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On a night packed with electrifying action, boxing legend Manny Pacquiao and former K-1 champion Rukiya Anpo delivered a captivating exhibition at Super RIZIN 3 in Tokyo, Japan. The co-main event saw the two warriors go the distance in a three-round bout that kept fans on the edge of their seats.
With no judges present, the bout was ruled a draw unless a knockout occurred. Despite the lack of an official winner, the action was anything but dull. Pacquiao, with his extensive experience of 72 pro boxing bouts, faced Anpo, who was 17 years his junior and the tallest opponent he had ever encountered.
Anpo started strong, landing a slick right hand and following up with a powerful combination. Pacquiao responded in kind, throwing heat in the final seconds of the opening round. As the bout progressed, Anpo used his significant reach advantage to keep Pacquiao at bay, preventing him from landing his trademark dangerous shots.
In the final round, the action reached a fever pitch. Anpo landed hard shots on Pacquiao twice in the first minute and continued to connect with solid strikes. Pacquiao answered back with a right hand in the final minute, and the two fighters exchanged wildly until the final bell. Anpo likely would have won if the bout were judged, but the draw stood as they embraced in the ring, showing mutual respect.
Adding to the drama, Ryan Garcia was invited into the ring post-fight.
“I want to fight in Japan, and I want to challenge Anpo, Pacquiao, whoever,” Garcia declared.
Anpo responded with a jab at Garcia's recent drug-testing issues, to which Garcia confidently retorted,
“I do believe I knock out Anpo in three rounds.”
The evening's main event featured a featherweight showdown between Ren Hiramoto and Mikuru Asakura. Hiramoto stunned Asakura with a vicious left hand in the opening round, following up with a relentless barrage of punches until Asakura went down. The referee called it, awarding Hiramoto a first-round knockout victory.
Former K-1 champion Yuta Kubo faced ex-RIZIN champion Yutaka Saito in a thrilling bout. After an explosive first round of exchanges, the action slowed in the second until Kubo landed a head kick, followed by a body shot and a jab that floored Saito. A brutal left kick to the liver ended the fight, marking Kubo's fifth consecutive MMA win under the RIZIN banner.
Hiromasa Ougikubo took on his former student Makoto Shinryu in a tense contest. Ougikubo rocked Shinryu with a right hand and attempted a guillotine choke, but Shinryu escaped. Ultimately, Ougikubo secured a unanimous decision victory, reestablishing himself as a contender for the flyweight championship.
In the early portion of the card, Hideo Tokoro fought his retirement bout against Hiroya Kondo. Tokoro, a veteran of 71 fights, ended his career on a high note with a first-round knockout, leaving the sport with a record of 36-33-2.
BKFC champion John Dodson returned to Japan for a non-title bare-knuckle boxing clash with Takaki Soya. Dodson scored multiple knockdowns and overcame a facial cut to win a decision after five action-packed rounds, improving his bare-knuckle record to 4-0-1.
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