The year 2020 was the sixth year in the history of the Rizin Fighting Federation, a mixed martial arts promotion based in Japan. The year began with Rizin 21 in Hamamatsu on February 22, 2020. The COVID-19 pandemic would put the promotion on hiatus until Rizin 22 on August 9.
Rizin events are broadcast through a television agreement with Fuji Television. In North America and Europe, Rizin events were available via PPV on FITE TV. Beginning with Rizin 26, events have been streaming on LIVENow in North America and Europe.
List of events
# Event Date Venue Location Attendance 1 Rizin 21 – Hamamatsu Hamamatsu Arena Hamamatsu, Japan 6,832 2 Rizin 22 – Starting Over Pia Arena MM Yokohama, Japan 2,805 3 Rizin 23 – Calling Over Pia Arena MM Yokohama, Japan 4,410 4 Rizin 24 – Saitama Saitama Super Arena Saitama, Japan 5,000 5 Rizin 25 – Osaka Osaka-jō Hall Osaka, Japan 5,487 6 Rizin 26 – Saitama Saitama Super Arena Saitama, Japan 9,978
Rizin 21 – Hamamatsu
Rizin 21 – Hamamatsu was a Combat sport event held by the Rizin Fighting Federation on February 22, 2020 at the Hamamatsu Arena in Hamamatsu, Japan.
Results Rizin 21 Weight Class Method Round T.Time NotesCatchweight 68 kg Mikuru Asakura def. Daniel SalasTKO (Head Kick and Punches)27:34Bantamweight 61 kg Victor Henrydef. Masanori KaneharaTKO (Punches)25:45Heavyweight 120 kg Roque Martinezdef. Hideki SekineTKO (Soccer Kicks)14:04Catchweight 79 kg Marcos de Souzadef. Falco NetoTKO (Punches)11:27 IntermissionBantamweight 61 kg Yuto Hokamura def. Kenji KatoSubmission (Rear-Naked Choke)14:21Exhibition Roberto de Souzadef. Yuki NakaiSubmission (Triangle Choke)18:05Jiu Jitsu Elimination Match Hiroshi ShinagawaSubmission (Triangle Choke) Edison KagoharaSubmission (Choke) Koji ShigemizuSubmission (Armbar) Yuna KimuraSubmission (Rear-Naked Choke) Bantamweight 61 kg Naoki Inoue def. Trent GirdhamDecision (Unanimous)315:00Featherweight 66 kg Vugar Karamovdef. Kyle AguonDecision (Unanimous)315:00Heavyweight 120 kg Kousuke Jitukata def. Ryo SakaiKO (Punches)11:28KickboxingFlyweight 57 kg Kenichi Takeuchidef. NaoyaDecision (Unanimous)39:00Kickboxing Opening FightCatchweight 60 kg Henrry Cejasdef. SeidoDecision (Unanimous)39:00KickboxingLightweight 70 kg Yuyadef. KoukiKO (Punch)12:30KickboxingCatchweight 59 kg Masaji Tozuka - Masahiro OzawaDraw (Majority)39:00Kickboxing
Rizin 22 – Starting Over
Rizin 22 – Starting Over was a Combat sport event held by Rizin Fighting Federation on August 9, 2020 at the Pia Arena MM in Yokohama, Japan.
Background The event was initially planned to be held on April 19, 2020 at the Yokohama Arena in Yokohama, Japan However, the event was cancelled on April 2, 2020, due to the prevailing COVID-19 pandemic.
Results Rizin 22 Weight Class Method Round T.Time NotesLightweight 71 kg Roberto de Souzadef. Yusuke Yachi TKO (Punches)11:52W.Strawweight 52 kg Ayaka Hamasakidef. Tomo MaesawaSubmission (Kimura)26:26W.Super Atomweight 49 kg Kanna Asakuradef. Mizuki FuruseTKO (Punches)11:35Bantamweight 61 kg Naoki Inouedef. Shooto WatanabeSubmission (Rear-Naked Choke)11:40Catchweight 56 kg Rui Ebatadef. Seiki UeyamaDecision (Unanimous)39:00KickboxingCatchweight 50.8 kg Nadaka Yoshinaridef. YuushinTKO (Referee Stoppage)28:08KickboxingFeatherweight 66 kg Tetsuya Sekidef. Kouya KandaTKO (Punches)28:47Featherweight 66 kg Kyohei Hagiwaradef. Rikuto ShirakawaTKO (Punches)314:40Bantamweight 61 kg Kenji Katodef. Erson YamamotoKO (Punch)13:32
Rizin 23 – Calling Over
Rizin 23 – Calling Over was a Combat sport event held by Rizin Fighting Federation on August 10, 2020 at the Pia Arena MM in Yokohama, Japan.
