Mayweather Destroys Asakura, Kyoji Horiguchi Chokes Out ‘Kintaro’ in Rizin Doubleheader

It took a bit of over two rounds for Mikuru
Asakura to study the identical lesson his countryman and Rizin FF stablemate Tenshin
Nasukawa did again on New Yr’s Eve 2018: An exhibition in opposition to
Floyd
Mayweather is strictly as severe as you make it.

In the principle occasion of the Super Rizin card that shaped half of a
doubleheader with Rizin 38 on Saturday at Saitama Tremendous Enviornment in
Saitama, Japan, the undefeated boxing legend was content material to maneuver
and commerce jabs and three-quarter-speed physique photographs with the Rizin
featherweight contender for a lot of the first spherical. Late in that
spherical, Asakura dialed up the depth, resulting in some awkward
collisions and a clear head shot or two landed on Mayweather. At
that time, Mayweather flipped a change, stinging Asakura with
a number of exhausting photographs earlier than the spherical expired.

Spherical 2 opened up with each males seeking to rating, and Mayweather
made issues seem like baby’s play. After a number of unblocked head
photographs, the 45-year-old nice completed issues with a last left to
the face that dropped Asakura to his seat in a daze because the spherical
expired, prompting referee Kenny Bayless to name a halt to the
proceedings. Asakura’s MMA report stays unchanged at 16-3;
Mayweather stays an ideal 50-0 as knowledgeable boxer, at the same time as
he continues to increase his lifetime earnings with one other
exhibition win.

Horiguchi Chokes Out ‘Kintaro’

Kyoji
Horiguchi might have had a tough patch in Bellator MMA during the last yr, however he served discover
to Rizin’s bantamweights that he’s nonetheless the person
to beat.

Horiguchi (29-5) bounced again from back-to-back losses in opposition to
Sergio
Pettis and Patrick Mix
within the Bellator cage with a win over Yuto
Hokamura within the Rizin 38 headliner on Saturday evening. He might
have reestablished his supremacy over the division with the
second-round submission of “Kintaro,” however the win was not with out
adversity.

The opening spherical noticed Hokamura drop Horiguchi with a clear left
hand whereas countering a flying knee, a favor that Horiguchi
returned with a knockdown of his personal later within the spherical. Horiguchi
landed a sensational double-leg takedown early in Spherical 2, and from
there he really went to work. He moved to half guard, arrange and
arm-triangle choke and utilized a crushing squeeze. After a number of
tense seconds of battle, Horiguchi insisted to referee Masato
Fukuda that Hokamura was unconscious, and it proved to be true,
because the champ hopped as much as have a good time whereas his fallen opponent was
attended by medical employees and cornermen.

Tremendous Atomweight Semifinals: Izawa Faucets out Svetkivska

A thrown-together matchup led to a rousing battle, as Rizin tremendous
atomweight champ Seika Izawa
met Anastasiya
Svetkivska—who misplaced to Rena Kubota
within the quarterfinals however changed her when Kubota withdrew with an
harm—within the first match semifinal. The Ukrainian’s
benefits in peak and attain availed her little on the ft, as
Izawa modified ranges throughout the first 30 seconds and took her down
with ease. Izawa went to work instantly, however Svetkivska survived
after which some, wrapping the champ up in her spidery guard and
maintaining her on the defensive with fixed positional modifications and
submission makes an attempt. By the tip of the spherical Svetkivska was the
clear aggressor regardless of having spent almost the whole 5 minutes
on her again. They picked up proper the place they left off in Spherical 2,
going to the mat immediately and interesting in a livid collection of
scrambles and transitions. Late within the spherical, Izawa held Svetkivska
in a free triangle, then transitioned to an armbar on the
10-second warning, cranking for the faucet simply moments earlier than the
bell. The end got here formally at 4:56, leaving Izawa undefeated
at 8-0, whereas Svetkivska falls to 2-2 however may very well have
elevated her inventory in defeat.

