PhotoCred: RIZIN
RIZIN 27: Hamasaki vs. Asakura 2 – Live Results, Recaps, and Highlights
The title is on the line once again at RIZIN 27. It’s the rematch, Ayaka Hamasaki vs. Kanna Asakura 2 as the RIZIN 2021 calendar begins.
Leading up to that pivotal clash at 108-pounds, we’ll see many of Japan’s finest faces back in action. Most notably, there are a handful of exciting debuts such as Yoshinori Horie, Takumi Tamaru, and one half of the co-main event, Kazuki Tokudome. Standing in the ex-UFC and ONE Championship athlete will be one of the top contenders, Roberto “Satoshi” de Souza who looks to hang onto his top spot as he awaits the returning Tofiq Musayev.
All that and plenty more live from Nagoya inside the Nippon Gaishi Hall.
MyMMANews has you covered with all of the fight summaries, results, and highlights as they happen. The event can be watched live: here.
RIZIN 27 results below:
Flyweight – 125lbs: Kohei Sugiyama vs. Yuki Ito
Round 1
Ito connects after an extremely brief feeling out process and ends it with a straight left hand. That’s how we start a show.
https://twitter.com/rizin_English/status/1373513642205929475
Result: Yuki Itoh def. Kohei Sugiyama via first-round knockout (punch)
Kickboxing: Catchweight – 125lbs: Ryota Naito vs. Hiroki
Round 1
Hiroki starts the action with a healthy serving of kicks low and high. Naito attempted to return fire but couldn’t find anything too significant. As the punch combinations started entering the mix from Hiroki, he snuck back in the leg kicks. Round ends with Naito getting off a mix of punches and kicks to the body and leg.
Round 2
Hiroki starts fast with another fast kick combo before trading leather with Naito up high. Naito began backing Hiroki up with low kicks and a flurry of straight punches. A nice left hook for Naito landed and he kept active using his distance by push-kicking Hiroki. Hiroki was starting to have to attempt counters as Naito’s pace never let up.
Round 3
Hiroki began fast once again but Naito matched it and continued pressing forward with a nonstop attack. Hiroki threw low kicks of his own in tight but was taking some to give some. Kick after kick, Naito was throwing punches at the end of his kick flurries. Hiroki found a big left late but Naito survived and fought forward consistently.
Result: Ryoto Naito def. Hiroki via unanimous decision
Kickboxing: Catchweight – 141lbs: Riki Sakurai vs. Riku Yoshida
Round 1
Yoshida scored a nice head kick immediately only to get dropped with a big left hand afterward. Sakurai came in hot and pummeled Yoshida to get the TKO.
https://twitter.com/MikeLovesTacosX/status/1373519431360512000
Results: Riki Sakurai fights to a no contest vs. Riku Yoshida (originally first-round TKO from punches for Sakurai but Sakurai missed weight)
Kickboxing: Catchweight – 116lbs: Syuto Sato vs. Masayoshi Kunimoto
Round 1
Sato found his kicks a home early. Advancing heavily, his left hand was connecting but he started eating some for his troubles. An overhand right from Sato sneaks its way over the guard in succession. Kunimoto started to plant some leg kicks on his opposition as the round concluded.
Round 2
Kunimoto upped the ante and really started dealing out leg kicks and shortly after landed a front kick. Attacking in with a front kick of his own, Sato followed it with a knee that grazed the face of Kunimoto. Exchanging in tight, Kunimoto was getting his punches in while Sato’s body kicks were getting through. A heavy leg kick dropped Sato at the bell.
Round 3
Kunimoto continued with his leg kicks and followed them with two-punch combos. Sato started going for some spinning back fists which weren’t all too surprising. Kunimoto’s leg kicks started taking their toll before he went back to the front kicks to the face. Late trading from both men saw Sato’s back to the ropes as he landed a big overhand right as they separated.
Results: Masayoshi Kunimoto vs. Syuto Sato ends in a draw
Flyweight: Yutaro Muramoto vs. Seigo Yamamoto
Round 1
Muramoto started the action with some leg kicks before rushing in and got clipped briefly. Yamamoto landed a nice step knee that cost him a takedown. Bouncing up soon after, he took back the center of the ring. Attacking forward with a pair of flying knees, Yamamoto ate a big punch mid-air that put his lights out just like Fedor vs. Arlovski.
