Speculation and Dream Match Ups For Rizin 13 and 14

luke2342

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I was a bit let down by the lack of clear information given at Rizin 12 about the last two events of the year, especially from the commentators who clearly aren't given a whole lot of information about what the promotions doing. As I'm going to the NYE event, I'd like to speculate and day dream about what the last two events have in store using what we know.

Kickboxing Tournament - We know there's going to be a kickboxing tournament, at least on NYE, using Tenshin and Horiguchi. I'd have to speculate to protect Tenshin from higher weight classes, it's not going to be an open weight or MW tournament as Frank Trigg speculated (lol) It's probably going to be a 135 tournament. The only question is whether it's a 16 man or 8 man, and whether it begins on September 30th or not. We can speculate based on previous Rizin kickboxing bouts that participants will probably be: Tenshin, Horiguchi, Taiga, Naito and Ryuki from Rizin 12, and Kento Haraguchi (Winner of the Rise 125 Road to Rizin Tournament.) I have a feeling they may match Horiguchi and Tenshin up 1st to headline the September 30th card, but that's just my gut feeling.

Lightweight Tournament - The second most stacked division right now is Lightweight, and in one of the Rizin 11 pre-fight videos Daron Cruickshank did mention interest in a possible Lightweight Grand Prix. I'd have to say 8 for a LW tournament, but whether they did it over two nights or one remains a mystery. It may be the only way to redeem Yusuke Yachi as the Rizin lightweight poster boy without giving him an immediate rematch. Possible entrants could include: Luiz Gastavo, Cruickshank, Yusuke Yachi, Diego Brandao, Kitaoka, either of the Asakura brothers, Kawajiri and Diego Nunes. Could easily take talent from Pancrase, Shooto Road FC or Deep for a 16 man tournament.

Cro Cop and Wanderlei - Both Cro Cop and Wanderlei have expressed interest competing in Rizin. One fight we know for sure is happening is Prochazka against Cro Cop, but theirs speculation to whether this will happen September 30th or as Cro Cop's December 31st retirement fight. Another possible match up is Roque Martinez, though I would assume he may be used to fight the Mongolian heavyweight hordes. For Wanderlei, as his fight with Rampage is at HW we can assume he will be fighting there, possibly fighting Cro Cop as was meant to occur at the 2016 HW Grand Prix, or possibly a beatable veteran such as TK.

Rena and Asakura - There are two big fights left for Asakura in Rizin after her fights with Rena. One, a rematch with Alyssa Garcia, who bested her in 2016. The second and more likely, Ayaka Hamasaki, pending her fight against Mina Kurobe. For Rena, a possible match up is the winner of the 2018 S-Cup Jleana Valentino, who she previously defeated. However, Valentino beat fellow stablemate Mia and wants revenge, so a story is there.

Gabi and King Reina - Assuming that the Grandma fight has gone with the wind, and that King Reina and Gabi wont fight as most Rizin fans want, Olympic wrestler Randi Miller called out Gabi on Twitter. Gabi says she can make 205 for the fight. Despite a size difference, this may be the best match up for Gabi in a very slim division. Reina on the other hand is in a hard position after her losses to Young and Dandois, and should consider either fighting some Deep prospect for NYE or finding another monster to pad her record with. At the end of the day, Reina has only been training three years, and shouldn't take heart to competitive losses against proven veterans. Another option is further weight loss and seeking competition at 135 or 125 pounds, such as Murata.

Gomi - Gomi wants one or two more fights before he hangs it up. Assuming he wants none of the lightweight tournament, and wants winnable match ups, a battle with Hatsu Hioki or a rematch of his epic war with Kawajiri could be in the cards.

Manel Kape - Rizin fans would love to see more of the pseudo-Krazy Horse barring Charles Bennet being allowed back into the country. A possible match up with Motoya if he's looking for a challenge, otherwise a fight with Topnoi 'Tiger Muay Thai' would be a barn burner.

Anyone I've missed? Any other speculation? Two more Rizin events for 2018 and I can't wait.
 
Assuming that the Grandma fight has gone with the wind, and that King Reina and Gabi wont fight as most Rizin fans want

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"most"
 
Seems like a pretty good breakdown based on what we know so far. I really hope they hold that LW MMA GP. Where did you see this rumored?
 
