RISE 172 Event Preview
RISE 172 Event Preview
RISE 172 is this weekend (10/29 @ 1700 UTC+9) and it features a premium main event, two young stars in the making for the co-main, and a fun card leading up to it.
RISE 172 Event Preview
RISE 172 takes place at Korakuen Hall in Bunkyo, Tokyo, Japan on October 29th, 2023. The 12-fight card event starts at 17:00 (UTC+9) and features a highly anticipated rematch between much improved fighters Monguchi and Kaito for the 57kg title. The co-main is for the vacant 51kg title and has two young guns fighting for the next promo push in Kazushima and Matsumoto. And the main card has everything from an 18-year-old getting a showcase fight after paying his dues (Tsukamoto) to two older fighters looking to end losing streaks (Seido/Yamamoto). Let's sink our teeth into the main event, and then get a feel for some other fights on the card.
Wait, How Do I Watch It?
Go to the below link and see how for your region (in this case it’s just Abema):
https://beyondkick.com/event/rise-172/
They will have the best option for your region for most Kick events and is a great resource for seeing when events are and how to watch them.
Now time for the substance.
Main Event Preview and Breakdown
Keisuke Monguchi Vs. Kaito | RISE 57kg Championship
World Series Round 1 winner Monguchi takes on Round 2 winner Kaito in a rematch of their 3-round fight in 2021. Both fighters have shown improvement since the first fight, and look to have a more decisive winner at the end of the 5 rounds in this rematch. Monguchi has continued to improve on his strong suits of in-tight boxing and power kicks, while also building up his literal body. Kaito has added new dimensions to his game, such as diverse leg kicks and firing combos at range. They have both shown these improvements in their most recent fights.
Monguchi showed a lot of discipline with shot selection and defense in his last fight, which was against Kyo Kawakami. While not only doing a good job defensively, he repeatedly used his reads on Kawakami's combos to thud in with planted leg and body kicks. The fight against Niimi was a bit of a freebie, but Monguchi used more knees and flashy kicks than usual to try to still put on a show. He also repeatedly kicked out Niimi's leg with inside kicks despite being in clinch range, a strike that could be very potent against Kaito. Monguchi also looks much stronger than the first time they fought, both in appearance and imposing his fight style.
Kaito started slow and struggled in the first round against Yasumoto in his last fight. However, one of the most impressive things Kaito showed was the ability to adapt. After struggling in tight exchanges in round 1, Kaito started keeping his range and kicking all over the legs. By the end of round 2, Yasumoto's right thigh “was a balloon,” and the left leg's inner knee caught up quickly. Kaito also started mixing in more combos like the 1-2 and 2-3 to not only set-up kicks, but also on the exit after throwing. An impressive defensive adjustment Kaito made was keeping his guard up higher for the lead hook side he was getting tagged on. That combined with making a good ready on when Yasumoto would kick lead to him blocking most punches for the rest of the fight, and eventually taking over the in tight boxing and kicking himself. If Kaito can continue to incorporate the ranged strikes with quick in and out inside exchanges, he should be able to wear on Monguchi over time.
Techniques to Watch For:
Monguchi Body Work: Heavy handed boxing combos and body kicks.
Kaito Leg Kicks: Two fights in a row has shown a renewed focus on picking apart the legs at range and in close
Respect Establishing Kicks: Even when they don't land, the fighter that can force the defense by throwing hard kicks to the body and head, without getting the kick caught, has a positional advantage.
Monguchi's Tight Boxing Vs Kaito's Long Straights: While both are very good at both ranges, they each excel at their own areas. If Kaito can combo, kick, exit; or kick, combo, exit as he has in his last two fights, it can help negate the advantage Monguchi has inside.
Styles Make Fights
High-Level Inside Games: Monguchi does a lot of his best work in clinch range with tight boxing, while Kaito likes to bait inside for heads slips and look for counters.
Cardio: Kaito ate a lot of body shots and had the cardio mostly hold up. Monguchi was constantly trading and exhausting mental energy and still looked fresh at the end of the fight. Bad cardio should not muck up the fight.
Wear Down Vs Pick Apart: Monguchi will often plant and trade in tight. Kaito struggles in tight, but also works legs very well even from that distance. If Monguchi's legs start to wear, the power and reflexes will diminish as well. Could be a range where they both find success during the course of the fight.
C-C-C-Combos With Exits: Kaito's straight punches to open combos and ability to throw very good hooks to finish them helps him stay aggressive at range once he settles in. If Kaito stays disciplined on exits, could be a repeat point of success.
Establish Respect: Both faced opponents who threatened big head kicks and hard hooks to keep the opponent's respect, this time one of them will likely have to be the one to establish respect at range. I expect it to be Kaito, but will be interesting either way.
Pick: Kaito. The improvement he has shown in his last two fights has been very impressive. His response to Yasumoto's success in round 1 by adjusting his defense AND offense was very inspiring and I hope to see him adjust round to round in this 5 round affair as well. If Kaito is a little more static in his approach, such as Umei and Kawakami fights, Monguchi is likely to win round 1 and most of the fight. If Kaito can adjust round to round, we can see the best versions of both fighters.
Riku Kazushima Vs. Tenshi Matsumoto | Vacant RISE 51kg Championship
Two very young and talented fighters competing for an organizational belt doesn't need much extra juice, but this fight has plenty. This will be Riku Kazushima's second time competing for the 51kg belt, as he came up short against Toki Tamaru this time last year. Matsumoto and Kazushima have a recent shared opponent in Momu Tsukamoto, with both getting victories but Matsumoto getting the dramatic finish. They also share an opponent in Kuryu, though the fights were a year apart. Matsumoto won more convincingly in that fight as well. Kazushima is facing a big step-up in competition since the Tamaru loss, but has impressive finishes of his own recently over Prandam and Tane. Mastumoto is guaranteed fireworks, and Kazushima is all about exchanging. My only complaint is that it's not 5 rounds. Look for Matsumoto's risk-taking and violent boxing to start to take hold in rounds 2 and 3.
Pick: Matsumoto. And violence in general. The more I watch of their recent fights, the more I’m looking forward to it and wishing it was 5 rounds.
Momu Tsukamoto Vs. Yuzuki Sakai
Two young guys with exciting styles clashing on a RISE card. It's mostly a showcase fight for Tsukamoto, but he is always fun and pushes the action. Sakai still likes to engage inside even in losses, which will hopefully allow for Tsukamoto to engage in fun tight trades like he seems to genuinely enjoy. Tsukamoto getting another finish after his last fight would get his “meme momentum,” going again. If people tune into him because they see a clip, it's likely the fight will be fun too.
Seido Vs. Kenshin Yamamoto
Older fighters on losing streaks facing off in hopes one of them can end the skid. I'm a simple man, I see two men extra hungry for a win, I am immediately more interested.
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