RIZIN FIGHTING WORLD GRAND PRIX 2017 Bantamweight Tournament 1st ROUND - Natsu no Jin - Thread

[Edwin]

Event: RIZIN FIGHTING WORLD GRAND PRIX 2017 Bantamweight Tournament 1st ROUND - Natsu no Jin -
Date: July 30, 2017
Time: 1:00 AM EST
Venue: Saitama Super Arena
Location: Saitama, Japan
Stream: FITE ($19.99)

RIZIN Bantamweight (61 kg) Tournament First Round ~ 3 Rounds x 5 Minutes:
Kyoji Horiguchi (60.85 kg) vs. Hideo Tokoro (60.70 kg)

120.0 kg (Heavyweight) ~ 3 Rounds x 5 Minutes:
Amir Aliakbari (113.75 kg) vs. Tyler King (108.8 kg)

120.0 kg (Heavyweight) ~ 3 Rounds x 5 Minutes:
Gabi Garcia (111.8 kg) vs. Oxana Gagloeva (117 kg)

88 kg ~ 3 Rounds x 5 Minutes:
KING Reina (74.55 kg) vs. Lei'D Tapa (87.95 kg)

57 kg (Flyweight) - Mixed Rules ~ 1 Round Kickboxing Rules x 5 Minutes + 1 Round MMA Rules x 5 Minutes:
Tenshin Nasukawa (57.0 kg) vs. Kizaemon Saiga (56.90 kg)

70 kg (Lightweight) ~ 1 Round x 10 Minutes + 1 Round x 5 Minutes:
Satoru Kitaoka (70.0 kg) vs. Yusuke Yachi (69.85 kg)

49 kg ~ 3 Rounds x 5 Minutes:
Cassie Robb (48.95 kg) vs. Miyuu Yamamoto (48.85 kg)

RIZIN Bantamweight (61 kg) Tournament First Round ~ 3 Rounds x 5 Minutes:
Takafumi Otsuka (61.0 kg) vs. Anthony Birchak (61.0 kg)

RIZIN Bantamweight (61 kg) Tournament First Round ~ 3 Rounds x 5 Minutes:
Keita Ishibashi (60.90 kg) vs. Khalib Taha (60.95 kg)

57 kg (Flyweight) ~ 3 Rounds x 5 Minutes:
Shinju Nozawa Auclair (56.2 kg) vs. Sheena Star (56.7 kg)

93 kg (Light Heavyweight) ~ 1 Round x 10 Minutes + 1 Round x 5 Minutes:
Teodoras Aukštuolis (92.85 kg) vs. Karl Albrektsson (92.70 kg)​

 

[Fullmount Triangle]

has it been confirmed what the other grand prix they're running is? There was a program that came out that said that their october show is also a grand prix first round. It's already confirmed that there will be an atomweight women's grand prix, but i assume it'll be flyweight? anyone have answers for me? I needs it massuh. i needs it.

 

[Fullmount Triangle]

Mauro talked about them running a 16 man GP and a 8 women GO.

I'm guessing this is where the men's GP will begin.

If it's 8 women, I assume that'll start in October and instead of having 2 fights in one night, they'll have semi finals on night 1 NYE and the finals on night 2, because the japanese have weird rules for women.

I really just hope that they're putting on a flyweight grand prix. That weight class is clearly something special for them.

 

[CDF47]

Can't wait for this. So nice having JMMA back.

 

[MMALOPEZ]

In addition to Horiguchi, Sakakibara confirmed that the 16-fighter field will feature 20-year-old Erson Yamamoto, the nephew of “Kid” Norifumi Yamamoto, as well as Japanese MMA's “Cinderella Man,” 39-year-old Hideo Tokoro. Sakakibara further said that while he wants to import top international talent as well, he is focused on bringing in the best bantamweight fighters from Japan's top promotions, including Deep, Pancrase, Shooto and ZST.
Read more at http://www.sherdog.com/news/news/Ri...Yamamoto-Confirmed-120169#6OT4zPwdXGIsASZS.99

 

[MMALOPEZ]

Rizin's bantamweight grand prix will begin on July 3 at the Saitama Super Arena in Saitama, Japan, with the four opening rounds bouts in the top half of the tournament bracket. The remaining four opening bouts will take place in the autumn, though Rizin has yet to announce a date or venue for its fall event. Similar to the promotion's previous GP offerings, the quarterfinals are scheduled for Dec. 29 for the first leg of Rizin's New Year's season festivities. The semifinals and finals will be held on the same night, Dec. 31, at Saitama Super Arena.
Read more at http://www.sherdog.com/news/news/Ri...Yamamoto-Confirmed-120169#6OT4zPwdXGIsASZS.99

 

[manboy<3]

I feel like the man's GP is suicidal, 16 fighters most of whom are ratings busts split over 3 events ? THE HELL?

why does it need to have 16 fighters ? 1 night 8 man tournament has 10 times the DRAMA that these long, drawn out GPs bring

Tournaments with weak fighters are great when they are one nighters becuase 8 fighters one night brings Drama and storylines..but if you split a weak tournament over 3 shows it becomes lame and stale because no one is really interested in the induvidual fights.