Cro Cop v Wanderlei, Gomi Vs anyone. If these are the kinds of fights being dreamt about then there is a very dim future for this org
 
Gabi vs king reina is not happening


Rizin ordered reina to drop weight and she did make 143 pounds
 
I haven’t heard nothing on a LW gp...


In the telecast Gomi mentioned that he would like to avenge Yachi and face Luis killer. That’s the only info sorrounding takanori
 
OK, I didn't see anything about a LW GP either. Wasn't sure if I missed something when they were translating announcements.
 
Seems like a pretty good breakdown based on what we know so far. I really hope they hold that LW MMA GP. Where did you see this rumored?



Daron talks about wanting a tournament in this interview, doesn't really confirm one's going to happen but he's right in that the only way to do a lot of rematches in LW at Rizin right now is to hold a lightweight GP. Especially with Yachi down and out, I thought they might be building a Yachi v Brandao fight or Yachi v Kron fight. With their best Japanese LW out of the picture, they have no reason to protect him anymore.

Cro Cop v Wanderlei, Gomi Vs anyone. If these are the kinds of fights being dreamt about then there is a very dim future for this org

Rizin has a good mix of nostalgia, the old guard, freak fights and legitimate talent. Horiguchi is no doubt a top 5 FLW and now we can even make the argument he could beat the UFC Champ. They have at least 3 of the top 5 atom-weights in the world. The problem is with only five cards a year, and a monopoly of talent by UFC, its hard to organically grow a roster. They are probably one of the pliable organisations though in taking fighters from other organisations, and don't mind having their guys beaten by outsiders to make a good fight. Cro Cop v Wanderlei 3 is more attractive than Wanderlei v Rampage 4, and at least Cro Cop admits he's too old and is hanging it up after this year.
 
The only tournament mentioned is the kickboxing one
 
The only tournament mentioned is the kickboxing one
In the last minute he says he'd like a LW tournament as its his only chance to avenge his losses to Yuchi and Kitaoka, as they would otherwise not fight him. Only speculating, but last year had the Atomweight GP and Bantamweight GP running simultaneously. Their could also be a second tournament this year, and lightweight is the only division with the talent.

The fact that it makes sense and I don't think that Rizin will put all their eggs in the kickboxing basket makes me think their might be a lightweight tournament. It's only a matter of time, whether its this year or next. They were discussing doing a lightweight tournament last year but were concerned about their lack of talent. Also, Tibau would now be a great addition if they could get him.
 
Imo it makes 0 sense to do a LW gp

Not enough fighters and the top 155 got his ass kicked by a 145 late replacement

Cruikshank is just looking for a fight that doesn’t mean there is a gp


The gp will be a kickboxing one around tenshin a real star in japan
 
Their are more LW fighters that people recognize than kickboxing 125'ers that people recognize. Yuchi fighting and winning a LW Grand Prix is the only way to redeem himself as a top 155er. Yuchi could and has made 145 so him losing to Luiz Gustavo isn't a huge deal. I think a lot of the way he fought was based around the idea he felt that it was his responsibility as the main event of Rizin 12 to make a banger and decided not to take Luiz down.

Gustavo, Yuchi, Cruikshank, Kitoaka, Kron, Brandao, Asakura and now Tibau if he signs. Out of those fighters, I don't know who wins, unlike a kickboxing tournament. Chuck in Gomi or Kawajiri if they want a shot against serious competition. That's more names at LW than most know at 125 kickboxing as the only true names their are Tenshin and Horiguchi, maybe Taiga. Their is always the possiblity that both Tenshin and Horiguchi lose in the first round of the kickboxing tournament, and then it becomes a farce.

The bantamweight tournament and women's tournament was made up of many prospects that were otherwise unknown, no reason that can't happen again if they want to make it a 16 person tournament.

If Yuchi takes the tournament, he redeems himself as Japans LW star. Otherwise, use it as a platform to get Kron fighting again, as I think he's on the sidelines until he's found a challenge. Theirs a trend for their to be two 8 person tournaments, I would be super excited for a lightweight MMA tournament to compliment the kickboxing tournament (Since Rizin is first and foremost an MMA promotion.) Alternatively, this will be the first Rizin NYE card without an MMA tournament since its inception.
 
I was a bit let down by the lack of clear information given at Rizin 12 about the last two events of the year, especially from the commentators who clearly aren't given a whole lot of information about what the promotions doing. As I'm going to the NYE event, I'd like to speculate and day dream about what the last two events have in store using what we know.

