MMASucka staff picks are in for RIZIN 16, the Japanese organization’s second event in 2019. All the action will take place Sunday, June 2 from the World Memorial Hall in Kobe, Japan. The fight card under North American time will begin at 12:20am ET (9:20pm PT) on FITE TV. For live results of the entire event, master Mike Skytte has you covered here. Also, make sure to check out our UFC Fight Night 153 staff picks from Saturday afternoon’s event in Stockholm, Sweden.
You can purchase this pay-per-view through FITE TV for an incredible deal of just $20 with unlimited replays in the link immediately below. Capitalize on this deal before the event begins!
THE FIGHTS
Five mixed martial arts fights from this card will be included for our staff picks. This will exclude our kickboxing main event between the always sensational Tenshin Nasukawa and Argentina’s Martin Blanco. The RIZIN 49 kg Championship is on the line as challenger and promotional debutante Jinh Yu Frey looks to defeat current champion Ayaka Hamasaki. The two faced off under the Invicta FC banner in September of 2016 with then-champion Hamasaki coming out victorious by doctor stoppage in the second round over Frey. Hamasaki is in search of her first RIZIN title defense while Frey looks for a third straight victory.
More ladies will battle at 49 kg between former title challenger Kanna Asakura and former freestyle wrestling champion Miyuu Yamamoto. Asakura’s lone loss in her past 10 outings came to champion Hamasaki while Yamamoto is coming off a victory over longtime veteran Mika Nagano.
Guam’s Roque Martinez and Alaska’s Jake Heun will clash in the heavyweight division. A finish can likely be expected from either man as through their 25 combined victories the two hold 17 stoppages; ten via knockout with seven via submission.
Another highly anticipated fight comes at 71 kg where 13-fight UFC and 8-fight RIZIN veteran Daron Cruickshank will take on the ten-fight knockout streak of Azerbaijan’s Tofiq Musaev. The remaining main card fights can be found further below.
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 16 below, as well as our current records this 2019 calendar year.
Staff Records after UFC Fight Night 152:
1. Ed Gallo: 121-56
2. Michael DeSantis: 118-59
3. Connor Deitrich: 116-61
4. Brian Gerson: 114-63
5T. Wesley Riddle: 112-65
5T. Ryan Wagner: 112-57
7. Mike Skytte: 110-67
8. Omar Villagrana: 107-70
9. Jeremy Brand: 104-73
10. Mitchell Banuelos: 101-61
11T. Matt Bricker: 97-70
11T. Patrick Auger: 97-73
13. Ash Camyab: 95-66
14. Justin Pierrot: 94-73
15. Frazer Krohn: 26-17
16. Ryan Hobbs: 17-17
17T. Matheus Costa: 8-6
17T. Andrew Benjamin: 8-3 (inactive)
Mamoru Uoi (21-6-5) vs. Kana Hyatt (16-19)
Jeremy Brand: Uoi via Round 2 TKO
Wesley Riddle: Uoi via Round 1 TKO
Mike Skytte: Uoi via Round 1 TKO
Justin Pierrot: Uoi via Round 1 TKO
Michael DeSantis: Uoi via Round 1 TKO
Ryan Wagner: Uoi via UD
Mitchell Banuelos: Uoi via Round 1 TKO
Ed Gallo: Uoi via UD
Omar Villagrana: Uoi via UD
Brian Gerson: Uoi via UD
Matt Bricker: Uoi via Round 1 TKO
Connor Deitrich: Uoi via Round 2 TKO
Patrick Auger: Uoi via UD
Ash Camyab: Uoi via UD
Ryan Hobbs: Uoi via Round 1 TKO
Andrew Benjamin: Uoi via Round 1 TKO
Frazer Krohn: Uoi via Round 1 TKO
Matheus Costa: Uoi via Round 1 TKO
Staff picking Uoi: 18
Staff picking Hyatt: 0
Daron Cruickshank (22-11, 1 NC) vs. Tofiq Musaev (14-3)
Jeremy Brand: Musaev via Round 1 TKO
Wesley Riddle: Cruickshank via Round 2 TKO
Mike Skytte: Musaev via Round 1 TKO
Justin Pierrot: Musaev via Round 2 TKO
Michael DeSantis: Cruickshank via Round 2 TKO
Ryan Wagner: Cruickshank via Round 2 TKO
Mitchell Banuelos: Cruickshank via Round 2 TKO
