Yesterday, live from Tokyo, Japan, RIZIN Fighting Federation held a press conference. Here they announced the line-up for their September 30th show in Saitama, the incredibly stacked RIZIN 13.
From Tenshin Nasukawa and Kyoji Horiguchi to Mirko Cro Cop and Daron Cruickshank, eleven fights were announced, and all twenty-two fighters involved provided quotes to the media.
Tenshin Nasukawa vs. Kyoji Horiguchi
TENSHIN NASUKAWA:
“I am also very excited to be able to fight Horiguchi at this time. I am just excited to be able to be here and announce a fight that the entire fight world will be interested in. He is a fighter that I respect and have looked up to. But, still, I will make sure to knock him out.”
KYOJI HORIGUCHI:
“I am very excited to be able to finally announce this fight. Details on the rules we will use aren’t set in stone yet, but I want to go for something interesting. Like, one round, fifteen minutes.”
Taiga vs. Kento Haraguchi
TAIGA:
“I am very, very happy to finally be sitting here for a fight announcement. There has been some issues, and I wasn’t able to fight for a while. If it wasn’t for everybody’s support, I really wouldn’t be here today. I would like to thank everyone who supports me.”
KENTO HARAGUCHI:
“I am so honored to be able to face one of my favorite fighters from K-1. I will fight him will full respect, but I will still beat him down, and knock him out.”
Mirko Cro Cop vs. Roque Martinez
MIRKO CRO COP:
“Hello, RIZIN fans. I am happy to be able to announce that I am fighting on September 30th at the Saitama Super Arena against Roque Martinez. I had a very bad injury for multiple months, having to pull out of fights in Bellator and RIZIN, but all of this is now behind me. Please come to Saitama, watch my fight, and enjoy the show.”
ROQUE MARTINEZ:
“I am honored to be able to fight a legendary fighter like Cro Cop, a fighter who has created history. But I have my pride as a DEEP Megaton Champion, so I will use this opportunity to change history. I hope to give him a retirement fight.”
Ayaka Hamasaki vs. Mina Kurobe
AYAKA HAMASAKI:
“Kurobe is a fighter who has been competing at Japan’s highest level for the longest time. But I have been competing at the top international level for a long time. I plan to show the difference during the fight.”
MINA KUROBE:
“I am 41-years-old, but I’m still a rookie – a freshman – in RIZIN. Hamasaki has a charming face and is very cute, but I plan to beat her face during the fight.”
Mitsuhisa Sunabe vs. Haruo Ochi
MITSUHISA SUNABE:
“I was always thinking that male strawweights would never get an opportunity on a big stage, but I am grateful to get such an opportunity against a great fighter. I want to prove that strawweights can be exciting and put on compelling fights.”
HARUO OCHI:
“I would like to thank everybody who worked on getting me this chance on such a prestigious event. I am putting everything on the line with this one. I plan to give my DEEP Title to Sunabe is he beats me, so I hope if I beat him, he gives me his Pancrase Title.”
Kai Asakura vs. Topnoi Tiger Muay Thai
KAI ASAKURA:
“I apologize for not being able to fight at RIZIN 11 in July. I was very frustrated only being able to sit back and watch the fights that night, so I am going to explode in September. My opponent is a very talented striker, so I know this is going to be a great fight.”
TOPNOI TIGER MUAY THAI:
“I am super excited to be able to fight for the Japanese again. I don’t wanna give away too much, but I am confident. I am excited to fight one of the best Japanese fighters with the elbow ruleset. I’m not scared, and Asakura has shown that he’s not scared. Thank you to the fans for wanting to see me fight again.”
Mikuru Asakura vs. Karshyga Dautbek
MIKURU ASAKURA:
“I am happy to get another fight offer so soon, but I was hoping for a bigger name. It’s disappointing to get a no-name who is tough as nails. For this event, the Asakura brothers will be facing international competition, but we’ve always had the attitude of; don’t take Japan lightly. So we plan to beat the shit out of our opponents on September 30th.”
KARSHYGA DAUTBEK:
“I am very honored to be the first Kazakh to represent my country under the prestigious RIZIN banner. I will do everything to hold my country’s flag high in Japan and let the Japanese fans know about Kazakh warrior spirit. My opponent is a very high-level striker, and I am excited to test myself against him. It will be a battle of nomad vs. samurai, and the ring will show who is stronger.”
Yusaku Nakamura vs. Manel Kape
YUSAKU NAKAMURA:
“I am very happy to be able to fight in RIZIN, finally under MMA rules. I will make sure to beat my tough opponent, and I would like to then fight Kai Asakura on NYE.”
MANEL KAPE:
“First of all, I am excited to be fighting again, and I am already feeling the adrenaline of the fight. My opponent is interesting, he is a tough fighter, but like always, I’m not worried. I am never concerned about my opponents. I am in the best shape of my life, and I feel my evolution daily. On September 30th, Nakamura will be facing a ghost. He won’t see my blows, but he will feel all my anger from last fight.”
Andy Nguyen vs. Miyuu Yamamoto II
ANDY NGUYEN:
“It’s been fun to watch Miyuu grow since day one. You guys are going to see some cougars fight hard on September 30th.”
MIYUU YAMAMOTO:
“Thank you guys very much for supporting me at RIZIN 11. I am back in Guam training. Andy Nguyen is a very important rematch for me, as I would like to show my evolution as a fighter. I have yet to win a fight the way I want, so that is why I hope to perform perfectly on September 30th.”
Jiri Prochazka vs. Jake Huen
JIRI PROCHAZKA:
“I am very excited about my next opponent. He is heavy hitting, he is aggressive, but I will show my improvement as a fighter. I am glad to see Mirko returning on this card. Hopefully, we both win, and can fight eachother on NYE.”
JAKE HEUN:
“Fighting in the Saitama Super Arena under RIZIN rules is truly a dream come true for me. I have wanted to compete in Japan since before I even started my MMA career. I am looking forward to putting on a show for the Japanese fans, and with an opponent like Prochazka, this should be one hell of a fight.”
Daron Cruickshank vs. Diego Brandao
DARON CRUICKSHANK:
“This is a really high caliber fight for the fans. Two experienced, world-class fighters going head-to-head. I am going to put on a great show for the fans, and take out another Brazilian.”
DIEGO BRANDAO:
“It’s always an honor to fight in Japan because the Japanese fans give me more energy for the fight. This is going to be a good one. Daron is a very experienced fighter. He is good at certain things, I am good at certain things. Let’s fight, let’s see who the King of Japan is.”
