RIZIN 21 is just hours away at this point, and all fighters are weighed in and ready to go tonight at the Hamamatsu Arena.
Below, you can find the weigh-in results of all 13 bouts, along with quotes from all fighters involved. Every competitor is on-weight and it is worth knowing that the “Jiu-Jitsu Gauntlet” featuring Roberto de Souza and Team Nakai had no weight stipulations, so they did not weigh-in.
Mikuru Asakura vs. Daniel Salas
Mikuru Asakura: (67.95kg/149.9lbs)
“My opponent is unorthodox and would be tough to deal with. I have been working on my right hand, so I look forward to using it.I used to come to Hamamatsu to participate in street fights, so being here brings back some memories. This city is also the city where I made my MMA debut, so I will try to come back to my roots and fight to finish.”
Daniel Salas: (67.3kg/148.3lbs)
“I grew up in a rough neighborhood in Mexico City and am no stranger to street fights, much like Asakura. I’m actually very, very excited to hear that Asakura is also a street fighter at heart. It takes a different mindset to fight on the streets, so I think this will be a good fight. This fight will be intense, and strategy will be the key. I have a good chin and a Mexican heart, I want to show that to Japanese fans.”
Victor Henry vs. Masanori Kanehara
Victor Henry: (60.4kg/133.2)
“My opponent is a tough veteran, and he’s used to losing, so I look forward to giving him another one. This will be a very hard fight, but I’m looking forward to overcoming the challenges and getting better after this fight. He’s been training with my previous opponent and is probably sharing secrets, so I plan to show some things that they haven’t seen.”
Masanori Kanehara: (60.65kg/133.7lbs)
“Since it’s been a while since my last fight, I have no idea how it’s going to feel when I step back into the ring. I don’t feel old or slow, thankfully, and my conditioning is great. I was thinking of retiring, but I am grateful to RIZIN for giving me this chance for what is likely my last run. RIZIN’s bantamweight division is just stacked with great fighters, and there is a particular fighter I want to face who just so happens to be in this division, but I will save it until after I get the win.”
Roque Martinez vs. Hideki Sekine
Roque Martinez: (112.75kg/248.6lbs)
“My opponent has great ground skills and I am honored to face somebody like him. I hope to keep the fight standing, but I am no stranger to the ground so I can fight wherever the fight goes. But standing and trading is much more fun, so I hope we get to stand and trade. I have something special ready for the fans… don’t blink.”
Hideki Sekine: (113.55kg/250.3lbs)
“My opponent has good hands, but I want to show the greatness of pro-wrestlers, so I will fight as one. Look out for my suplex attempts! As a professional, I think me and my opponent have to work hard on putting on an entertaining performance to please the crowd. I know he has heavy hips, but I am confident I can toss him once I get my grip.”
Marcos de Souza vs. Falco Neto
Marcos de Souza: (78.65kg/133.7lbs)
“I think my opponent will come out very strong for the first few minutes but I am not too worried. I will do my best to get the win. I wasn’t able to show my BJJ in my last fight, so I have to plan to utilize my skills this time.”
Falco Neto: (78.65kg/133.7lbs)
“My opponent is a superb ground fighter, but I am much better-rounded and can fight better overall. I want to show everybody that I am a complete fighter. I have worked on keeping the fight to points where I can fight the best.”
Kintaro vs. Kenji Kato
Yuto “Kintaro” Hokamura: (60.65kg/133.7lbs)
“We are both strikers, but he’s more of a counter guy. I can end the fight when I land my strikes and it shouldn’t take too long. I have been waiting for this moment for a long time and I can’t wait to show what I can do and prove that I belong here. I will make a statement and earn myself an opportunity to face the top guys in the division.”
Kenji Kato: (60.76kg/133.7lbs)
“My opponent is a very aggressive fighter so this will be a fun fight. I am predominantly a striker, so it will be fun, but I have been working on my ground with the Souza brothers. So I would like to show my improvement on the ground as well if possible.”
