Rizin Fighting Federation announced the fight order with 11 bouts total for their kickoff event for 2017.

March 31st. Tokyo. The Japanese federation announced the finalized fight card and fight order for their highly anticipated debut event in Yokohama, which will take place on April 16th, 2017 at the Yokohama Arena.

The finalized card contains 11 bouts in the following order.

Fight #1 – 58.0kg – 10 min + 5 min
Kizaemon Saiga (3-2) vs Seiichiro Ito (11-1-2)

Fight #2 – 48.0kg – 5 min + 5 min + 5 min
Kannna Asakura (6-2) vs Aleksandra Toncheva (0-0 pro / 8-0 am)

Fight #3 – 48.0kg – 5 min + 5 min + 5 min
Saori Ishioka (14-10) vs Bestare Kicaj (2-0)

Fight #4 – 70.3kg – 10 min + 5 min
Daron Cruickshank (18-9) vs Yusuke Yachi (16-6)

Fight #5 – 90.0kg – 5 min + 5 min + 5 min
Reina “KING” Miura (2-0) vs Jazzy Gabert (1-0)

Fight #6 – 120.0kg Elbows Allowed – 10 min + 5 min
Satoshi Ishii (14-7) vs Heath Herring (28-15)

Fight #7 – 56.7kg – 3 min + 3 min + 3 min
Tenshin Nasukawa (2-0) vs Franchesco Ghigliotti (0-0)

Fight #8 – 49.0kg 5 min + 5 min + 5 min
RENA Kubota (3-0) vs Dora Perjes (7-1)

Fight #9 – 58.0kg 10 min + 5 min
Kyoji Horiguchi (18-2) vs Yuki Motoya (18-4)

Fight #10 – Open weight – 10 min + 5 min
Amir Aliakbari (5-1) vs Geronimo Dos Santos (39-17)

Fight #11 – 65.8kg Elbows Allowed + 10 min + 5 min
Tatsuya Kawajiri (35-11-2) vs Anthony Birchak (13-3)

RIZIN 2017 in YOKOHAMA ~SAKURA event has settled with several high profile fighters including fighters who have walked away from the UFC. Formerly 3rd ranked Kyoji Horiguchi will be making his promotional debut against Yuki Motoya, who has been competing and proved himself as Japan’s top flyweight and is eager to show the world that his ability by defeated the highly favorite Horiguchi.

Anthony Birchak is another fighter who has chosen to call the Japanese promotion his new home. Birchak will stepping up a weight class to face fellow UFC veteran, Tatsuya Kawajiri for his promotional debut. Birchak would like to prove his overall skills are superior than the Japanese legendary fighter who he describes is at the end of his career.

Long time PRIDE and UFC veteran Heath Herring will be making his second appearance since his 8 year hiatus, his first being the last minute replacement for the Grand-Prix last year, where he showed that he still has his endurance and capability of a true fighter. Herring is set to face Olympic Judo gold medalist Satoshi Ishii, who has been facing tough losses in his past 3 fights.

The fan favorite Daron Cruickshank will be facing a Japanese up and coming striker, Yusuke Yachi in a should be fun scrap. Yachi is coming off of a 19 second KO win in his last fight for his RIZIN debut, which earned him the spot back in the promotion.

RIZIN’s poster fighter RENA Kubota is looking to continue her undefeated record will be facing HFC champion Dora Perjes. The kickboxing Phenom Tenshin Nasukawa will be fighting his third MMA fight against Italy’s kickboxing pitbull Francesco Ghigliotti, and two time Greco Roman wrestling world champion, RIZIN GP 2016 runner up Amir Aliakbari is looking to get back on the winning track by derailing a long time journeyman, Brazil’s own Geronimo Dos Santos. Reina Miura will be facing Jazzy Gabert in a 90kg weight fight and the winner will most likely be getting a shot to face Gabi Garcia.

Kizaemon Saiga and Seiichiro Ito look to kick off the night with some speedy and technical action, followed by teenage Kanna Asakura and Amateur MMA world champion Alksandra Toncheva. Swiss Karate fighter Bestare Kicaj will be taking on the mom fighter Saori Ishioka in the early fights.

The event can be purchased on FITE TV for $14.99 and on the RIZIN official website.
https://www.fite.tv/watch/rizin-2017-in-yokohama/2jn62/

RIZIN 2017 in Yokohama Live Stream