Preview: Super Rizin 2 Pulls Together a Stellar Card Despite Injuries!
With A.J McKee and Kai Asakura out due to injury Rizin have scrambled to find suitable replacements. Hiromasa Ogikubo stepped up as a fitting challenger…
MMA
Shooto 2023 Vol 3. Pivotal “Grappler vs Striker” Main/Co-Main Bouts Nail-Biters. Infinity League Storyline Unfolds.
Shoji Saito Defeated Takuma “The Leg Hunter” Sudo by Unanimous Decision (29-28, 29-28, 29-28) There were no secrets as to both fighters intentions as they…
Shooto 2023 Vol 2 Preview,
Shooto continues to go from strength to strength, their reputation souring on the heels of sensational recent events. 2023 Volume 2 promises to keep the…
Pancrase 330, Scintillating Christmas Event a Gift for MMA Fans
Christmas Day is not a time traditionally associated with Mixed Martial Arts. That did not stop one of the world’s oldest and most respected orgs,…
Shooto 2022 Vol.7, Fujii and Ishii Go to War For the Bantamweight Title.
Wataru Yamauchi Defeated Kiyotaka Shimizu by KO (0:44, R1) Respecting his status as a mma pioneer, the main event was reserved for battle tested 43…
Rizin 38 Results. Kyoji Horiguchi Returns, Women’s Super Atomweight Finals Set
Kyoji Horiguchi defeated Yuto “Kintaro” Hokamura by submission (head and arm choke, 2R, 2:59) MMA royalty Horiguchi made his return to Rizin for the first…
Super Rizin! Results. Mayweather vs. Asakura Delivers!
No Winner. Floyd Mayweather Finished Mikuru Asakura (Referee Stoppage, 2R, 3:15) Fans were on the edge of their seats for the highly anticipated main event…
Shooto 2022 Volume 6, Results and Review. Strawweight Championship Shootout Ends Decisively
Main Event, Shooto World Strawweight Championship, 5M x 5R Jo Arai defeated Junji “Sarumaru” Ito by TKO (1R, 1:50) The main event of the evening…
Shooto 2022 Vol 6, Monday 19th. Flyweight Title Match Highlights Competitive 10 Bout Card
All eyes will be on the Flyweights Monday evening as 2 unbreakable spirits collide for the Shooto 2022 Volume 6 main event. Korakuen Hall, the…
Shooto 2022 Vol 3 Results and Review.
MAIN EVENT, Pacific Rim Bantamweight Championship, 5 Min x 3 Rounds Hayato Ishii Defeated Kota Onojima (Decision, 30-27, 29-28, 29-28) Hard work really paid off…
Pancrase Embraces WADA Accredited PED Testing for Championship Bouts
Performance Enhancing Drug testing has always been a hot topic for MMA in Japan. Where individual combat sports such as Judo, Wrestling, Boxing, Karate and…
Flyweight “Supernova” Tatsuro Taira Signs with Iridium Sports Agency, Primed for U.S Debut
Japan’s Flyweight Star, the “Supernova” Tatsura Taira Japanese Flyweight sensation, Tatsuro “Supernova” Taira has made no secret of his aspirations to make his mark on…
Shooto 2022 Volume 1 Results. Bantamweight Pacific Rim Champion Crowned. Top Prospects Continue Ascent.
Main Event – 11th Match: Pacific Rim Bantamweight Championship, 5min 3R Kota Onojima Defeated Nobuki Fujii (Unanimous Decision, 30-27, 29-28, 29-28) An intriguing main event…
Shooto 2022 Volume1, Sunday 16th, Generations Clash as Seasoned Veterans and Hot Prospects Collide
Kicking off the year in style, Shooto 2022 volume 1 has brought together 12 scintillating matches showcasing a host of their brightest and best. In…
Rizin 33 NYE, Results and Review. Sensational Performances Highlight a Night of Shocks and Surprises
As the curtains came down on the final Martial Arts event of the year, fans in attendance and those watching around the world were treated…
Rizin 33 Preview, Tenshin Rounds Out Rizin Career With Gomi Special Rules Match
With a reputation for going that extra mile for fans, Rizin 33 has pulled together a special “last minute” match for this New Years Eve….
VTJ 2021 Results. Vale Tudo Japan Returns Following a 5 Year Hiatus!
