After coming up just short in her title bid on New Year’s Eve, Rena Kubota will look to get back in contention when she competes in front of hometown fans on September 10th at Rizin Fighting Federation: “Super Rizin 5” in Osaka, Japan. Kubota faces judoka Natalia “Kuzya” Kuziutina on the card.
Officials announced the super atomweight matchup this week. Kubota, who has long been a top star in Rizin, was submitted by Seika Izawa on New Year’s Eve after nearly knocking Izawa out in the opening minute. Kuziutina won her Rizin debut in impressive fashion by submitting Ayaka Hamasaki.
Kubota (15-6-0) has been one of the faces of Rizin since transitioning from her long career in shoot boxing and debuting in MMA at Rizin’s second-ever event at the end of 2015. She has finished her opponents in ten of 15 wins and came perilously close to doing so against Izawa in their title fight on New Year’s Eve. A lead left hook from Kubota left the champion barely conscious 55 seconds into the fight, but Izawa recovered quickly and she ultimately forced Kubota to tap out to a guillotine choke in the second round. Kubota had won three of four bouts prior to the setback and, with Izawa now on the sidelines due to the impending birth of her first child, a victory in her hometown could put Kubota right back into another title fight by the end of the year.
Kuziutina (10-1-0) made the move to MMA in 2022 following a stellar career in judo that included an Olympic bronze medal win in 2016. She suffered her lone MMA defeat in her second fight against current UFC standout Fatima Kline at Invicta FC 52, and went on to win the LFA Interim Strawweight Championship. In April, Kuziutina made her Rizin debut against former champ Hamasaki at “Landmark Vol. 13,” which ended in a first-round armbar victory for Kuziutina and immediately established her as a threat for Izawa’s title. A showdown against Izawa will have to wait, but Kuziutina may still find herself competing for Rizin gold in the coming months if she can get past Kubota in September.
Rizin Fighting Federation: “Super Rizin 5” takes place on September 10th at Kyocera Dome Osaka in Osaka, Japan.