Why RIZIN Matters

Written by Andrew Lawrence
Last updated on May 6th, 2018

I imagine there is a small, but substantial, audience at MiddleEasy that doesn’t understand our obsession with RIZIN FC.

Of course, most of you shit eating wild-men are streaming it along with us into the early hours of Sunday morning. But I know a few just browse over our tweets the following morning, laughing at our excitement over some MMA and kickboxing fights happening half the planet away. What could be happening all the way in Japan that was better than the weekly stream of events from MMA’s most elite roster of talent at the UFC? Plus with Bellator, Invicta, LFA, Cage Warriors, Combate Americas, KSW, ACB, and countless other promotions across the world, what makes RIZIN so unique, so damn important? Aren’t they just another minor league, regional promotion?

Before I answer that, let’s think about what exactly happened his past weekend. In a major Japanese tourist city, fighters from nine different countries drew a local crowd just shy of 8,000. But for RIZIN everything revolves around their ability to capture Japanese television ratings. With recent events capturing 7% of the Japanese television audience, and all reports point toward this Fukuoka event matching those numbers. For a promotion with the mission to make world-class Mixed Martial Arts popular in Japan once again, it seems like RIZIN is finding its foothold. And toward that goal, they are making continuous strides. A card that did not feature a single Pride FC star managed to draw an substitive audience in Japan.

But why do we care if there is a market for world-class Mixed Martial Arts in Japan? Well, the answer to that is both historical and nostalgic. Japan’s role in martial arts is, of course, incalculable. Both the striking and grappling arts, have long histories in Japan. But even in regards to modern MMA, the first and oldest promotion no holds barred organization started in Japan. Pancrase status as the first mixed-rules promotion in the world means Japan will forever be linked to whatever MMA becomes. But it is another Japanese promotion that made Tokyo and the Saitama Super Arena a legendary place in combat sport. Pride FC’s New Years Eve fights in Saitama became an institution, a rare tradition in the amnesiac game of combat sports.

So, we need RIZIN. We need Japanese MMA alive and thriving. And more importantly than all of that, we need MMA to remember its history, while evolving for the future. How these RIZIN events are conducted, beyond just the pageantry and the production values, but the actual ethos of the organization and how it views and values fighting are in danger of disappearing. And that would be truly tragic.

Thankfully for us, RIZIN in 2018 seems to be resurging nicely. This year’s RIZIN schedule is almost Sumo inspired, with each event in Toyko being followed by a trip to either Fukuoka or Nagoya. RIZIN 10 was the first event to feature a return to a city that wasn’t Toyko. In October of 2017, RIZIN came to Fukuoka Prefecture with a card headlined by the first round of a women’s Atomweight tournament and Rena Kubuto. It’s was a real coming out party for Rena and pointed toward how RIZIN was going to focus on pushing its female athletes. That event drew 7700 people. RIZIN 10 drew an attendance of 7900. So the audience is sustainable and might even be ready to grow. This August, RIZIN will return to Nagoya as well, the first place outside of Toyko the promotion ever took an event. And finally, RIZIN has already secured a one night New Year’s Eve event at the legendary Saitama Super Arena. In the promotion’s third year, it seems like RIZIN is catching stride.

After twelve fight cards and nine different events, it might actually be safe to say RIZIN is here to stay (well, at least as long as anything “stays” in MMA). And praise be to the Combat Sports Gods for that. RIZIN is a truly a gift to MMA fans around the world.

 

 

RIZIN Cards with Attendance (by Year)

 

1 Rizin World Grand Prix 2015: Part 1 – Saraba December 29, 2015 Saitama Super Arena Japan Saitama, Japan 12,214
2 Rizin World Grand Prix 2015: Part 2 – Iza December 31, 2015 Saitama Super Arena Japan Saitama, Japan 18,365

 

1 Rizin 1 April 17, 2016 Nippon Gaishi Hall Japan Nagoya, Japan 7,291
2 Rizin World Grand Prix 2016: 1st Round September 25, 2016 Saitama Super Arena Japan Saitama, Japan 15,011
3 Rizin World Grand Prix 2016: 2nd Round December 29, 2016 Saitama Super Arena Japan Saitama, Japan 16,642
4 Rizin World Grand Prix 2016: Final Round December 31, 2016 Saitama Super Arena Japan Saitama, Japan 19,357

 

1 Rizin 2017 in Yokohama: Sakura April 16, 2017 Yokohama Arena Japan Yokohama, Japan 12,729
2 Rizin World Grand Prix 2017: Opening Round – Part 1 July 30, 2017 Saitama Super Arena Japan Saitama, Japan 17,730
3 Rizin World Grand Prix 2017: Opening Round – Part 2 October 15, 2017 Marine Messe Fukuoka Japan Fukuoka, Japan 7,732
4 Rizin World Grand Prix 2017: 2nd Round December 29, 2017 Saitama Super Arena Japan Saitama, Japan 15,539
5 Rizin World Grand Prix 2017: Final Round December 31, 2017 Saitama Super Arena Japan Saitama, Japan 18,316

 

1 Rizin 10- Fukuoka May 6, 2018 Marine Messe Fukuoka Japan Fukuoka, Japan 7,910
2 Rizin 11 – Saitama July 29, 2018 Saitama Super Arena Japan Saitama, Japan
3 Rizin 12 – Aichi – Ken August 12, 2018 Aichi Prefectural Gymnasium Japan Nagoya, Japan
4 Rizin 13 – Saitama September 30, 2018 Saitama Super Arena Japan Saitama, Japan
5 Rizin 14 – Saitama December 31, 2018 Saitama Super Arena Japan Saitama, Japan
Published on May 6, 2018 at 8:58 pm
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Andrew Lawrence

Andrew Lawrence
Andrew Lawrence is a writer, podcaster, and jack of all trades. As long as that trade involves discussing people getting punched in the mouth. Expert analyst of extremely dumb decision making. Consistently snarky towards his betters. Find him throwing shade at local governments on Twitter (@TheClownKid). Diaz 1,2,5.

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