Background A Rizin Bantamweight Championship bout for the vacant title between former title challenger Kai Asakura and Hiromasa Ougikubo served as the event headliner. Former Rizin Bantamweight champion Manel Kape announced on March 30, 2020 that he would be relinquishing the bantamweight title and announce he has signed a multi-fight deal with the UFC.
Results Rizin 23 Weight Class Method Round T.Time NotesBantamweight 61 kg Kai Asakuradef. Hiromasa OugikuboTKO (Soccer Kicks)14:31For the vacant Rizin Bantamweight ChampionshipBantamweight 61 kg Yuki Motoyadef. Mamoru UoiSubmission (Guillotine Choke)312:19Featherweight 66 kg Yutaka Saitodef. Kazumasa MajimaTKO (Knees and Elbow)25:24Bantamweight 61 kg Kento Haraguchidef. Taiga KawabeTKO (Punches)12:50KickboxingFeatherweight 66 kg Jin Aoidef. Kotetsu BokuDecision (Unanimous)315:00Catchweight 59 kg Makoto Shinryudef. Seiichiro ItoSubmission (Guillotine Choke)29:30Catchweight 73 kg Kaito Onodef. Daryl LokokuDecision (Unanimous)39:00KickboxingFlyweight 58 kg Tatsuki Saomotodef. Yusaku NakamuraKO (Punches)14:06 Catchweight 73 kg Shintaro Matsukuradef. Koji MoriKO (Punches)11:28Kickboxing
Rizin 24 – Saitama
Rizin 24 – Saitama was a Combat sport event held by Rizin Fighting Federation on September 27, 2020 at the Saitama Super Arena in Saitama, Japan.
Background The first two fights announced for Rizin 24 was a bantamweight bout between Kai Asakura and Shoji Maruyama, as well as a women's strawweight bout between Rena Kubota and Emi Tomimatsu. A fight between two MMA veterans was announced as well, as Takasuke Kume took on Satoru Kitaoka. The main event was a kickboxing fight between Tenshin Nasukawa and Koji.
Results Rizin 24 Weight Class Method Round T.Time NotesCatchweight 58.5 kg Tenshin Nasukawadef. KojiDecision (Unanimous)39:00KickboxingBantamweight 61 kg Kai Asakuradef. Shoji Maruyama TKO (Punches and Soccer Kick)12:37Non-title bout.Lightweight 71 kg Koji Takedadef. Yuki Kawana Decision (Split)315:00Lightweight 71 kg Takasuke Kumedef. Satoru Kitaoka Decision (Split)315:00Catchweight 60 kg Taishi Hiratsukadef. Yuuki KitagawaKO (Punch)23:27KickboxingBantamweight 61 kg Kenta Takizawadef. Yuto HokamuraDecision (Split)315:00W. Strawweight 52 kg Rena Kubotadef. Emi Tomimatsu Decision (Unanimous)315:00Featherweight 66 kg Takahiro Ashidadef. Kyohei HagiwaraSubmission (Triangle Choke)29:25Heavyweight 120 kg Sudario TsuyoshiDef. Dylan JamesTKO (Doctor Stoppage)15:00Catchweight 55 kg Mutsuki Ebatadef. RastaDecision (Unanimous)39:00KickboxingLightweight 71 kg Juri Oharadef. Yusuke Yachi Decision (Split)315:00
Rizin 25 – Osaka
Rizin 25 – Osaka was a Combat sport event held by Rizin Fighting Federation on November 21, 2020 at the Osaka-jō Hall in Osaka, Japan.
Background During the press conference prior to Rizin 25, Rizin CEO Nobuyuki Sakakibara confirmed that nine fights were finalized for the card.
Rizin standout Mikuru Asakura will fight the former Shooto Lightweight champion Yutaka Saito for the inaugural featherweight title. Former Bantamweight title challenger Hiromasa Ougikubo is scheduled to fight Kenta Takizawa. Former strawweight King of Pancrase Daichi Kitakata is scheduled to face the ZST Flyweight champion Tatsuki Saomoto.
Two additional MMA bouts were announced: Yojiro Uchimura vs. Kyohei Hagiwara in the featherweight division and Ryuichiro Sumimura vs. Gota Yamashita in the welterweight division. The remaining four fights are kickboxing bouts: Taiga Kawabe will fight Yuma Yamahata, Yuma Yamaguchi is scheduled to fight Shohei Asahara, Hidenori Ebata will take on Isami Sano and Jin Mandokoro is set to go up against Syuto Sato. A fight between Kotetsu Boku and Rikuto Shirakawa was later added to the card.
