Kai Asakura reclaims Rizin bantamweight championship with vicious knockout of Juan Archuleta at Rizin 45
Japan has always been known for putting on epic New Years events, and this year was no different at Rizin 45 where two new world champions were crowned following a night of 12 stunning finishes.
Just before the main event of the evening where Kyoji Horiguchi won the inaugural Rizin flyweight championship, a bantamweight title bout took place in the co-main event between former Rizin bantamweight champion Kai Asakura (21-4) and former Bellator bantamweight champion Juan Archuleta (29-5).
Archuleta went into the weigh ins yesterday as the Rizin bantamweight champion as well. However, he was stripped of the title, making Asakura the only eligible participant to win it, as a result of missing weight.
No less, Asakura stopped Archuleta at 3:20 of round two with a vicious knee to the body, folding the former champion in his tracks. This marked the 21st victory of Asakura’s professional career, his 16th via finish, and his 13th via knockout.
The finish in slow motion!
📡 Watch on @FITEtv !🔻https://t.co/eEpfmslhPp pic.twitter.com/zEJwkpI1eE
— RIZIN FF English (@rizin_English) December 31, 2023
Archuleta was also a four-division champion in KOTC that came into the bout on a four-fight win streak.
What’s more, Asakura boasts a win over each man that has ever defeated him:
His first defeat came to Jae Hoon Moon, which he avenged 18 months later. His second defeat came to Manel Kape, who he previously defeated a little over a year prior. His third defeat came to Kyoji Horiguchi, who he had also previously defeated, and finished, and his fourth defeat came to Hiromasa Ougikubo, who, like the other three, he’d defeated prior.
The Moon defeat came early in his career, Kape is a former Rizin bantamweight champion that currently sits atop the UFC’s flyweight division, Horiguchi is a former Shooto bantamweight champion, two-time Rizin bantamweight champion, Bellator bantamweight champion, and just won the Rizin flyweight championship. Then Ougikubo, the last man to defeat him, is a former Shooto bantamweight and featherweight champion, as well as the Rizin 2021 bantamweight Gran Prix winner that boasts a win over current UFC flyweight champion Alexandre Pantoja.
For someone that’s never fought in the UFC before, that’s a talent-stacked resume for the 30-year-old two-time Rizin bantamweight champion.
Who would you like to see Kai Asakura face in his first title defense, perhaps a trilogy, champion versus champion bout with Kyoji Horiguchi?
If you enjoyed this piece, feel free to share it on social media!
