Following Kyoji Horiguchi`s departure, RIZIN is set to crown a new flyweight champion. They have revealed the list of 10 participants for the upcoming 125-pound grand prix tournament.
The opening round of the competition is scheduled for July 27th in Japan, as part of the Super RIZIN 4 event at the Saitama Super Arena. While the tournament brackets haven`t been finalized, the announced roster of fighters includes Jose Torres, Makoto Shinryu, Yuki Ito, Hiromasa Ougikubo, Yuki Motoya, Erson Yamamoto, Alibek Gadzhammatov, Hiroya Kondo, Nkazimulo Zulu, and Takaki Soya.
The Super RIZIN 4 card will feature a highly anticipated rematch between former featherweight champion Kleber Koike and popular Japanese fighter Mikuru Asakura. Additionally, Naoki Inoue and Seika Izawa are set to defend their respective titles against Ryuya Fukuda and Yu Jin Shin. Veteran Patricky Pitbull is also slated to make his comeback against Shunta Nomura.
Jose Torres (13-4-1), known for his time in the UFC and as a former champion in Brave CF and Titan FC, is among the grand prix competitors. His sole previous RIZIN appearance was a split decision victory over Makoto Shinryu in December 2024. He returns to Japan following a decision loss to Dias Yerengaipov in Brave CF.
With a record of 27-8-2, the 38-year-old Hiromasa Ougikubo brings significant experience to the tournament field. He recently secured decision wins against John Dodson and Shinryu. Ougikubo previously triumphed in a RIZIN tournament in December 2021, defeating bantamweights Naoki Inoue and Kai Asakura on the same night. He also holds a notable win over future UFC champion Alexandre Pantoja from their encounter on *The Ultimate Fighter* in 2016.
Makoto Shinryu (19-4-1, 1 no contest) most recently defeated Yuki Ito by decision in his most recent appearance in May, bringing his RIZIN record to 5-3. He has challenged Horiguchi for the title twice, first ending in a no contest due to an eye poke, followed by a submission loss.
Yuki Ito (18-6) aims to rebound after his five-fight winning streak, which included a victory over veteran Masatoshi Ueda in 2024, was ended by Shinryu. The former DEEP flyweight contender has an impressive 8-2 record under the RIZIN promotion.
Yuki Motoya (37-13, 1 no contest) is a RIZIN veteran, having competed over 20 times for the promotion. His notable victories include wins over Rogerio Bontorin, Justin Scoggins, and two wins against Shinobu Ota. He is dropping down to the flyweight division after a split decision loss to Naoki Inoue in a bantamweight title rematch in March.
Erson Yamamoto (5-7), nephew of the legendary Norifumi Yamamoto, has spent almost his entire MMA career with RIZIN. After a challenging start, including losses to Kron Gracie (debut in 2015) and Manel Kape, he enters the grand prix coming off a second-round submission victory against Daichi Tomizawa.
Alibek Gadzhammatov (5-0) made a successful RIZIN debut in November 2024 with a knockout win over Daichi Kitakata. The 23-year-old Dagestani fighter remains undefeated, having finished all of his professional bouts since starting his career in Russia in 2021.
Hiroya Kondo (11-13-1) joins the grand prix field following consecutive wins over Yuya Shibata and Tatsuki Shinotsuka, improving his RIZIN record to an even 3-3 after a mixed career path.
Nkazimulo Zulu (16-7-1), a former two-division champion in Africa`s EFC promotion, most recently challenged Kyoji Horiguchi for the RIZIN title on New Year`s Eve, losing a competitive decision. Known as “Zulu Boy,” 87% of his wins have come via stoppage, with an equal split of seven knockouts and seven submissions.
Takaki Soya (13-6-1) recently had consecutive bouts against former UFC title challenger John Dodson under the RIZIN banner. After losing their initial meeting in a bare-knuckle boxing match, Soya secured a decision victory over Dodson in their subsequent MMA contest.
