Last week, Rin Nakai was announced for next month’s RIZIN 11 show, on top of seven fights being announced for August’s RIZIN 12 show.
Fourteen fighters showed up the press conference, and all of them had a message to the media in Japan regarding their opponent, the event, the fight, and more. Even the fighters who weren’t able to make the press conference gave quotes to the media.
RIZIN 11 & RIZIN 12 Fighter Quotes
Rin Nakai vs. Shizuka Sugiyama
Rin Nakai:
“I am truly grateful for the opportunity to fight in RIZIN once again. I have been watching RIZIN on TV and it inspires me every time. Everyone should please come support RIZIN. Come to the event, watch it on TV, and hopefully, you root for me!”
“Sugiyama is a great role model for Japanese women’s MMA, and I really respect her for what she has done. But this is a fight. I am going into that ring to defeat her.”
Shizuka Sugiyama:
“I have had my ups and downs, I have been away from the sport, but I came back. And I am grateful that RIZIN is giving me this opportunity once again. Every time I fight, I go in there thinking that it will be my last fight.”
“I and Rin are about the same age, have a similar experience, yet people seem to think I am the big underdog. I will go in there, take the challenge, and overcome it.”
Yusuke Yachi vs. Bruno Carvalho
Yusuke Yachi:
“I am very honored to be headlining a RIZIN event. I know what I have to do, what I am expected to do, and I will promise to deliver. My opponent is another tough fighter sent from Wanderlei, looking scary and saying creepy things. I will train hard and I will be ready to take on another tough Brazilian striker.”
Bruno Carvalho:
“I train with some of the best strikers in Brazil. I am going to rip Yachi’s head off in Nagoya and bring it back to Brazil.”
King Reina vs. Kaitlin Young
King Reina:
“What is my opponent’s record? I don’t know who she is. I have been working hard on my standup for my upcoming fight with Shoot Boxing. I think this will work perfectly for Kaitlin because I guess she is also a striker. She is older than me. I am better. I can’t see myself losing whatsoever.”
Kaitlin Young:
“I’m very excited to be able to come and fight in Japan. Many of my friends have fought here, and they have nothing but good things to say. So I am very much looking forward to this experience.”
“My opponent is ten years younger than me, but that doesn’t mean I’m not young myself. I have the better overall experience, and this fight will be a typical striker vs. grappler. This fight will be the old wolf taking on the young lion.”
Hatsu Hioki vs. Mikuru Asakura
Hatsu Hioki:
“I debated whether or not I would return to the ring if I’m honest. But this is a big event in my hometown against a young up-and-comer. At the end of the day, there was no reason for me to turn down this fight. My opponent is tough, unorthodox, and very strong.”
Mikuru Asakura:
“People tend to take me lightly just because I am coming from The Outsider promotion, but I am going to use this opportunity to prove everybody wrong. My opponent is extremely experienced and has some significant accolades, but I can’t wait to knock him out. He is very good in the clinch and on the ground, but I don’t plan on letting him take me there.”
Roque Martinez vs. Kiyoshi Kuwabara
Roque Martinez:
“I am so happy to be coming back to Japan for my next fight. Last time, I wasn’t able to showcase my striking skills against Jerome Le Banner, but for this one, I promise to let everyone see my far superior boxing skills in a standup war.”
Kiyoshi Kuwabara:
“I am extremely excited to be able to fight on such a dream stage, and I am nothing but grateful for the people who worked hard to help me get this opportunity. Because I take pride in never turning down a fight offer. I have agreed to every fight ever offered to me, even if it was on three-days’ notice. I come to fight, I come to scrap, and I promise fireworks against Roque. I hope we can deliver something better than Frye vs. Takayama.”
Kiichi Kunimoto vs. Ryuichiro Sumimura
Kiichi Kunimoto:
“I have competed at an international level for a very long time. I will show everybody the difference between an international fighter and a regional king of the hill. My opponent doesn’t have any ground, and he relies heavily on his striking. But I am confident in my striking as well. So I will play his game, and I will knock him out.”
Ryuichiro Sumimura:
“I would like to fight for all the victims who suffered losses in the recent hurricane. My opponent keeps telling me I am a regional-level guy, but there is a reason that I hope three belts in three different promotions. He also says I have no ground, only striking. But he will understand why I don’t need any ground when my fists meet his face.”
Kanako Murata & Yuki Motoya
(opponent for both TBA)
Kanako Murata:
“My eye is finally good. The doctors cleared me to train, so I have been training without issue for about two weeks now, non-stop. It was two years ago that I made my MMA debut in Nagoya, so it is exciting to go back there once again. Regardless of who my opponent is, I will put on a fight and show that I have been improving and evolving as a fighter.”
Yuki Motoya:
“I have a fight next week, but I plan to win and get myself back in the RIZIN ring next month. I trained at the Chute Boing Academy in Brazil for about 50 days, and I want to show what I have learned and changed as a fighter.”
RIZIN 11 takes place on July 29, live from the Saitama Super Arena.
Kyoji Horiguchi vs. Hiromasa Ogikubo II
Kanna Asakura vs. Rena Kubota II
Jiri Prochazka vs. Bruno Cappelozza
Saori Ishioka vs. Miyuu Yamamoto
Takanori Gomi vs. Andy Souwer (Questionable)
Rin Nakai vs. Shizuka Sugiyama
Tenshin Nasukawa vs. TBA (Questionable)
RIZIN 12 takes place on August 12, live from the Aichi Gymnasium.
Yusuke Yachi vs. Bruno Carvalho
Hatsu Hioki vs. Mikuru Asakura
Roque Martinez vs. Kiyoshi Kuwabara
Reina Miura vs. Kaitlin Young
Kiichi Kunimoto vs. Ryuichiro Sumimura
Kanako Murata vs. TBA
Yuki Motoya vs. TBA
Additional fights for both cards should be announced in the coming days/weeks.
