Tenshin, an undefeated sensation in kickboxing since his teens, had called out Takeru as early as 2015. But with the fighters competing for different promotions, a fight never transpired. That led to a stalemate: K-1 was only willing to make the fight happen if they could sign Nasukawa to an exclusive deal. RISE were willing to lone out their star, but not willing to lose him entirely.

By 2016, with Tenshin fighting in RIZIN, a promotion willing to cross-promote and who had worked with K-1, the fight seemed close to happening. But K-1 then ended their partnership with the successor to PRIDE, and once again, hopes were dashed.

But all these years later, a cross-promotion, with RIZIN chief Nobuyuki Sakakibara taking part, finally managed to get a deal done. End result, The Match 2022. 43-0 Tenshin would finally face three-division K-1 champ Takeru.

Full results from The Match 2022, which took place at the Tokyo Dome in Tokyo, Japan on June 19, 2022 can be found below.

Tenshin Nasukawa def Takeru Segawa by unanimous decision
Kaito def. Masaki Noiri by unanimous decision (in extra round)
Kento Haraguchi def. Hideaki Yamazaki by TKO, Round 2
Rukiya Anpo def. Kosei Yamada by unanimous decision
Kongnapa Weerasakreck def. Taiju Shiratori by KO, Round 1
Kan Nakamura def. Leona Pettas by majority decision
Ya-Man def. Ryusei Ashizawa by knockout, Round 1
Hiromi Wajima def Bey Noah by unanimous decision
Sina Karimian def Rikiya Yamashita by unanimous decision
Mahmoud Sattari def Yuta Uchia by knockout (punch), Round 1
Yuki Kasahara def Chihiro Nakajima by unanimous decision
Kazane def Toma Kuroda by unanimous decision (in extra round)
Mutsuki Ebata def Riamu by split decision (in extra round)
Masashi Kimura def. Shiro by unanimous decision
Masahiko Suzuki def Akihiro Kaneko by majority decision
Rui Okubo def. Ryujin Nasukawa by unanimous decision

The post The Match 2022: Tenshin vs. Takeru Full Results appeared first on Cageside Press.

An Ultimate Fighter alum, Ougikubo took the fight to Kai Asakura throughout the RIZIN bantamweight grand prix final, keeping up the pace throughout the full 15 minutes. While Asakura was more than game, veteran Ougikubo pulled off the upset, using a well-rounded game plan to pick up the decision win. Takedowns were key in the early going, with Ougikubo scooping Asakura up and planting him on his back more than once. That, combined with a leg kick-heavy attack, kept Ougikubo ahead in the fight.

The final minutes of the third round saw the action heat up. Asakura pushed hard for a finish, and nearly had it, coming just short on a front kick with about thirty seconds left in the fight. Ougikubo would survive that, tie Asakura up late, and run out the clock.

Both Asakura and Ougikubo won their semifinal bouts early on the RIZIN 33 card, each going the distance across three rounds to claim unanimous decision victories. For Ougikubo, his semifinal victory came against UFC alum Naoki Inoue, a minor upset dwarfed by the one that would come in the tournament final later in the evening.

Following his grand prix win, having competed a full thirty minutes through two fights, Ougikubo took to the mic to propose to his girlfriend, who was seated in the crowd. She said yes — ending RIZIN’s annual New Year’s Eve card on a high note.

Earlier in the night, RIZIN lightweight champion Roberto “Satoshi” Souza successfully defended his title, in a rematch with Yusuke Yachi. The pair had originally met a year prior, with Satoshi earning the finish with ground strikes. On New Year’s Eve, in his first title defense, Satoshi had to overcome a bit of adversity, bloodied early in the fight. But in the end, he took the fight into his wheelhouse, using a kimura to transition to a triangle, then finishing with an arm-bar in an incredibly slick sequence in the second round.

The victory marked the third straight submission win for the champ, who has not tasted defeat since a 2019 loss to Johnny Case — who coincidentally was working the RIZIN 33 broadcast as an analyst.

Kickboxing sensation Tenshin Nasukawa competed for the final time under the RIZIN banner on Friday. Undefeated in both MMA and kickboxing, the 23-year old Tenshin is expected to pursue a boxing career next — but first has a summer date with K-1 champ Takeru. For his “last dance” in RIZIN, however, it was UFC vet Takanori Gomi facing the striking phenom — and holding his own, battling to a draw in the exhibition contest. Being fair to Tenshin, Gomi did hold a 30lb weight advantage.