Trent Girdham vs. Naoki Inoue
Trent Girdham: (60.65kg/133.7lbs)
“My opponent is a basic fighter with no real threats, and I consider this a pretty easy fight honestly. I like to cut my opponents. I like to make them bleed. So I hope to land my elbows. RIZIN’s bantamweight division is currently stacked and has so many fun match-ups for me. I will show pure violence and prove that I belong in this division.”
Naoki Inoue: (60.2kg/132.7lbs)
“Me and my opponent are both the same age and have the same amount of professional fights. He’s a good striker with good takedown defense, but I would like to utilize my speed and technique to dominate him. He said I was weak and should go back down to flyweight, but he will feel my power on Saturday.”
Vugar Keramov vs. Kyle Aguon
Vugar Keramov: (65.7kg/145.5lbs)
“I plan to show my overall skills and my character as a fighter. I know this will be a tough fight, but I am going in there to do my best. I am excited to be fighting in RIZIN and plan to follow in the foot steps of my good friend Tofiq. RIZIN has become very famous in Azerbaijan because of him, and I hope to join him.”
Kyle Aguon: (65.6kg/144.6lbs)
“I am looked at as a guy who wins by decisions, but RIZIN is a platform where fighters need to put on entertaining fights and the judging system is different. I plan to use that knowledge with my experience and technique to take advantage of the new setting. We are both tough and hard to finish so I expect a war, but at the end my technique will take over.”
Kousuke Jitsukata vs. Ryo Sakai
Kousuke Jitsukata: (117.85kg/259.8lbs)
“I’m a rare Japanese heavyweight muay thai fighter, so I want to show what I’ve got to these RIZIN fans. My opponent is an MMA fighter and I know he’s going to try and counter my kicks, but I won’t let him hit me that easy. I am a big guy but I move quickly.”
Ryo Sakai: (100.65kg/221.9lbs)
“My opponent is a traditional muay thai guy and a local champ. He looks like he’s a big guy, so I will see what happens once the bell rings. The fight will end by a knockout, not too sure which one of us goes down, but one of us will for sure.”
Kenichi Takeuchi vs. Naoya
Kenichi Takeuchi: (56.45kg/124.5lbs)
“My opponent doesn’t have much worth fearing, but he has a strong heart. I would like to show my speed and technique.”
Naoya: (56.95kg/125.6lbs)
My opponent has a longer reach and has a good head kick so I need to definitely be aware of those. I want to put on a good show for the fans and leave good impression.”
Henrry Sejas vs. SEIDO
Henrry Sejas: (59.6kg/131.4lbs)
“My opponent has a tremendous heart and will never quit. He keeps coming forward, I always go forward, so this has all the makings of a great fight. I plan to put on a great performance on such a great stage.”
SEIDO: (59.9kg/132lbs)
“My opponent is aggressive so I think that it will turn out to be an exciting fight. I have been competing for a while and don’t have any significant accomplishments but I love what I do and I hope to inspire others with my gritty style.”
Yuya vs. KOUKI
Yuya: (70kg/154.3lbs)
“I don’t know much about my opponent but I know that he’s taller than me. I am actually excited to be facing a fighter that I know nothing about. I look forward to put on a show and doing so while improvising.”
KOUKI: (69.6kg/153.4lbs)
“I have won both of my pro fights by knockout in the first round, so I hope to continue that streak. My opponent has more experience than me, but that doesn’t matter.”
Masaji Tozuka vs. Masahiro Ozawa
Masaji Tozuka: (58.8kg/129.6lbs)
“My opponent uses his left body kick a lot, so I have some plans to counter that. I want to show my strong heart and warrior spirit.”
Masahiro Ozawa: (58.95kg/129.9lbs)
“My opponent has lots of stamina, and is a tough in-fighter. This is how I fight as well, so this will be a phone booth brawl.”
RIZIN 21 goes down in just hours and the event can be purchased on FITE TV. Do so for unlimited lifetime replays, as well!