Results Rizin 25 Weight Class Method Round T.Time NotesFeatherweight 66 kg Yutaka Saitodef. Mikuru AsakuraDecision (Unanimous)315:00For the inaugural Rizin Featherweight ChampionshipBantamweight 61 kg Hiromasa Ougikubodef. Kenta TakizawaDecision (Unanimous)315:00Welterweight 77 kg Ryuichiro Sumimuradef. Gota YamashitaDecision (Split)315:00Flyweight 57 kg Tatsuki Saomotodef. Daichi KitakataDecision (Unanimous)315:00Exhibition Roberto de Souza Kleber Koike Erbst Hari Sakamoto Misaki Akita Grappling Demonstration IntermissionFeatherweight 66 kg Kyohei Hagiwaradef. Yojiro UchimuraKO (Punches and Foot Stomp)10:22Catchweight 60.5 kg Taiga Kawabedef. Yuma YamahataDecision (Unanimous)39:00KickboxingCatchweight 83 kg Isami Sanodef. Hidenori EbataDecision (Unanimous)39:00KickboxingFeatherweight 66 kg Rikuto Shirakawadef. Kotetsu BokuTKO (Punches and Soccer Kick)314:19Catchweight 53 kg Jin Mandokorodef. Syuto SatoDecision (Unanimous)39:00KickboxingCatchweight 63 kg Shohei Asaharadef. Yuma YamaguchiTKO (Punches)38:59Kickboxing
Rizin 26 – Saitama
Rizin 26 – Saitama was a combat sport event held by Rizin Fighting Federation on December 31, 2020 at the Saitama Super Arena in Saitama, Japan.
Background The card was headlined by a rematch for the Rizin bantamweight championship, in his first title defense the reigning bantamweight champion Kai Asakura has met the former champion Kyoji Horiguchi. The two met previously in a non-title bout, with Asakura winning by knockout.
Olympic silver medalist Shinobu Ota, has signed with Rizin Fighting Championship, he made his MMA debut against the veteran Hideo Tokoro.
Former RIZIN Super Atomweight champion Ayaka Hamasaki was set to fight Miyuu Yamamoto for the vacant Super Atomweight title.
Tenshin Nasukawa was scheduled to fight Kumandoi Phetjaroenvit, while Takanori Gomi was scheduled to fight Koji under special standup rules. Gomi's weight limit was 75 kg and Koji's 65 kg. The rules of the bout forbid grappling and kicking, while both fighters wore 12oz gloves.
Sakura Mori missed weight for her atomweight bout with Eru Takebayashi by 1.7 kg.
Results Rizin 26 Weight Class Method Round T.Time NotesBantamweight 61 kg Kyoji Horiguchidef. Kai Asakura (c)TKO (Punches)12:48For the Rizin Bantamweight ChampionshipCatchweight 57 kg Tenshin Nasukawadef. Kumandoi PetcharoenvitDecision (Unanimous)39:00KickboxingCatchweight 68 kg Mikuru Asakuradef. Satoshi YamasuKO (Head Kick and Punches)14:20Catchweight 75 kg Takanori Gomidef. Koji TanakaDecision (Majority)39:00Special Standing Bout RulesW.Super Atomweight 49 kg Ayaka Hamasakidef. Miyuu YamamotoSubmission (Head Scissors Choke)11:42For the Vacant Rizin Super Atomweight Championship IntermissionBantamweight 61 kg Naoki Inouedef. Yuki MotoyaSubmission (Rear-Naked Choke)13:00Catchweight 67 kg Kleber Koike Erbstdef. Kyle AguonTechnical Submission (Brabo Choke)14:21Catchweight 68 kg Kyohei Hagiwaradef. Ren HiramotoTKO (Corner Stoppage)21:29Bantamweight 61 kg Hideo Tokorodef. Shinobu OtaSubmission (Armbar)22:23 IntermissionCatchweight 50 kg Nadaka Yoshinaridef. Phetmalai PhetjaroenvitKO (Elbow)12:19KickboxingBantamweight 61 kg Ulka Sasakidef. Kenta TakizawaDecision (Unanimous)35:00W.Super Atomweight 49 kg Kanna Asakuradef. Ai ShimizuDecision (Unanimous)35:00Openweight Atsushi Saitodef. Hiroya KawabeSubmission (Armbar)26:00Special Rulesoriginally a draw was overturned by Rizin officialsCatchweight 63 kg Kazuma Kuramoto def. Taiyo NakaharaKO (Soccer Kicks)12:12Heavyweight 120 kg Tsuyoshi Sudariodef. Ikuhisa MinowaTKO (Leg Injury)13:17W.Catchweight 52.7 kg Sakura Mori - Eru TakebayashiSubmission (Armbar)11:37No Contest due to Mori missing weight by 1.7 kg.
See also 2020 in UFC Bellator MMA in 2020 2020 in ONE Championship 2020 in Konfrontacja Sztuk Walki 2020 in Absolute Championship Akhmat 2020 in Road FC
References
External links Official event