One of the biggest upsets of the card came immediately following the show’s intermission. Rena Kubota was as much as a -2500 favorite with some odds makers. The lopsided numbers against DEEP atomweight grand prix semifinalist Si Woo Park proved erroneous, with Park winning a unanimous decision to snap Rena’s four-fight win streak.

Full results from RIZIN 33 can be found here.

The post RIZIN 33: “Satoshi” Souza Taps Yachi, Ougikubo Wins Bantamweight Grand Prix appeared first on Cageside Press.

While previous years saw major names from around the globe competing, pandemic-related travel restrictions in Japan meant that the card was made up instead of some of the top Japanese talents around. That included Yusuke Yachi challenging for lightweight gold against champ Roberto “Satoshi” Souza, and the completion of the RIZIN bantamweight grand prix — with the semifinal and final rounds coming in the same night.

Also on the card, Ayaka Hamasaki in a non-title bout against Seika Izawa, and promotional darling Rena Kubota taking on Si Woo Park. And, in his final appearance for RIZIN, Tenshin Nasukawa, competing in a special rules bout against the much larger Takanori Gomi.

RIZIN 33 goes down live on Friday, December 31, 2021 at the Saitama Super Arena in Saitama, Japan. An English language live stream featuring Joe Ferraro, Damien Brown and Johnny Case is available via LIVE-NOW, with the broadcast kicking off at 11:30PM ET on December 30 for those in the west. Replays of the show will also be available. Check below for full results from the event.

RIZIN 33 Results

Hiromasa Ougikubo def. Kai Asakura by unanimous decision – RIZIN bantamweight grand prix final
Roberto Satoshi Souza (c) def. Yusuke Yachi by submission (triangle arm-bar), Round 2, 3:30 – for the RIZIN FF lightfeatherweight championship
Mikuru Asakura def. Yutaka Saito by unanimous decision
Tenshin Nasukawa vs. Takanori Gomi is ruled a draw – Special Rules Bout
Si Woo Park def. Rena Kubota by unanimous decision
Seika Izawa def. Ayaka Hamasaki by TKO, Round 2, 2:50 – non-title bout
Koji Takeda def. “Black Panther” Beynoah by submission (arm-bar), Round 2, 4:12
Hideki “Shrek” Sekine def. Shoma Shibisai by TKO, Round 2, 2:09
Kyohei Hagiwara def. Hiroaki Suzuki by unanimous decision
Ya-Man def. Kouzi by majority decision – kickboxing
Shibatar def. Yuta Kubo by submission (arm-bar), Round 1, 1:34 – Special Rules Bout
Shinobu Ota def. Kazuma Sone by TKO (soccer kick/stomps), Round 1, 3:55
Yuki Motoya def. Kintaro by unanimous decision – bantamweight grand prix reserve bout
Hiromasa Ougikubo def. Naoki Inoue by unanimous decision – bantamweight grand prix semifinal
Kai Asakura def. Kenta Takizawa by unanimous decision – bantamweight grand prix semifinal
Kota Miura by. Yushi TKO (soccer kick/punch), Round 1, 3:00

The post RIZIN 33 Full Results appeared first on Cageside Press.

In what amounts to an exhibition boxing match, Gomi will weigh 75.30kg, just over 166lbs, if not more come fight night. In comparison, Nasukawa hit the mark at 62kg, or 136.69lbs, at Thursday’s weigh-in.

Nasukawa will be competing what is likely his swan song for RIZIN FF, having announced earlier this year that he intends to move to boxing full time. With that in mind, Tenshin’s RIZIN 33 appearance has been marketed as his “last dance” — though he has a kickboxing superfight booked later this year against K-1 champ Takeru that RIZIN appears set to at least co-promote.

“I get sad when I think about this being my last fight in RIZIN,” Tenshin was quoted as saying in a press release on Thursday. “I actually don’t want to think about it. I might cry while watching the pre-fight video.”

Also on the RIZIN 33 card, Roberto “Satoshi” Souza will defend his lightweight title against Yusuke Yachi, while the bantamweight grand prix will come to a close. Full weigh-in results are available below.

