Rizin Fighting Federation’s annual New Year’s Eve extravaganza will
include a pair of championship bouts.
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The Japanese promotion recently announced that Juan
Archuleta will face Kai Asakura
for the bantamweight crown, while Kyoji
Horiguchi will square off against Makoto
Takahashi in a rematch for the flyweight strap at Rizin
45 on Dec. 31.
Rizin 45 takes place at Saitama Super Arena in Saitama, Japan, and
will also include a featherweight scrap pitting Kleber
Koike Erbst against Yutaka
Saito and a flyweight showdown between Hiromasa
Ougikubo and John
Dodson.
A former Bellator 135-pound title holder, Archuleta claimed Rizin
gold with a three-round verdict against Ougikubo at Super Rizin 2
on July 30. “The Spaniard” has won four straight contests —
including three under the Rizin banner.
Asakura, meanwhile, has been victorious in four of his last five
Rizin appearances. Most recently, the 29-year-old Japan Top Team
representative scored a third-round knockout of Yuki Motoya
at Rizin 42 on May 6.
Horiguchi is a former Bellator bantamweight champion and UFC
flyweight title challenger. The 33-year-old American Top Team
product took a two-bout winning streak into his most recent outing,
when the clash against Takahasi at Bellator vs. Rizin 2 ended via
no contest in just 25 seconds due to an accidental eye poke.
Prior to his abbreviated first meeting with Horiguchi, Takahasi had
been victorious in 10 straight fights. During that stretch, the
23-year-old known as “Shinryu” earned wins in Rizin, Bellator, Deep
and Cage Fury Fighting Championships.