Fedor vs. Arlovski vibespic.twitter.com/GL7xmCqlzO
— Alex Behunin (@AlexBehunin) March 21, 2021
Result: Yutaro Muramoto def. Seigo Yamamoto via first-round knockout (punch)
Bantamweight – 135lbs: Shooto Watanabe vs. Takumi Tamaru
Round 1
Tamaru starts the action with a head kick which Watanabe catches and turns into a body lock takedown. Tamaru in guard looked to get up with a guillotine while landing short elbows and heels. Finding the opening to sweep, Tamaru got onto Watanabe’s back briefly as the two got to their feet. Watanabe staying in tight brought things back to the mat giving Tamaru the opportunity to scramble and get back on Watanabe’s back to land ground and pound and attempt a rear-naked choke. Watanabe survived.
Round 2
Watanabe opens the middle round with an inside leg kick. A left hook from Tamaru landed as he pressed forward but getting into the pocket gave Watanabe a chance to drag him back to the mat where he was now on the back. Controlling comfortably, Watanabe was landing minimal punches to keep Tamaru thinking. Finding an opening, Watanabe snuck on the rear-naked choke and forced the tap.
https://twitter.com/MikeLovesTacosX/status/1373531416076677125
Result: Shooto Watanabe def. Takumi Tamaru via second-round submission (rear-naked choke)
Bantamweight: Kazuma Sone vs. Hiroki “Shian” Yamashita
Round 1
Sone stormed forward with a right-hand takedown into the corner that gets defended by Shian as he lands a monster left hook and that’s a wrap.
Shian quick af with it #RIZIN27 pic.twitter.com/xoMJFChJVC
— Pucc0 (@ppucc0) March 21, 2021
Result: Shian def. Kazuma Sone via first-round knockout (punch)
Featherweight – 145lbs: Tetsuya Seki vs. Yoshinori Horie
Round 1
Horie begins fast and his right-hand starts sticking to Seki up high. Catching a knee to the midsection, Horie drove Seki to the ropes and started working some foot stomps as he aimed for a takedown. Horie ripped a left to the body followed by an outside leg kick. A Seki head kick was blocked and preceded a half-hearted takedown. As they separated, things went back to being a range battle with Horie dictating Seki against the ropes. Shooting in, Horie gets the takedown in the corner.
Round 2
Seki started round two off with a nice pair of kicks to the body but remained with his back to the ropes looking to circle. Horie lands two good shots to the body and head only to have Seki rush forward and stagger him briefly with a punch. Recovering in the clinch, Horie broke off and landed a good right of his own up high. Pursuing a double leg, Horie attacked forward to no avail. Clean rights were traded from each as Seki’s range and confidence had seemed to improve by this point. A straight right from Horie gets through.
Round 3
Horie connects with a quick 1-2. Mixing in some calf-kicks, Horie was doing damage to his opponent’s lead leg. Exchanging in close, Seki snapped Horie’s head back but shortly after finds himself flattened with a big right hand, and follow up ground and pound stops it.
https://twitter.com/streetfitebncho/status/1373540672058298369
Results: Yoshinori Horie def. Tetsuya Seki via third-round knockout (punches)
Kickboxing: Bantamweight: Taiga Kawabe vs. Kanta Motoyama
Round 1
Motoyama comes in quickly using kicks to start his combinations. Taiga catches him with a sneaky right hand on a short clinch break. Motoyama began really absorbing bombs as Taiga turned up the heat with his punches to the head and body. A nice knee from Motoyama lands but Taiga was unphased.
Round 2
Motoyama gets right on the offensive with a left straight. Pressing forward landing a punch, Taiga took a big one himself. Continuing to press forward, Taiga started to eat more punches regardless. Slowly, the RIZIN notable began working in his patented leg kicks. Taiga takes a head kick but fires back with solid punches as the round closes.
Round 3
Instantly, Motoyama starts hunting Taiga but Taiga isn’t going away, punch after punch begins to land for each. Ducking under to deliver, Taiga connects with a hook as he absorbs one. A monstrous left found a home on Motoyama but he stayed upright. Swinging for the fences, Taiga began to land at will until the pace slowed. Left after left from Taiga was giving Motoyama trouble. Bell sounds.
Results: Taiga Kawabe def. Kanta Motoyama via unanimous decision
Heavyweight – 207-265lbs: Tsuyoshi Sudario vs. Kazushi Miyamoto
Round 1
Miyamoto rushes forward instantly and just eats punches. On the get-up, Sudario lands a clean bomb and it’s over. An angry Sudario continued to pummel despite the fight being over.