Kickboxing Tournament - We know there's going to be a kickboxing tournament, at least on NYE, using Tenshin and Horiguchi. I'd have to speculate to protect Tenshin from higher weight classes, it's not going to be an open weight or MW tournament as Frank Trigg speculated (lol) It's probably going to be a 135 tournament. The only question is whether it's a 16 man or 8 man, and whether it begins on September 30th or not. We can speculate based on previous Rizin kickboxing bouts that participants will probably be: Tenshin, Horiguchi, Taiga, Naito and Ryuki from Rizin 12, and Kento Haraguchi (Winner of the Rise 125 Road to Rizin Tournament.) I have a feeling they may match Horiguchi and Tenshin up 1st to headline the September 30th card, but that's just my gut feeling.

Lightweight Tournament - The second most stacked division right now is Lightweight, and in one of the Rizin 11 pre-fight videos Daron Cruickshank did mention interest in a possible Lightweight Grand Prix. I'd have to say 8 for a LW tournament, but whether they did it over two nights or one remains a mystery. It may be the only way to redeem Yusuke Yachi as the Rizin lightweight poster boy without giving him an immediate rematch. Possible entrants could include: Luiz Gastavo, Cruickshank, Yusuke Yachi, Diego Brandao, Kitaoka, either of the Asakura brothers, Kawajiri and Diego Nunes. Could easily take talent from Pancrase, Shooto Road FC or Deep for a 16 man tournament.

Cro Cop and Wanderlei - Both Cro Cop and Wanderlei have expressed interest competing in Rizin. One fight we know for sure is happening is Prochazka against Cro Cop, but theirs speculation to whether this will happen September 30th or as Cro Cop's December 31st retirement fight. Another possible match up is Roque Martinez, though I would assume he may be used to fight the Mongolian heavyweight hordes. For Wanderlei, as his fight with Rampage is at HW we can assume he will be fighting there, possibly fighting Cro Cop as was meant to occur at the 2016 HW Grand Prix, or possibly a beatable veteran such as TK.

Rena and Asakura - There are two big fights left for Asakura in Rizin after her fights with Rena. One, a rematch with Alyssa Garcia, who bested her in 2016. The second and more likely, Ayaka Hamasaki, pending her fight against Mina Kurobe. For Rena, a possible match up is the winner of the 2018 S-Cup Jleana Valentino, who she previously defeated. However, Valentino beat fellow stablemate Mia and wants revenge, so a story is there.

Gabi and King Reina - Assuming that the Grandma fight has gone with the wind, and that King Reina and Gabi wont fight as most Rizin fans want, Olympic wrestler Randi Miller called out Gabi on Twitter. Gabi says she can make 205 for the fight. Despite a size difference, this may be the best match up for Gabi in a very slim division. Reina on the other hand is in a hard position after her losses to Young and Dandois, and should consider either fighting some Deep prospect for NYE or finding another monster to pad her record with. At the end of the day, Reina has only been training three years, and shouldn't take heart to competitive losses against proven veterans. Another option is further weight loss and seeking competition at 135 or 125 pounds, such as Murata.

Gomi - Gomi wants one or two more fights before he hangs it up. Assuming he wants none of the lightweight tournament, and wants winnable match ups, a battle with Hatsu Hioki or a rematch of his epic war with Kawajiri could be in the cards.

Manel Kape - Rizin fans would love to see more of the pseudo-Krazy Horse barring Charles Bennet being allowed back into the country. A possible match up with Motoya if he's looking for a challenge, otherwise a fight with Topnoi 'Tiger Muay Thai' would be a barn burner.

Anyone I've missed? Any other speculation? Two more Rizin events for 2018 and I can't wait.


That's a good summary of the current speculation/rumours, minus the LW GP, which looks improbable at the moment.

Re the kickboxing tournament: The strongest rumour going around is that it'll be an 8 man GP with Nasukawa, Horiguchi, Haraguchi (winner of the ROAD TO RIZIN KICK tournament), Taiga, Daiki Naito, a Thai, a Chinese and a European.

Re WMMA: Sugiyama, Watanabe, Nakai, Yamamoto, Murata, Asakura, RENA, Alyssa Garcia if she wins her upcoming DEEP fight, and Gabi Garcia are all expected to fight September and/or December. Gabi might fight Miller, but since she commands such a high purse, they want to make sure to find an opponent that will maximize casual interest.

