It was a crossover match to kick off the Bellator 237 main card as RIZIN star Daron Cruickshank battled Bellator mainstay Goiti Yamauchi.

Yamauchi has been with the promotion since 2013 but has never fought for the title. While that may be the case, he has a very respectable Bellator record of 10-3. Of those 10 wins, six are by submission, including his last win. That came in October at Bellator 239 and lasted just 100 seconds as Yamauchi submitted Saad Awad.

Daron Cruickshank lasted in the UFC from 2012 to 2016 but went 5-6 with one no contest. Of the five wins, three were by head kick KO. The talented kickboxer moved to RIZIN in 2016, where he has gone 5-4 with all of his wins coming via KO. He comes into Bellator 237 on a two-fight losing streak.

Goiti Yamauchi was the first to throw a strike, firing a head kick at Daron Cruickshank that the latter dodged. A low kick followed by a left straight connected for Cruickshank, then he blitzed in with strikes to back Yamauchi up. Yamauchi threw a head kick then a leg kick, avoiding a right hand on the way back. Cruickshank threw a spinning elbow, but Yamauchi ducked and clinched Cruickshank as his back was turned, driving him to the cage. Yamauchi hopped on his opponent’s back, kicked off the cage and brought the fight to the ground. Yamauchi sunk in the choke, and Cruickshank went unconscious as he tried to tap out.

Another first-round submission by @GoitiOfficial led to a short nap 😴 (via @BellatorMMA) pic.twitter.com/F1XwI0xcnv

— ESPN MMA (@espnmma) December 29, 2019

Goiti Yamauchi def. Daron Cruickshank by Submission (Rear-Naked Choke) in Round 1 (3:11)

The post Bellator 237 Results: Goiti Yamauchi Submits Daron Cruickshank in First Round appeared first on Cageside Press.

RIZIN 16: Nasukawa vs. Blanco live from the World Memorial Hall in Kobe, Japan on June 2, 2019.

In the main event, Japanese superstar and kickboxing sensation Tenshin Nasukawa faces Argentina’s Martin Blanco for the ISKA featherweight (126lbs) in a kickboxing contest. Nasukawa, who is only 20, is one of the breakout stars in Japan, and is 4-0 in MMA as well as undefeated in kickboxing. Nasukawa is undefeated in RIZIN, besides the exhibition bout against Floyd Mayweather Jr. last year, which does not reflect on his record. Most recently in RIZIN, Nasukawa beat Fritz Aldin Biagtan by third-round TKO in a kickboxing contest. Blanco, for his part, will be making his RIZIN debut.

In the co-main event, current RIZIN 49KG (108lb) champion Ayaka Hamasaki rematches Jinh Yu Frey – who is the current Invicta FC atomweight champion. The two first fought back at Invicta FC 19 in 2016, when Hamasaki defeated Frey by TKO (Doctor Stoppage – Cut) in the second round for the atomweight title. Hamasaki went 3-1 from there, including three straight wins in RIZIN. Most recently, Hamasaki defeated Japanese prospect Kanna Asakura for the vacant title at RIZIN 14. Frey, also went 3-1 since that bout, capturing the atomweight title and defending it once in the process with back-to-back close decision wins over Minna Grusander.

Also on the card, is a heavyweight brawl between Roque Martinez and Jake Heun and an intriguing battle between UFC veteran Daron Cruickshank and Tofiq Musayev.

All competitors made weight.

The card will be broadcasted around the world on FITE TV. Use the following link – (here) to get $15 off when you purchase the card.

RIZIN 16: Nasukawa vs. Blanco Results:

• Tenshin Nasukawa def. Martin Blanco (C) by TKO (Three Knockdowns), Round 2, 2:18 – for the ISKA featherweight title – kickboxing – Finish
• Ayaka Hamasaki (C) def. Jinh Yu Frey by Unanimous Decision – for the RIZIN 49KG title – MMA – And Still!
• Miyuu Yamamoto def. Kanna Asakura by Unanimous Decision – MMA
• Jake Heun def. Roque Martinez by Split Decision – MMA
• Yusaku Nakamura def. Topnoi Tiger Muay Thai by Unanimous Decision – MMA
• Tofiq Musayev def. Daron Cruickshank by Unanimous Decision – MMA
• Mamoru Uoi def. Kana Hyatt by TKO (Punches), Round 3, 4:47 – MMA – Finish
• Ryuji Horio def. Kunitaka Fujiwara by Unanimous Decision – kickboxing
• Erson Yamamoto def. Tim Eschtruth by KO (Elbow), Round 1, 2:03 – MMA – Finish
• Taiju Shiratori def. Hiroto Yamaguchi by Unanimous Decision – kickboxing
• Takaki Soya def. Namiki Kawahara by KO (Left Hook and Soccer Kicks), Round 1, 4:05 – MMA – Finish
• Kan Nakamura def. Itto Nakatake by KO (Head Kick), Round 2, 0:17 – kickboxing – Finish
• Seiki Ueyama def. Kengo by TKO (Referee Stoppage), Round 1, 2:43 – kickboxing – Finish
• Yuya Shibata def. Yuki Tamaka by TKO (Three Knockdowns), Round 1, 2:45 – kickboxing – Finish

The post RIZIN 16: Nasukawa vs. Blanco Live Results appeared first on Cageside Press.

RIZIN Fighting Federation’s second event of 2016 was set to unfold Sunday in Kobe, Japan. Once again, the promotion called on the talented youngster Tenshin Nasukawa to top the card, this time with ISKA featherweight kickboxing gold on the line. His opponent, Martin Blanco, took the fight on short notice after Ahmed Ferradji withdrew from the fight and was stripped of the title.

Also on the card, a second title fight — the RIZIN women’s super atomweight title was on the line when Ayaka Hamasaki defended against Jinh Yu Frey. The fight was a rematch from their Invicta FC battle a few years back. That ended in a doctor’s stoppage after Frey received a nasty cut.

Full weigh-in results are below! RIZIN 16 airs live on Fite.tv on Sunday, June 2.

RIZIN 16 Weigh-In Results:

Martin Blanco (56.3kg/ 124.1lb) vs. Tenshin Nasukawa (56.9kg/125.4lb) – for the ISKA featherweight world kickboxing championship
Ayaka Hamasaki (48.9kg/107.8lb) vs. Jinh Yu Frey (49.0kg/ 108.0lb) – for the RIZIN super atomweight championship
Kanna Asakura (48.8kg/ 107.6lb) vs. Miyuu Yamamoto (48.8kg/107.6lb)
Roque Martinez (114.0kg/251.3lb) vs. Jake Heun (108.9kg/240.0lb)
Yusaku Nakamura (58.7kg/129.4lb) vs. Topnoi Tiger Muay Thai (58.8kg/ 129.6lb)
Daron Cruickshank (70.5kg/155.4lb) vs. Tofiq Musayev (70.4kg/155.2lb)
Uoi Fullswing (60.6kg/133.6lb) vs. Kana Hyatt (60.9kg/ 134.2lb)
KUNITAKA (58.8kg/ 129.6lb) vs. Ryuji Horio (58.7kg/ 129.4lb)
Erson Yamamoto (60.8kg/ 134.0lb) vs. Tim Eschtruth (60.85kg/ 134.1lb)
Hiroto Yamaguchi (63.0kg/128.9lb) vs. Taiju Shiratori (62.9kg/ 138.7lb)
Takaki Soya (58.8kg/129.6lb) vs. Namiki Kawahara (58.7kg/129.4lb)
ITTO (59.8kg/131.8lb) vs. Kan Nakamura (60.0kg/132.2lb)
Seiki Ueyama (56.0kg/123.4lb) vs. (KENGO –55.5kg/122.3lb)
YUYA (68.8kg/151.7lb) vs. Tanaka “Strike” Yuki (68.7kg/151.4lb)

The post RIZIN 16 Weigh-in Results: All Fighters Make Weight appeared first on Cageside Press.

The RIZIN 16 card has been finalized. In a press release Monday, RIZIN officials unveiled the full line-up for the show, featuring 14 bouts. While a number of fighters had been previously announced, some additions to the card came with the announcement, including the return of Daron Cruickshank. The American, who had a four-fight win streak snapped at RIZIN 14 against Damien Brown, will face Azerbaijan’s Tofiq Musaev.