Ed Gallo: Cruickshank via Round 3 TKO
Omar Villagrana: Cruickshank via UD
Brian Gerson: Musaev via Round 1 TKO
Matt Bricker: Cruickshank via Round 1 TKO
Connor Deitrich: Cruickshank via UD
Patrick Auger: Musaev via Round 3 TKO
Ash Camyab: Cruickshank via Round 1 TKO
Ryan Hobbs: Cruickshank via UD
Andrew Benjamin: Cruickshank via Round 1 SUB
Frazer Krohn: Cruickshank via UD
Matheus Costa: Cruickshank via Round 1 TKO
Staff picking Cruickshank: 13
Staff picking Musaev: 5
Yusaku Nakamura (15-6-1) vs. Topnoi Tiger Muay Thai (6-2)
Jeremy Brand: Nakamura via Round 2 TKO
Wesley Riddle: Nakamura via UD
Mike Skytte: Nakamura via UD
Justin Pierrot: Nakamura via UD
Michael DeSantis: Topnoi via Round 1 TKO
Ryan Wagner: Nakamura via UD
Mitchell Banuelos: Topnoi via Round 2 TKO
Ed Gallo: Topnoi via Round 3 TKO
Omar Villagrana: Nakamura via UD
Brian Gerson: Topnoi via Round 1 TKO
Matt Bricker: Nakamura via UD
Connor Deitrich: Nakamura via UD
Patrick Auger: Nakamura via UD
Ash Camyab: Nakamura via UD
Ryan Hobbs: Topnoi via Round 2 TKO
Andrew Benjamin: Topnoi via Round 3 TKO
Frazer Krohn: Nakamura via UD
Matheus Costa: Nakamura via UD
Staff picking Nakamura: 12
Staff picking Topnoi: 6
Roque Martinez (13-4-2) vs. Jake Heun (12-9)
Jeremy Brand: Martinez via Round 2 SUB
Wesley Riddle: Martinez via Round 1 TKO
Mike Skytte: Martinez via Round 1 SUB
Justin Pierrot: Martinez via UD
Michael DeSantis: Martinez via Round 1 TKO
Ryan Wagner: Martinez via UD
Mitchell Banuelos: Martinez via Round 1 TKO
Ed Gallo: Martinez via Round 1 TKO
Omar Villagrana: Martinez via UD
Brian Gerson: Martinez via Round 1 TKO
Matt Bricker: Martinez via Round 1 TKO
Connor Deitrich: Martinez via Round 1 TKO
Patrick Auger: Martinez via Round 1 TKO
Ash Camyab: Martinez via Round 1 TKO
Ryan Hobbs: Martinez via Round 2 TKO
Andrew Benjamin: Martinez via Round 1 TKO
Frazer Krohn: Martinez via Round 1 TKO
Matheus Costa: Martinez via Round 1 TKO
Staff picking Martinez: 18
Staff picking Heun: 0
Kanna Asakura (14-3) vs. Miyuu Yamamoto (4-3)
Jeremy Brand: Asakura via Round 1 SUB
Wesley Riddle: Asakura via Round 1 SUB
Mike Skytte: Asakura via UD
Justin Pierrot: Asakura via Round 1 SUB
Michael DeSantis: Asakura via UD
Ryan Wagner: Asakura via Round 1 SUB
Mitchell Banuelos: Asakura via UD
Ed Gallo: Asakura via Round 2 TKO
Omar Villagrana: Asakura via UD
Brian Gerson: Asakura via Round 1 SUB
Matt Bricker: Asakura via UD
Connor Deitrich: Asakura via Round 1 SUB
Patrick Auger: Asakura via Round 2 SUB
Ash Camyab: Asakura via Round 1 TKO
Ryan Hobbs: Yamamoto via SD
Andrew Benjamin: Asakura via Round 2 TKO
Frazer Krohn: Asakura via Round 3 TKO
Matheus Costa: Asakura via UD
Staff picking Asakura: 17
Staff picking Yamamoto: 1
Ayaka Hamasaki (17-2) vs. Jinh Yu Frey (8-3)
Jeremy Brand: Hamasaki via Round 2 TKO
Wesley Riddle: Hamasaki via UD
Mike Skytte: Hamasaki via Round 2 SUB
Justin Pierrot: Hamasaki via UD
Michael DeSantis: Hamasaki via UD
Ryan Wagner: Hamasaki via UD
Mitchell Banuelos: Hamasaki via UD
Ed Gallo: Hamasaki via UD
Omar Villagrana: Hamasaki via UD
Brian Gerson: Hamasaki via UD
Matt Bricker: Hamasaki via UD
Connor Deitrich: Hamasaki via UD
Patrick Auger: Frey via UD
Ash Camyab: Hamasaki via Round 1 SUB
Ryan Hobbs: Frey via UD
Andrew Benjamin: Hamasaki via Round 2 SUB
Frazer Krohn: Hamasaki via Round 1 SUB
Matheus Costa: Hamasaki via UD
Staff picking Hamasaki: 16
Staff picking Yu Frey: 2
FEATURED IMAGE:
Champion Ayaka Hamasaki and challenger Jinh Yu Frey face off for the cameras ahead of their RIZIN 16 title fight taking place Sunday, June 2nd from the World Memorial Hall in Kobe Japan (photo credits to RIZIN Fighting Federation)
