Rizin 45 Weigh-in Results: Juan Archuleta Comes in Heavy, Stripped of BW Title

🔥 #RIZIN45 Weigh-In Results 💥

⚔️ Co-Main Event
RIZIN MMA Rules 61.0kg

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🟥Juan Archuleta【63.80kg】@jarchmma
ーーー🆚ーーー
🟦Kai Asakura【60.95kg】@kai_1031_

※ Archuleta missed weight limit by 2.80kg

📅 12/30 (Sat) at 9pm PT
📡 Watch on @FiteTV: https://t.co/2JKhqMly6i pic.twitter.com/3eKKGUdSzH

— RIZIN FF English (@rizin_English) December 30, 2023

All did not go as planned during weigh-ins for Rizin Fighting Federation’s year-end extravaganza.

Bantamweight champion Juan Archuleta tipped the scales at 140.6 pounds for his title defense against Kai Asakura (134.4) in the evening’s co-main event, and as a result, has been stripped of the 135-pound belt.

According to a release from the Japanese promotion: “In the event that both parties reach a mutual agreement, a no contest rule is the likely scenario, which would result in the crowning of a new champion, contingent upon Kai Asakura emerging victorious. Conversely, should Juan Archuleta emerge as the winner, the bout will be declared a no contest.”

Archuleta later revealed in a statement on social media that an illness prevented him from competing his weight cut.

“Sorry this happened nothing I can do about getting sick,” Archuleta wrote. “I did my best to make weight and still step on the scale knowing I was going to have my title taken away. But I don’t want my fans who pay hard working money to miss this fight. So I did my best and came up short.”

Rizin 45 takes place at Saitama Super Arena in Saitama, Japan and is headlined by a flyweight championship showdown between Kyoji Horiguchi (125) and Makoto Takahashi (125.6). The event is available via pay-per-view on Fite TV for $19.99. Everyone else on the card made weight without issue.

Horiguchi is a former Bellator bantamweight champion and UFC flyweight title challenger. The American Top Team product took a two-bout winning streak into his most recent outing, when his first clash against Takahasi at Bellator vs. Rizin 2 ended via no contest in just 25 seconds due to an accidental eye poke.

Prior to his abbreviated first meeting with Horiguchi, Takahasi had been victorious in 10 straight fights. During that stretch, the 23-year-old known as “Shinryu” earned wins in Rizin, Bellator, Deep and Cage Fury Fighting Championships.

A former Bellator 135-pound title holder, Archuleta claimed Rizin gold with a three-round verdict against Hiromasa Ougikubo at Super Rizin 2 on July 30. “The Spaniard” has won four straight contests — including three under the Rizin banner.

Asakura, meanwhile, has been victorious in four of his last five Rizin appearances. Most recently, the 29-year-old Japan Top Team representative scored a third-round knockout of Yuki Motoya at Rizin 42 on May 6.

Rizin 45 Weigh-in Results:

Kyoji Horiguchi (125) vs. Makoto Takahashi (125.6)
Juan Archuleta (140.6)* vs. Kai Asakura (134.4)
Kleber Koike Erbst (145.2) vs. Yutaka Saito (145.1)
Ren Hiramoto (145.3) vs. Ren Sugiyama (145.1)
Seika Izawa (107.2) vs. Miyuu Yamamoto (107.6)
Tsuyoshi Kamiyama (262.1) vs. Mikio Ueda (243.6)
Hiromasa Ougikubo (125.4) vs. John Dodson (125.5)
Yuki Motoya (134.4) vs. Vince Morales (133.9)
Shinobu Ota (134.4) vs. Ryusei Ashizawa (134.4)
Kota Miura (143) vs. Koji Tanaka (143.1)
Igor Tanabe (169.5) vs. Shinsho Anzai (169.5)
Jo Arai (125.3) vs. Hiroya Kondo (124.8)
Yuta Kubo (153.8) vs. Rukiya Anpo (153.9)
Satoshi Yamasu (144.9) vs. Suguru Nii (145.1)
Tatsuki Shinotsuka (132.1) vs. Daichi Tomizawa (131.8) — kickboxing rules
Ryujin Nasukawa (118.7) vs. Jong Min Shin (118.6)
Yushi Sakura (133.6) vs. Joe Hiramoto (133.8)

*Archuleta missed weight and has been stripped of his bantamweight title.