The rematch is a go because Rizin/Bellator MMA Bantamweight Champion Kyoji Horiguchi is putting the Rizin title on the line against Kai Asakura, which was announced by Rizin President Nobuyuki Sakakibara during the Rizin 19 broadcast.
Horiguchi (28-3-0) became the Rizin Bantamweight Champion with a third round submission win over Darrion Caldwell at Rizin 14 in December of 2018. Horiguchi would become the Bellator MMA Bantamweight Champion with a second victory over the aforementioned Caldwell at Bellator 222. Horiguchi has picked up twenty eight wins as a professional MMA fighter and half of them have come by way of KO/TKO.
Asakura (14-1-0) picked up the win over Horiguchi in their first meeting at Rizin 18, but that bout was a non-title affair. Asakura has competed once since the fight against Horiguchi, which was a first round TKO win over Yuta Sasaki at Rizin 19. Asakura will enter the bout while riding a six fight winning streak and he hasn’t suffered a defeat in over two years.
Rizin 21 takes place on Tuesday, December 31 from the Saitama Super Arena in Saitama, Japan with no main event announced at this time. Fightful is providing live coverage of the event, which streams live on Fite TV.
