Kyoji Horiguchi Captures Flyweight Title with Second-Round RNC at Rizin FF 45

By Martial Arts Videos December 31, 2023
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Following a disappointing 25-second no contest in July, Kyoji
Horiguchi settled the score in his rematch with Makoto
Takahashi at Rizin
Fighting Federation 45 in Saitama, Japan. Horiguchi finished
Takahashi with a second-round rear-naked choke to become the
inaugural Rizin flyweight champion in the night’s main event.

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Horiguchi (32-5, 1 NC; 13-1 Rizin) countered an early takedown from
Takahashi (16-2-1, 1 NC; 3-1 Rizin) with three guillotine choke
attempts. Takahashi escaped each time and took Horiguchi’s back as
the fighters rose to their feet. Horiguchi landed back elbow
strikes until Takahashi tried for a rear-naked choke late in the
competitive round.

The second round began with another early guillotine choke from
Horiguchi. Takahashi freed his neck and the fighters battled
against a corner post until Horiguchi took Takahashi’s back and
sunk in a tight rear-naked choke. Takahashi tapped out at the 3:44
mark of Round 2, crowning Horiguchi as the first Rizin flyweight
champion. Horiguchi celebrated his victory by proposing in the ring
to his girlfriend, who said yes.

The co-main event was initially scheduled to be a bantamweight
title defense for Juan
Archuleta, but that changed when he missed weight by six pounds
during weigh-ins and was stripped of his title. After extensive
negotiations, it was agreed that Archuleta’s fight against Kai Asakura
– who made weight – would proceed only if Archuleta weighed no more
than 150 pounds one hour before the fight was to begin. Asakura was
still eligible to win the bantamweight title while Archuleta’s best
hope was for a no contest.

Seconds into the fight, Asakura (21-4, 13-3 Rizin) was dropped by
Archuleta (29-5, 3-1 Rizin), but he survived the initial storm and
scored a crucial takedown that allowed him to rack up some ground
control time. On the feet, Asakura stunned Archuleta with a counter
hook and Archuleta was given a yellow card when he landed three
punches after the bell.

The second round was an even one until Asakura landed a
perfectly-timed counter knee to Archuleta’s chest as Archuleta shot
in for a takedown. Archuleta collapsed to the mat and Asakura
followed up with punches for a TKO stoppage at the 3:20 mark of
Round 2. With the victory, Asakura regained the Rizin bantamweight
title that he lost three years ago, and also snapped a three-fight
losing streak in bouts held on New Year’s Eve.

In a bout between two former Rizin featherweight champions,
Kleber
Koike Erbst (32-7-1, 1 NC; 7-2, 1 NC Rizin) choked out Yutaka
Saito (21-8-2, 4-4 Rizin) in the third round.

Koike was warned for repeated groin kicks during an otherwise
uneventful opening round. In the second stanza, both men landed
flailing hammerfists during a prolonged ground battle and Koike
secured a sweep into top position shortly before the bell. Koike
trapped Saito in a brabo choke early in the third round and began
screaming to the crowd. Saito was eventually rendered unconscious
and the fight was stopped at the 1:22 mark of Round 3.

Opening up the main card, Ren
Hiramoto (3-3, 3-3 Rizin) took a well-deserved unanimous
decision win in his featherweight grudge match with Ren
Sugiyama (1-1, 1-1 Rizin).

Both fighters landed hard punches during an action-packed opening
round and Hiramoto staggered Sugiyama – better known as “Ya-Man” –
on one occasion. Hiramoto continued to have success with straight
punches while avoiding Sugiyama’s looping strikes, and he cut
Sugiyama above his right eye with a knee in the final round. All
three judges scored the fight for Hiramoto, who rebounded from a
narrow decision loss in April.

During part three of the mammoth card, Rizin champion Seika Izawa
(12-0, 7-0 Rizin) submitted Miyuu
Yamamoto (6-8, 6-8 Rizin) with a no-hooks rear-naked choke at
the 37-second mark of Round 2 in a non-title women’s super
atomweight contest. A retirement ceremony was held for Yamamoto
following the fight. Mikio Ueda
(3-1, 2-1 Rizin) stopped Tsuyoshi
Kamiyama (8-3, 8-3 Rizin) with a knee and punches at the
55-second mark of Round 2 in heavyweight action; Hiromasa
Ougikubo (26-8-2, 8-5 Rizin) earned a unanimous decision win
over John Dodson
(24-14, 2-1 Rizin) at flyweight; Vince
Morales (14-7, 1-0 Rizin) won his bantamweight bout against
Yuki
Motoya (34-11, 1 NC; 10-7, 1 NC Rizin) via unanimous decision;
and Shinobu Ota
(5-3, 5-3 Rizin) knocked out Ryusei
Ashizawa (0-1, 0-1 Rizin) with punches at the 2:21 mark of
Round 1 in another bantamweight clash.

Earlier in the night, Koji Tanaka
(1-0, 1-0 Rizin) stopped Kota Miura
(2-2, 2-2 Rizin) with punches and soccer kicks at the 59-second
mark of Round 2 in a 143-pound catchweight contest; Igor Tanabe
(5-0, 3-0 Rizin) put Shinsho
Anzai (9-6, 0-1 Rizin) to sleep with a modified rear-naked
choke at the 1:32 mark of Round 1 at welterweight; Hiroya
Kondo (9-12-1, 1-2 Rizin) upset two-division Shooto champion
Jo Arai
(13-11-1, 0-1 Rizin) via TKO due to a head kick and punches at the
2:53 mark of Round 2 at flyweight; and lightweight Yuta Kubo
(3-1, 3-1 Rizin) submitted Rukiya Anpo
(0-1, 0-1 Rizin) with a rear-naked choke at the 4:28 mark of Round
1.

On the four-fight preliminary card, Suguru Nii
(14-9, 2-2 Rizin) knocked out Satoshi
Yamasu (12-8, 2-3 Rizin) with a right hook at the 1:03 mark of
Round 2 in featherweight action; Ryujin
Nasukawa (1-0, 1-0 Rizin) rallied to win his 119-pound
catchweight bout against Jong Min
Shin (0-1, 0-1 Rizin) via TKO (punches) at the 2:16 mark of
Round 2; Joe
Hiramoto (1-0, 1-0 Rizin) won his pro MMA debut via unanimous
decision against Yushi
Sakura (3-2, 3-2 Rizin) at bantamweight; and Tatsuki Shinotsuka
defeated Daichi Tomizawa via unanimous decision in a 132-pound
kickboxing match.

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