RIZIN
RIZIN Fighting Federation · 2015 –
Active
- Founded
- 2015 (first events Dec 29 & 31, 2015)
- Founders
- Nobuyuki Sakakibara
- Home base
- Tokyo, Japan
- Fate
- Active.
Notable Eras
- PRIDE alumni revival, 2015–2017
- Homegrown stars era: Horiguchi, Asakura, Kyoji
Key Events
- RIZIN World GP 2015
- New Year's Eve shows at Saitama Super Arena
- RIZIN vs. Bellator (2022)
Legendary Champions
- Kyoji Horiguchi
- Mikuru Asakura
- Roberto Satoshi Souza
The Full History
2015: The Return
Former PRIDE president Nobuyuki Sakakibara launched RIZIN with New Year's shows at Saitama Super Arena in December 2015.
2016–today: Japan's Stage
RIZIN built homegrown stars, ran mixed-rules and crossover events and traded fighters with Bellator. It is still Japan's top MMA brand.
Legacy
Japan's heir to PRIDE, built by PRIDE's own founder and still selling out the New Year's Eve tradition.
