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Japanese MMA is back in the spotlight this weekend, as RIZIN 42 takes place from the Ariake Arena in Tokyo, Japan this Saturday night. The lengthy 13-bout evening includes a fair share of MMA, along with some kickboxing and also a custom rules bout.
The event comes just one week after RIZIN hosted one of their LANDMARK events, which featured MMA bouts inside a cage. The ring – rarely seen in MMA but synonymous with combat sports – returns this weekend when the promotion puts on a long series of events this weekend. The show includes former and current MMA champions, UFC vets, kickboxers, viral stars like Kota Miura, and much more.
Bantamweight doubleheader headlines RIZIN 42
A pair of high-profile bantamweight bouts are scheduled to headline the evening of fights. In the main event, former RIZIN Bantamweight Champion Kai Asakura will look to follow up on brother Mikuru Asakura’s win from last week with a victory against veteran talent Yuki Motoya. Asakura is coming back after somewhat of a layoff, as his last fight was when he lost the RIZIN Bantamweight Grand Prix Finals on New Year’s Eve 2021.
Juan Archuleta, a former Bellator champion, will go up against UFC alum Naoki Inoue in the co-main event spot of the night. Archuleta prevailed in his RIZIN debut last December, sneaking by Road FC Bantamweight Champion Kim Soo-chul in a split decision outcome. He’ll look to keep that momentum going against one of the most notable bantamweights in the promotion, Inoue.
A champ returns, plus other notable matchups
RIZIN Lightweight Champion Roberto Satoshi Souza is also expected to appear this weekend. He’s aiming to come back from a loss to AJ McKee from New Year’s Eve – a defeat that put an end to Souza’s impressive five-fight winning streak in the promotion. He’s going against three-fight UFC alum Spike Carlyle, who is also aiming to get back into the win column after also losing to the former Bellator champion.
Lower on the card, notable UFC veterans like John Dodson and Ulka Sasaki are also scheduled to appear at RIZIN 42. Erson Yamamoto, one of the names that has fought on RIZIN cards since the early days of the promotion and also a member of the prominent Yamamoto family, will return in a contest against Yuki Ito at flyweight.
And it cannot be ignored that Muay Thai legend Buakaw Banchamek will also compete during the card, taking on former K-1 Super Lightweight Champion Rukiya Anpo. For Anpo, it’s a match that sees him go up against an idol that he looked up to in combat sports. These are just some of the many matches expected to take place overnight at RIZIN 42.
RIZIN 42 Main Card (1 a.m. ET / 2 p.m. JST) (FITE)
Whether you’re following along live or waking up tomorrow to catch results on the show, we’ll have all the info you need right here. Check back throughout the night for results and highlights as the show progresses.
Bantamweight: Kai Asakura def. Yuki Motoya via KO (knee) at 2:22 of Rd 3
Bantamweight: Juan Archuleta def. Naoki Inoue via unanimous decision
Lightweight: Roberto Satoshi Souza def. Spike Carlyle via unanimous decision
Lightweight Kickboxing: Buakaw Banchamek vs. Rukiya Anpo via majority draw
Featherweight Custom Rules Bout: YA-MAN def. Kota Miura via TKO (strikes) at 3:13 in Rd 1
Flyweight: John Dodson def. Tatsuki Saomoto via unanimous decision
Featherweight: Kazumasa Majima def. Takahiro Ashida via submission (von flue choke) at 4:43 in Rd 1
Featherweight: Ulka Sasaki def. Boyd Allen via unanimous decision
Lightweight: Viktor Kolesnik def. Atsushi Kishimoto via TKO (leg kicks) at 2:30 in Rd 2
Flyweight: Erson Yamamoto def. Yuki Ito via unanimous decision
Featherweight: Takeji Yokoyama def. Takuya Yamamoto via Submission (armbar) at 1:24 in Rd 1
Flyweight: Ramazan Temurov def. Yuta Hamamoto via TKO (punches) at 4:06 in Rd 1
Catchweight 152 lbs. Kickboxing: Sota Kimura def. Yasuhiro Kido via unanimous decision
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