Tremendous Atomweight Semifinals: Park Batters Hamasaki

Within the first grand prix semifinal, Si Woo Park
(9-4) used pace, energy and glorious takedown protection to bust up
Ayaka
Hamasaki (24-6) on the way in which to a unanimous choice. A tense
first spherical was characterised by Hamasaki’s makes an attempt to carry the
battle to the bottom, which have been unsuccessful outdoors of some transient
moments, in distinction to Park’s fast counter punching and efficient
low kicks. The identical dynamic held true in Spherical 2, however the momentum
gave the impression to be swinging progressively in favor of the Korean, particularly
after a flurry earlier than the bell that left Hamasaki stumbling. There
was no query of momentum within the last spherical, nonetheless, as Park
dropped Hamasaki with an enormous proper cross within the first minute.
Hamasaki scrambled to her ft instantly, however the slow-motion
rout was on: Park eluded Hamasaki with growing ease, whereas
smashing her lead leg and damaging one arm with strikes. The
“Korean Queen Bee” will carry a four-fight win streak into the
match last, whereas longtime atomweight queen and
pound-for-pound stalwart Hamasaki finds herself at age 40 on a 1-3
stretch in her final 4.

Kim Upsets Ougikubo

In his Rizin debut, Road FC two-division champion Soo Chul
Kim introduced himself as a direct particular person of curiosity,
defeating Rizin bantamweight match winner Hiromasa
Ougikubo. After a back-and-forth first body, Kim almost
shocked the world in Spherical 2, as he staggered Ougikubo badly with
punches, then adopted up with a soccer kick and a collection of knees
to the top that had the referee wanting on carefully. Ougikubo
survived, however together with his face swelling badly sufficient to warrant a
go to from the ringside doctor, he had his work lower out for him.
The remainder of the spherical was largely Kim’s as nicely, as he took
Ougikubo down twice, stayed busy on the bottom and gave Ougikubo
little likelihood to get off any offense of his personal. The ultimate body
provided extra of the identical, as Kim was just too massive, too sturdy and
too good for the longtime Japanese standout. After being awarded
the choice win, Kim (18-6-1; 1-0 Rizin) finds himself in line for
a attainable battle with Kai Asakura
for supremacy in his new promotion; Ougikubo falls to 25-6-2 and
sees a five-fight win streak snapped in defeat.

Shibisai Makes Fast Work of “Callyugibrainn”

Within the lone heavyweight bout of the night, Shoma
Shibisai made issues look simple in opposition to
Callyugibrainn Marinho Borges de Oliveira. Just a few early punch
exchanges have been inconclusive, however Shibisai quickly modified ranges for a
takedown, and as soon as he introduced the Brazilian to the canvas, the remainder
was tutorial. Shibisai took his foe’s again inside seconds, cinched
up a rear-naked choke in opposition to almost no resistance, and
“Callyugibrainn” was tapping the mat nearly instantly. The short
end provides Shibisai (9-3, 1 NC; 5-2 Rizin) his second straight
victory inside the space; de Oliveira falls to 5-2.

Suzuki Strangles Hagiwara

Chihiro
Suzuki took the trail of least resistance, exploiting Kyohei
Hagiwara’s deficiencies on the bottom en path to a
second-round submission win of their featherweight function. A
spirited first spherical featured some sharp kicks by each males,
together with calf kicks from Hagiwara that had Suzuki wanting
compromised nearly instantly. Nonetheless, as soon as they hit the mat in
the center of the spherical, Suzuki started to take management, and a
belly-to-back suplex within the closing seconds set the tone for the
the rest of the battle. Suzuki took Hagiwara down rapidly in Spherical
2, and after a collection of grappling exchanges, took his opponent’s
again and utilized a rear-naked choke. Hagiwara was tapping inside
seconds, and referee Tomoki Matsumiya jumped in for the cease at 2
minutes, 14 seconds. With the win, his third straight since
dropping his Rizin debut a yr in the past, Suzuki goes to 8-3 total;
Hagiwara (6-7) suffers his third consecutive loss.

Dos Santos Swarms on Ohara

Returning to motion after over two years away from the ring,
Luiz
Gustavo Felix dos Santos made up for misplaced time, needing simply 83
seconds to depart Juri Ohara
inclined on the canvas within the light-weight opener. Dos Santos got here
ahead instantly together with his customary aggression, and after some
early makes an attempt to pressure a extra measured putting battle, Ohara made
the fateful option to oblige him. From there, the tip was not lengthy
in coming, as dos Santos rocked Ohara with a sweeping proper hook
paying homage to his idol, Wanderlei
Silva, then adopted up with a torrent of lefts and rights
till Ohara was on the ground and referee Minoru Tonoyaga was compelled
to intervene. The short and brutal stoppage leaves the 26-year-old
“Killer” at 11-2 total, 3-2 in Rizin, and will get him again on monitor
after his New Yr’s Eve 2019 loss to Patricky
Freire and subsequent prolonged layoff.