Tatsuro Taira defeated Alfredo “Mono Con Navaja” Muaiad (Submission, RnC, 4:10, R1) Shooto Flyweight Champion Taira once again put his formidable power on display early as he…
Shooto 2021 Vol 7 Results, 2 Champions Crowned in Afternoon of Fast Paced Fights
Shooto World Super Atomweight Championship Match, 5M x 5R Satomi “Sarami” Takano defeated Mina Kurobe (Unanimous Decision, 49-45, 49-46, 48, 47) Kurobe wasted little time in…
Shooto 2021 Volume 7 Preview, November 6th. Double Championship Headliner!
With the revival of first Vale Tudo Japan after a 5 year hiatus, Shooto further upped the ante, slotting in Shooto 2021 Volume 7 earlier…
Shooto GIG Tokyo Vol.31 results and review
Shinjuku Face played host to “SHOOTO GIG TOKYO Vol.31 Supported by ONE Championship,” Saturday, October 2nd. Smaller in scale than typical Shooto events, the “SHOOTO…
Shooto 2021 Volume 6, Results and Review
Main Event: Shooto Lightweight Title Match, 5M x 5R Yamato Nishikawa defeated Yuki “Tencho” Kawana by TKO (Doctor Stoppage, 0:43, R5) With experience and maturity…
Shooto 2021 Vol 5 results. “Sasuke” vs. Kudo Featherweight Title Match Goes Down to the Wire
Shooto Featherweight Division is a shark pool of talent. For the main event of Shooto 2021 Volume 5, 2 evenly matched warriors who have both…
Shooto 2021 Vol5, Sunday 25th. Sasuke vs Kudo Featherweight Title Match!
Shooto is back, and the World Featherweight Title is on the line at 2021 Volume 5. With Korakuen Hall once again playing host, the sensational…
Rizin 29 Results! 4 Progress to GP Quarterfinals. One Night Kickboxing Tournament Winner Crowned
Match 13: Rizin KICK One Night Tournament Final, 3M x 3R, 61kg Taiju Shiratori defeated Koji “Kouzi” Tanaka by decision (30-27, 30-27, 30-26) In the final…
Rizin 29 Preview, Bantamweight GP Continues, Plus 4 man One Night Kickboxing Tournament!
Just 2 weeks removed from their outstanding Tokyo Dome show Rizin is back! This Sunday, 27th, Maruzen Intec Arena in Osaka hosts Rizin 29, featuring…
Rizin 28 Returns to Tokyo Dome in Sensational Style! Lightweight Champion Crowned, Knock Outs, Submissions, Back and Forth Wars
The return of MMA to the monumental Tokyo Dome after 18 years was met with great anticipation. From the opening flames, lights and fireworks to…
Rizin 28 Card Finalized, Tenshin to Face 3 Consecutive Opponents!
Main Event, RIZIN MMA Rule With Elbows: 5 minutes 3R (66.0kg) Flamboyant submission specialist Kleber Koike Erbst faces cerebral striker Mikuru Asakura in the main event….
Pancrase 321 Results and Review
Main Event – Featherweight King of Pancrase Championship, 5 minutes x 5 rounds Isao “ISAO” Kobayashi defeated Taichi Nakajima (unanimous decision, 50-45, 49-46, 49-46) For his 3rd title defence dominant champion…
Pancrase 321 Preview, Sunday 30th, Studio Coast
Pancrase have pulled out all the stops for their first numbered series of the year. Hosted by Studio Coast, a venue familiar with fans of…
Shooto 2021 Volume 3 Results and Review
Main Event, Featherweight 5min x 3R Yamato Nishikawa defeated Nobumitsu “Tyson” Osawa by submission (Triangle Choke, R2 4:53) A few solid calf kicks from powerhouse “Tyson” as the round…
RIZIN 29 Postponed until June 27th
Set for May 30th, RIZIN.29 in Osaka has been postponed until June 27th. The State of Emergency declared by Japanese Government in response to the surging…
Rizin GP 2021 Bantamweight Tournament Matches, Fighters Announced
Rizin dropped some big news at their press conference with the conformation of their 16 man Bantamweight GP. Participants were in attendance and introduced before…
Shooto 2021 Volume 2, Results and Review
Main Event Bantamweight Championship Match 5M x 5R Ryo Okada defeated Takafumi Otsuka (Dec 29-26, 28-27, 50-45) As the title match got underway you could…
Takafumi Otsuka Set to Take Over Shooto Bantamweight Division Following Sensational Debut.
