The Rizin 15 card has been hit with another injury. But this time the promotion has been able to salvage the matchup with Kanako Murata stepping up at very late notice to replace the injured Shinju Auclair.
Murata will now face Saray Orozco, the Mexican who had been scheduled to fight Auclair, in a flyweight fight.
Murata (8-1) is a Rizin veteran who fought on the promotion’s inaugural card. She is currently riding a four fight winning streak and Rin Nakai is the only fighter to have ever beaten her.
Orozco (4-2) will be fighting outside of her native Mexico for the first time. She is riding a three fight winning streak into her international debut which is set for the Yokohoma Arena this Sunday.
Earlier this week Justin Scoggins pulled out of Rizin 15 citing a knee injury. His bout with Kai Asakura is officially off, with the promotion unable to find a suitable opponent at such short notice.
As previously announced Muhammed Lawal challenges Jiří Procházka for the inaugural light heavyweight belt at Rizin 15 while Kyoji Horiguchi faces Ben Nguyen in a non title match while.
Meanwhile Tenshin Nasukawa will return. After a disastrous foray into the world of exhibition boxing the Japanese fighter is going back to his kickboxing roots to take on Fritz Biagtan.
Rizin 15, Yokohama, April 21st
Muhammed Lawal vs. Jiří Procházka (For Inaugural Light Heavyweight Title)
Kyoji Horiguchi vs. Ben Nguyen (Bantamweight)
Tenshin Nasukawa vs. Fritz Biagtan (59kgs)
Taiga vs. Thalisson Gomes Ferreira (61kgs)
Mikuru Asakura vs. Luiz Gustavo (Lightweight)
Koji Takeda vs. Damien Brown (Lightweight)
Seiichiro Ito vs. Manel Kape (Flyweight)
Rena Kubota vs. Samantha Jean-Francois (Atomweight)
Roberto de Souza vs. Satoru Kitaoka (Lightweight)
Kana Watanabe vs. Justyna Haba (Flyweight)
Kanako Murata vs. Saray Orozco (Flyweight)
Karl Albrektsson vs. Christiano Frohlich (Light Heavyweight)
