RIZIN Fighting Federation is set to end the year with an exciting featherweight title rematch between current champion Chihiro Suzuki and former titleholder Kleber Koike. The event, known as RIZIN DECADE, will take place at the Saitama Super Arena in Japan on December 31st and will be broadcast live on the organization’s pay-per-view platform. The highly anticipated Suzuki vs. Koike rematch will headline the event.
Koike, who holds a record of 33-7-1 with 1 no contest, was originally the 145-pound champion when he was first scheduled to face Suzuki in June of 2023. However, he lost the title on the scale after failing to make weight. As per RIZIN rules, an overweight fighter cannot win a bout, leading to Koike’s first-round submission victory being overturned to a no-contest.
The Brazilian fighter, also a former KSW champion, has recently secured two consecutive first-round finishes over Yutaka Saito and Juan Archuleta, earning him another shot at the championship currently held by Suzuki.
Meanwhile, Suzuki, boasting a record of 13-3 with 1 no contest, has been on a three-fight win streak since his previous encounter with Koike. He shocked the MMA world with a major upset victory against Bellator champion Patricio Pitbull before claiming the RIZIN featherweight title with a quick knockout over Vugar Karamov. Suzuki successfully defended his belt with another first-round knockout against veteran Masanori Kanehara.
Despite being originally scheduled to face Manny Pacquiao in a boxing exhibition, the 25-year-old Japanese fighter ended up facing kickboxing veteran Rukiya Anpo, resulting in a draw.
While other match-ups for the RIZIN DECADE card have yet to be announced, it has been revealed that undefeated welterweight Igor Tanabe is expected to be featured. The 5-0 grappler was initially set to fight Marcos Yoshio de Souza at RIZIN Landmark 10, but Souza had to withdraw due to an injury.