Chihiro Suzuki vs. Kleber Koike title rematch to headline RIZIN’s NYE show

RIZIN Fighting Federation will close the year with a highly anticipated featherweight title rematch between champion Chihiro Suzuki and former titleholder Kleber Koike, the company announced Tuesday.

RIZIN DECADE will take place at the Saitama Super Arena in Saitama, Japan, on Dec. 31, and air live through its own pay-per-view platform. Suzuki vs. Koike will serve as the main event.

Koike (33-7-1, 1 no contest) was the 145-pound champion when he first scheduled to face Suzuki inside the ring in June of 2023, but lost the title on the scale after missing weight. Per RIZIN rules, an overweight fighter can’t win a bout, so his first-round submission victory over Suzuki was automatically overturned to a no-contest.

The Brazilian veteran, a former KSW champion as well, won his past two with first-round finishes over Yutaka Saito and Juan Archuleta to earn a crack at the belt that now belongs to Suzuki.

Suzuki (13-3, 1 no contest) won three in a row since his match with Koike, scoring a huge upset against Bellator champion Patricio Pitbull before claiming RIZIN gold with a quick knockout over Vugar Karamov. Suzuki last defended his belt with a first-round knockout against veteran Masanori Kanehara.

The 25-year-old Japanese was expected to face Manny Pacquiao in a three-round boxing exhibition, but was later replaced by kickboxing veteran Rukiya Anpo. The bout ended in a draw.

RIZIN has yet to announce other match-ups for the card, but MMA Fighting has learned that undefeated welterweight Igor Tanabe is expected to be part of the card. The 5-0 grappler was scheduled to face Marcos Yoshio de Souza at RIZIN Landmark 10 on Nov. 17, but Souza was forced of the match due to an injury.