RIZIN’s penultimate card of 2020 took place Saturday, with RIZIN 25 going down in Osaka, Japan. Atop the card, the crowning of the promotion’s inaugural featherweight title in a fight between rising star Mikuru Asakura, and Shooto vet Yutaka Saito.
While the event may have been positioned as a vehicle for Asakura, it was Saito who took home the gold. A champ in multiple weight classes in Shooto, Saito battled his way to a three-round unanimous decision to claim gold at RIZIN 25.
Also featured at the event was a four-person grappling demonstration featuring Roberto de Souza, Kleber Koike Erbst, Hari Sakamoto, Misaki Akita.
Full results and a gallery of highlights from the event are available below.
RIZIN 25: Asakura vs. Saito Results
Yutaka Saito def. Mikuru Asakura by unanimous decision – For the innaugural RIZIN FF Featherweight Championship
Hiromasa Ougikubo def. Kenta Takizawa by unanimous decision
Ryuichiro Sumimura def. Gota Yamashita by split decision
Tatsuki Saomoto by. Daichi Kitakata unanimous decision
Intermission
Kyohei Hagiwara def. Yojiro Uchimura by knockout, Round 1, 0:22
Taiga Kawabe def. Yuma Yamahata by unanimous decision – Kickboxing
Isami Sano def. Hidenori Ebata by unanimous decision – Kickboxing
Rikuto Shirakawa def. Kotetsu Boku by TKO (punches and soccer kick), Round 3, 4:19
Jin Mandokoro def. Syuto Sato by unanimous decision – Kickboxing
Shohei Asahara def. Yuma Yamaguchi by knockout, Round 3, 2:59 – Kickboxing