A Rendezvous at T-Grip Gym, Tokyo Gaining in notoriety and reputation, Tokyo’s T-Grip gym sits in a prime location just a short walk from Takadanobaba…
Shooto 2021, January 31st, Part 2, Results and Review
Main Event, Pacific Rim Featherweight Championship, Keisuke “Sasuke” Sasu defeated Taison Naito (Rear Naked Choke, 2:36 R2) Both warriors exchanged kick for kick as battle…
Shooto 2021, January 31st, Part 1, Results and Review
Main Event, Nobuki Fujii defeated Kenji Kato (Unanimous Decision, 30-26, 30-26, 30-26) The fighters confronted each other as the main event got underway and intentions…
Shooto 2021, January 31st Double Header, Part 1 Preview
Shooto kicks off 2021 in style with a stacked “double header” coming from Tokyo’s New Pier Hall. Japans longest running org is consistently bolstering their…
Rizin 26 New Years Eve, Early Prelims Review and Results
Yoshinari Nadaka defeated Petmalai Phetjaroenvit (3 Knockdowns, 2:19 Round 1) Not a household name but one of the most complete strikers in the world, Nadaka…
Rizin 26 New Years Eve, Undercard Results and Review
Naoki Inoue defeated Yuki Motoya (Rear Naked Choke, 3:00, round 1) The battle of the super technicians of the Bantamweight division commenced on the feet…
Rizin 26 New Years Eve, Fight Preview Part 1
New Years Eve Martial Arts events have always held a special place in the hearts of fans in Japan and around the world. Rizin once…
Shooto 2020 Volume 7 Results and Review.
From Korakuen Hall, the venue synonymous with Martial Arts, Shooto 2020 volume 7 featured 7 fiercely fought bouts. Revered by fans, the longest running JMMA…
Rizin 25, Results and Review
Yutaka Saito defeated Mikuru Asakura (Decision, 3-0) With the Featherweight title on the line Shooto Champion Yutaka Saito squared off against Rizin star and fan…
Shooto 2020 Volume 7 Preview
Shooto is back in Korakuen Hall, the Mecca of MMA, for 2020 volume 7 sponsored by One Championship. Shooto has pulled together an incredible 7…
Pancrase 319 Review
Koshi “Luxor” Matsumoto defeated Hiroto Uesako (Dec 29-28, 28-28, 29-28) The champion vs champion main event promised something special and without doubt delivered as Koshi…
Pancrase 319 Preview
Japanese MMA trailblazers Pancrase are back this Sunday, the 25th, at regular venue Shin Kiba Studio Coast. Pancrase 319 will be a live audience event…
Pancrase 318 – Beyond 317, Review and Results
Interim Lightweight King of Pancrase Championship Tatsuya”Yanbo” Saika defeated Genpei Hayashi (KO, Uppercut, 2:25, R1) The main event for the Interim Lightweight King of Pancrase…
Sunday 27th, Pancrase 318 – Beyond 317 Preview
After a Covid-19 positive forced the cancellation just 10 minutes before their last event, Pancrase 318- Beyond 317! manifests as a plethora of top level…
Shooto 2020 Volume 6 Results and Review
Shooto delivered a scintillating night of action with their double header at Shibuya Tsutaya O-East on Saturday. Shooto 2020 volume 6 was held with restricted…
Shooto 2020 Volume 6 Preview, Saturday September 19th
As the Covid-19 pandemic continues to disrupt MMA in Japan, Shooto 2020 volume 6 venue will be Tsutaya O-East, a change from previously announced Korakuen…
Pancrase 318 Live Broadcast, Free on YouTube
Pancrase 318 will air live on their official YouTube channel on Sunday, September the 27th from 14:30 JST. For their very first no-audience show fans…
Pancrase 318 Without Audience, Temporary Weight Class Amendments
It has been a tumultuous time for MMA in Japan as the Covid-19 pandemic has taken its toll on all aspects of the sport. With…
Shooto 2020 Volume 5, Results and Review
Mina Kurobe defeated Megumi Sugimoto (decision 30-27, 30-27, 30-27) Kurobe and Sugimoto started their Women’s Super Atomweight Championship bout at a furious pace and…
This Saturday, August 1st, Shooto 2020 Volume 5 Preview.
