MMASucka staff picks are in for the third RIZIN event of 2019. On Sunday, June 28th, RIZIN 19 will take place from the Saitama Super Arena in Tokyo, Japan. The main card will begin at 1:00am ET (10:00pm PT, tonight) live on FITE TV for an incredible pay-per-view price of twenty dollars. To view our other card counted towards staff picks this weekend, UFC 240, click the link here.
THE FIGHTS
In the night’s main event, former Shooto and PXC featherweight champion Yusuke Yachi will look to defeat the likes of Tri-Force Jiu-Jitsu Academy’s Mikuru Asakura. Yachi will be in his eight fight under the RIZIN banner, starting his run in the organization with an impressive 5-0. However, he has suffered back-to-back losses in his last two 2018 outings to formerly undefeated Luiz Gustavo and former UFC competitor Johnny Case. Asakura will look to hand Yachi a potential third straight loss, Asakura won five straight dating back to April of 2018. His lone loss throughout his professional career came to Yoon Jun Lee in 2017, a fight for the RFC bantamweight championship.
Two incredible bantamweight bouts are scheduled for the main card. Former Pancrase champion Shintaro Ishiwatari will take on Ulka Sasaki, as former Deep champion Yuki Motoya battles Hiromasa Ogikubo. The winner of each fight will likely face-off in the near future, that winner potentially being the next in line to take on Kyoji Horiguchi.
Many other veterans are scattered throughout the card. Notables Satoru Kitaoka, Tatsuya Kawajiri, Mizuto Hirota, Tomo Maesawa, and Reina Miura will look to represent Japan in their respected bouts. Vitaly Shemetov will also be making his return to mixed martial arts competition in a light heavyweight fight with Jake Heun.
Check out the seven main card fights included in our staff picks 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 17 below.
Staff Records after UFC on ESPN 4:
1. Michael DeSantis: 162-96
2. Connor Deitrich: 159-89
3. Ed Gallo: 157-91
4. Brian Gerson: 154-88
5. Mike Skytte: 152-96
6. Jeremy Brand: 148-100
7. Mitchell Banuelos: 146-90
8. Matt Bricker: 141-96
9. Ryan Wagner: 137-70
10T. Patrick Auger: 135-106
10T. Ash Camyab: 135-97
12. Frazer Krohn: 51-34
13. Ryan Hobbs: 43-42
14. Ryan Fortune: 28-16
15. Andrew Benjamin: 14-9
16. McKenzie Guardiero: 11-9
Seo Hee Ham (20-8) vs. Tomo Maesawa (12-9)
Jeremy Brand: Ham via UD
Mike Skytte: Ham via Round 2 TKO
Michael DeSantis: Ham via UD
Ryan Wagner: Ham via UD
Mitchell Banuelos: Ham via UD
Ed Gallo: Ham via Round 3 TKO
Brian Gerson: Ham via UD
Matt Bricker: Ham via UD
Connor Deitrich: Ham via UD
Patrick Auger: Ham via Round 3 TKO
Ash Camyab: Ham via Round 1 TKO
Ryan Hobbs: Ham via Round 2 TKO
Andrew Benjamin: Ham via Round 1 TKO
Frazer Krohn: Ham via Round 2 TKO
Ryan Fortune: Ham via UD
McKenzie Guardiero: Ham via SD
Suraj Sukumar: Ham via Round 1 TKO
Staff picking Hee Ham: 17
Staff picking Maesawa: 0
Jake Heun (13-9) vs. Vitaly Shemetov (23-9, 1 NC)
Jeremy Brand: Shemetov via Round 1 TKO
Mike Skytte: Shemetov via Round 1 TKO
Michael DeSantis: Heun via SD
Ryan Wagner: Heun via UD
Mitchell Banuelos: Heun via UD
Ed Gallo: Heun via Round 3 TKO
Brian Gerson: Heun via Round 2 TKO
Matt Bricker: Shemetov via Round 1 TKO
Connor Deitrich: Heun via UD
Patrick Auger: Heun via UD
Ash Camyab: Heun via UD
Ryan Hobbs: Shemetov via UD
Andrew Benjamin: Heun via Round 2 TKO
Frazer Krohn: Heun via UD
Ryan Fortune: Heun via UD
McKenzie Guardiero: Shemetov via UD
Suraj Sukumar: Heun via UD
Staff picking Heun: 12
Staff picking Shemetov: 5
