RIZIN 37 continues to grow.
The card, which will take place at the Saitama Super Arena in Saitama, Japan on July 31, has seen a number of new match-ups announced just a day after the event was officially unveiled. Among them are a number of fights in the Super Atomweight Grand Prix, which will see the ladies throw down in an eight-woman tournament.
Semifinal match-ups will take place in September, with the final round on New Year’s Eve. Unlike other RIZIN grand prix tournaments, the two fights in one night format is being dropped in this case.
Among the fighters participating, former WSOF champion and UFC alum Jessica Aguilar (20-9). The 40-year old out of Mexico, once considered the best women’s strawweight fighter on the planet, struggled during her UFC tenure, and has not competed since November of 2020, when she lost a split decision against Danielle Taylor at XFC 43.
Former champ Ayaka Hamasaki (23-5) will meet Aguilar in the opening round, looking to bounce back from a pair of losses to Seika Izawa, the second of which cost her the promotion’s super atomweight title. Izawa (6-0) will also take part in the tournament, drawing undefeated Brazilian Laura Fontoura (7-0).
Also announced, a change of opponents for Vugar Karamov. With Rikuto Shirakawa out, he now faces Sora Yamamoto. In addition, UFC veteran Daichi Abe joins RIZIN 37, taking on Marcos Yoshio Souza. Marcos is the brother of Roberto Satoshi Souza, RIZIN’s lightweight champion.
RIZIN 37 on July 31, 2022 currently consists of the following match-ups:
- Naoki Inoue vs Kenta Takizawa
- Ulka Sasaki vs Yuki Nakahara
- Yuki Motoya vs Shinobu Ota
- YUSHI vs HARUKI – RIZIN Challenge rules
- Hideki Sekine vs Tsuyoshi Sudario
- Kota Miura vs Felipe Masoni
- Hideo Tokoro vs Makoto Takahashi
- Seika Izawa vs. Laura Fontoura – RIZIN Super Atomweight Grand Prix Opening Round
- Rena vs. Anatasia Svetkivska – RIZIN Super Atomweight Grand Prix Opening Round
- Kanna Asakura vs. Si Woo Park – RIZIN Super Atomweight Grand Prix Opening Round
- Ayaka Hamasaki vs. Jessica Aguilar – RIZIN Super Atomweight Grand Prix Opening Round
- Marcos Yoshio Souza vs. Daichi Abe
- Vugar Karamov vs. Sora Yamamoto