“I’m very excited to fight for RIZIN and the Japanese fans. Look forward to kicking this guy in the face,” Cruickshank was quoted as saying in Monday’s press release. Musaev, meanwhile, was a little more diplomatic. “I am very glad that I continued my sports career inn one of the coolest organizations in the world,” he said. “My opponent is a good experienced fighter and I will treat him with respect and wish to fight him in my best condition without any injuries. May the best man win.”

RIZIN 16 takes place June 2, 2019 at the Kobe World Memorial Hall in Kobe, Japan. The full card for the event is available below!

MMA

RIZIN Super Atomweight championship
Ayaka Hamasaki vs Jinh Yu Frey

Kanna Asakura vs Miyuu Yamamoto
Erson Yamamoto vs Tim Eschtruth
Roque Martinez vsJake Heun
Yusaku Nakamura vs Topnoi Tiger Muay Thai
Daron Cruickshank vs Tofiq Musaev
Takaki Soya vs Namiki Kawahara
Mamoru Uoi vs Kana Hyatt

Kickboxing

ISKA Featherweight World Championship
Ahmed Ferradji vs Tenshin Nasukawa

ITTO vs Kan Nakamura
Kunitaka vs Kizaemon Saiga
Hiroto Yamaguchi vs Taiju Shiratori
YUYA vs Yuki Tanaka
Seiki Ueyama vs KENGO

The post RIZIN 16 Card Finalized, Daron Cruickshank Returns appeared first on Cageside Press.

Warrior Xtreme Cagefighting (WXC) returned for their 77th event on April 24, 2019. The show will be the second edition of Warrior Wednesday.

In the main event, UFC veteran Daron Cruickshank was back in Michigan following a loss to Damien Brown at RIZIN 14. Cruickshank faced Jackson Wink prospect Chris Brown in a lightweight contest. Cruickshank is a pioneer for MMA in Michigan with his gym, Michigan Top Team, which is producing stars on the local scene. Plus the success he has sustained throughout his lengthy MMA career, earning the moniker “Detroit Superstar.” Meanwhile, Brown was looking to bounce back from a narrow split decision defeat to newly-signed UFC fighter Thomas Gifford in his last appearance.

In the co-main event, Michigan’s own Jason Fischer returned to Warrior Xtreme Fighting after a losing effort at ACB (now re-branded ACA) 85 last April. Bellator veteran Fischer was taking on 24-year-old Josh Wick, who has competed in Bellator (against Johnny Nunez at Bellator 205) and was looking to get consecutive wins in consecutive months – following a submission victory against Alex Trinidad at SCL: Combat Series 1.

Also on the card, Michigan’s Darius Estell faced off against Hawaii’s Edward Thommes. Estrell most recently fought previously undefeated prospect Zach DiSabatino at Cage Titans 42, with Estrell coming away with a split decision win. Estrell was looking to avenge his last performance in the Warrior Xtreme Cagefighting cage, as he suffered his only professional loss to Drew Morais last August. Meanwhile, Thommes wanted to avenge his last performance also, as he lost via third-round TKO to Toby Misech at Bellator 212. Thommes’ other losses have came to Jackson Wink product Stephen Cervantes and ex-UFC competitor Tyler Diamond.

*Tidbit* – The Main event between Daron Cruickshank and Chris Brown is off according to Chris Brown. Brown weighed in at 157 pounds yesterday, and Cruickshank said he had to be 160 pounds by 5pm for him to take the fight. Brown made the 160 pound limit, but Cruickshank had a change of heart and chose not to take the bout. Read Brown’s full statement here.

Cruickshank then entered the cage himself, and said that his opponent Brown was unprofessional and his management told him it was not worth taking the fight. Cruickshank also apologised to the local fans and thanked them for coming out. He did say he will be fighting in Japan for RIZIN FF in July however. 

The card streamed live, exclusively on UFC Fight Pass.

WXC 77: Warrior Wednesday 2 Results:

• Daron Cruickshank vs. Chris Brown – cancelled.
• Jason Fischer def. Josh Wick via unanimous decision (30-27, 30-27, 30-27).
• Edward Thommes def. Darius Estell by unanimous decision (29-28, 29-28, 29-28).
• Mickey Marsack def. Travis Karppinen  by submission (rear-naked choke), round 1, 3:12

The post WXC 77: Warrior Wednesday 2 Live Results appeared first on Cageside Press.

