North America), RIZIN Fighting Federation wrapped up the year with the stacked RIZIN 26 event. The card was headlined by a bantamweight title fight between reigning champion Kai Asakura and former champion Kyoji Horiguchi. The bout was a rematch of a non-title fight that Asakura won by knockout. This time around, Horiguchi evened the score with a first-round TKO, reclaiming the title and reasserting himself as one of the best bantamweights on earth.
Minowaman previews "explosively inspiring, wacky fight" at RIZIN 26
Tom Taylor - December 30, 2020
Minowaman, a legend among hardcore fight fans, is headed to the RIZIN Fighting Federation ring. The 44-year-old, who has competed in well over 100 mixed martial arts bouts and many pro wrestling matches, will take on jūryō-ranked sumo Tsuyoshi Sudario at RIZIN 26 inside the Saitama Super Arena on New Years Eve.
Takanori Gomi returns at RIZIN 26 for 'special standing bout' with Kouzi
Drake Riggs - December 21, 2020
As per usual, RIZIN is closing out the year with a bang. For 2020, it’s RIZIN 26, and to fully complete the lineup, “The Fireball Kid” Takanori Gomi is back. The promotion held a press conference on Monday to announce the finishing touches on the card. Which included the lightweight legend being booked for a “special standing bout” exhibition with Koji “Kouzi” Tanaka.
Rizin boss interested in signing Anderson Silva: "I would like to help him fulfill his wishes"
Tom Taylor - November 27, 2020
Rizin Fighting Federation boss Nobuyuki Sakakibara is interested in signing former UFC middleweight champion Anderson Silva to his promotion. Silva last fought on Halloween night, when he was stopped by Uriah Hall. Shortly after this setback, he was released from the UFC roster, but he emphasized that he intends to continue fighting nonetheless.