Rizin 18 Results: Kai Asakura vs. Kyoji Horiguchi
Rizin 18 in Nagoya on August 18, 2019, delivered a major upset in its main event. Kai Asakura stopped bantamweight champion Kyoji Horiguchi in a non-title bout, ending Horiguchi’s long unbeaten run under Rizin MMA rules and changing the division’s direction.
Asakura shocks Horiguchi
Asakura caught Horiguchi with a right hand and followed with punches to secure the knockout at 1:08 of Round 1. The bout was not for Horiguchi’s title, but the result carried championship-level consequences: a dominant champion had been stopped by a dangerous challenger in front of the home crowd.
The division resets
Horiguchi’s loss was the event’s defining story, while Asakura’s performance announced him as a serious contender. The upset became a key chapter in their rivalry, which continued in later title bouts. Rizin 18 showed how quickly a division can turn when one clean counter changes the entire main event.
Selected result
- Kai Asakura def. Kyoji Horiguchi — KO (punches), Round 1, 1:08; non-title bout.
Related MMAUSA reading: RIZIN · Bellator · Muay Thai · UFC · MMA · fighters
Selected Bout Results
- Kai Asakura defeated Kyoji Horiguchi by KO (Punches); round 1, 1:08.
- Ayaka Hamasaki defeated Suwanan Boonsorn by Submission (Armbar); round 1, 3:29.
- Victor Henry defeated Trent Girdham by Submission (Reverse Triangle Armbar); round 3, 2:14.
- Manel Kape defeated Takeya Mizugaki by KO (Punch); round 2, 1:36.
- Kanna Asakura defeated Alesha Zappitella by Decision (Split); round 3, 5:00.
- Haruo Ochi vs. Jarred Brooks: No Contest (Accidental Clash of Heads); round 1, 0:10.
- Hiroto Uesako defeated Yves Landu by TKO (Punches); round 2, 3:45.
- Justin Scoggins defeated Kazuma Sone by Decision (Unanimous); round 3, 5:00.
The selected scorecard winners included Kanna Asakura, Justin Scoggins, Ai Shimizu. Those bouts reached their scheduled conclusion, leaving the judges to determine the outcomes rather than a stoppage ending the action.
Sources
Sherdog: Rizin 18 card and results; MMA Fighting.
Article Tags
Rizin 18, Rizin, Mixed Martial Arts, Event Results
