RIZIN champ Izawa slams Lotus-NOEL fight, suggests title bout alternatives

sanspo.com (Japanese) — October 4, 2026 at 12:02 AM UTC

RIZIN fighter Kate Lotus defeated 18-year-old NOEL by split decision at RIZIN LANDMARK 16 in Nagasaki on Saturday, but former women's super atomweight champion Seika Izawa harshly criticized the bout on her YouTube channel. Izawa said both fighters were overly defensive, stating they seemed more focused on avoiding defeat than winning. She contrasted their performance with earlier tournament matches featuring impressive submission wins by Saori Oshima and Natasha Kuzutina, expressing frustration that the fight stopped the event's momentum. Izawa proposed Oshima and Kuzutina face each other for the vacant title and hinted at a possible comeback at the New Year's Eve event, noting she gave birth to her first child on September 25.

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