RIZIN Fighting Federation will conclude the year with a featherweight title rematch between champion Chihiro Suzuki and former titleholder Kleber Koike at RIZIN DECADE on December 31 at Saitama Super Arena in Japan, airing live on pay-per-view.
RIZIN Fighting Federation is gearing up for an electrifying end to the year. They’ve just announced a featherweight title rematch that fans have been clamoring for: champion Chihiro Suzuki versus former titleholder Kleber Koike. Mark your calendars for Dec. 31, when RIZIN DECADE will light up the Saitama Super Arena in Japan. Catch all the action live on their pay-per-view platform.
Koike’s journey to this rematch is quite the tale. He was the reigning 145-pound champ when he first clashed with Suzuki back in June 2023. However, he lost his title on the scale after missing weight. According to RIZIN rules, an overweight fighter can’t claim victory, so his initial submission win over Suzuki was nullified, turning it into a no-contest.
But don’t count Koike out just yet! This Brazilian veteran, who also reigned as a KSW champion, has bounced back with style. He’s secured two first-round finishes against Yutaka Saito and Juan Archuleta, earning himself another shot at reclaiming the belt from Suzuki.
On the flip side, Suzuki has been on fire! Since that no-contest with Koike, he’s racked up three consecutive wins. Notably, he pulled off a stunning upset against Bellator champ Patricio Pitbull before snatching RIZIN gold with a swift knockout of Vugar Karamov. His latest triumph? A first-round KO against seasoned fighter Masanori Kanehara.
Fun fact: Suzuki almost stepped into the boxing ring for an exhibition match against Manny Pacquiao! However, kickboxing vet Rukiya Anpo took his place, and the bout ended in a draw.
While we’re eagerly awaiting more fight announcements for the RIZIN DECADE card, there’s some buzz around undefeated welterweight Igor Tanabe. The 5-0 grappler was set to face Marcos Yoshio de Souza at RIZIN Landmark 10 on Nov. 17, but alas, Souza had to bow out due to injury. Stay tuned for more updates!