The resurgence of Japanese MMA continues as Shooto returns to Korakuen Hall this Saturday, August 1st. While the fight card may contain a modest 5…
Pancrase 316, Isao vs Akira, Results and Review
After a 5 month hiatus Pancrase returned to Studio Coast last Friday for Pancrase 316. Fans were welcomed back by a stacked, action packed card…
Classic Fight Archive: Jorge Santiago vs. Kazuo Misaki 2
With no fights being held at the moment and many of us unable to go to leave our homes, we now have a beautiful opportunity…
Stamp Fairtex Enjoys Quality Time with Family Amid COVID-19 Crisis
A veteran of over 80 Muay Thai fights, sensational striker Stamp Fairtex has enjoyed a stellar run in the Atomweight division, securing Kickboxing and Muay…
Rizin 20 New Years Eve Review
An explosive 15 fight card at Rizin 20 saw 2019 end with a bang. A sold out Saitama Super Arena hosted an incredible night of…
Bellator Japan: Fedor vs Rampage preview
Nothing quite says New Year in Japan like a star studded martial arts show and Rizin once again fills the void left after the…
DEEP Jewels 26 Results
Jewels 26 main event saw 2 highly experienced competitors face off as Emi Tomimatsu challenged title holder Tomo Maesawa. Out to avenge a 2016 submission…
Deep 91 Recap
Written by Peter Leghorn and used with his permission. Photos by Peter Leghorn. The main event of DEEP 91, Takafumi Otsuka…
ONE: DAWN OF HEROES KICK-OFF PRESS CONFERENCE HIGHLIGHTS
31 July 2019 – Manila, Philippines: The largest global sports media property in Asian history, ONE Championship™ (ONE), in cooperation with City of Dreams Manila, held the…
MARTIN NGUYEN TO DEFEND ONE FEATHERWEIGHT WORLD TITLE AGAINST KOYOMI MATSUSHIMA IN MANILA ON 2 AUGUST
3 July 2019 – Manila, Philippines: The largest global sports media property in Asian history, ONE Championship™ (ONE), has just announced that reigning ONE…
Eduard Folayang Gearing Up For Dream Match With Eddie Alvarez
By Dan Paulo Errazo Former ONE Lightweight World Champion Eduard “Landslide” Folayang will share the stage with American mixed martial arts legend Eddie “The…
ROAD FC 054 OFFICIAL RESULTS YANG HAE-JUN TAKES THE MIDDLEWEIGHT CHAMPIONSHIP FROM LA IN-JAE
ROAD Fighting Championship announces the official results for ROAD FC 054 which took place on June 15, 2019 in Wonju, South Korea. Yang Hae-Jun finished…
Rena & Horiguchi set to fly the flag in Bellator
Last week it was announced that Rena will be joining Kyoji Horiguchi on the Bellator 222 card from Madison Square Garden. Rena will face…
US 1 Million Offered by ONE Championship to The Winner of ONE Featherweight Kickboxing World Grand Prix
US 1 Million Offered by ONE Championship to The Winner of ONE Featherweight Kickboxing World Grand Prix
Deep Impact 89 Preview
*Written by Peter Leghorn Deep 89 Impact takes place this Sunday and has some matches that are definitely worth watching. The eccentric “DJ” Taiki Hata…
ONE CHAMPIONSHIP LAUNCHES TV AND FILM PRODUCTION ARM ONE STUDIOS
29 April 2019 – Singapore: The largest global sports media property in Asian history, ONE Championship™ (ONE), has just announced that it has launched ONE Studios,…
ADDITIONAL BOUTS ANNOUNCED FOR ONE: ENTER THE DRAGON IN SINGAPORE ON 17 MAY
22 April 2019 – Singapore: The largest global sports media property in Asian history, ONE Championship™ (ONE), has just announced additional bouts for ONE: ENTER THE…
Deep 88 Impact Results and Review
*This article was written by Peter Leghorn (peterleghorn@hotmail.com) and used with his permission. Photography by J. Deschner. DEEP brought out their top talent on…
Deep 87 Impact Sees Out Heisei Era in Style
Last night saw Deep’s final event of the Heisei period showcase some of the best talent in its roster, with JMMA legend Ryuta Sakurai putting…
Demetrious Johnson Officially Joins ONE Championship
October 28, 2018 The most dominant world champion in mixed martial arts history has arrived in ONE Championship. Demetrious Johnson has signed a landmark deal…
Shooto 9.23
Shooto gave a fitting sendoff to Norifumi ‘Kid’ Yamamoto last night in a finish-heavy event at a packed out Korakuen Hall. Following a video tribute…
One FC Makes A Splash in Tokyo Japan
Yesterday we had the pleasure of attending Once FC’s first Press Conference in Japan. It was a great presentation with 12 panelists that ranged from…
One FC: Renzo Gracie talks about his match with Pancrase’s Yuki Kondo
QUINTET.2 Team 10th Planet
We want to introduce you to the 1oth Planet Team that will be here in Japan to compete in Quintet 2. Check out each the…
Deep Jewels 20 Review and Results
Last weekend we were at Deep Jewels 20. This is Japan’s premiere all female MMA Promotion. Other promotions have female fighters as well. Pancrase and…
A Preview for Professional Shooto on May 13th
*This was originally written by Mark Chinnery and used with his permission. Not long to go now for the next installment on the Shooto express…
Professional Shooto 3/25 Breakdown
This artical was written by Mark Chinnery and reposted with his permission. Professional Shooto 3.25 is now over & admittedly, the card might not have…
Deep Jewels 19 on March 10th
The 2018 MMA season is now in full swing here in Japan. This weekend is packed with exciting cards from both Pancrase and Deep Jewels….
