Rizin FF Girls’s Tremendous Atomweight Champion Seika Izawa retained her title and despatched a stern message to her possible subsequent challenger tonight at Rizin Combating Federation: “Landmark Vol. 12” in Kobe, Hyogo, Japan. Izawa defeated Saori “Little Big” Oshima in tonight’s 49kg co-main occasion.
Proper from the opening bell, Izawa was a step forward of Deep and Deep Jewels microweight champ Oshima, who suffered her first Rizin defeat in disappointing vogue. Additionally on tonight’s primary card, Keito “Kate Lotus” Oyama outpointed the beforehand unbeaten Bo Mi Lee in a 50kg bout.
Izawa (17-0-0) received off to a powerful begin by touchdown a entrance kick to the physique and a lead left hook, and she or he dropped Oshima (15-7-0) with a second left hand. Oshima stood and Izawa landed a flurry of punches and one other physique kick. She completed the spherical by touchdown 4 extra punches and a knee. Izawa held Oshima in a ninja choke and kneed her within the face within the second spherical. She took Oshima down into again management, then stood over her and soccer kicked Oshima within the face. On the ft, Izawa repeatedly kneed Oshima’s face after which pulled her to the mat with a guillotine. Oshima tried to counter with a heel hook, however time expired.
Within the remaining spherical, Izawa jabbed till Oshima shot for a takedown with two minutes to go. Izawa simply stuffed it and she or he landed a four-punch combo. Oshima lastly received Izawa down with seconds to go, however it was too little, too late. All three judges scored the battle in favour of Izawa for a Unanimous Choice victory and one other profitable title defence.
Put up-fight, Izawa started chatting with the viewers within the cage till Rizin CEO Nobuyuki Sakakibara entered to say that he plans to rebook a battle between Izawa and Rena Kubota for New 12 months’s Eve. The bout had already been focused for a number of earlier Rizin occasions, however it fell aside every time and Izawa spoke out earlier this yr about her disdain for Kubota, whom she accused of operating from her.
“[Oshima] was opponent,” Izawa acknowledged backstage following tonight’s title retention. “I believed she would surrender, however she had guts. I needed to indicate off my hanging enhancements, so I didn’t take her down when there have been alternatives within the first two rounds in order that I might showcase my strikes.”
When requested about her deliberate New 12 months’s Eve foe, Izawa merely replied: “I’ll smash Rena.”
Seika Izawa (left) and Saori Oshima (proper) following “Landmark Vol. 12.”
Oyama (9-7-0) harm Lee (3-1-0) with two early knees to the liver, then adopted up with punches and a head kick earlier than making an attempt a takedown. Lee stayed on her ft, however Oyama landed quite a few kicks and two overhand rights earlier than the top of the opening spherical. Lee did get a really temporary takedown halfway by way of the second spherical, however she was not capable of land something vital as Oyama circled and stayed exterior of her hanging vary. Oyama landed straight left palms and kicks to Lee’s leg and physique.
Lee lastly landed a powerful mixture early in spherical three, and Oyama responded with an elbow and a lead proper hook. Lee opened a minimize beside Oyama’s left eye with a punch. Oyama was undeterred and she or he attacked Lee’s midsection with extra laborious knees through the remaining 90 seconds. The judges returned a Unanimous Choice verdict for the extremely fashionable Oyama, who has now received 4 straight fights.
“I didn’t carry out battle,” Oyama mentioned backstage as she was crucial of her win. “I deliberate to create distance and outbox her, however I felt that I used to be too nervous. I need to be a fighter who can constantly get finishes, however I nonetheless have distance to cowl with a view to grow to be a title challenger.”
Keito “Kate Lotus” Oyama (left) and Bo Mi Lee (proper) following “Landmark Vol. 12.”
On the early preliminary card, 17-year-old Noeru “Noel” Narita (3-2-0) earned her first Rizin victory by submitting Misaki “Iruka Umisaki” Suda (2-1-0) with a second-round armbar in 49kg motion.
Narita received one takedown within the first spherical, however the clinch battles had been received by Suda, who landed a number of knees whereas Narita did little or no injury. The spherical ended with Suda on high and hanging from Narita’s guard. Narita continued to pursue a takedown in spherical two till she received Suda down into mount, then spun into an armbar for the faucet on the 2:46 mark of the second stanza. The win received Narita again on monitor after she sustained a one-sided submission loss herself in her July Rizin debut.
