Rizin 35 to Feature 3 Championship Rematches on April 17 Tokyo Card

A rare triplicate of title throwdowns will top the next tentpole card for Rizin Fighting Federation in April.

In a press conference on Wednesday night, the organization announced its next event, Rizin 35, which will take place on April 17. The event will be held not in Saitama, Japan, but instead in Tokyo at the Musashino Forest Sport Plaza. The three championship tilts on one evening ties a record set at Rizin 20 in 2019, when three belts were on the line plus a tournament took place that night as well. This blockbuster card will draw lightweights on the marquee, as Roberto de Souza (13-1) aims to defend his throne against the returning Johnny Case (27-7-1).

“Satoshi” fought three times in 2021, claiming the inaugural belt against Tofiq Musayev at Rizin 28 and holding on to it six months later when he tapped out Yusuke Yachi at Rizin 33. With six wins under the Rizin banner, every one has ended within two rounds, with half by tapout and the other due to strikes. His lone career defeat came against Case in the first round of the lightweight grand prix in 2019, and Case made him submit to strikes in 75 seconds.

Case has not competed since his tournament semifinal pairing with Musayev, and he was punched out just beyond the midpoint of the opening round. The loss put an end to a six-fight unbeaten streak, which included three knockouts with Rizin in the most unusual of ways: doctor stoppage, corner stoppage and tap to strikes. Case was initially slated to return to the Professional Fighters League in 2021, but he was ejected from the 2021 season before competing due to an arrest for domestic battery.

The other belts up for grabs at Rizin 35 come in the featherweight and women’s atomweight divisions. The co-headliner will see Juntaro Ushiku (19-6) defend his strap against ex-champ Yutaka Saito (20-6-2), while Ayaka Hamasaki (23-4) will offer up a shot at gold to the woman who recently beat her in Seika Izawa (5-0). Ushiku and Saito first met in October 2021, and Ushiku claimed the strap by forcing the doctor to intervene late into Round 2.

Additionally, Rizin brass announced an event that would take place the day before Rizin 35, held in the same building. Rizin Trigger 3rd will go down on April 16, but unlike Rizin 35, these fights will be contested inside of a cage. The main event for that card comes at 155 pounds between Luiz Gustavo Felix dos Santos (10-2) and Yachi (23-12). The two additional bouts set for that show will be held at bantamweight and featherweight, when Yuto Hokamura (18-12-2) fights Kazuma Kuramoto (8-2) at 135 pounds while Masanori Kanehara (26-12-5) faces Kazumasa Majima (14-3) in the 145-pound division.