The main event of the promotion’s monumental first show in the country featured Azerbaijan’s own Vugar Karamov, the promotion’s reigning featherweight champion, putting his title on the line against Japan’s Chihiro Suzuki. Karamov, who has also competed for Bellator MMA, captured the championship against promotional mainstay Mikuru Asakura earlier this year.

Also in action on Saturday at the National Gymnastics Arena in Baku, Azerbaijan was another Bellator alum and longtime RIZIN fighter, Tofiq Musayev. He was set to take on Koji Takeda, who was looking to halt a two-fight skid. Musayev had last been seen at Super RIZIN 2, where he got back in the win column after having been bounced from the Bellator Lightweight Grand Prix in the Quarterfinal round.

Where to Watch RIZIN Landmark 7

RIZIN Landmark 7 in Azerbaijan goes down Saturday, November 4, 2023 at the National Gymnastics Arena in Baku, Azerbaijan, with an English-language live stream available via Fite.tv. The card gets underway at 9AM ET. Full results from the event can be found below.

RIZIN Landmark 7 Results

Chihiro Suzuki def. Vugar Karamov (c) by KO, Round 1, 1:18 — for the RIZIN featherweight championship
Tofiq Musayev def. Koji Takeda by TKO (punches), Round 3, 2:03
Ali Abdulkhalikov def. Nariman Abbasov by unanimous decision
Mehman Mamedov def. Fergit Goktepe by unanimous decision
Kyung Pyo Kim def. Tural Ragimov by KO, Round 1, 0:21

Intermission

Anastasiya Svetkivska def. Farida Abdueva by submission (arm-bar), Round 2, 4:20
Ilkhom Nozimov def. Juares Dea by unanimous decision
Vladislav Rudniev def. Iliyar Askhanov by unanimous decision
Shota Betlemidze def. Quentin Domingos by TKO (injury), Round 1, 5:00
Hasan Mezhiev def. Konstantin Merkulov by submission (rear-naked choke), Round 1, 2:32

The post RIZIN Landmark 7 Full Results appeared first on Cageside Press.

The card will take place at the Baku National Gymnasium in Baku, Azerbaijan, and on Friday, RIZIN officials confirmed a number of fights for the event via press release.

Among them, featherweight champion Vugar Karamov (19-4), hailing from Azerbaijan, will make his first attempted title defense opposite Chihiro Suzuki (11-3). Karamov captured featherweight gold when he submitted promotional mainstay Mikuru Asakura at Super RIZIN 2 earlier this year.

Karamov, who competed once for Bellator MMA in 2019, has won his last four fights, all under the RIZIN banner.

Suzuki is getting his first title shot at the tender age of just 24 — but the promotion is striking while the iron is hot, with the Japanese talent coming off a knockout win against Bellator star Patricio Pitbull, also at Super RIZIN 2.

Also announced for RIZIN Landmark 7, another Azerbaijani fighter and 2019 Lightweight Grand Prix champion Tofiq Musayev returns, taking on Koji Takeda. Musayev was ousted from the Bellator MMA Lightweight Grand Prix earlier this year, but bounced back with a win over Akira Okada in July.

A teammate of both Vugar Karamov and Tofiq Musayev, Mehman Mamedov (6-6, 1NC) will compete for RIZIN for the second time when he takes on UFC veteran Justin Scoggins (15-6) in a flyweight bout.

The full list of bouts announced for RIZIN Landmark 7 thus far is as follows:

• Vugar Keramov (c) vs Chihiro Suzuki — for the RIZIN FF featherweight championship
• Tofiq Musayev vs Koji Takeda
• Nariman Abbasov vs Ali Abdulkhalikov
• Mehman Mamedov vs Justin Scoggins
• Tural Ragimov vs Kyung Pyo Kim

The post RIZIN Landmark 7, Promotion’s First Show Outside Japan, Adds Title Fight and More Bouts appeared first on Cageside Press.