RIZIN 13 had to deal with a typhoon, and competition from Bellator 206 (which ran late into Saturday night/Sunday morning for western MMA fans) on Sunday, as it held RIZIN 13 in Saitama, Japan. What it did have going in its favor was a stacked card which resulted in some exciting finishes. Mirko Cro-Cop once again turned back the clock, elbowing the much younger Roque Martinez out of the building. And former UFC fighters Daron Cruickshank and Diego Brandao threw down as well. Brandao, of course, was a former Ultimate Fighter winner (season 14, back in 2011).

Both men were hitting hard in Saitama on Sunday. The end result? A punishing flying knee knockout for Cruickshank, who has found great success while fighting in Japan.

Brandao kept Cruickshank on the outside early at RIZIN 13, looking to trap him in the corner. Yet Cruickshank was lightning quick, able to escape and fire off counters with ease. It was Brandao who tried a jumping knee early, with Cruickshank cornered. Cruickshank would attack the body with kicks after catching one of Brandao’s, and if one thing was clear, it’s that the pair were looking to finish.

That finish would come when Cruickshank, who had been getting creative with spinning kicks and back fists, was backed into a corner again. Launching a flying knee, he caught Brandao flush, just as the Brazilian appeared to be changing levels.

Daron Cruickshank's RIZIN violence tour continues. #RIZIN13 @FITETV #RIZINFF pic.twitter.com/ykGOOebGSF

— caposa (@Grabaka_Hitman) September 30, 2018

That was all she wrote. Cruickshank improved to 22-10 (1NC) with the win, and is now on a four-fight win streak. Three of those have come in Japan under the RIZIN banner.

The post RIZIN 13: Watch Daron Cruickshank Flatten Diego Brandao with Flying Knee appeared first on Cageside Press.

There’s no rest for the wicked, apparently. ‘Your Majesty’ — a.k.a. former UFC strawweight Angela Magana — has joined the RIZIN FF family. She’ll appear at RIZIN 12 in August, making her promotional debut in the Japanese outfit. In addition to Magana, the promotion also announced on Thursday that Daron Cruickshank would be facing Tom Santos at RIZIN 11 next month. Cruickshank is a RIZIN veteran, having fought for the promotion on five previous occasions.

#RIZIN12 Additional fight announcement!

Kanako Murata( @m_r_t_k_n_k ) vs Angela Magana( @AngelaMagana1 ) confirmed for RIZIN.12 on August 12th at the Dolphin’s Arena!

For ticket info visit:https://t.co/4Q4sSDe9gn#RIZINFF #RIZIN2018 pic.twitter.com/xxoy9EbGzI

— RIZIN FF OFFICIAL (@rizin_PR) June 28, 2018

For Magana (11-9), her appearance in RIZIN gives her a chance to move on from a tough run in the UFC. The New Mexico native who fights out of Puerto Rico went 0-3 in the promotion after losing her lone fight on The Ultimate Fighter 20. However, she remained in the headlines thanks to a very public spat with Cris Cyborg, which culminated in Cyborg assaulting the strawweight at the UFC Fighter’s Retreat last year. Charges against the featherweight champion were dropped after she completed court-ordered anger management.

Magana had recently teased a fight announcement on her official Twitter account.

#BlueEyeSamurai #YourMajesty #FightAnnouncement #Next24Hours #TheQueen #MMA #PuertoRicoRepresent #Boxing #LaPerla #Boxeo #LaCrema #RePost #Nipslip #LastPost #Oops pic.twitter.com/weMlqkUzA6

— Angela Magana (@AngelaMagana1) June 28, 2018

Opposite Magana at RIZIN 12 in August will be Kanako Murata (7-1). The Japanese fighter has won three straight, with her only loss coming to former UFC talent Rin Nakai.

At RIZIN 11, meanwhile, Daron Cruickshank will look to make it three straight wins when he faces Tom Santos (9-5). Cruickshank (20-10 (1)) stunned Koshi Matsumoto with a crushing head kick last time out at RIZIN 10 in May. In a UFC run from 2012 to 2016, Cruickshank went 6-6 (1NC), but ended his tenure there on a three fight skid.

