One of Japan’s brightest prospects, Kyoma Akimoto, picked up his third victory of the year tonight at Rizin Fighting Federation: ‘Landmark Vol. 12’ in Kobe, Hyogo, Japan. The 19-year-old Akimoto bounced back after a tough first round and stopped veteran striker Kyohei Hagiwara with ground strikes in the featherweight main event.
Early on, Akimoto (10-1, 5-1 Rizin) struggled to deal with strong calf kicks from Hagiwara (9-11, 8-9 Rizin), who got the better of his teen foe during the striking exchanges on the feet. Akimoto could not take Hagiwara down and Hagiwara bloodied his nose with a series of right hands.