Ayaka
Hamasaki will face Kanna
Asakura for a second time with the atomweight championship on
the line at Rizin Fighting Federation 27.
The Japanese promotion recently announced the pairing, which will
headline its first event of 2021. Rizin 27 takes place on March 21
at Nippon Gaishi Hall in Nagoya, Japan. According to a release,
5,000 spectators will be allowed to attend.
Nine other bouts were also confirmed for the event: Roberto de
Souza vs. Kazuki
Tokudome at lightweight; Tsuyoshi
Sudario vs. Kazushi Miyamoto at heavyweight; Kleber
Koike Erbst vs. Kazumasa
Majima at featherweight; Koji Takeda
vs. Takasuke
Kume at lightweight; Tetsuya
Seki vs. Yoshinori
Horie at featherweight; Shooto Watanabe vs. Takumi
Tamaru at bantamweight; Kazuma Sone
vs. Hiroki
Yamashita at bantamweight; Yutaro
Muramoto vs. Seigo
Yamamoto at flyweight and Kohei
Sugiyama vs. Yuki Ito at
flyweight.
Hamasaki and Asakura initially squared off for the vacant
atomweight belt at Rizin 14, with Hamasaki winning via armbar in
the second round. Hamasaki has won four of her five bouts under the
Rizin banner since then, falling only to Seo Hee Ham
in December 2019. The 38-year-old regained the vacant title with a
spectacular leg scissor choke tapout of Miyuu
Yamamoto at Rizin 26 this past New Year’s Eve.
“I’m honored to be able to fight in Nagoya once again. I look
forward to putting on a main event caliber performance,” Hamasaki
said. “I will show that the world’s best atomweight is here in
Rizin. Asakura hasn’t improved much in the past two years. She has
a great takedown, but has nothing from there.”
Asakura, 23, enters the rematch on a four-bout winning streak. The
Paraestra Matsudo representative last appeared at Rizin 26, where
she outpointed Ai Shimizu.
The former Rizin atomweight grand prix winner has been victorious
in 18 of 22 professional outings.
“I’m happy to be able to challenge Hamasaki again. I don’t know
what you all think, but I am confident that I have what it takes to
beat Hamasaki.”