Suzuki Upkick KOs Karamov to Claim Featherweight Title at Rizin ‘Landmark Vol. 7’

WOW!!🤯

Suzuki gets the KO from bottom position and is the new RIZIN Featherweight Champion!

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📡 Watch on @FITEtv !🔻https://t.co/eEpfmslhPp pic.twitter.com/fsvLfe9ZKD

— RIZIN FF English (@rizin_English) November 4, 2023

After coming up short in his first title bid in June, Chihiro Suzuki made the most of his second opportunity by scoring a crushing first-round knockout victory on Saturday at Rizin Fighting Federation “Landmark Vol. 7” in Baku, Azerbaijan. Suzuki finished Vugar Karamov with a vicious upkick and punches 88 seconds into the opening round to claim the Rizin featherweight title.

Suzuki (12-3, 1 NC, 7-1, 1 NC Rizin) found himself on the mat following an early takedown from Karamov (19-5, 5-2 Rizin), who postured up and punched from the top. When Karamov stood up to try to pass Suzuki’s guard, Suzuki countered with an upkick from the bottom. His heel connected flush with Karamov’s jaw and the dazed Azerbaijani fighter fell back into Suzuki’s guard.

Suzuki unleashed a barrage of punches from the bottom that bounced Karamov’s head back and forth before referee Masato Fukuda identified that Karamov was unconscious and waved off the fight. An elated Suzuki celebrated his championship victory. The 24-year-old has now won seven of his past eight Rizin bouts.

THAT'S IT! 💥

Tofiq Musayev stops Takeda in round 3, and is just the 5th fighter to score KOs in all 3 rounds of a fight in RIZIN!

📡 Watch on @FITEtv !🔻https://t.co/eEpfmslPEX pic.twitter.com/vm2Egp9PvS

— RIZIN FF English (@rizin_English) November 4, 2023

In the lightweight co-main event, Tofiq Musayev (22-5, 7-1 Rizin) finished Koji Takeda (15-6, 5-6 Rizin) with a right hook and hammerfists at 2:03 of Round 3.

Musayev got off to a good start in the opening round by cracking Takeda with a right hook and attacking his body with kicks. He took Takeda down in the second stanza and spent more than three minutes working from the top.

In the final round, Musayev backed Takeda up against the cage with punches and dropped him with a right hook. Takeda was initially OK on the ground, but Musayev sensed a finish and he blasted Takeda with hammerfists until the Japanese fighter was out cold.

🔥🔥試合結果🔥🔥#RIZIN_LANDMARK7 in AZE🇦🇿

⚔️第6試合⚔️
RIZIN MMAルール 71.0kg

🟥トゥラル・ラギモフ【LOSE】@TuralRagimov1
ーーー🆚ーーー
🟦キム・ギョンピョ【WIN】🏆

1R 0分21秒 KO#グラウンドパンチ

📝試合レポート↓https://t.co/nAv2gbqtaF https://t.co/wRjSikiOmd pic.twitter.com/4CD1tFaVzG

— RIZIN FF OFFICIAL (@rizin_PR) November 4, 2023

Road to UFC veteran Kyung Pyo Kim (13-4, 2-0 Rizin) needed only 21 seconds to dispatch of Tural Ragimov (21-10, 0-1 Rizin) in their brief lightweight clash. Kim floored Ragimov with his first right hook of the fight and followed with punches on the ground until the bout was justifiably stopped, despite Ragimov’s protests. Kim has won back-to-back fights for Rizin since his two-fight Road to UFC campaign in 2022.

Rounding out the main card, Ali Abdulkhalikov (13-2, 2-1 Rizin) took a close but well-earned unanimous decision victory over Nariman Abbasov (28-5, 0-1 Rizin) at lightweight; and Mehman Mamedov (7-6, 1 NC, 2-1 Rizin) mauled short-notice replacement foe Ferit Goktepe (4-2, 0-1 Rizin) on the ground for three rounds en route to a lopsided unanimous decision win in a 132-pound catchweight contest.

The highlight of the preliminary card was a 113-pound women’s catchweight bout between three-time Rizin veteran Anastasiya Svetkivska (3-2, 1-2 Rizin) and 19-year-old Farida Abdueva (2-1, 0-1 Rizin). Svetkivska chained together submissions and ultimately forced Abdueva to submit to a triangle armbar at 4:20 of Round 2.

Completing the preliminary card, Ilhom Nazimov (10-3, 1-0 Rizin) took a unanimous decision victory over Jaures Dea Gomez (10-6, 1 NC, 0-1 Rizin) at featherweight; Vladyslav Rudniev (8-0, 1-0 Rizin) stayed unbeaten with a unanimous decision triumph against Ilyar Askhanov (12-6, 0-1 Rizin) in a bloody battle at lightweight; Shota Betlemidze (18-2-1, 1-0 Rizin) won his heavyweight bout with Quentin Domingos (10-4, 1 NC, 0-1 Rizin) via TKO (retirement) at the end of the first round; and light heavyweight Hasan Mezhiev (14-0, 1-0 Rizin) tapped out Konstantin Merkulov (2-3, 0-1 Rizin) with a rear-naked choke at 2:32 of Round 1.