Rizin 15 encroaches into the early hours of April 21st with some Japanese MMA action. A high stakes title fight tops the marquee as King Mo has a rematch with Jiri Prochazka. Other big names bolster the card like Tenshin Nasukawa, Kyoji Horiguchi, Karl Albrektsson, and Rena Kubota.
Liberty Multimedia’s Dylan Bowker narrates all of the action emanating from Yokohama Arena.
Rizin 15
Taiga Kawabe vs Thalisson Gomes Ferreira
Round #1: Ferreira with the early head kick but Taiga landing some leg kicks in kind. This Kickboxing bout continues with Ferreira being the more frenetically paced, unpredictable opponent.
Taiga is looking to corner his opponent and has better fundamentals. Taiga dropped Ferriera with a left knee, Thalisson got back up, and Taiga tried to end the fight after that liver shot but the bell sounded.
Round#2: Ferreira drops Taiga with a well timed hook. Ferreira with yet another well timed over hand right drops Taiga to he canvas again. Ferreira with a teep to the face follows up that second knockdown. Thalisson is ferocious but Taiga lands a nice body shot. Ferreira dropped Taiga nice again and the fight has been stopped. The action was halted after three knockdowns.
Winner via second round TKO….Thalisson Gomes Ferreira
Kanako Murata vs Saray Orozco
Round #1: Murata shot in and got things to the canvas. Murata working from the takedown and is trying to advance from Orozco’s half guard. Murata is landing elbows and punches to her grounded opponent. Things got back to the feet for a bit and Murata gets things back to the mat once more.
Murata definitely working the grappling to her advantage all through the opening frame. Saray showing some heart by looking to land a combo during a scrambles. More often than not however, Murata is having success while striking during these scrambles.
Round #2: Murata shoots in and takes Orzco down in the first 30 seconds. Murata with another slam and segues into a von flue choke which ended the fight.
Winner via second round von flue choke from mount…….Kanako Murata
Seiichiro Ito vs Manel Kape
Round #1: Kape tossing out some feeler kicks whilst wearing some fancy gold shoes. Action resumes after a low blow to Ito. Kape scores a takedown and is working some punches to Ito. Ito finding some success with the left hand.
The two men trade hands and both land solid punches. Kape stuffs Ito’s takedown. Ito flows beautifully through a scramble only to have Kape pull guard shortly before the round ends.
Round #2: Kape landing some good punches and flying knees in the first minute. Strong uppercuts from Kape. Ito is getting lit up by Kape and doesn’t seem to be initiating any grappling exchanges for some reason.
Kape is dominating this round in a big way but Ito showing a lot of heart. Body shot drops Ito and the referee stops the fight after follow up punches from Kape. Manel Kape flexes with the gold shoes and records an authoritative win at Rizin 15.
Winner via second round TKO…Manel Kape
Koji Takeda vs Damien Brown
Round #1: Both men feeling each other out on the feet. Damien timing Takeda’s entries well and connecting on counter punches. Damien dictating the pace in this fight working counter and offensive games at various times.
Round #2: Takeda working the grappling in this round. Takeda has a body lock on Brown. Both fighters scramble to the delight of the Japanese crowd who applaud loudly. Brown throws punch and kick combos in abundance to end the second round.
Round #3: Takeda trying to get in tight but Brown is keeping him at bay with his boxing. Brown also using teeps and knees to ward off Takeda but the tenacious grappling efforts of Takeda remain unwavering.
Brown going in for the kill after rocking Takeda. Big right hooks are landing and brown is throwing flying knees but Takeda keeps walking through the fire.
Winner by decision……Damien Brown
Kana Watanabe vs Justyna Zofia Haba
Round #1: Both are pawing out with jabs and some feeler kicks to gain rhythm. Haba tags Watanabe with a couple right hands. The fight gets to the ground and Watanabe is in side control.
Watanabe trapping Haba’s arm and is landing some good punches. This position also allow for a potential head and arm choke but the round elapses before that can transpire.
Round #2: Haba was landing some punches so Watanabe closes distance. Watanabe gets the fight to the mat and Watanabe is now working out of her guard. The fight is back to a standing exchange and Haa is landing some hooks.
Haba seemed to get a bit overzealous as Watanabe is able to turn the fight into a wrestling match. Haba is finding a home for her hands and is teeing off on the skull of Watanabe.
Round #3: Haba doing better at warding off the grappling advances of Watanabe. Watanabe finally gets thing to the mat after dealing with some adversity in the stand up. Watanabe has top control and is slipping in some punches.
Kana Watanabe looking to close out the bout with top control secured and she does so en-route to victory at Rizin 15.
Winner by Decision….Kana Watanabe
Mikuru Asakura vs Luiz Gustavo
Round #1: Gustavo lands a big head kick. Asakura secures a takedown shortly thereafter. Errant eye poke on Asakura after a ref stand up. Asakura takes the fight to the mat after Gustavo threw some wild strikes.
Asakura’s grappling edge has been the real difference maker in the fight.
Round #2: Body kick by Asakura and then takes Gustavo to the canvas. Asakura works a boxing combination as his opponent rises to his feet. Gustavo got dropped with a right hand. Asakura took down his seemingly still stunned adversary.
Gustavo working hard to land some big strikes to close out the round.
Round #3: Asakura with a big body kick to start the round. Asakura landed a good right hand. Gustavo is looking for a finish but to no avail. Luiz Gustavo cracked Asakura with a good left hand. Gustavo clips Asakura with some follow up knees and punches.
Asakura gets the fight to the canvas and secures top control out of Gustavo’s guard.
