RIZIN 15 bout order announced, Kanako Murata replaces Shinju on short-notice
Just days out from their loaded RIZIN 15 in Yokohama card, RIZIN Fighting Federation has announced the bout order. Plus a last-minute change to the card.
Live on a television program in Japan, RIZIN boss NobuyukiSakakibara revealed the finalized card and bout order.
In the main event, JiriProchazka fights Bellator MMA’sMuhammed “King Mo” Lawal for the second time. This time, the inaugural RIZIN Light Heavyweight Championship is on the line, to add fuel to Jiri’s fire. As if revenge wasn’t enough.
The co-main event features Japanese superstar Tenshin Nasukawa facing a Manny Pacquiao rep in the form of Fritz Biagtan.
The two headline bouts come after the second of two intermissions.
Prior to this final intermission, it is a four-fight stretch topped by Kyoji Horiguchi vs. Ben Nguyen and opened by RENA.
The RENA bout follows the first intermission of the night. Before this intermission, we will see six fights uninterrupted.
This includes Mikuru Asakura, Luiz Gustavo, Koji Takeda, Damien Brown, Manel Kape, TAIGA, and a very last-minute addition to the card; Kanako Murata.
That’s right, after signing with Invicta FC a few months ago, Kanako Murata (8-1) will finally return to action at RIZIN 15.
The young wrestling powerhouse has won four-straight, with her sole career loss coming against a legend in Japanese women’s MMA in the form of Rin Nakai.
This current win streak features bouts in RIZIN, DEEP, and Pancrase. Her last two fights took place inside a RIZIN ring. Both saw Murata win by submission in dominant fashion. Taking out Lanchana Green with an anaconda choke, and most recently defeating Angela Magana with a slick von flue choke.
Murata replaces an injured Shinju Nozawa-Auclair, who unfortunately had to pull out due to an ankle injury.
She faces a Mexican warrior in the form of Saray Orozco.
Check out the full card below.
Jiri Prochazka vs. King Mo II Tenshin Nasukawa vs. Feitz Biagtan **INTERMISSION**
Kyoji Horiguchi vs. Ben Nguyen
Satoru Kitaoka vs. Roberto de Souza
Karl Albrektsson vs. Christiano Frohlich
RENA vs. Samantha Jean-Francois **INTERMISSION**
Mikuru Asakura vs. Luiz Gustavo
Kana Watanabe vs. Justyna Haba
Damien Brown vs. Koji Takeda
Manel Kape vs. Seiichiro Ito
Kanako Murata vs. Saray Orozco TAIGA vs. Thalisson Gomes Ferreira
In a recent episode of the Couch Warrior Podcast, host Mike welcomed Charalampos Grigoriou, who recently won a contract during season 7 of Dana White's Contender Series after knocking out Cameron Smotherman one minute into the fight. The conversation delved into Grigoriou's martial arts journey, his feelings on representing Cyprus and Greece, and future plans.
