Tonight, live from the Dolphins Arena in Nagoya, Japan, a stacked RIZIN 18 fight card will go down, live on FITE TV.
This morning, the weigh-ins took place. All fighters made weight and are ready for action tonight.
Before they take over Nagoya, however, all 26 fighters competing gave the media in Japan one final quote before they head into battle in front of the masses at Dolphins Arena. Check out the full weigh-in results, staredowns, and all the quotes below.
https://twitter.com/MikeLovesTacosX/status/1162737683111862273
Kyoji Horiguchi: (60.75kg / 133.9lbs)Â
“I’m not underestimating Kai at all. He is well-rounded, young, and very dangerous. I will go in there and do what I always do; try to finish the fight. I don’t know what he and Mikuru have planned, but if their goal is to make me panic, I’ve never panicked in a fight. So good luck with that.”
Kai Asakura: (61kg / 134.5lbs)Â
“I feel great. I have done everything perfectly in terms of things I can do to prepare for this fight. All I have left is to execute my gameplan. Horiguchi is so strong at every level of fighter, but I am confident I can beat him if I play my cards right.”
https://twitter.com/MikeLovesTacosX/status/1162737341833703425
Ayaka Hamasaki: (49kg / 108lbs)Â
“My opponent is explosive and very strong. She can striker, she can grapple, she can do everything. I am not taking her lightly at all. I would like to win this fight and dominate in every way to keep proving that I am a worthy champion. I have worked hard on strengthening every aspect of my game, and I plan to finish this fight. I will not hold back, at all, from start to finish.”
Suwanan Boonsorn: (47.7kg / 105.2lbs)Â
“I have seen all the footage on my opponent, and I’m still confident that I can beat her. My striking is better, I am physically stronger, and I can’t imagine myself losing to her in an MMA fight. I would like to showcase all my skills. I will start the fight standing and eventually take this to the ground and submit her.”
https://twitter.com/MikeLovesTacosX/status/1162736858197102592
Victor Henry: (60.5kg / 133.4lbs)Â
“My opponent is a young prospect, very well-rounded. Of course, I do think I am better than him overall. A win here and then a fight with Horiguchi would be great! Who wouldn’t want to fight him if the opportunity presented itself?”
Trent Girdham: (60.95kg / 134.4lbs)Â
“My opponent is ranked very high in the United States, Japan, and Russia, but I plan him anyway. People think that I am only a striker? Nah, I want to show the world that I am a well-rounded fighter.”
https://twitter.com/MikeLovesTacosX/status/1162736141310812161
Manel Kape: (60.25kg / 132.8lbs)
“My opponent is very experienced, but you can’t win with just experience anymore. I have experience and the talent to destroy this old lion. Everybody knows what happened to the old lion in ‘The Lion King’. I plan to waste no time whatsoever. I will finish Mizugaki in thirty-seconds. Easy money.”
Takeya Mizugaki: (61kg / 134.5lbs)Â
“Kape is very athletic and has that natural instinct. I think he is very clever when he fights. My goal is to get myself a fight with Horiguchi, so I can’t lose here. A win will start my journey to him, so I will go into this fight and give it everything I have. My opponent has said I’m an old lion and not a bunny or an ant like he’s been saying to his previous opponents. For that, I am grateful.”
https://twitter.com/MikeLovesTacosX/status/1162735802008428544
John Wayne Parr: (74.6kg / 164.5lbs)Â
“This will be my 17th fight in Japan, and I’m excited to be back here. I hope to get my 100th win in the country that I like to fight in the most. I am 43-years-old, and I don’t have much time left in this game, so I won’t hold back. I will be aggressive and violent.”
Danilo Zanolini: (74.25kg / 163.7lbs)
“My opponent is a world-class fighter with world-class skills. I’d hate to be the one to spoil his 100th victory, but he’s not getting it on Sunday. He will have to wait until another time.”
https://twitter.com/MikeLovesTacosX/status/1162734964460441600
Kanna Asakura: (48.55kg / 107lbs)Â
“My opponent is a fantastic wrestler and very strong. She is the type of fighter I dislike the most when it comes to them being my opponent, but I have been working on a few things so I would like to try them out during this fight. I have lost two straight, so I need a clear and decisive victory to solidify my position. People often say that I am too nice when I fight, so I would like to show my merciless side during this fight.”
