Rena Kubota spoke to Fight & Life magazine this week. In the interview which Japanese readers can see excerpts from here she spoke about wanting to challenge Rizin super atomweight champion Seo Hee Ham.
The two fighters have already faced off once, albeit not under MMA rules. In 2014 Rena beat the Korean by decision in a shoot boxing match.
Seo won the super atomweight title at Rizin 20. The UFC veteran beat Ayaka Hamasaki by split decision and has not had an opportunity to defend the belt yet.
Rena is coming off back to back wins. She stopped Alexandra Alvare in the first round at Rizin 19 and then finished Lindsey VanZandt in the third at Rizin 20, avenging her loss to the American at Bellator 222.
The 22 year old says she was scheduled to fight at Rizin 22, which was scheduled for last weekend. But she did not reveal the identity of the opponent she had been matched with prior to the postponement.
With Jiří Procházka and Manel Kape having both signed for the UFC this year Seo is the promotion’s only remaining champion. She also holds the Road FC atomweight title.
Other 108lbs fighters on the Rizin roster include Hamasaki, Miyuu Yamamoto and Kanna Asakura. The latter is riding a two fight winning streak, just like Rena.
Asakura has beaten Rena twice. She submitted her in the final of the Rizin 108lbs Grand Prix in 2017, and then secured a decision win in the rematch.
