Naoki Inoue successfully defended his bantamweight title with a split decision victory over Yuki Motoya in the main event of RIZIN’s 50th event in Kagawa, Japan.
Inoue, who won the title in September with a quick stoppage win over Soo Chul Kim, showcased his skills with precise combinations and effective jabs against Motoya. Despite Motoya’s attempt to secure a guillotine choke, Inoue maintained control on the feet.
Inoue, who previously defeated Motoya with a rear-naked choke in just three minutes, opened a cut near Motoya’s left eye. Motoya pushed for a finish in the third round with ground and pound and submission attempts, but Inoue managed to survive until the final bell.
Despite suffering a swollen eye, Inoue retained his title and apologized for his performance post-fight, expressing his commitment to evolving as a champion.
In the co-main event, Kazakhstani featherweight extended his winning streak to 10 with a hard-fought split decision win over former RIZIN champion Chihiro Suzuki.
Other notable fights included Shunta Nomura’s technical decision victory over Luiz Gustavo due to a cut, and King Edkpolo’s TKO win over Ryo Sakai.
The event also featured quick finishes by Shuya Kimura and Kyohei Hagiwara, adding to the excitement of the night.
For the full results of RIZIN 50, see below:
- Naoki Inoue def. Yuki Motoya via split decision
- Karshyga Dautbek def. Chihiro Suzuki via split decision
- Shunta Nomura def. Luiz Gustavo via technical decision — Round 3, 2:29
- King Edkpolo def. Ryo Sakai via TKO (punches) — Round 2, 2:32
- Kyohei Hagiwara def. Toby Misech via TKO (punches) — Round 1, 0:26
- Shuya Kimura def. Takeji Yokoyama via KO (punches) — Round 1, 0:54
- Yuki Ito def. Tony Laramie via unanimous decision
- Yoshiro Maeda def. Sanou Yokouchi via submission (rear-naked choke) — Round 3, 2:55
- Takeshi Izumi def. Spike Carlyle via unanimous decision
- Machi Fukuda def. Seo Young Park via TKO (punches) — Round 2, 4:04
- Haruo Ochi def. Nobuyoshi Nakatsukasa via submission (guillotine choke) — Round 3, 1:23
- Mamoru Uoi def. Koki Akada via split decision
- Hiroki Takaoka def. Seiya Ameyama via submission (rear-naked choke) — Round 2, 3:04