RIZIN 33 Weigh-In Results

Roberto Satoshi Souza (c) (70.90kg) vs. Yusuke Yachi (70.85kg) – for the RIZIN FF lightweight championship
Yutaka Saito (62.00kg) vs. Mikuru Asakura (65.90kg)
Tenshin Nasukawa (62kg) vs. Takanori Gomi (75.30kg) – Special Rules Bout
Rena (49.90kg) vs. Si Woo Park (49.80kg)
Ayaka Hamasaki (48.86kg) vs. Seika Izawa (48.85kg)
Koji Takeda (70.90kg) vs. “Black Panther” Beynoah (70.90kg)
Shoma Shibisai (111.05kg) vs. Hideki “Shrek” Sekine (118.15kg)
Kyohei Hagiwara (65.80kg) vs. Hiroaki Suzuki (65.90kg)
Kouzi (61.95kg) vs. Ya-Man (61.85kg) – kickboxing
Shibatar (88.65kg) vs. Yuta Kubo (76.20kg) – Special Rules Bout
Kazuma Sone (69.90kg) vs. Shinobu Ota (60.95kg)
Yuki Motoya (61.00kg) vs. Kintaro (60.80kg) – bantamweight grand prix reserve bout
Hiromasa Ougikubo (60.95) vs. Naoki Inoue (60.90kg) – bantamweight grand prix semifinal
Kai Asakura (60.95) vs. Kenta Takizawa (60.95) – bantamweight grand prix semifinal
Kota Miura (65.60kg) vs. Yushi (62.45kg)

The post RIZIN 33 Weigh-In Results: Gomi Vastly Outweighs Tenshin appeared first on Cageside Press.

Just a day after news of a kickboxing super-fight between Tenshin and K-1 champ Takeru was announced, RIZIN officials revealed that the 23-year old will join RIZIN 33 on New Year’s Eve. He’ll be facing MMA legend Takanori Gomi, a.k.a. “The Fireball Kid,” in a special rules bout — essentially a boxing exhibition.

／
Yogibo presents #RIZIN33🔸
＼

📅12.31(金)13:30開始
🏟さいたまスーパーアリーナ

▼▼ 放送・PPV ▼▼
📺フジテレビ系列全国放送
大晦日 18:00~

🖥️Exciting RIZINhttps://t.co/yYoQdJvyy0
🖥️RIZIN LIVEhttps://t.co/3j77oQ10EY
🖥️U-NEXThttps://t.co/t9WM7t66Sb
📡スカパー！ pic.twitter.com/VAMwu5FInX

— RIZIN FF OFFICIAL (@rizin_PR) December 25, 2021

Nasukawa previously competed in a boxing exhibition against Floyd Mayweather Jr. back in 2018. The fight did not go his way, with Tenshin losing via TKO following three knockdowns in the opening round of the exhibition bout.

It was a rare loss (though not official due to the exhibition nature of the bout) for Tenshin, who is a perfect 42-0 as a professional kickboxer, and 4-0 as a mixed martial artist.

Gomi (36-15, 1NC MMA) last competed a year ago at RIZIN 26, also in a custom rules bout, against Koji Tanaka. He won the contest via majority decision. In that match-up, both kicking and grappling were forbidden.

At 43, Gomi is two decades older than Tenshin, and will likely have a significant size advantage as well.

RIZIN 33 will take place on December 31, 2022 at the Saitama Super Arena in Saitama, Japan, just outside Tokyo. The event will feature the final rounds of RIZIN’s ongoing bantamweight grand prix.

The post Tenshin’s “Last Dance” Announced for RIZIN 33, Faces Takanori Gomi in Boxing Exhibition appeared first on Cageside Press.

On Friday, during an official K-1 Kickboxing press conference, a 58kg (128lb) match-up between RIZIN star Tenshin Nasukawa and K-1’s Takeru Segawa was announced. The pairing has been hotly anticipated for the past few years, and up until Friday’s announcement, was at risk of slipping away, with Tenshin previously stating that he would retire from kickboxing shortly, and transition into boxing full time. That compounded an already difficult situation politically, with the fighters under contract to different promotions.

In an opening statement during Friday’s press conference, RIZIN CEO Nobuyuki Sakakibara stated that “it would sound cheap to call it the ‘dream card.’ It is rather, the fight of the century: ‘the match‘” (h/t TheFighter.net). He later took to social media to refer to the bout as a “Christmas Gift from ‘Uncle No Comment.'”

https://twitter.com/nobu_sakakibara/status/1474278442518867974

Tenshin Nasukawa has long been one of RIZIN Fighting Federation’s biggest stars. A teenage prodigy when he started his fighting career, 23-year old Tenshin has compiled a 42-0 record in kickboxing, after piling up nearly 100 victories as an amateur. In addition, he’s 4-0 in MMA, though he has not competed in that realm since 2017. In Kickboxing, he’s won a RIZIN grand prix, and held titles under RISE and IKSA.