I wish they would just hold the woman's GP on the 29th of december and the Men's on the 31st and to hell with everything else

The should throw in a 4 member woman's open weight GP in between the 29th and 31st for the hell of it kinda like super hulk women edition

RIZIN is focusing on woman and teenager is a great plan but doing weak tourmaments over 3 events is a horrible idea IMO

RIZIN needs to be the promotion with the MOST DRAMA and the most BIZZARE AND FREAK FIGHTS and the most BEAUTIFUL woman and the most SPIRITED teenagers

it doesn't need to be DREAM 2.0

 

[asdf122345]

Pride has rizin!

 

[DanTheWolfman.com]

In for this!

 

[Kforcer]

Definitely rooting for Tokoro. If Miyata is a part of it, then him as well.

 

[Kforcer]

I feel like the man's GP is suicidal, 16 fighters most of whom are ratings busts split over 3 events ? THE HELL?

why does it need to have 16 fighters ? 1 night 8 man tournament has 10 times the DRAMA that these long, drawn out GPs bring

Tournaments with weak fighters are great when they are one nighters becuase 8 fighters one night brings Drama and storylines..but if you split a weak tournament over 3 shows it becomes lame and stale because no one is really interested in the induvidual fights.

I wish they would just hold the woman's GP on the 29th of december and the Men's on the 31st and to hell with everything else

The should throw in a 4 member woman's open weight GP in between the 29th and 31st for the hell of it kinda like super hulk women edition

RIZIN is focusing on woman and teenager is a great plan but doing weak tourmaments over 3 events is a horrible idea IMO

RIZIN needs to be the promotion with the MOST DRAMA and the most BIZZARE AND FREAK FIGHTS and the most BEAUTIFUL woman and the most SPIRITED teenagers

it doesn't need to be DREAM 2.0

The Heros GP's did great numbers. Better numbers than Pride. This is a similar idea.

 

[themmahistorian]

I have no interest in Bantamweight fights. Just my personal preference.

 

[Pyreen]

Birchak's participation has been made official:

 

[CDF47]

In addition to Horiguchi, Sakakibara confirmed that the 16-fighter field will feature 20-year-old Erson Yamamoto, the nephew of “Kid” Norifumi Yamamoto, as well as Japanese MMA's “Cinderella Man,” 39-year-old Hideo Tokoro. Sakakibara further said that while he wants to import top international talent as well, he is focused on bringing in the best bantamweight fighters from Japan's top promotions, including Deep, Pancrase, Shooto and ZST.
Read more at http://www.sherdog.com/news/news/Ri...Yamamoto-Confirmed-120169#6OT4zPwdXGIsASZS.99

Great news. Hope they can get Bibi.

 

[manboy<3]

The Heros GP's did great numbers. Better numbers than Pride. This is a similar idea.

The Heros GP's did great numbers. Better numbers than Pride. This is a similar idea.

But the DREAM GP did horrible didn't it ? DEspite being pretty good fight wise

and hey the DREAM GP was was more stacked than anything they can get for RIZIN..

Which is why I think it's a horrible Idea

basically to me DREAM showed me everything not to do in JMMA

 

[kingcillo24]

Birchak's participation has been made official:

I think that is just about Birchak declaring interest on Twitter.

 

[Danespina]

Only 1AM? Rizin making it easy.

Occurring right after UFC's fox event again.

 

[Pyreen]

I think that is just about Birchak declaring interest on Twitter.

Kinda, but the article was re-tweeted by the official RIZIN account, plus Birchak signed a 4 fight deal with them. You might be right that it's not strictly "official" as in "announced by Sakakibara", though.

 

[skylolow]

I'll return July 15 when maybe half of the tournament is announced.

 

[Kforcer]

But the DREAM GP did horrible didn't it ? DEspite being pretty good fight wise

and hey the DREAM GP was was more stacked than anything they can get for RIZIN..

Which is why I think it's a horrible Idea

basically to me DREAM showed me everything not to do in JMMA

Well, of course, I am not a promoter, but from my lay perspective, I think Heros got higher ratings than Pride because, similar to K-1 Max, it featured weight divisions that featured closer to an even playing field for the top Japanese talent. In a sense, I would assume that Heros benefited from comparison to Pride, where so often top domestic talent were stuck facing bigger fighters. Pride is long gone, so the relative novelty of Japanese fighters competing on a major stage on a playing field that is either level or--in the instance of the byes received by Uno and Sudo, for example--tipped in their favor might not be as strong. But I think there may be something similarly exciting to many about the prospect of a guy like Horiguchi defeating all-comers on an international stage or also of watching to see if someone like Erson emerges as a new standard-bearer.

For me, anything featuring Tokoro or Miyata doing their thing is worth the watch.