Rizin 1 - Fujita vs. Prochazka [17-04] Results

[K1power]

Main card
Jiri Prochazka def. Kazuyuki Fujita via first-round KO (3:33)
Karl Albrektsson def. Vadim Nemkov via split decision
Hisaki Kato def. Yuta Watanabe via first-round TKO (1:05)
Teodoras Aukstuolis def. Jaideep Singh via unanimous decision
Kirill Sidelnikov def. Chris Barnett via split decision
Daron Cruickshank def. Shinji Sasaki via first-round TKO (4:36)
Gabi Garcia def. Anna Malyukova via submission (armbar) (R2, 2:04)
Kanako Murata def. Natalya Denisova via unanimous decision

Tag team grappling rules
Wanderlei Silva & Kiyoshi Tamura drew with Kazushi Sakuraba & Hideo Tokoro

www.mmafighting.com/2016/4/17/11446110/rizin-1-results-fujita-vs-prochazka

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Completely forgot this was even happening, I don't think there was a lot of interest for this at all.

[fartsmeller]

Cruickshank's fight was outstanding, he's absolutely made for these rules. Flying knees, side kicks to the face of a downed opponent, knees on the ground. If it happened on an event with more eyeballs on it people would be going nuts.

I'd like to see him against Kotetsu Boku, Jienotsu, or Souwer in the future.

[themagi]

Was a bit uncomfortable watching this. The matchmaking was very poor. In the majority of cases it looked as if the losers really should not have been in the ring with their opponent. The opening three matches under kickboxing rules demonstrated this, I don't think any of that trio lasted more than two minutes and they all finished under the three knockdown TKO rule. Hisaki Kato's win was nasty, as was Cruickshank's (poor Sasaki had a look on his face that couldn't quite believe someone could hit and kick him so hard), and the less said about Gabi Garcia's "fight" the better. As if getting drubbed by Fedor wasn't enough, Rizin brought back Singh Jaideep. This time he stank the place out for 20 minutes against Aukstuolis. Albrectsson and Nemkov started promisingly but upon both tiring and a seeming unfamiliarity with fighting in a ring, it descended into something of a farce, with them constantly falling out of the space of combat. Once, both took a spill over the apron and onto the floor with Albrectsson cracking his head on the ring steps as he fell. Fujita getting served up to Prochazka was just tragic.

The only real positive I took from the in ring product the was grappling tag match, believe it or not, which was a bit of fun with the plot lines of Tokoro being determined to submit Tamura and avenge his NYE 2007 loss, Wanderlei tagging out immediately after Tokoro was tagged in every time, Sakuraba taking down and trying to choke out Tamura with a little extra vigour (Tamura seemed to want no part of Saku throughout), and Wanderlei, out of force of habit, going for a knee strike when he and Sakuraba were in a clinch with the pair of them sharing a laugh over it. The real highlight for me of the 7 hour event was the ten out of ten tribute Rizin paid to longtime Japanese crowd favourite Kevin Randleman. They played a fitting VTR (with footage courtesy of Zuffa, I think), gave a ten bell salute and even flew in Kevin's wife and family who said a few words after a short ceremony.