Infamously, Tenshin was matched up with Floyd Mayweather Jr. in an exhibition boxing match in 2018. Out-sized and giving up decades of experience, he was stopped via TKO within a round.

Takeru Segawa has built up an equally impressive resume, posting a 42-2 record as a professional kickboxer. He’s won the super bantamweight, featherweight, and super featherweight titles in K-1, and is a multiple time K-1 Grand Prix winner.

Details on the rule set, number of rounds, and which promotion’s ring the fight will take place in are still being hammered out. Sakakibara is set to head up a committee overseeing the event, with details to follow further down the line. Even the exact date and location of the event is yet to be revealed.

The post Tenshin vs. Takeru Kickboxing Showdown Set for June appeared first on Cageside Press.

The first of two events to feature the opening round of the bantamweight grand prix, RIZIN 28 also saw the return of kickboxing star Tenshin Nasukawa — against not one, not two, but three opponents. While they would compete for one round each, the third opponent was an X-factor — a surprise should Tenshin make it that far.

The special rules match allowed for striking without kicks — essentially boxing, with spinning bask fists and superman punches allowed.

In addition to the grand prix bouts and Tenshin’s return, the promotion was also set to crown its inaugural ligthweight champion as it returned to the Tokyo Dome — the first time MMA had graced the venue in 18 years. That fight saw Tofiq Musaev go up against BJJ ace Roberto Satoshi Souza.

Full results from the show, held at the Tokyo Dome on Sunday, June 13, are below. The event is available to stream via LIVE NOW.

RIZIN 18 Results

Kleber Koike def. Mikuru Asakura by submission (triangle choke), Round 2
Tenshin Nasukawa vs X (Hideo Tokoro) had no result announced – custom rules bout
Tenshin Nasukawa vs Hiroya had no result announced – custom rules bout
Tenshin Nasukawa vs Koki Osaki had no result annoucned – custom rules bout
Roberto “Satoshi” Souza def. Tofiq Musayev by submission (triangle choke), Round 1, 1;12  – for the inaugural Rizin lightweight championship
Kai Asakura def. Shooto Watanabe by TKO, Round 1, 1:22 – 1st Round bantamweight Grand Prix
Naoki Inoue def. Shintaro Ishiwatari by TKO (soccer kick/punches), Round 1, 1:58  – 1st Round bantamweight Grand Prix
Hiromasa Ougikubo def. Takeshi Kasugai by unanimous decision – 1st Round bantamweight Grand Prix
Yuki Motoya def. Ryo Okada by unanimous decision – 1st Round bantamweight Grand Prix
Yutaka Saito (c) def. Vugar Karamov by split decision – non-title fight
Shoma Shibisai def. Tsuyoshi Sudario by submission (rear-naked choke), Round 3, 1:38
Satoshi “Dominator” Yamasu def. “Black Panther” Bey Noah by split decision

The post RIZIN 28 Full Results — Bantamweight Grand Prix Opening Round appeared first on Cageside Press.

Asakura had scored an upset knockout in their first meeting, a non-title bout in August 2019. Former UFC star Horiguchi has not fought since, vacating both the RIZIN and Bellator bantamweight titles due to his ACL injury.

Also at RIZIN 26, kickboxing phenom Tenshin Nasukawa, an exhibition striking contest with Takanori Gomi facing kickboxer Kouzi, and a women’s atomweight title bout between Ayaka Hamasaki and Miyuu Yamamoto.

The action kicks off just past midnight ET, or 9PM on December 30 PT. Full results from the RIZIN 26 card can be found below. A live stream of RIZIN 26 is available via LIVE-NOW.

RIZIN 26: Asakura vs. Horiguchi 2 Results

Session 3

Kyoji Horiguchi def. Kai Asakura by TKO, Round 1, 2:48  – for the RIZIN bantamweight title
Tenshin Naskuawa def. Kumandoi Phetjaroenvit by unanimous decision – Kickboxing
Mikuru Asakura def. Satoshi Yamasu by TKO (head kick and punches), Round 1, 4:20
Takanori Gomi def. Kouzi by majority decision – Standing only rules exhibition bout
Ayaka Hamasaki def. Miyuu Yamamoto by submission (leg scissors choke), Round 1, 1:42 – for the RIZIN women’s atomweight title

