Unfortunately, one of the most anticipated fights taking place this weekend in Japan at RIZIN 10 has been scrapped.
Multi-division Top FC and Kunlun Fight title-holder, Weili Zhang (16-1) has been forced to withdraw from RIZIN 10. This due to suffering an injury on her left shoulder during training camp.
So now, high-level wrestler and judoka; Kanako Murata draws former TUF 23 competitor Lanchana Green.
Kanako Murata gets new opponent for RIZIN 10 after Zhang injures shoulder
Murata (6-1) is very well-versed in judo and wrestling despite being just 24-years-old. After looking up to Saori Yoshida in high school – one of most well-respected female wrestlers of all time – Murata faced Yoshida during the National Games in 2011. Murata was up on points on her idol until the very last minute.
She made her highly anticipated MMA debut in 2016, competing for RIZIN, King of the Cage, and Shoot Boxing all in her first calendar year. In her debut year, she won four-straight, beating names like Kyra Batara and Natalya Denisova in the process. She closed out the year after a stellar four-fight run, losing the first fight of her young career to UFC, Pancrase veteran Rin Nakai.
Since the sole loss of her career, Murata has remained in solid form, dominating Claire Fryer and Yukari Nabe. Her return to RIZIN this weekend will be her first fight with the promotion since the December 2016 loss to Nakai.
Opposite her will be Made 4 The Cage strawweight contender Lanchana Green (1-1-1), who fights out of Darlington, England.
Green joined The Ultimate Fighter 26 with a record of just 0-1 as a professional. Overlooked from the start, Lanchana Green was the last female pick for Team Claudia. This was despite the fact Green put on a stellar performance in the preliminary round, stopping Invicta FC mainstay Ashley Cummins.
In the quarter-finals, Green defeated Helen Harper before losing to current UFC strawweight Ashley Cooper in the semi-finals. After TUF, Green returned to UK-based M4TC, fighting to a majority draw against Bryony Tyrell before picking up her first real win as a pro against Sofie Langsford late last year.
RIZIN 10 goes down this weekend, late Saturday night / early Sunday morning live from the Marine Messe Fukuoka in Fukuoka, Japan.
The injury to Zhang is undoubtedly a large hit to the fight card, but credit to Lanchana Green for stepping on short-notice. Check out the final fight card below.
Kyoji Horiguchi vs. Ian McCall
Tenshin Nasukawa vs. Yusaku Nakamura
–INTERMISSION–
Kanna Asakura vs. Melissa Karagianis
Yusuke Yachi vs. Diego Nunes
Daron Cruickshank vs. Koshi Matsumoto
Issei Ishii vs. Daishin Sakai
–INTERMISSION–
Manel Kape vs. Kai Asakura
Ayaka Hamasaki vs. Alyssa Garcia
Ante Delija vs. Ricardo Prasel
Jairzinho Rozenstruik vs. Andrey Kovalev
Kanako Murata vs. Lanchana Green
Tomohiro Kitai vs. Kurogi Darvish
