Kleber Koike finally won the Rizin featherweight title on Sunday. The Brazilian submitted Junatro Ushiku in the second round at Marine Messe Fukuoka.
It was a sixth straight win for Koike who never really looked like losing in the Rizin 39 headliner. Ushiku is known as a slow starter and surprisingly decided to pull guard and look for a guillotine choke instead of defending an early takedown from the BJJ black belt.
In the second round Ushiku tried to impose his offence only for Koike to catch a kick and take him down. The Japanese fighter seemed to believe he could win by submission and tried for a heel hook.
Some tense grappling scrambles in round 1 🫣
[Watch #RIZIN39 ➡️ https://t.co/40DpcDh453] pic.twitter.com/72CRztNLoV
— RIZIN FF English (@rizin_English) October 23, 2022
New champion
Koike worked his way up and out before promptly dragging Ushiku down. No sooner had they hit the ground than the Brazilian locked in one of his trademark triangle chokes.
There was no escape and the tap came at the 1:29 mark. With the win Koike earns the Rizin featherweight title and improves to 31-5 while Ushiku drops to 22-9.
He is the second fighter from Bonsai Jiu Jitsu to win a Rizin title with the promotion now having two Brazilian champions. His teammate Roberto de Souza currently holds the lightweight strap.
Best of the rest
Former sumo wrestler Tsuyoshi Sudario (6-1) dropped Janos Csukas (7-1) with an uppercut and then finished him with hammer fists and knees to the head in the second round of their heavyweight fight. Lightweight Yusuke Yachi (24-13) got back to winning ways with a hard fought decision victory over Boyd Allen (16-4-1).
Rizin 39, Fukuoka, October 23rd
Kleber Koike def. Juntaro Ushiku (c) via Submission (Triangle Choke) at 1:29 of R2 (Wins Rizin featherweight title)
Tsuyoshi Sudario def. Janos Csukas via TKO (Punches and Knee) at 0:30 of R2
Yusuke Yachi def. Boyd Allen via Decision (Unanimous)
Koji Takeda def. Zach Zane via Submission (Armbar) at 3:35 of R1
Sho Patrick Usami def. Shinji Sasaki via TKO (Punches) at 2:33 of R3
Daichi Abe def. Yukinari Tamura via Decision (Unanimous)
Kickboxing: Genji Umeno def. Trent Girdham via TKO (Knee Injury) at 0:21 of R1
Takahiro Ashida def. Hirotaka Nakada via Decision (Unanimous)
Yoshiki Nakahara def. Akira Haraguchi via TKO (Punches and Soccer Kicks) at 2:31 of R1
Motonobu Tezuka def. Mehman Mamedov via TKO (Corner Stoppage) at 4:33 of R1
Kickboxing: Shogo Kuriaki def. Kakeru via TKO (Head Kick) at 1:42 of R2
Kickboxing: Reito Bravely def. Koichiro Seki via KO (Head Kick) at 0:34 of R1
