Latest news with #SuperRIZIN4
Time of India
05-07-2025
- Sport
- Time of India
MMA world buzzes as Jon Jones legacy debate intensifies, while RIZIN announces major tournament brackets
MMA world buzzes as Jon Jones legacy debate intensifies, while RIZIN announces major tournament brackets (Image Source: Getty Images) This week has seen some serious changes in the mixed martial arts scene that saw legends creating controversy, sparking off discussions about legacy and champions announced in casts of tournaments in major promotions. Jon Jones ended up being the center of controversy once again. RIZIN Fighting Federation announced their much-anticipated grand prix matches, and up-and-coming stars proved their worth with great results in numerous organisations. Matt Brown dismisses Jon Jones's controversy impact on fighting legacy UFC stalwart Matt Brown garnered headlines of his own when he staunchly supported Jon Jones as the greatest mixed martial arts practitioner of all time, even though Jones has had several stains on his record before the law. On The Fighter vs., he said: In the Writer podcast, Brown persuaded that despite the many arrests and controversies outside the octagon, Jones was doing so much in the octagon that it ought to overshadow all these misdeeds that took place outside the arena. BREAKING: Jon Jones Potentially Incriminates Himself on Twitter, Legacy Tarnished? The veteran fighter acknowledged the documented troubles of Jones, such as DWI charges, hit-and-run of a pregnant woman and domestic violence accusations, but demanded that these incidents should not be interlinked to his success in fighting. Brown especially focused on how Jones could compete at a high level despite his issues due to his clear win over Daniel Cormier in 2015, even though he had tested positive for cocaine a few weeks before the showdown. The remarks of Brown coincide with the news that Jones has recently joined the United States Anti-Doping Agency testing pool, which may presuppose his performance in the event in the White House, promoted by President Donald Trump in 2026. His record as the 14-time consecutive champion defender and the undefeated fighter is a moment that raised many arguments about his standing in the history of mixed martial arts. RIZIN unveils star-studded tournament brackets featuring international talent RIZIN Fighting Federation revealed their official flyweight grand prix bracket. Super RIZIN 4 will on July 27th at the Saitama Super Arena in Japan. The first induction of the tournament is when the former UFC star Jose Torres battled Hiromasa Ougikubo who is a Japanese veteran, in a fight that was observed to be a highlight to the promotion of international competition. Some of the anticipated bouts in the flyweight bracket are those in which undefeated prospect Alibek Gadzhammatov will go up against Takaki Soya, and former title challenger Nkazimulo Zulu against Yuki Ito. The event is an indication of how RIZIN is capable of bringing in the best international fighters to partner with their own Japanese ones, as Ougikubo seeks to make it back-to-back bantamweight grand prix titles in 2021. Moreover, RIZIN disclosed their second round of heavyweight grand prix: former Bellator competitor Jose Augusto against Marek Samociuk, and Mikio Ueda fighting with Dana White Contender Series participant Alexander Soldatkin. Former champion Kleber Koike will rematch Mikuru Asakara as the main event, and the card is stacked with several title fights. In the meantime, elsewhere, there was some spectacular action too as Islam Youssef scored a spectacular knockout with a flying kick at PFL MENA, to secure the bantamweight semi-final, even though he weighed in overweight. UFC bantamweight champion Kayla Harrison also headlines by talking of her championship win and the upcoming negotiations of the super fight with Amanda Nunes. Also Read: Why Sean O'Malley is relieved Ilia Topuria ignored his callout after UFC 317 knockout These developments underscore mixed martial arts' continued global expansion, with established legends defending their legacies while emerging stars create new storylines across multiple premier organizations worldwide. For real-time updates, scores, and highlights, follow our live coverage of the India vs England Test match here. Game On Season 1 continues with Mirabai Chanu's inspiring story. Watch Episode 2 here.
Time of India
01-07-2025
- Sport
- Time of India
Why RIZIN's flyweight world grand prix lineup is sending shockwaves through MMA
Why RIZIN's flyweight world grand prix lineup is sending shockwaves through MMA (Image Source: Getty Images) The announcement of RIZIN Fighting Federation of their flyweight world grand prix has generated massive hype within the mixed martial arts live, with the Japanese promotion inviting a superstar 10-fighter field that will go toe-to-toe when the tournament commences on July 27, 2025, at Super RIZIN 4 on Saitama Super Arena. The exit of a previous champ, Kyoji Horiguchi, has given way to a fresh start to the 125-pound division, and the lineup uniting the competitors is one of the most competitive flyweight tournaments in recent history. Veterans bring championship pedigree to stacked tournament field The validity of this tournament lies in the quality of known fighters who are ready to fight the empty crown. Hiromasa Ougikubo is 38 years old and has experience beyond compare, having already won a RIZIN tournament by defeating bantamweights Naoki Inoue and Kai Asakura in the same tournament in December 2021. His win over future Ultimate Fighting Championship winner Alexandre Pantoja in The Ultimate Fighter in 2016 proves that he can fight against the best. by Taboola by Taboola Sponsored Links Sponsored Links Promoted Links Promoted Links You May Like Trading CFD dengan Teknologi dan Kecepatan Lebih Baik IC Markets Mendaftar Undo In the meantime, Jose Torres enters as a former Ultimate Fighting Championship veteran and former champion in Brave Combat Federation and Titan Fighting Championship with international credentials on his resume despite his recent struggles as a member of Brave. The presence of Makoto Shinryu makes it even more intriguing, as the grizzled veteran has already fought Horiguchi twice in an attempt to win the belt, and lost both times by submission after a prior eye-poke no-contest situation. The fact that he has already experienced the competition of the championship scale and that he has a 5-3 RIZIN record is what makes him a serious contender to take the vacant throne. Rising stars and international flavor create global appeal A presence of veterans is not the only thing that will make the tournament globally appealing; undefeated Dagestani prospect Alibek Gadzhammatov is part of the next generation of flyweight talent. The 5-0 record of the 23-year-old, which includes a knockout win over Daichi Kitakata in his November 2024 RIZIN debut, reflects the finishing power that has earned the fighter the nickname of fan-favorite. The fact that he cannot make a decision when it comes to being a professional fighter will bring a sense of uncertainty that may upset the bracket. Nkazimulo Zulu represents the Africans as a former two-division champion of Extreme Fighting Championship with an 87 percent finishing rate and an equal number of knockouts (seven) and submissions. His title decision loss to Horiguchi on New Year's Eve showed that he is at that level of the best and Takaki Soya just defeated former Ultimate Fighting Championship title challenger John Dodson by a unanimous decision at RIZIN Otoko Matsuri on May 4, and that is just to show the strength of the tournament. Also Read: Why Sean O'Malley is relieved Ilia Topuria ignored his callout after UFC 317 knockout RIZIN Fighting Federation's flyweight world grand prix represents more than just a tournament—it's a statement that the Japanese promotion remains committed to showcasing world-class talent across all weight divisions, ensuring the flyweight championship will be held by a truly deserving competitor. Game On Season 1 continues with Mirabai Chanu's inspiring story. Watch Episode 2 here.