Sudario JFC #RIZIN27 pic.twitter.com/rakWIuUJrd
— Pucc0 (@ppucc0) March 21, 2021
Results: Tsuyoshi Sudario def. Kazushi Miyamoto via first-round knockout (punch)
Featherweight: Kleber Koike Erbst vs. Kazumasa Majima
Round 1
Koike landed a head kick quick and Majima went for a low takedown that was met with a knee. Defending momentarily, Majima dragged the former KSW champ to the ground. Working from the guard, Majima backed Koike into the corner. Round ends with a foot stomp from Majima as Koike throws out some up kicks.
Round 2
An early shot from Majima led to a guillotine attempt from Koike. Majima fought it off and continued with the takedown only to get caught in a triangle and forced to tap.
https://twitter.com/rizin_English/status/1373567833255374848
Results: Kleber Koike Erbst def. Kazumasa Majima via second-round submission (triangle)
Lightweight – 155lbs: Koji Takeda vs. Takasuke Kume
Round 1
Kume swung loosely early and landed a clean hook before seeking the underhooks. Going for a body lock, Takeda let Kume escape. Each man unloaded in the corner before exchanging against the ropes. Kume’s left hand started connecting in succession.
Round 2
Kume attacked early with a thwarted single leg. Hook after hook landed as each man traded and Takeda went for another body lock toss but it went nowhere. Continually exchanging, each man was taking shots with ease. Takeda catches Kume while he’s throwing a kick then another punch lands on the way up. A stiff jab for Takeda finds a home. Round ends with Takeda controlling Kume in the corner.
Round 3
A quick start for each man saw them each connect. Throwing wildly, Takeda drops Kume and follows him to the ground. Kume survived as they got back to the center of the ring. Takeda dictated the exchange and pushed Kume in to the corner. Big german suplex lands for Takeda before a stomp attempt. A short right behind the ear caught Takeda. Kume finds the jab and starts to follow it with good hooks. Fight ends with Takeda coming forward.
https://twitter.com/MikeLovesTacosX/status/1373572659255128066
Results: Koji Takeda def. Takasuke Kume via unanimous decision
Lightweight: Roberto “Satoshi” de Souza vs. Kazuki Tokudome
Round 1
Leg kick for Satoshi starts the action as Tokudome quickly gets the body lock to get the takedown. Tokudome gets trapped in a super deep triangle. Just like his teammate in Koike, Satoshi forces the tap.
https://twitter.com/_Notorious_UFC/status/1373575601810984960
Results: Roberto “Satoshi” de Souza def. Kazuki Tokudome via first-round submission (triangle)
Super Atomweight – 108lbs: (C)Ayaka Hamasaki vs. Kanna Asakura
Round 1
A quick leg kick from Hamasaki leads to a short flurry before a Hamasaki knee lands low causing a break in the action. Hamasaki started to lead the dance as both fighters traded bombs. Eventually, Hamasaki finds the takedown in the corner to work ground and pound. Hamasaki started to land knees to the head before Asakura turned and picked up Hamasaki for a quick slam. A small bruising near the eye from Asakura paused the action. Hamasaki instantly got back to pouring on the pressure with combinations. Clean right from Hamasaki lands as she began picking her shots more. Hamasaki connects with a quick combo before Asakura fires back.
Hamasaki with a great flurry #RIZIN27 pic.twitter.com/qsyf8eCm4f
— Pucc0 (@ppucc0) March 21, 2021
— ExhaustedMMAFan (@AcidHaze) March 21, 2021
Round 2
Round two saw a patient approach as they traded straight punches. Hamasaki attacked forward leading to Asakura pushing away with her leg only to stumble to the ground landing Hamasaki in half guard. Hanging onto a kimura, Hamasaki found herself flipped over to land in full guard. A sneaky stomp lands for Asakura before they get back to their feet. Hanging on to a loose guillotine, Asakura scores a takedown. Seeking yet another kimura, Hamasaki couldn’t get it and ends the round under mount.
https://twitter.com/streetfitebncho/status/1373589674766315523
Round 3
The final round began patiently as each fighter picked their leg kicks and jabs. Asakura was starting to control the pace and connecting but taking counters from the champion. Seeking a takedown, Hamasaki defends with another arm lock but Asakura fights it off. Fight concludes.
https://twitter.com/rizin_English/status/1373597891768549378
Results: Ayaka Hamasaki def. Kanna Asakura via split decision