RIZIN 11 takes place July 29 at the Saitama Super Arena in Saitama, Japan. RIZIN 12 goes down August 12 at the Dolphin’s Arena in in Nagoya, Japan.

The post Angela Magana, Daron Cruickshank Added to Upcoming RIZIN Cards appeared first on Cageside Press.

RIZIN 10 took place early Sunday for those of us in the west, and what a show the Japanese promotion put on to start their year. With a number of memorable finishes, RIZIN kicked off its 2018 line-up with a blast. Topping the card was a highly anticipated battle of former UFC flyweights. Kyoji Horiguchi had been perfect since leaving the UFC (a promotion he walked away from while on a win streak), and that didn’t change on Sunday.

Instead, Kyoji Horiguchi vs. Ian McCall was over before it even started. Off the opening bell the two looked light on their feet, but what was expected to be a protracted battle came to a quick finish when Horiguchi clipped McCall with essentially his first punch, dropping him. Horiguchi swarmed, looking to add follow-up strikes but the ref was already waving it off. It took just nine seconds for Kyoji Horiguchi to seal the deal.

https://twitter.com/Maldobabo/status/993090866041491456

In the co-main event, under kickboxing rules, Tenshin Nasukawa had a pair of knockdowns early in the first round, and seemed to wobble opponent Yusaku Nakamura with every strike thrown. Nakamura continually found himself forced to clinch, dragging Tenshin to the ground on several occasions. The fight had the look of an MMA scrap as a result, rather than a kickboxing battle. By rounds’ end, Tenshin had floored his foe several times, but to his credit, Nakamura kept coming back for more.

Round two saw Yusaku Nakamura open with an offensive flurry of his own, connecting on Tenshin and giving him pause. Yet the teenage phenom quickly answered back with a low kick and left hand that sent Nakamura backpedaling into the ropes. A follow-up combo scored another knockdown for Tenshin. Another left by the ropes later bloodied Nakamura. The future of striking in Japan (and arguably the present), Tenshin Nasukawa, still just a teenager despite a 25-0 kickboxing record and 4-0 MMA record starting the night, had his creativity on display thoughtout.

https://twitter.com/Jolassanda/status/993086019053543425

A final 1-2 combination, with the left hand dropping Nakamura, captured the win for Tenshin, who will quickly move to main event status with performances like that.

Earlier in the night, Daron Cruickshank stayed mobile, switched stances, and looked to land an overhand right early. Yet what he did land was a vicious head kick that dropped opponent Koshi Matsumoto instantly.

Oh my, Daron. pic.twitter.com/0tZWOQo56J

— inxxane (@inxxane) May 6, 2018

Cruickshank that stirred up some controversy, flipping off his fallen opponent.

https://twitter.com/Jolassanda/status/993060087328595974

Elsewhere on the card, Kanako Murata scored a second round sub of Lanchana Green, finishing her opponent off with an anaconda choke. That despite taking enough damage earlier in the bout to see her left eye swell nearly completely shut. Also earlier in the night, Manel Kape, the last man to beat McCall before Horiguchi, got his striking going early, even trying out a flying knee. He soon had Kai Asakura on the ground, but couldn’t keep him there. Asakura, prior to the bout, had said he was willing to die in the ring, and both men were looking for a finish. Asakura certainly held his own during the fight, clipping Kape later in the first and forcing him to pull guard in a guillotine attempt, buying time to recover. A little bad blood and showboating between rounds led to another active second round, only this time, it was Kai Asakura scoring the takedown, and staying in control for a good chunk of the round. Yet after three rounds (RIZIN did away with the ten minute first round for RIZIN 10), neither man could find a finish. That led to a split decision from the judges, with Asakura getting the nod.

Yusuke Yachi, meanwhile, faced UFC, WEC, and Bellator vet Diego Nunes. After an active first round, Yachi came out in the second guns blazing. He was quickly backing Nunes up, unloading with combinations until a slip. Nunes moved in, but Yachi fired off several upkicks, at least one of which connected. Nunes crashed down onto Yachi, and ate some more short punches, though he survived the  round. In the third, Nunes again found himself on top of Yachi, landing a fair amount of ground and pound. Yet again, he ate a couple of upkicks, leading to Yachi getting back in control. The spirited back-and-forth affair made its way to the judges despite a final flurry. In the end, it was Yachi earning a split decision.

