Kai Asakura is one of the biggest stars in Asian MMA and the 26-year-old capped off a remarkable return to action for Rizin as he won the vacant bantamweight title with a first-round TKO win over Hiromasa Ogikubo. With their iconic walkouts and love of soccer kicks, Rizin holds a special place in the hearts of MMA fans around the world. But because of the Covid-19 pandemic, it had been six long and uncertain months since they were last able to hold a live event. With Rizin 22: Starting Over and Rizin 23: Calling Over, the promotion made its comeback with two shows in two days at the Pia Arena MM in Yokohama, and you have to wonder if president Nobuyuki Sakakibara could ever have dreamed of a more explosive return to action. Having been the driving force behind PRIDE FC and the glory days of MMA in Japan, you imagine he would have been delighted to see just four out of 18 fights go the distance in what was a drama-filled 48 hours full of memorable highlight reel stoppages. Asakura – long been touted as a future champion – was able to close the show with the kind of finish that will no doubt go viral. Not since a 2013 loss to former champion Kyoji Horiguchi has Ogikubo been stopped, but Asakura was a man with a point to prove. pic.twitter.com/qVr9IVDSCR — Streetfight Banned-cho (@streetfitebncho) August 10, 2020 Having arrowed a beautiful uppercut to the ribs, he then followed up with a Hollywood knee that dropped Ogikubo to the floor. From there, having let fly with several stinging punches, he invoked the great Hidetoshi Nakata and the former World Cup star would have been proud of the way his countryman soccer-kicked his way to a famous victory. This was a moment of redemption. Just six months ago at the turn of the year, Asakura had been on the receiving end of an early knockout at the hands of Manel Kape who then departed Rizin to fight for the UFC. He had squandered his shot at the title and was made to wait for a second chance. “I’m glad I won – I thought, ‘If I lose, I’m done’. I learned a lot from New Year,” Asakura said after the fight. What a way to bury that anguish. Now, having finally sealed the gold, he can look forward to what would be a blockbuster defence against Horiguchi, whom he famously knocked out a year ago. “I want to fight Kyoji again, and that’s what the people want,” Asakura said. “I’m ready to fight anytime. I’d really like the Horiguchi fight to happen so I’ll be preparing for that.” His employers too, will hope to have laid their own doubts to rest. The pandemic has ravaged businesses across the world, and these are tough times for fight promoters, in particular. Rizin has turned to crowdfunding to keep the company afloat. It’s a worrying sign of the times, and fans were made to pay a comparatively high price of 5,500 yen (US$51) per event. There was also no English commentary offered, which raises questions as to how much consideration is given to the international audience. While the promotion was able to raise a reported US$500,000 earlier this year, concerns remain. Despite those worries, they were able to produce two cards of spectacular entertainment. On any other night, featherweight Yutaka Saito’s savage second-round finish over Kazumasa Majima with a combination of knees and soccer kicks would have stolen the headlines. The same can be said of Makoto “Shinryu” Takahashi whose second-round guillotine choke on Seiichiro Ito was a candidate for submission of the year. At just 20 years old and with a record now standing at 11-1-1, he is certainly one to watch. Guillotine submissions, flatline KO’s, and sharp elbows were a constant feature throughout the weekend. Hot prospects and established stars rose to the occasion. There may have been one or two mismatches, but In terms of entertainment? It was a belter. The official attendance of the event was 4,410 and given what’s transpired in recent months, to have live fans there has to be considered a victory in itself.