5th Match

vs

Special One Match(RIZIN MIX Rule)
Hinata def. Kazuyuki Miyata
via TKO (3 knockdowns) – Round 1, 2:14

 

1R
Hinata, the southpaw, comes out with a flurry of leg and body kicks. Miyata with a jab. Hinata keeps pressing forward with his left roundhouse kicks, coming close with a high kick before connect with a left cross. He didn’t get full range behind it, but enough to get a knockdown.
Miyata stands up and takes an 8 count to shake it off. High kick from Hinata but countered with a left cross by Miyata as Hinata slips up and falls over. Hinata gets up and the referee continues the fight as Hinata comes forward with 5 left roundhouse kicks in a row before landing a left round house to the head of Miyata that, in between a punch exchange, shakes him momentarily.
Hinata is on the front foot attacking again, but a flying knee from Miyata catches Hinata ducking down. They clinch and the referee breaks. On the resumption, Miyata runs face-first into a straight and down he goes again. He beats the count again. The come to blows again and this time Hinata throws Miyata to the ground. Miyata ducks down to avoid a punch and turns his back but Hinata lands lefts and rights that send Miyata down to the for the third and final time.
Hinata comment on microphone after match:
“It’s nice to meet you all. My name is Hinata and I am a kick boxer. I am one of the lucky few who can live off kickboxing. To be able to say you can survive off fighting takes years of hard work, but I want martial arts to go back to its glory years. I want it to be bigger than K1 Max used to be, I want it to be a global event. I really respect MMA, and to be honest, if I had started off in MMA first, I might not have survived the first round. I am so happy to be here on this big stage and for all those people out there that might be interested, in March I am fighting at Korakuen Hall for Rebels. Please come out and support me!”.
An interview with Hinata
Now that the fight is over, how do you think it went?
I think I showed a lot of people what kickboxing is all about and that makes me very happy. In saying that however, if it had been MMA rules, the result would have been different and I know that. Although I am happy, it’s a mixture of happiness.
Was there a feeling that you had to knock him down in the first round?
I knew I had to knock him down. I decided to be on the front foot and attack first because I knew this wasn’t kickboxing and I wouldn’t be eating the normal punches I usually do.
Your opponent Miyata said in his prefight interview that he wouldn’t run away from a fight. What are your feelings on this?
When I hit him with inside lows, he backed off and it was kind of me chasing him from there. He didn’t run away at all though, and I really felt his toughness.
Would you like to fight 1R of MMA rules next time?
I fought tonight with the intention to show the people what kickboxing is all about, so I have no intentions on becoming and MMA fighter. In saying that however, I want to please the fans and put on exciting fights, so if I can get an offer 6 months before the fight, I will train hard and yes, I’d like to fight in that situation. I am aiming to be the top kick boxer in the world at 70kgs. It’s impossible to compare MMA to kickboxing, but I want to be the best kick boxer, and make friends with all the top athletes worldwide.
How long did you practice MMA for?
For three weeks nonstop. It’s been a while since I’d trained so intensely, and it really had me dejected everyday but I was able to become a lot stronger and I think I really got something out this.
An interview with Kazuyuki Miyata.
Looking back, how do you think the fight went?
I didn’t really fight the way I wanted to, and I wanted to fight an MMA fight (smiles).
In your prefight interview you talked about wanting to show the kids you teach how to always be on the front foot in a fight, going forward. Did you keep that in mind as you fought?
I was surprised, during the fight I was composed, but In the last minute of the fight, I thought about just doing what I can to avoid him. But then I thought of the kids. He is one of the top fighters in this division in kickboxing.
Does he hit hard?
He is awesome. Imtimidating.