Shooto on January 28th.
The MMA season is already in full swing and the outlook for JMMA has never looked better. Professional Shooto will be doing their first card…
Ganryujima 9 Enemy Out
On January 3rd, Ganryujima (Moat Fights) kicked off 2018 with a spectacular show. If you do not know what Ganryujima is all about, check out…
Satoru Kitaoka vs Kiichi Kunimoto Announced for Rizin EOY Event
Recently Rizin held a press conference to discuss their End of Year event. MMA Japan has covered all of these events since the promotion started….
Deep Impact 81
Deep is having one last event in Tokyo for the year. We are talking Deep Impact 81 and it looks great. This event will be…
Pancrase 292 results
By Chris Gunn Twitter @chrisgunn82 Yesterday, the legendary promotion held their last event in Differ Ariake in Tokyo. This event did not disappoint with…
A fond farewell to Seiza’s Julija Stoliarenko & Tabatha Ricci
By Chris Gunn. Twitter: @chrisgunn82 The most recent Seiza event served as graduation for two of it’s most accomplished competitors. After being with the…
Pancrase Partners with Drone Net, VR filming for fights
This is cool news! Pancrase signed a partnership with a company called Drone Net. This means that Pancrase can increase its production value by adding…
Pancrase 291 Is on the Way
2017 is coming to a close, but we still have some exciting match ups for you JMMA fans out there. Coming up on November 12th…
Seiza 4 Review
This article was written by Chris Gunn and used with his permission. Last night the 4th Seiza event was held at Korakuen Hall in…
Rizin 7 : Fukuoka Results
Last week we went to Fukuoka, Japan to watch Rizin 7. As always Rizing puts on a great show and this event was just as…
A message from Brazilian Fighter Daniel Lima before Pancrase 290
MMA Japan’s Stewart Fulton takes a few minutes to talk to Brazilian MMA Fighter Daniel Lima. Daniel wants to give a message to his fans…
Rizin : Fukuoka
Rizin is fast becoming the top promotion in Japan. The brand of Rizin is very new. However, if you dig a little deeper into the…
UFC Fight Night Japan : What Went Down in the Land of the Rising Sun?
Once again, the UFC has made its presence known in the land of the rising sun. September 23rd, 2017 brought us UFC Fight…
Ganryujima Adauchi 2017 – What’s it all about?
The Ganryujima Adauchi 2017 event is in the books. If you are unfamiliar with Ganryujima events, you might find them interesting. They are different from…
Pancrase 289 : Weigh in Interview with Senzo Ikeda
Pancrase 289 Review and Results
Results for Pancrase 289: Yoshinori Horie WIN vs Kazunari Kimura LOSS KO (Knee)Ref: Hirokazu Takamoto Rnd: 2 Time 1:12 Tetsuya Yamamoto WIN vs Mitsuhiro Taki…
There’s something in your eye and it’s Gabi Garcia
Just last week we attended Rizin Summer 2017 Fight Rock Festival. It was a spectacular event that was stacked with a very interesting card. It…
Professional Shooto 7-23 Results
This article is courtesy of Mark Chinnery and reused with his permission. Wow. What a card! Professional Shooto 7.23 from Korakuen Hall. I’m still…
Rizin World Grand-Prix 2017 – Summer
Once again, RIZIN will make its return and put on some top level fights. All the fun start on July 30th at 14:00 JST. There…
RIZIN : Crazy Horse Vs. Wanderlei Silva “The Biggest Rivalry in JMMA History”
If you have been living under a rock you probably do not know the depth of the Crazy Horse / Wanderlei Silva back stage and…
