The RIZIN 26 card continues to grow, with Mikuru Asakura joining brother Kai on the Japanese promotion’s year-end card.
On Thursday, RIZIN Fighting Federation officials announced via press release that four additional fights had joined the December 31 event. Among them, Asakura (13-2, 1NC), one of the promotion’s rising stars, who will take on Satoshi “Dominator” Yamasu (11-5).
Asakura is coming off a failed bid for the inaugural RIZIN FF featherweight title. With his addition to the event, it will mark the third consecutive year that the Asakura brothers have featured on RIZIN’s New Year’s Eve show.
In a second featherweight bout added to the RIZIN 26 card, Kleber Koike Erbst (25-5-1) will face Kyle Aguon (13-9). Aguon will be making his second appearance for the promotion, while Koike will be looking to add another name to a resume that includes wins over Artur Sowiński, Yusuke Yachi, and Miguel Torres.
At lightweight, meanwhile, Kazuma Kuramoto (7-1) goes up against Taiyo Nakahara (15-8)
On the kickboxing side of things, Nakada Yoshinari (33-5-1), who boasts 18 KOs, will fight 19-year old Phetmalai Phetjaroenvit of Thailand.
RIZIN 26 will take place at the Saitama Super Arena, with up to 10,000 spectators in attendance. The main event features Kai Asakura in a rematch with Kyoji Horiguchi, after Asakura scored a shock knockout of the veteran in the pair’s first meeting.
The full RIZIN 26 card as announced on Thursday can be found below.
Kai Asakura vs Kyoji Horiguchi – for the RIZIN Bantamweight Championship
Hideo Tokoro vs Shinobu Ota
Ayaka Hamasaki vs Miyuu Yamamoto – for the RIZIN Super Atomweight Championship
Kanna Asakura vs Ai Shimizu
Yuki Motoya vs Naoki Inoue
Ren Hiramoto vs Kyohei Hagiwara
Sudario Tsuyoshi vs Minowaman
Ulka Sasaki vs Kenta Takizawa
Mikuru Asakura vs Satoshi Yamasu
Kleber Koike Erbst vs Kyle Aguon
Kazuma Kuramoto vs Taiyo Nakahara
Nadaka Yoshinari vs Phetmalai Phetjaroenvit – RIZIN Kickboxing Rules
