Japanese promotion Rizin FF crowned their first featherweight champion at Rizin FF 25 as Yutaka Saito claimed the inaugural 145-pound title in Osaka, Japan after snapping Mikuru Asakura’s three-year winning streak.
Asakura (13-2) settled into his strikes early and connected with a succession of body kicks from the southpaw stance, as well as a well-timed knee to the body as Saito (19-4-2) stepped in to close the distance. But Asakura’s early momentum came to a halt when a thumping kick to Saito’s groin brought the bout to a stop as the referee allowed the injured fighter time to fully recover.
When the action resumed, Asakura went straight back to his body kick and connected hard with Saito’s midsection, while Saito struggled to find his range with his own strikes. With his striking game stuttering, Saito then attempted to grab Asakura for a takedown, but was easily shrugged off. Then, in the final 30 seconds of the round, Asakura perfectly-timed Saito’s leap into the pocket with a crisp left hand that briefly stunned his opponent, who held on for the final seconds of the round.
After an accidental kick to Asakura’s groin, Saito turned up the pressure in Round 2 as he stepped in and connected with big punches that drew gasps from the reduced-capacity crowd at the Osaka-Jo Hall. Saito then landed a takedown and forced the scrambling Asakura into the corner as he looked to sap the gas tank of his opponent.
The action soon returned to the center of the ring, and Saito went on the attack again, hammering Asakura to the body with a kick, then coming over the top with big strikes as he punched his way into the clinch again. The pair then traded big shots in the final minute of the round as a bout that was dominated by Asakura early looked to be hanging in the balance heading into the final frame.
Both men had a finish on their minds as they headed into Round 3, as Saito loaded up on his punches and Asakura looked to counter. The latter narrowly missed with a step-in knee, while Saito continued to beat his man to the punch in the boxing exchanges.
Two minutes into the round, Saito shot in and scored a big takedown as he trapped Asakura against the ropes. But while he had achieved a dominant position, Saito did little with it, and the referee eventually lost patience and stood the pair back up.
It gave Asakura the chance to unleash his strikes again, and he countered a body-kick with a good right hand as he briefly knocked Saito off balance. Then a big left hand knocked Saito down and into the ropes. It sparked a wild back-and-forth exchange as both men connected with huge shots, with a left from Asakura eventually sending Saito stumbling backward once more. When the final bell rang, both men raised their hands in victory, as they grinned and nodded in respect after an entertaining battle.
When the judges returned their verdict, they were unanimous in their assessment as they crowned Saito champion after a bout that saw the momentum swing back and forth throughout a rollercoaster three-round title tussle.
Rizin FF 25 results: Yutaka Saito halts Mikuru Asakura’s winning streak, captures inaugural title