Winner by Decision….Mikuru Asakura
Rena Kubota vs Samantha Jean-Francois
Round #1: Jean Francois with the leg kick. Kubota stifled the takedown attempts of Jean Francois. Rena with a head and arm throw which is promptly reversed by Jean Francois. Good scramble with Rena keeping good wrist control.
Jean Francois gets Rena’s back as a scramble takes the fight to the mat.
Round #2: Rena working for an armbar early on. Rena ends up soccer kicking Jean Francois. Kubota ends up in the guard of Jean Francois. The fight gets back tthe feet before Rena secures a takedown directly to mount.
A flurry of punches from Rena in mount. Rena looking for another amrbar now. It doesn’t pan out and now Jean Francois has top control. Rena ends the round working for yet another armbar but the bell sounds.
Round #3: Rena showcases her superior grappling all throughout this round. Rena also had some moments where she landed a multi-punch boxing combo.
Kubota also utilized knees to he head of her opponent whilst in north south position ala Coleman vs Igor at the 2000 Pride Openweight Grand Prix. This is enough for Rena to get a decision nod from the judges at Rizin 15.
Winner via decision…..Rena Kubota
Karl Albrektsson vs Christiano Frohlich
Round #1: Albrektsson with a huge kick that swept Frohlich off of his feet. Karl is now in Frohlich’s guard. Albrektsson has been working some solid ground and pound from Frohlich’s guard.
Body lock from Albrektsson but the ref breaks the position after a below the belt shot to Frohlich. Frohlich drops Albrektsson with punches and has him bloodied.
Round #2: Albrektsson is using the range better and is working the savvier striking game. Frohlich hasn’t been able to land anything of major significance in the first half of the frame. Frohlich picks up the pace a bit but it seems Albrektsson edged him.
Round #3: Albrektsson shoots in for a takedown after some initial kickboxing exchanges. Karl gets to side control and gets off some close quarters hammerfists on Frohlich’s face.
Cumulative close quarters elbows and punches from Albrektsson to keep the activity going as the round ends.
Winner by Unanimous Decision…..Karl Albrektsson
Roberto de Souza vs Satoru Kitaoka
Round #1: Takeodown from Souza to pass guard. Souza putting together the punches and kicks wells. Kitaoka putting a bunch of punches together with Souza largely evading them.
Round #2: Kitaoka putting the hands together and shoots in for a double leg. Satoru Kitaoka lands the takedown and he gets side control. Kitaoka is cut but the doctor allows the bout to continue. Satoru Kitaoka gets yet another takedown as Souza scrambles.
Souza drops Kitaoka with a Boxing combo and stops him with a TKO
Winner via TKO….Roberto de Souza
Kyoji Horiguchi vs Ben Nguyen
Round #1: Ben throwing hands early to close distance and get things to the ground. Nguyen takes Horiguchi’s back but Gooch escapes. Horiguchi secures a body lock then starts working he over-under position.
Horiguchi starts throwing hands with ill intent towards Ben Nguyen. Gooch eventually drops Nguyen to the canvas via multiple punches to the skull.
A flurry of punches from Horiguchi leveled Nguyen again. The Gooch stays loose and claims another scalp at Rizin 15. In a post fight promo, Rizin figurehead Sakakibara mentions a rematch with Bellator titlist Darion Caldwell.
Horiguchi seems enthused by the proposed idea of fighting Caldwell at Bellator’s MSG show after defeating Darion in Rizin.
Winner via first round TKO……Kyoji Horiguchi
Fritz Aldin Biagtan vs Tenshin Nasukawa
Round #1: Tenshin makes his return to kickboxing after his ill fated Boxing exhibition against Floyd Mayweather Jr. Biagtan landing some kicks and Tenshin is trying to gauge distance with multi-punch combs and high kicks.
Round #2: Both landing close quarters knees to eachother’s body. Tenshin landing some good leg kicks. Heavy left straights from Tenshin to Biagtan.
Round #3: Tenshin piecing up the body and head of Biagtan until he crumples to the canvas. Tenshin puts Biagtan down a second time with a multi-punch combo and the referee waves off the action. Tenshin Nasukawa gets back on track at Rizin 15.
Winner by R3 TKO….Tenshin Nasukawa
King Mo vs Jiri Prochazka
Round #1: The Rizin Light-Heavyweight Championship is up for grabs. Mo with an early leg kick. King Mo rocking the grey wrestling shoes. Mo doubling up on the right hands but nothing really lands. Prochazka looking for a jumping knee but it did not connect.
Both men trying to use feints to get the other to make mistakes but neither man seems to be biting. King Mo connects on a big leg kick that briefly puts Prochazka down.
Round #2: King Mo shoots in for a takedown attempt after some early kickboxing exchanges. Prochazka shakes off the attempted TD and Mo connects on another solid leg kick. Prochazka starting to land punches to the skull of Mo who seems to be tiring.
King Mo split up the face of Prochazka with the right hand and now there’s blood coming from Prochazka’s eye. Prochazka landed an uppercut and also connected on a front kick.
Round #3: King Mo has more urgency with closing the distance to initiate wrestling sequences. Prochazka has effectively stymied those efforts and is picking apart a fatigued Mo at kickboxing range.
Mo is still lookig for takedowns and combinations but he gets felled by Prochazka’s strikes. Mo is bleeding on the canvas and the depleted/ dejected fighter is tended to by Rizin medical staff.
Jiri Prochazka gains a measure of revenge, ties the series with King Mo to 1-1, and stands tall at the end of Rizin 15.
Winner by R3 TKO…….Jiri Prochazka is the inaugural Rizin Light- Heavyweight Champion
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