RIZIN Fighting Federation is bringing a high-profile featherweight rematch to the Tokyo Dome next May.
During Tuesday’s RIZIN Decade broadcast, promotion officials announced that Ren Hiramoto vs. Mikuru Asakura 2 will take place at the venue in Tokyo, Japan on May 4, 2025. The fight comes roughly nine months on from their first meeting, which saw Hiramoto, in just his seventh MMA fight, finish the fight in the opening round.
The knockout victory was something of an upset, though Hiramoto (4-3) amassed years of kickboxing experience, including appearances for K-1, prior to jumping to MMA in 2020.
Still, Asakura (17-5) had been considered the favorite by most pundits. Brother of recent UFC flyweight title challenger Kai Asakura, Mikuru holds wins over UFC vet Hatsu Hioke, Yusuke Yachi, Yutaka Saito, and others.
He also took part in an exhibition boxing match with Floyd Mayweather Jr. in 2022, only to be stopped in the second round.
Asakura has lost his last two fights in MMA, while having a kickboxing defeat also in the mix, leaving him in something of a slump. Ren Hiramoto, on the opposite trajectory, has won two straight. Neither man has competed since their first meeting at Super RIZIN 3 last July.
More fights are expected to be announced for RIZIN’s return to the Tokyo Dome in the coming weeks.