RIZIN 10 Full Results:

Kyoji Horiguchi def. Ian McCall by knockout, Round 1, 0:09
Tenshin Nasukawa def. Yusaku Nakamura by TKO, Round 2 (kickboxing rules)
Kanna Asakura def. Melissa Karagianis by unanimous decision
Yusuke Yachi def. Diego Nunes by split decision
Daron Cruickshank def. Koshi Matsumoto by KO (head kick), Round 1, 3:50
Issei Ishi def. Daishin Sakai by unanimous decision (kickboxing bout)
Kai Asakura def. Manel Kape by split decision
Ante Delija def. Ricardo Prasel by unanimous decision
Jairzinho Rozenstruik def. Andrey Kovalev by split decision
Kanako Murata def. Lanchana Green by submission (anaconda choke), Round 1, 4:52
Hironori Kurogi vs. Tomohiro Kitai ended in a draw (kickboxing bout)

The post RIZIN 10 Results: Kyoji Horiguchi Scores Quick KO of Ian McCall, Daron Cruickshank Stuns With Head Kick appeared first on Cageside Press.

An athlete can be blessed with all the genetic gifts in the world, but if they lack humility deep down then they probably will never reach the pinnacle of their sport. Some people do an admirable job at faking their humble beginnings, others don’t bother. Case in point, Conor McGregor. But when a fighter is truly humble there is no faking it; it comes through loud and clear, and often times no words are needed. UFC bantamweight Cody Stamann (16-1) has the skills to be an elite 135er, with the modesty of a Michigan man, and the will of a Spartan.

Cageside Press had a chance to catch up with Stamann ahead of UFC 222, and this Michigan Top Team standout has big plans for 2018.

When the matchmakers were looking to fill out the UFC 216 fight card last year, there weren’t to many takers for prospect Tom Duquesnoy. Understandably so. At the time, ‘Fire Kid’ was 15-1 and coming off an impressive UFC debut. Enter Stamann.

“Tom is a good fighter, but I knew I was going to beat him” Stamann said when asked about his thought process for taking the fight. “I just felt that I’m better than him [Duquesnoy] anywhere the fight goes. I think my striking is just as good and I know my wrestling is better than his.”

Stamann would go on to get the split decision nod at UFC 216, but was he satisfied with his performance? “No, I really wasn’t” said the ‘Spartan’.

“I felt like should’ve finished Tom. There were times in the second round that I think I let him off the hook. I showed him too much respect and didn’t go for it like I should’ve. But I learned from it and if I ever find myself in that position again, then I know exactly what to do.”

Make no mistake about it, Stamann is squarely focused on UFC 222 and Bryan Caraway. The ‘Spartan’ is fully aware that Caraway poses the biggest challenge to his young career. “Bryan is a tough out for anybody,” says Stamann.

“I respect him [Caraway] as a fighter, but at the end of the day, he has a number by his name and when I beat him I should have the number 7 ranking next to my name.”

In today’s MMA climate where everybody needs a mouth piece to help promote their fights, some fighters just don’t sell it. Stamann does. Bold statement by the ‘Spartan’ but I believe every word.

Perhaps Stamann’s wise beyond his years approach to mixed martial arts can be traced back to his coach and head training partner, the ‘Detroit Superstar’ Daron Cruickshank.

“Having a guy like him [Cruickshank] around, someone that’s been there and done it already has been such a big help for me,” Stamann says regarding Cruickshank’s impact on his career. The ‘Detroit Superstar’ shines brightest during training camp, and according to Stamann, no one can emulate an opponent quite like Cruickshank.

“He [Cruickshank] is such an incredible athlete that trying to copy someone’s fighting style is no big deal to him. He can have my opponent’s style figured out down pat in 20 minutes.”

No doubt Cruickshank has been hard at work trying to figure out how to replicate Caraway’s style heading into UFC 222.

Stamann is well prepared to make a run at the bantamweight elite this year; he has the attitude, the team, and the talent to do so.

UFC 222 takes place March 3 at the T-Mobile Arena in Las Vegas, live on PPV.

The post UFC 222 Bantamweight Cody Stamann: A Modest Spartan appeared first on Cageside Press.