Inaugural Featherweight Champion to Be Crowned at Rizin 25 on Nov. 21

記者会見で正式に発表されました。

11月21日に大阪で朝倉未来選手とフェザー級王座決定戦をやります。

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試合まで約1ヶ月を悔いなく過ごして試合に勝ちます。

たくさんの応援をお願いします。 pic.twitter.com/jdNrzcnG60

— 斎藤裕 Yutaka Saito (@yutakasaito1008) October 19, 2020

Mikuru Asakura and Yutaka Saito will vie for Rizin Fighting Federation’s inaugural featherweight championship in the Rizin 25 main event on Nov. 21.

The Japanese promotion announced the card on Monday. Rizin 25 takes place at Osaka Jo Hall in Osaka, Japan, and will include a blend of MMA and kickboxing bouts. According to a release, 6,000 fans will be allowed to attend — 50 percent of the venue’s capacity.

Four other MMA bouts were confirmed for Rizin 25: Yojiro Uchimura vs. Kyohei Hagiwara; Hiromasa Ougikubo vs. Kenta Takizawa; Ryuichiro Sumimra vs. Gota Yamashita and Tatsuki Saomoto vs. Daichi Kitakata.

The 28-year-old Asakura enters the matchup with Saito on an eight-bout winning streak. All but one of those triumphs have occurred under the Rizin banner, including a second-round KO of Daniel Salas in his most recent outing at Rizin 21 on Feb. 21. The Tri-Force Akasaka representative owns a 13-1 career mark with one no contest.

Saito, meanwhile, has been victorious in six of his last seven professional appearances. The Shooto featherweight champion made his promotional debut at Rizin 33, where he used soccer kicks and knees to finish Kazumasa Majima 24 seconds into Round 2 on Aug. 10. The 33-year-old Paraestra Koiwa export is 18-4-2 over the course of his pro tenure.