本日、ハワイ州庁舎にグレン・ワカイ上院議員を表敬訪問し、来年に開催を目指すハワイ大会への協力をお願いして来ました！
全面的にサポートをして頂ける確約を頂きましたよ！ pic.twitter.com/xfa3QiNypV— NOBUYUKI SAKAKIBARA (@nobu_sakakibara)
September 1, 2022
Rizin Fighting Federation plans on expanding its reach next
year.
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The Japanese promotion announced during a press conference in
Hawaii that it plans on holding an event in the Aloha State
sometime in 2023. An exact date and venue were not specified. The
event was attended by Rizin CEO Nobuyuki Sakakibara along with a
trio of notable fighters with Hawaiian roots: Enson Inoue,
Egan
Inoue and B.J. Penn.
“Starting today, we will attempt to host RIZIN’s first
international event here in Hawaii, next year,” Sakakibara said.
“Of course, we understand that RIZIN is still not a common name,
but we will do our best to become the most dynamic and dramatic
combat sports event in Hawaii.”
Penn, a UFC Hall of Famer who fought in his home state early in his
MMA career at Rumble on the Rock and K-1 Events, praised those
involved for attempting to bring a major card to Hawaii.
“I want to thank everybody for coming out here today and supporting
mixed martial arts. I want to give a very big ‘thank you’ to
Sakakibara for putting this event on and for looking towards Hawaii
as a place to hold many future events,” Penn said. “ I’m very glad
that the fighters in Hawaii will get this opportunity to showcase
their talents.
“I want to thank Enson Inoue for
having me involved in this event. Enson is a big inspiration to my
career and Hawaiian mixed martial arts period. I’ve known him since
I was 10 years old, watching him fight in Japan and America, in the
UFC. It’s done wonders for everybody in Hawaii. Thank you Enson for
all that you’ve done for us. Thank you to all the fans and thank
you to everybody for coming out here. Thank you Rizin, we expect
great things from you guys. I will be supporting you,
Sakakibara.”
While details regarding a proposed Hawaiian event were scarce,
Sakakibara implied that the organization will receive support from
Bellator president Scott Coker and former boxing champion Floyd
Mayweather in this endeavor. Bellator has held multiple events
in Hawaii over the years, most recently for a pair of cards at Neil
S. Blaisdell Center in Honolulu on April 22 and 23. Mayweather,
meanwhile is slated to face Mikuru
Asakura in an exhibition bout under the Rizin banner on Sept.
25.
“We would like to make the Rizin Hawaii events, one of the greatest
and most exciting events,” Sakakibara said. “With the support of an
old friend, Bellator CEO Scott Coker and Floyd
Mayweather. We would also like to open up opportunities for the
young athletes and future champions in Hawaii. We’ll start a big
movement starting here in Hawaii. If we bring Rizin events to
Hawaii, many many Japanese people will visit. I would like to thank
Senator Wakai for giving us the chance to hold a press conference
here on this sacred Hula mound on Waikiki Beach. Thank you very
much.”