RIZIN CONFESSIONS #43: RIZIN 18 preview featuring Horiguchi and the Asakura Brothers

If you don’t watch RIZIN CONFESSIONS, then you absolutely should. Start right now with RIZIN CONFESSIONS #43.

It is a YouTube docu-series from RIZIN Fighting Federation, subtitled in English every time. They’ve been going on for well over a year now, and hopefully, there is many more to come.

The series typically has episodes regarding lead-up to any and all RIZIN fight nights, as well as post-fight recaps, etc. A typical episode tends to focus on a handful of fighters, including deep dives into the lives and training of each fighter involved.

If you’re a fan of stuff like this, it is must-watch stuff. And, starting today, The Body Lock MMA will be bringing easy-to-digest recaps of every episode going forward. Including timestamps to the important bits.

RIZIN CONFESSIONS #43 features RIZIN and Bellator champ Kyoji Horiguchi and Kai Asakura giving their inputs on their main event clash this weekend at RIZIN 18 in Nagoya. Brother of Kai, Mikuru Asakura also chimes in. Making his debut at RIZIN 18; a former longtime WEC and UFC contender in Takeya Mizugaki. He speaks on his upcoming RIZIN Fighting Federation debut as well.

Clocking in at just over fifteen minutes, #43 is one of the shorter episodes of RIZIN CONFESSIONS in recent memory, but there is still plenty to cover. So let’s do just that!

• Horiguchi  & Mikuru do light sparring for GONG Magazine back in July (0:00 – 0:19)
• Mikuru talks Horiguchi weaknesses + Kai match-up (0:20 – 1:08)
• Kai Asakura on proving the doubters wrong (1:10 – 1:50)
• Mikuru talks Kai Asakura and “deep” lower-weight class roster (1:51 – 2:23)
• Kai on what past Horiguchi foes did wrong (2:25 – 2:40)
• Kai and Mikuru analyze Horiguchi vs. Ishiwatari II (2:55 – 4:37)
• Kai and Mikuru analyze Horiguchi vs. Ben Nguyen, gameplan for Horiguchi (4:39 – 6:03)
• Horiguchi gives thoughts on Asakura Brothers, coach Mike Brown (6:04 – 7:21)
• Masanori Kanehara, Kenji Osawa talk Asakura Brothers (7:35 – 8:18)
• The Asakura Brothers and their mother, Emi, talk being “bad” kids (8:19 – 10:10)
• Kai talks wanting to be ‘approved’ by Mikuru with win over Horiguchi (10:12 – 10:39)
• Horiguchi on DJ’s ONE run so far (10:40 – 11:10)
• RIZIN giving DEEP champ Henry love before he debuts at RIZIN 18 (11:35 – 12:58)
• Takeya Mizugaki eyeing fight with Horiguchi (13:00 – 13:42)
• Manel Kape highlights (13:46 – 14:27)