There was one word for the first two events of the Rizin promotion: sprawling.
Contested in Japan over two separate nights, Rizin Fighting Federation 1 and 2 hosted more than 30 fights, a sampling of MMA stars spanning the past three decades, old-world (by MMA standards) showmanship, a ring instead of a cage and a multiday tournament.
Oh, and the second event, Rizin FF 2, also saw the return to action of one Fedor Emelianenko, who you may know as perhaps the most globally famous MMA fighter ever, non-Ronda Rousey division.
Over the course of the two events—the high points of which were condensed into a single broadcast that aired Thursday morning on Spike TV—there was plenty of action and more than a few moments noteworthy for their violence or, you know, just their good, old-fashioned strangeness.
As usual, the final stat lines only reveal so much. These are the real winners and losers from across both of the cards of this fledgling promotion.
For the literal-minded among us, full results for both cards are available on the final slide.
