MMASucka staff picks are in for RIZIN 15, the promotion’s first event of 2019. All of the action will take place tonight/tomorrow morning at 2:00am ET (11:00pm PT) from the Yokohama Arena in Yokohama, Japan. For live results of tonight’s card, please check out writer and RIZIN master Mike Skytte’s article here throughout the event.
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THE FIGHTS
Many thrilling match-ups are set for action throughout the night. Closing out the show will see the RIZIN Fighting Federation light heavyweight championship on the line in a rematch between Muhammed Lawal and Jiri Prochazka. Lawal is searching for his first victory in over two years, while Prochazka looks to avenge his loss to Lawal for a seventh win since their December of 2015 fight.
Former UFC flyweights Kyoji Horiguchi and Ben Nguyen are set for action on this card, the second-to-last MMA fight. Japan’s kickboxing phenom Tenshin Nasukawa is set for battle against Filipino Fritz Aldin Biagtan.
An incredible fight between Brazilian undefeated grappling sensation Roberto de Souza and 69-fight MMA veteran Satoru Kitaoka is included for our staff picks. Other fights include undefeated Luiz Gustavo going up against Mikuru Asakura, former DEEP lightweight champion Koji Takeda against Australia’s Damien “Beatdown” Brown, fan-favorite Kana Watanabe battling 1-0 Justyna Zofia Haba, and two 25-year-old’s between Seiichiro Ito and Manel Kape.
STAFF PICKS
Throughout the year, staff picks will be composed of four different MMA promotions: UFC, Bellator, ONE, and RIZIN. Main cards will make up both UFC and Bellator picks, while the biggest fights to make up ONE and RIZIN events will be used. The WINNER of staff picks will have a choice between receiving a championship belt from ProAmBelts or a championship chain from Championship Chains. The 2018 winner was awarded to Michael DeSantis, compiling a record of 202-101.
Check out our MMASucka staff picks for RIZIN 15 below, as well as our current compiled records of the 2019 calendar year.
Staff Records after UFC Fight Night 149:
1. Ed Gallo: 90-38
2. Michael DeSantis: 89-39
3. Brian Gerson: 86-42
4. Connor Deitrich: 85-43
5. Wesley Riddle: 84-44
6. Ryan Wagner: 82-38
7. Mike Skytte: 79-49
8T. Jeremy Brand: 78-50
8T. Omar Villagrana: 78-50
10. Matt Bricker: 76-52
11. Mitchell Banuelos: 75-38
12. Patrick Auger: 72-49
13. Justin Pierrot: 71-47
14. Ash Camyab: 68-44
15. Suraj Sukumar: 38-14
16. Sasha Moksyakov: 31-16
17. Idrees Crawley: 12-4
18. Ryan Hobbs: 7-9
Seiichiro Ito (12-2-2) vs. Manel Kape (12-4)
Jeremy Brand: Kape via Round 2 TKO
Wesley Riddle: Kape via UD
Mike Skytte: Kape via UD
Justin Pierrot: Kape via Round 2 TKO
Michael DeSantis: Kape via Round 1 TKO
Ryan Wagner: Kape via UD
Mitchell Banuelos: Kape via Round 2 TKO
Ed Gallo: Kape via Round 1 TKO
Omar Villagrana: Kape via UD
Brian Gerson: Ito via Round 1 SUB
Matt Bricker: Kape via Round 1 TKO
Connor Deitrich: Kape via UD
Patrick Auger: Kape via Round 2 TKO
Sasha Moksyakov: N/A
Suraj Sukumar: N/A
Ash Camyab: Ito via UD
Idrees Crawley: Kape via Round 1 TKO
Ryan Hobbs: N/A
Andrew Benjamin: Kape via Round 3 TKO
Staff picking Ito: 2
Staff picking Kape: 14
Koji Takeda (8-0) vs. Damien Brown (18-12)
Jeremy Brand: Takeda via Round 2 SUB
Wesley Riddle: Takeda via UD
Mike Skytte: Takeda via Round 2 TKO
Justin Pierrot: Takeda via UD