Alesha Zappitella: (48.8kg / 107.6lbs)Â
“My opponent is a world-ranked top five, so I am excited to be able to test my skills and abilities against such an opponent. We have a similar skillset and I’m excited to see how this fight is going to turn out.”
https://twitter.com/MikeLovesTacosX/status/1162734700311601153
Haruo Ochi: (52.95kg / 116.7lbs)Â
“My opponent is super tough and a very worthy opponent. I am grateful to be able to face such an opponent on such a big stage. I want to put on a fantastic fight and show the world that strawweights can put on fun fights.”
Jarred Brooks: (52.95kg / 116.7lbs)Â
“I had a good amount of time to prepare for this fight and my team has definitely been pushing me. I have pushed myself real hard to get here, so I’m ready to make a big statement. My opponent is the #1 ranked strawweight in the world for a reason, but I will go in there and show everybody why I am actually the best strawweight in the world. This will be one exciting fight for everybody. The strawweight division will be a force to be reckoned with.”
https://twitter.com/MikeLovesTacosX/status/1162734045765218309
Hiroto Uesako: (70.75kg / 156lbs)Â
“The only impressive I have about my opponent is that he is a great dancer. I am only looking for a knockout. I know I have to make an impression to make it into the lightweight Grand-Prix, so I will be aggressive and will show that I belong in it. This fight will not go to decision.”
Yves Landu: (70.85kg / 156.2lbs)
“I am full of energy and I can’t wait to get in there. I am an entertainer before, during, and after the fight. So I promise you guys a show every time I fight.”
https://twitter.com/MikeLovesTacosX/status/1162733175455518720
Kazuma Sone: (61kg / 135.5lbs)Â
“My opponent is an unorthodox striker and spins all over the place. He is probably annoying to face. I think this fight will be a striking contest, so I plan to land massive shots and win by knockout. The RIZIN bantamweight division is getting deeper, so I would like to start putting myself in that mix.”
Justin Scoggins: (60.8kg / 134lbs)
“I’ve changed up my performance training and I’ve never felt better leading up to a fight. I will keep this fight where I want it to be, and I’ll show everybody what I can really do. My opponent looks strong and is well-experienced, but he doesn’t have the skills that I possess. I respect the grappling aspect of the game, but I’m here to do what everybody wants to see. And that’s two dudes going in there and beating each other up on the feet.”
https://twitter.com/MikeLovesTacosX/status/1162732261927768065
Takaki Soya: (58.95kg / 130lbs)
“I feel great. I can fight right now. My opponent has tons of stamina and can go full throttle for fifteen hard minutes. He’s also very fast and moves a lot. I want to fight a good MMA fight and show every aspect of this sport, and eventually knock him out. He’s really fast, but I think I’m pretty fast too. So look out for our speed.”
Yutaro Muramoto: (58.85kg /129.7lbs)Â
“My opponent and I are from the same generation but have been fighting in different promotions. He’s very strong and has heavy hands. I would like to duck his hands and finish him. I want to show the speed of our weight class and show that our fights can be exciting too.”
https://twitter.com/MikeLovesTacosX/status/1162731405887062016
Ai Shimizu: (48.7kg / 107.4lbs)Â
“My opponent has good submission skills from the bottom. She can set up an armbar very nicely and I have to be careful with that. I have been working on my physical strength, so I would like to fully utilize my strong points and get that win.”
Tabatha Watkins: (48.85kg / 107.7lbs)Â
“I want to use this opportunity to show the world who I am and what I can do. My opponent is a very good up-and-comer, and I am excited to face her in a RIZIN ring.”
https://twitter.com/MikeLovesTacosX/status/1162730833096167424
Takiya Shota: (52.8kg / 116.4lbs)
“My opponent is young and tough. I will not hold back and I will go for the finish from the very beginning. I do not plan to let this fight go to decision. I will force the fight to where either of us has no choice but to go down.”
Kazuki Osaki: (53kg / 116.8lbs)
“My opponent is very aggressive and doesn’t stop coming forward. He throws so many things, so I’m sure I’ll have a hard time adjusting to his style. But once I get used to him, it should be a very fun fight.”
https://twitter.com/MikeLovesTacosX/status/1162730307772133378
Ryuji Horio: (56.85kg / 125.3lbs)Â
“He’s not the greatest technician, but he has power and speed, so I need to be careful or he might finish me with one punch. I was able to get the decision win in my last RIZIN fight, but I was upset I couldn’t finish. I will go and try to get that finish this time.”
Uchu Sakurai: (57kg / 125.7lbs)
“My motivation for this fight is unreal. I spent time in Tokyo and have worked on every part of my game. My opponent is well-experienced and has many accomplishments. I plan to beat him with style and become a RIZIN regular. I want to be the next big star.”