The upcoming Rizin
24 card has gained two intriguing matchups.


Rizin Fighting Federation announced Tuesday that Kai Asakura
is fighting Shoji
Maruyama in a bantamweight non-title match and Rena Kubota
is clashing with Emi
Tomimatsu in a women’s strawweight showdown.

Asakura (15-2) made a name for himself after scoring a
highlight-reel first-round KO victory against former Rizin and
Bellator
MMA 135-pound champion Kyoji
Horiguchi in their non-title encounter that went down at Rizin
18. Shortly after, Asakura smashed UFC vet Ulka Sasaki in the
first-round at Rizin 19. He then managed to win the divisional
championship against Hiromasa
Ougikubo at Rizin 23, after failing his first title defense
against Manel Kape
in December 2019.

Rizin newcomer Maruyama (16-12-1) is 1-2 in his latest appearances,
losing to both Koichi
Ishizuka and Takeya
Mizugaki via KO and decision, respectively. However he managed
to bounce back on track after scoring a third-round TKO of Makoto
Kamaya.

Former Shoot Boxing women’s flyweight champion Rena (10-3) has
recently earned a third-round TKO victory over Lindsey
VanZandt at Rizin 20. The two fighters have already locked
horns once, as VanZandt rendered the Japanese opponent unconscious
thanks to a rear-naked choke at Bellator 222.

Tomimatsu (15-16) will make her Rizin debut.

Rizin 24 will go down at the famed Saitama Super Arena in Saitama,
Japan, on Sept. 27. The main event will feature a kickboxing clash
between Tenshin
Nasukawa and Koji Tanaka.

IMAK ADMIN

By IMAK ADMIN

Internationaler Kampfkunst und Kampfsport Kleinanzeiger