On December 29th (Tue) and 31st (Thu), RIZIN FIGHTING WORLD GRAND-PRIX 2015 SAITAMA 3 DAYS” will be held at the Saitama Super Arena. RIZIN FF executive committee chairman Nobuyuki Sakakibara announced 4 additional fights on top of the eye opening bout between Kazushi Sakuraba vs Shinya Aoki.

“We feel honored that we are getting contacted by many fighters from all over the world saying they want to participate for RIZIN. First I would like to thank all of the fighters who contacted us with passion and ambition. We are getting close to finalizing the broadcasting structure so that we can show the warriors fighting in Japan to the world. The fights we are announcing today, I feel that they can all represent fighting spirit of the Japanese. (Chairman Sakakibara)

The first fight that was announced was a bout between Shoot boxing champion RENA vs Jleana Valentino from Italy. RENA commented “My opponent is a kick boxer so I think it will become a stand up fight. My goal is to finish the fight in a spectacular KO like Mirko, but I also want to surprise you all, I might go for the flying armbar. I have been improving my MMA skills, so please look forward to see it”. Her opponent Valentino commented by email “I am training hard for my first MMA fight. So I think RENA and I will put on a beautiful performance that only we can do”.

Next, the fight between DEEP champion Yuki Motoya vs South Korean Fly weight standout Nam Jin Jo was announced. “My opponent is the number one guy in South Korea, but I am the number one guy in Japan. I have defeated big names who have fought for PRIDE and other shows, so I would like to show my potential to everybody by winning by KO. There are many big guys on the card, but I want to show the speed and aggressiveness of smaller guys to the fans” says Motoya. Nam Jin Jo sent a note saying “I want to represent South Korean MMA and will put in all I have into this fight so I can receive the biggest applause after my fight”.

Cosplay fighter Yuichiro facing kick boxing ironman Andy Souwer drew the media’s attention as the fight was announced as an MMA fight. Nagashima appeared in one of the characters for a popular game called “STEINS;GATE”, and said “The last time MMA was on terrestrial television, I fought in it. The time has stopped since my fight, so I believe it is my job to restart time with my fight. I would like to show a mysterious fight that only Andy and I can put on”. Souwer left a message saying “I was a bit surprised when I got the offer for a MMA fight. But I’ve always had the idea of challenging MMA utilizing my striking skills so it made sense to me. I am very excited on how the fight is going to turn out, and how I am going to perform”.

The last fight announced was the fight about contrast. DJ Taiki with the unique cynical personality and an exciting stand up fighter will face the heavy hitting veteran Hiroyuki Takaya. “I lost my last fight and showed my weakness to Yukarin (his favorite voice actress), so this time I will win and show her how cool I am”, says Taiki in his pink Happi jacket, Takaya follows “Its been a while since I’ve fought in a big show, so I’m motivated. I will do my best to end the fight as quickly as possible”.

General Manager Nobuhiko Takada summed up the conference with him highlighting each fight. “It would be great to see RENA’s flying armbar. I am excited to see the heated fight between the 2 beauties. Motoya not only has the gift as a natural fighter, but he also puts in the work by training 8 hours a day. He is still 26 years old and lots of time ahead of him so I want him to lead the future of MMA. Takaya, DJ both are heavy hitters. I’m expecting a high level thrilling exchange by the two highly experienced fighters. Nagashima definitely catches the eye. I have no idea what he means by a “mysterious fight” but I’ll be looking for that answer on New Year’s Eve. As far as Andy, he’s going to bring world class striking for sure, but I’m also interested in seeing his ground”.

Beauty, Challenge, Character, High level, 4 fights with all different concepts were announced. Each of these fights will is guaranteed be a clash of character and style. More fights announcements to be continued.

Stay tuned for further updates and exclusive interviews coming soon!