Lost in Pankration

There is something romantic about Japanese mixed martial arts.

That may seem like an odd descriptor for a brand of MMA that allows for soccer kicks and strikes to the head of a downed opponent – both of which are largely illegal in North American MMA – but for long-time fans of the sport, MMA in Japan represents a bygone era that laid the foundation for a once-taboo sport that has become mainstream.

Last week, I took a trip to Japan and had the privilege of attending RIZIN Landmark 5, a nine-fight card. It was clear from the moment I entered Yoyogi Gymnasium in Tokyo that the experience would be unique in comparison to the many events that I have covered in my years as a mixed martial arts reporter. 

The Landmark series was created during the COVID-19 pandemic to bring unattended, pay-per-view events to different Japanese landmarks. Unlike other RIZIN events, the bouts take place in a cage rather than a ring.

I was greeted outside the venue by Rizin’s International and English Relations Representative Shingo Kashiwagi, who presented me with a program for the event as well as a small blue box that contained two glutinous rice snacks. Every attendee of the event received a box as a traditional gesture to thank them for contributing to the event being sold out, with an announced attendance of 13,837.

RizinHe showed me to my seat in the upper level of the venue where I had a bird’s-eye view of the event, which started promptly at 4 p.m. local time with the opening ceremonies. 

The venue was already full as the fighters were introduced individually by Lenne Hardt, who started her announcing career in 2000 with legendary Japanese promotion Pride Fighting Championships.

The combatants walked out on an elongated stage to stand next to their opponents, while the main and co-main event competitors stood in the cage, which was revealed by a large black curtain dropping.

The first bout of the night set the tone for the evening as Russia’s Ali Abdulkhalikov faced Japan’s Tatsuya Saika.

The crowd erupted for their introductions, but as soon as the bout began, the atmosphere turned from stadium to library as the crowd sat silently, only cheering during moments of deep significance.

One such moment came at 3:30 of the first round, where Abdulkhalikov landed a vicious left hook followed by an overhand right that dropped Saika. He followed up with a ground strike before the referee called a stop to the fight.

The crowd erupted in response, cheering for the Russian native as if he is one of their own, despite an ongoing conflict between Japan and Russia that has negatively impacted the Japanese economy.

All of that was set aside in the name of sportsmanship, as the culture of booing in North America is not something that Japanese audiences subscribe to. The mantra is respect, even if a Japanese fighter has suffered a crushing defeat.

That’s one of several major differences between attending an event in North America and Japan. Where the atmosphere in North America is often a product of booze-soaked debauchery, no one in Yoyogi Gymnasium was eating or drinking at their seat, something I noticed shortly after covertly taking a bite of a snack I had in my bag.

These cultural differences are something that visiting athletes relish when competing in Japan.

“As a fighter and a competitor, you look at it as something that gave birth to what I do as a professional,” said former Bellator bantamweight champion Juan Archuleta, who competes at RIZIN 42 in Tokyo on May 6, his second appearance for the promotion.

“It’s always been my dream to fight here, and it never happened and I kind of gave up on it just fell into my lap this past year after losing in the Bellator bantamweight grand prix.”

This notion was shared by Claire Lopez, who defeated Japanese fan favourite Rena Kubota at Landmark 5 with an extremely rare dogbar kneebar submission.

Lopez, who is from France and trains in England under UFC bantamweight pioneer Brad Pickett was loaned to Rizin by Combate Global, a promotion that caters to a mostly Hispanic audience.

“You come to see the superstar of the country, so obviously people want to see her win, but at the same time, they keep this respect for me. They ask me for pictures and autographs. They don’t want to insult you, they just want to respect you and I really appreciate this,” said Lopez.

“In France, it’s not the same energy. You feel the support of your country, but not always the respect and for me, what I felt this week and tonight makes me want to come back here and fight here for the rest of my career.”

The event was headlined by a matchup featuring prolific striker Mikuru Asakura, who along with his brother, Kai, is one of Rizin’s most popular athletes, facing Juntaro Ushiku.

Members of the restless crowd began to alternate yelling “Juntaro!” and “Mikuru!” during the bout, to the delight of some who laugh and to the dismay of others who you could tell were trying to ignore the chanting and enjoy the action in front of them.

Asakura would go on to earn a decision victory and the event reached its conclusion at 9 p.m., a welcome change of pace, especially for someone still trying to shake off the residual jet lag from a 13-hour flight and a subsequent 13-hour time change.

The crowd exits and I joined them in the busy streets of Shibuya after an evening that I will not soon forget.