Roberto de Souza (8-0) vs. Mizuto Hirota (18-10-2)
Jeremy Brand: Hirota via Round 2 TKO
Mike Skytte: Hirota via UD
Michael DeSantis: de Souza via Round 2 SUB
Ryan Wagner: Hirota via UD
Mitchell Banuelos: De Souza via Round 2 SUB
Ed Gallo: Hirota via Round 3 TKO
Brian Gerson: Hirota via Round 2 TKO
Matt Bricker: Hirota via Round 3 TKO
Connor Deitrich: Hirota via Round 1 TKO
Patrick Auger: Hirota via UD
Ash Camyab: de Souza via UD
Ryan Hobbs: Hirota via Round 2 TKO
Andrew Benjamin: de Souza via Round 1 SUB
Frazer Krohn: Hirota via Round 1 TKO
Ryan Fortune: de Souza via Round 1 SUB
McKenzie Guardiero: Hirota via Round 2 SUB
Suraj Sukumar: Hirota via Round 1 TKO
Staff picking de Souza: 12
Staff picking Hirota: 5
Tatsuya Kawajiri (36-13-2) vs. Ali Abdulkhalikov (7-0)
Jeremy Brand: Abdulkhalikov via UD
Mike Skytte: Kawajiri via Round 1 TKO
Michael DeSantis: Abdulkhalikov via UD
Ryan Wagner: Abdulkhalikov via UD
Mitchell Banuelos: Kawajiri via Round 1 TKO
Ed Gallo: Abdulkhalikov via Round 3 TKO
Brian Gerson: Abdulkhalikov via UD
Matt Bricker: Abdulkhalikov via UD
Connor Deitrich: Abdulkhalikov via UD
Patrick Auger: Kawajiri via UD
Ash Camyab: Abdulkhalikov via UD
Ryan Hobbs: Kawajiri via UD
Andrew Benjamin: Abdulkhalikov via UD
Frazer Krohn: Kawajiri via UD
Ryan Fortune: Abdulkhalikov via UD
McKenzie Guardiero: Abdulkhalikov via UD
Suraj Sukumar: Abdulkhalikov via UD
Staff picking Kawajiri: 5
Staff picking Abdulkhalikov: 12
Yuki Moyota (23-6, 1 NC) vs. Hiromasa Ogikubo (18-4-2)
Jeremy Brand: Ogikubo via UD
Mike Skytte: Motoya via SD
Michael DeSantis: Ogikubo via UD
Ryan Wagner: Ogikubo via UD
Mitchell Banuelos: Motoya via UD
Ed Gallo: Ogikubo via UD
Brian Gerson: Ogikubo via UD
Matt Bricker: Ogikubo via UD
Connor Deitrich: Ogikubo via UD
Patrick Auger: Motoya via UD
Ash Camyab: Ogikubo via UD
Ryan Hobbs: Motoya via UD
Andrew Benjamin: Ogikubo via UD
Frazer Krohn: Motoya via UD
Ryan Fortune: Ogikubo via SD
McKenzie Guardiero: Ogikubo via UD
Suraj Sukumar: Ogikubo via UD
Staff picking Motoya: 5
Staff picking Ogikubo: 12
Shintaro Ishiwatari (25-7-4) vs. Ulka Sasaki (22-6-2)
Jeremy Brand: Ishiwatari via Round 1 SUB
Mike Skytte: Ishiwatari via UD
Michael DeSantis: Sasaki via Round 2 SUB
Ryan Wagner: Ishiwatari via Round 2 TKO
Mitchell Banuelos: Sasaki via UD
Ed Gallo: Sasaki via Round 3 SUB
Brian Gerson: Sasaki via Round 1 SUB
Matt Bricker: Sasaki via UD
Connor Deitrich: Sasaki via Round 1 SUB
Patrick Auger: Sasaki via Round 2 SUB
Ash Camyab: Sasaki via Round 3 SUB
Ryan Hobbs: Sasaki via Round 2 SUB
Andrew Benjamin: Sasaki via UD
Frazer Krohn: Sasaki via UD
Ryan Fortune: Sasaki via Round 2 SUB
McKenzie Guardiero: Sasaki via Round 1 SUB
Suraj Sukumar: Sasaki via Round 3 SUB
Staff picking Ishiwatari: 3
Staff picking Sasaki: 14
Yusuke Yachi (20-8) vs. Mikuru Asakura (10-1, 1 NC)
Jeremy Brand: Yachi via UD
Mike Skytte: Asakura via Round 2 TKO
Michael DeSantis: Yachi via UD
Ryan Wagner: Yachi via UD
Mitchell Banuelos: Asakura via Round 2 TKO
Ed Gallo: Yachi via Round 2 TKO
Brian Gerson: Yachi via Round 3 TKO
Matt Bricker: Yachi via UD
Connor Deitrich: Yachi via Round 2 TKO
Patrick Auger: Yachi via UD
Ash Camyab: Yachi via UD
Ryan Hobbs: Yachi via UD
Andrew Benjamin: Yachi via Round 3 TKO
Frazer Krohn: Yachi via Round 3 TKO
Ryan Fortune: Asakura via Round 2 TKO
McKenzie Guardiero: Yachi via Round 2 TKO
Suraj Sukumar: Yachi via UD
Staff picking Yachi: 14
Staff picking Asakura: 3
FEATURED IMAGE:
Hiromasa Ogikubo walking to the ring moments before battling Kyoji Horiguchi from RIZIN 11 in July of 2018. (photo credits to RIZIN FF)
