RIZIN 14 is the best the Japanese promotion has to offer, and one of two titles being fought for will be the atomweight title, held by Kanna Asakura.
The official RIZIN 14 card can be found here.
Kanna Asakura was a highlight of last year’s New Year’s event for RIZIN, defeating Maria Oliveira and Rena Kubota by submission on the same night to win the Atomweight Grand Prix. Asakura is 2-0 since then, earning a main event slot in her last fight in which she defeated Rena for the second time.
Ayaka Hamasaki has held titles in both Jewels and Invicta FC, and now is looking to add a third title to her resume. Hamasaki was impressive in her second stint in Invicta, earning her title against Herica Tiburcio and defending twice. Her notable victories include wins over Seo Hee Ham, Mizuki Inoue, and Jinh Yu Frey. Hamasaki is 2-0 in RIZIN so far, winning by submission in September.
The aforementioned Rena Kubota has a spot on the card taking on Samantha Jean-Francois. Rena is a notable striker, with a 33-5-1 record in kickboxing and boxing bouts. Her entire MMA career has been with RIZIN, going 7-2 with both losses coming against Kanna Asakura. The Japanese striker was a finalist in last year’s Atomweight Grand Prix. Her opponent comes in with a 3-5 record with one no contest.
Lastly, promising 2-0 prospect Shinju Nozawa-Auclair will take on Justina Zofia Haba in the latter’s professional debut. Both of Shinju’s victories have been by first-round submission in the RIZIN ring.
RIZIN 14 takes place on New Year’s Eve from the Saitama Super Arena in Saitama, Japan. The main event is an exhibition bout between Floyd Mayweather and striking phenom Tenshin Nasukawa. In the co-headliner, Darrion Caldwell represents Bellator as their bantamweight champion against RIZIN’s Kyoji Horiguchi. Notable former UFC fighters on the card include Johnny Case, Justin Scoggins, Ulka Sasaki, Damien Brown, and fan-favorite Daron Cruickshank.