Session 2

Naoki Inoue def. Yuki Motoya by submission (rear-naked choke), Round 1, 3:00
Kleber Koike Erbst def. Kyle Aguon by submission (D’arce choke), Round 1, 4:22
Kyohei Hagiwara def. Ren Hiramoto by TKO (punches), Round 2, 2:22
Hideo Tokoro def. Shinobu Ota by submission (armbar), Round 2, 2:45

Session 1

Yoshinari Nadaka def. Phetmalai Phetjaroenvit by TKO, Round 1, 2:20 – Kickboxing
Ulka Sasaki def. Kenta Takizawa by unanimous decision
Kanna Asakura def. Ai Shimizu by unanimous decision
Shibatar def. Hiroya by submission, Round 2, 2:38
Kazuma Kuramoto def. Taiyo Nakahara by TKO (soccer kick) in Round 1, 2:12
Tsuyoshi Sudario def. Ikuhisa Minowa by TKO (kick/leg injury), Round 1, 3:19
Sakura Mori def. Eru Takebayashi by submission (arm-bar), Round 1, 3:20 — fight ruled a No Contest due to Sakura missing weight

The post RIZIN 26: Asakura vs. Horiguchi 2 Results appeared first on Cageside Press.

In a press release Monday following a press conference in Japan, promotion officials confirmed the involvement of both Gomi and Tenshin on the New Year’s Eve card. In addition, RIZIN also announced the availability of an English language live stream, featuring commentary by Frank Trigg and Joe Ferraro.

In the first of the two fight announcements, Tenshin Nasukawa (39-0 kickboxing) will return to the ring against an opponent to be announced. While Kumandoi Phetjaroenvit was briefly listed as the opponent on RIZIN social media, that post has since been removed.

Takanori Gomi, meanwhile, will take part in an exhibition bout against kickboxer Kouzi (Koji Tanaka) in what is being billed as a “RIZIN Special Standing Bout.” Per RIZIN’s press release, “Both fighters will only be allowed to punch with the exception of back fist blows. Both fighters will be bare footed and the bout will consist of three, 3 minute rounds with no decisions.”

Now 42-years old, Gomi (36-15, 1 NC) became a legend in PRIDE in the early part of his career. Upon arrival in the UFC, however, Gomi struggled, compiling a 4-9 record from 2010 to 2017. After a six-fight losing skid at the tail end of his career, Gomi got back in the win column in July 2018 by defeating Melvin Guillard at RIZIN 11.

Gomi has not fought since.

RIZIN 26 takes place December 31, 2020 at the Saitama Super Arena in Saitama, Japan. The card is headlined by a rematch between Kyoji Horiguchi and Kai Asakura. The English-language stream will be available exclusively via Live-Now.

The post Additional Fights Featuring Tenshin, Gomi Plus English Streaming Announced for RIZIN 26 appeared first on Cageside Press.

Both fighters picked up key victories. Tenshin took on one of his toughest challenges to date in the kickboxing realm, and maintained his perfect record by handing Kouzi (Koji Tanaka) a unanimous decision loss. Asakura (16-2), the promotion’s bantamweight champ, picked up an impressive first-round stoppage of Shoji Maruyama in a non-title affair. That came by way of a soccer kick.

Also on the card, another top prospect in Rena Kubota (11-3), who defeated Emi Tomimatsu via unanimous decision. The bout was contested at strawweight, though RENA might be best known for her atomweight contests.

Highlights of all the action, plus results, can be found below.

RIZIN 24 Results:

Tenshin Nasukawa def. Koji Tanaka by unanimous decision – Kickboxing
Kai Asakura def. Shoji Maruyama by TKO (punches and knee), Round 1, 0:37
Koji Takeda def. Yuki Kawana by split decision
Takasuke Kume def. Satoru Kitaoka by split decision
Taishi Hiratsuka def. Yuki Kitagawa by KO, Round 2, 0:27 – Kickboxing
Kenta Takizawa def. Yuto Hokamura by split decision
Rena Kubota def. Emi Tomimatsu by unanimous decision
Kyohei Hagiwara def. Takahiro Ashida by submission (triangle Kimura), Round 1, 4:25
Sudario Tsuyoshi def. Dylan James by TKO (doctor stoppage), Round 1, 5:00
Mutsuki Ebata def. Rasta by unanimous decision – Kickboxing
Juri Ohara def. Yusuke Yachi by split decision

The post RIZIN 24: Tenshin vs. Kouzi Photo Highlights appeared first on Cageside Press.