Re Kape, he'll fight for RIZIN again, maybe against Topnoi or, if they put Topnoi in the kickboxing GP, against one of the Asakura bros to keep that storyline going.

They are very happy with the performances of the Evolucao Thai guys, Brandao, Gustavo, Nunes will most probably fight again this year, together with Wand and maybe even Andre Dida. Gustavo is most likely to fight at LW again, either against Gomi (currently more probable) or Cruickshank.

Misc: Karl Albrektsson will probably fight for RIZIN again this year, as will Roque Martinez and maybe even Samurai Mark Hunt who left a strong impression with the fans, Shoji-style. Cro Cop vs Prohaska is pretty much set depending on Mirko's health.
Also, for whatever reason Sakakibara criticized the kickboxing fights on the last card, so currently one should not expect any more of those apart from the GP.
 
Ts not going to happen I don’t care how long are your arguments.....

There is not rumor on such gp at this moment
 
Christ Wandy already pulled out in a fight vs Mirko....

It’s not going to happen neither. They wanted a new blood fighter va Mirko next. They had Mirko vs Jiri fight matched last time before the injury.

No sentiment at this point. Mirko will kill 2018 Wandy
 
I think a lot of the way Yuchi fought was based around the idea he felt that it was his responsibility as the main event of Rizin 12 to make a banger and decided not to take Luiz down.

I've heard a few people mention this, but I'd like to try and debunk that idea.
Cause what I noticed was....

In 1st round Gustavo was able to take down Yachi...
giphy.gif


while Yachi couldn't take down Gustavo.
giphy.gif


In 2nd round Yachi was a bit more desperate, immediately shooting for the TD...
giphy.gif


but Gustavo was able to pop back up and finish the fight shortly after.
giphy.gif


So my take is that Yachi tried taking the fight to the ground, but Gustavo's TD defence was too good, and even when Yachi succeeded, Gustavo was able to pop back up and force a striking match.
 
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Bring Fedor vs. Alexander to bring some Brother vs. Brother drama into the fight. (To attract more people) .

Crocop vs. Wandy or Kharitonov
 
That's a good summary of the current speculation/rumours, minus the LW GP, which looks improbable at the moment.

Re the kickboxing tournament: The strongest rumour going around is that it'll be an 8 man GP with Nasukawa, Horiguchi, Haraguchi (winner of the ROAD TO RIZIN KICK tournament), Taiga, Daiki Naito, a Thai, a Chinese and a European.

Re WMMA: Sugiyama, Watanabe, Nakai, Yamamoto, Murata, Asakura, RENA, Alyssa Garcia if she wins her upcoming DEEP fight, and Gabi Garcia are all expected to fight September and/or December. Gabi might fight Miller, but since she commands such a high purse, they want to make sure to find an opponent that will maximize casual interest.

Re Kape, he'll fight for RIZIN again, maybe against Topnoi or, if they put Topnoi in the kickboxing GP, against one of the Asakura bros to keep that storyline going.

They are very happy with the performances of the Evolucao Thai guys, Brandao, Gustavo, Nunes will most probably fight again this year, together with Wand and maybe even Andre Dida. Gustavo is most likely to fight at LW again, either against Gomi (currently more probable) or Cruickshank.

Misc: Karl Albrektsson will probably fight for RIZIN again this year, as will Roque Martinez and maybe even Samurai Mark Hunt who left a strong impression with the fans, Shoji-style. Cro Cop vs Prohaska is pretty much set depending on Mirko's health.
Also, for whatever reason Sakakibara criticized the kickboxing fights on the last card, so currently one should not expect any more of those apart from the GP.

Not sure why Sakakibara would be unhappy with the kickboxing fights. They were really entertaining but there were just too many of them. There should only be a few kickboxing fights on the Rizin MMA cards in my opinion.
 
Would love to see Cro Cop vs. Kharitonov
 
Not sure why Sakakibara would be unhappy with the kickboxing fights. They were really entertaining but there were just too many of them. There should only be a few kickboxing fights on the Rizin MMA cards in my opinion.


Im not sure; in his interview after the event he was asked about them and replied something like "Well, about the kickboxing fights - I have to ask myself, did those fights really make me want to watch kickboxing again??", which basically translates to "Those fights were disappointing".

Dunno what he was expecting either, probably more flash - but Sakakibara seems to be rather cranky lately in general, what with the frustrating situation with Fuji TV.
 
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