Michael DeSantis: Takeda via UD
Ryan Wagner: Takeda via UD
Mitchell Banuelos: Takeda via UD
Ed Gallo: Takeda via UD
Omar Villagrana: Takeda via UD
Brian Gerson: Takeda via Round 2 TKO
Matt Bricker: Takeda via UD
Connor Deitrich: Takeda via UD
Patrick Auger: Brown via UD
Sasha Moksyakov: N/A
Suraj Sukumar: N/A
Ash Camyab: Brown via UD
Idrees Crawley: Takeda via Round 1 SUB
Ryan Hobbs: N/A
Andrew Benjamin: Brown via Round 1 SUB
Staff picking Takeda: 13
Staff picking Brown: 3
Kana Watanabe (6-0-1) vs. Justyna Zofia Haba (1-0)
Jeremy Brand: Watanabe via UD
Wesley Riddle: Watanabe via 1 SUB
Mike Skytte: Watanabe via Round 2 SUB
Justin Pierrot: Watanabe via Round 1 SUB
Michael DeSantis: Watanabe via UD
Ryan Wagner: Watanabe via UD
Mitchell Banuelos: Watanabe via UD
Ed Gallo: Watanabe via UD
Omar Villagrana: Watanabe via UD
Brian Gerson: Watanabe via UD
Matt Bricker: Haba via Round 1 SUB
Connor Deitrich: Watanabe via UD
Patrick Auger: Watanabe via UD
Sasha Moksyakov: N/A
Suraj Sukumar: N/A
Ash Camyab: Watanabe via UD
Idrees Crawley: Watanabe via UD
Ryan Hobbs: N/A
Andrew Benjamin: Haba via Round 2 TKO
Staff picking Watanabe: 14
Staff picking Haba: 2
Mikuru Asakura (8-2) vs. Luiz Gustavo (9-0)
Jeremy Brand: Gustavo via UD
Wesley Riddle: Gustavo via Round 2 TKO
Mike Skytte: Asakura via UD
Justin Pierrot: Gustavo via UD
Michael DeSantis: Gustavo via Round 2 TKO
Ryan Wagner: Gustavo via UD
Mitchell Banuelos: Gustavo via UD
Ed Gallo: Asakura via Round 2 TKO
Omar Villagrana: Gustavo via UD
Brian Gerson: Gustavo via Round 2 TKO
Matt Bricker: Gustavo via Round 1 TKO
Connor Deitrich: Gustavo via UD
Patrick Auger: Gustavo via UD
Sasha Moksyakov: N/A
Suraj Sukumar: N/A
Ash Camyab: Gustavo via Round 2 TKO
Idrees Crawley: Gustavo via Round 2 TKO
Ryan Hobbs: N/A
Andrew Benjamin: Asakura via Round 3 TKO
Staff picking Asakura: 3
Staff picking Gustavo: 13
Roberto de Souza (7-0) vs. Satoru Kitaoka (42-18-9)
Jeremy Brand: Kitaoka via UD
Wesley Riddle: de Souza via UD
Mike Skytte: de Souza via Round 3 SUB
Justin Pierrot: Kitaoka via UD
Michael DeSantis: Kitaoka via Round 1 SUB
Ryan Wagner: Kitaoka via Round 1 SUB
Mitchell Banuelos: Kitaoka via UD
Ed Gallo: Kitaoka via UD
Omar Villagrana: de Souza via UD
Brian Gerson: Kitaoka via Round 2 SUB
Matt Bricker: de Souza via Round 1 SUB
Connor Deitrich: Kitaoka via Round 2 SUB
Patrick Auger: Kitaoka via UD
Sasha Moksyakov: N/A
Suraj Sukumar: N/A
Ash Camyab: de Souza via UD
Idrees Crawley: de Souza via UD
Ryan Hobbs: N/A
Andrew Benjamin: Kitaoka via Round 1 SUB
Staff picking de Souza: 6
Staff picking Kitaoka: 10
Muhammed Lawal (21-8) vs. Jiri Prochazka (23-3-1)
Jeremy Brand: Lawal via UD
Wesley Riddle: Prochazka via Round 1 TKO
Mike Skytte: Prochazka via Round 2 TKO
Justin Pierrot: Lawal via UD
Michael DeSantis: Prochazka via Round 1 TKO
Ryan Wagner: Prochazka via Round 1 TKO
Mitchell Banuelos: Prochazka via Round 3 TKO
Ed Gallo: Prochazka via Round 1 TKO
Omar Villagrana: Lawal via UD
Brian Gerson: Prochazka via Round 1 TKO
Matt Bricker: Lawal via Round 2 TKO
Connor Deitrich: Prochazka via Round 2 TKO
Patrick Auger: Lawal via UD
Sasha Moksyakov: N/A
Suraj Sukumar: N/A
Ash Camyab: Lawal via Round 3 TKO
Idrees Crawley: Lawal via Round 1 TKO
Ryan Hobbs: N/A
Andrew Benjamin: Prochazka via Round 1 TKO
Staff picking Lawal: 7
Staff picking Prochazka: 9
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