Rizin 14: Mayweather vs Nasukawa – A Spectacle to Remember
Rizin 14 closed 2018 at Saitama Super Arena with a crossover spectacle and two major MMA title bouts. The headline exhibition paired Floyd Mayweather Jr. with kickboxing star Tenshin Nasukawa, while Kyoji Horiguchi and Darrion Caldwell contested the inaugural Rizin bantamweight championship.
Mayweather–Nasukawa was an exhibition
The Mayweather–Nasukawa bout was an exhibition boxing match, not an MMA contest. Mayweather scored three knockdowns and the corner stopped the fight at 2:19 of Round 1. The result brought global attention to the event, but the rules and format were distinct from the MMA card.
Horiguchi wins the first Rizin bantamweight title
In the MMA title fight, Horiguchi submitted Bellator champion Caldwell with a guillotine choke at 1:13 of Round 3, earning the inaugural Rizin bantamweight belt. Ayaka Hamasaki also captured the atomweight title, submitting Kanna Asakura with an armbar in Round 2. Those championship results gave the card a lasting sporting significance beyond the exhibition.
A year-end event with two spotlights
Rizin 14 put a boxing exhibition beside MMA title fights on one of Japan’s biggest annual combat sports stages. The contrast made for an unusual show: Mayweather’s short appearance supplied the viral moment, while Horiguchi’s submission and Hamasaki’s title win determined the night’s MMA legacy.
Selected results
- Floyd Mayweather def. Tenshin Nasukawa — corner stoppage, Round 1, 2:19; exhibition boxing.
- Kyoji Horiguchi def. Darrion Caldwell — guillotine choke, Round 3, 1:13; bantamweight title.
- Ayaka Hamasaki def. Kanna Asakura — armbar, Round 2; atomweight title.
Related MMAUSA reading: boxing · Bellator · Rizin
Selected Bout Results
- Floyd Mayweather defeated Tenshin Nasukawa by TKO (Corner Stoppage); round 1, 2:19.
- Kyoji Horiguchi defeated Darrion Caldwell by Submission (Guillotine Choke); round 3, 1:13.
- Ayaka Hamasaki defeated Kanna Asakura by Submission (Armbar); round 2, 4:34.
- Jiri Prochazka defeated Brandon Halsey by TKO (Submission to Punches); round 1, 6:30.
- Gabrielle Garcia defeated Barbara Nepomuceno by Submission (Keylock); round 1, 2:35.
- Damien Brown defeated Daron Cruickshank by Submission (Guillotine Choke); round 1, 4:10.
- Miyuu Yamamoto defeated Mika Nagano by Decision (Unanimous); round 3, 5:00.
- Kazuyuki Miyata defeated Erson Yamamoto by Submission (Hammerlock); round 2, 3:23.
Sources
Sherdog: Rizin 14 card and results; Sherdog.
Article Tags
Rizin 14, Rizin, Mixed Martial Arts, Event Results
