A featherweight title bout headlines RIZIN’s upcoming card.
The promotion announced its full card for the RIZIN 31 event on Oct. 24, which takes place at PIA Arena MM in Yokohama, Japan. In the main event, featherweight champion Yutaka Saito (20-4-2) goes for his first defense of his featherweight championship when he fights DEEP featherweight champion Juntaro Ushiku (19-8-1).
Two-time RIZIN Super Atomweight title challenger and 2017 Grand Prix winner Kanna Asakura (18-5) fights DEEP standout Saori Oshima (6-2) in the co-main event. Asakura looks to bounce back from a split decision loss to champion Ayaka Hamasaki, while Oshima looks to add to a three-fight win streak.
Also of note, former sumo competitor Tsuyoshi Sudario (3-1) fights SAINT (2-0) in a heavyweight bout, featherweight veterans Masanori Kanehara (27-14-5) and Takahiro Ashida (24-10-2) face off, and former UFC and ONE Championship Daichi Abe (9-4) makes his RIZIN debut against Akira Okada (15-8-4).
RIZIN CEO Nobuyuki Sakakibara also announced that the promotion will be making its debut in Okinawa in November, with another event planned for December. The Japanese organization traditionally holds a New Year’s Eve event every year.
RIZIN 31 will be available internationally with English commentary on LIVENow.
See the updated lineup below:
Yutaka Saito vs. Juntaro Ushiku
Kanna Asakura vs. Saori Oshima
Tsuyoshi Sudario vs. SAINT
Yusaku Nakamura vs. Yuki Ito
Daisuke Nakamura vs. Suguru Nii
Masanori Kanehara vs. Takahiro Ashida
Daichi Abe vs. Akira Okada
Rikuto Shirakawa vs. Takuya Yamamoto
Seiichiro Ito vs Kunta Hashimoto