RENA: Rizin's Unexpected Ace.

The concept of "Ace" in Japan is a difficult thing to nail down. "Top Star" doesn't seem to do it justice while "Best Fighter" doesn't seem to describe it entirely as well. In Japanese Wrestling, where these things can be managed and maneuvered, the Ace is the figurehead of the company, the absolute top of the pyramid, and because of that, it's usually the biggest star and the best performer, one that can convince people to come in the door while leaving happy. Kazuchika Okada of New Japan Pro Wrestling these days describes that to a T, and going back to PRIDE, nobody described it better than Kazushi Sakuraba. In 2000, Sakuraba was arguably the best fighter pound for pound in the world, besting Royce Gracie and going toe to toe with Top 3 Heavyweight Igor Vovchanchyn in the same night. Sakuraba was PRIDE's top star and had established himself as the best fighter in their promotion, but shortly after that, Sakuraba would begin to accumulate losses and it's hard to take an Ace seriously if they are losing to inferior competition. MMA, as a whole, is hard to showcase an Ace because the most marketable fighters aren't always the best, and the best fighters aren't always marketable, and above all of that, you have fighters who are marketable and super talented but have no real desire to further the company or defend their spot, which makes Conor McGregor a hard figure to take seriously as UFC's Ace.

That being said, Rizin, being a promotion based in Japan, the Ace is a bit easier to nail down, and it isn't who many, including Rizin, would hope that it would be. When Rizin began, many had a lot of hope for Erson Yamamoto. He was young, clearly talented and was part of the great Yamamoto family, one that holds a lot of clout in Japan, but he has failed at most of the starting blocks as he is incredibly inexperienced. Many hope that it will be Kyoji Horiguchi, and while this isn't out of the question, it's hard to shake the "UFC Stink" off of him, and while he could come to define the coming years of Rizin, he doesn't strike me as a guy who will stick around through the good and bad. Many believe that it's Tenshin Nasukawa, the 19 year old kickboxing phenom, and while he has a great claim to it, he doesn't have the MMA commitment nor ability at the moment to truly carry the company in the eyes of the world. There is one fighter left in the conversation, and it's a fighter who, in a way, defines the new age of Rizin and JMMA. A fighter who has a significant star presence with a lot of ability in a division not put on by much of the MMA world at large, ensuring that they will remain with Rizin for the forseeable future. Ladies and Gentlemen, if you are not familiar, let me formally introduce you to Rizin's Unexpected Ace, RENA.

Rena "RENA" Kubota is one of MMA's most charming fighters and that isn't up for debate. Within 2 years, she has become not only a can't miss fighter, but she might quickly join the ranks of Fighters It's Illegal To Dislike along with Sakuraba, Shogun and Big Nog. She fights at Atomweight (105 pounds), which is incredibly notable because it's a division that not a lot of great fighters belong to and one that isn't put on by any major MMA Organization, and for a small girl, she packs a solid shot with her last 3 fights in a row ending by way of body shot KO. If you aren't already intrigued, she won her MMA Debut with a flying armbar.

Yeah. I thought so.

So why does RENA define the new age of JMMA as Rizin's Ace? Well, it goes back to The Most Important Bout In Rizin's Short History, TK vs James Thompson. I wrote about this fight and how important it was to open Rizin's inaugural show, but the closer to that show was a very sad affair. Sakuraba coming out of retirement to fight Shinya Aoki and getting hammered in a PRIDE tribute show that was both literally and figuratively a love letter to the promotion, with Blue Gloves and the PRIDE theme played during the opening ceremony. New Years Eve 2015 Day 1 was about the old where New Years Eve 2015 Day 2 was about the new, and RENA, a crossover star from Shootboxing (like Kickboxing but with throws and a clinch aspect, a nifty skillset to crossover with), opened the Birth event against J'Leana Valentino, an Italian kickboxer also making her MMA Debut. 

In case you can't tell, i'm very big into the framing and presentation of shows, viewing them as a story that unfolds, so the opening fight is incredibly important in this way. It establishes the tone that sets the night off, and RENA vs Valentino being an entertaining fight from two girls i've never heard of ending the way it did does nothing but positive, and there was something really good about RENA that stood out to me. Watching the fight back, i'm not sure what, she looked like a debuting MMA fighter. She seemed tenative at distance, a little spotty on the ground, good in the clinch but the output just didn't seem to be there, but there was something about her that made her name stick in my brain; that made her a memorable figure in my Rizin experience.

Valentino impressed as well, relatively of course. It's not her name that I remember, but hers was the name that intrigued me - she allegedly trains with Giorgio Petrosyan, which is interesting when you don't know someone.

Then the hook happened - RENA, the real armbar goddess of MMA, reared her banged head, and threw up a flying armbar. With that, I was hooked. You're throwing up flying armbars in your debut and winning with them? Sold.

Ronda Rousey Would Never.

RENA, the second night show opener, was largely forgotten in a mix of many great fights and finishes, Fedor Emelianenko's return, King Mo's dramatics and the return of JMMA, but hers was a name I remembered. I would be lying if I said that I was super familiar with Women's MMA, but RENA was interesting to me. It went beyond that I thought she was a cutie pie, she seemed genuinely likable and, unlike some crossovers, happy to be there. Happy in general, really. RENA is infectious, she is a special flower who can smell a liver ready to be punched from a mile out.

Her next spot on a Rizin card was a little less pronounced. It was on the largely unknown Rizin 1 show, the april event that not a lot of people have seen because it wasn't broadcast widely. Speaking personally, I found a torrent file uploaded onto an errant facebook page that I found the link to on page 3 of a google search, and rolled the dice as to whether or not it would infect my computer, this event is not widely out there. Beyond that, she was fighting a Shootfighting bout, which was intriguing in its own right - RENA won in an MMA environment but something looked a little off, and maybe she would shine in her natural environment. She faced Cyndi Alves, a Chute Box product in 2016, whatever clout that lends. I can't prove this girl exists beyond this RENA fight.

Now, it's notable to the discussion about RENA to point out card formation and placement in Japanese MMA. For those who might not be aware, Japanese MMA has a formal intermission around the middle of a card to give the audience a break, and once it comes back from Intermission, that's when the big fights tend to start happening once the audience has cleaned their pallet a little bit. For the UFC Equivalent, I suppose it would be like prelims to main card, but that undermines pre intermission bouts in my opinion. Regardless, RENA's card placement is a fascinating look at her status in Rizin, as she's been on nearly every show, you can see her position growing as her placement up the card continues. In her first bout, she opened the night, and while I can wax philosophical about how it sets the tone and highlights the next generation, it's more likely that it was an atomweight girls fight that might have been fun to lube up the crowd. On Rizin 1, her shootboxing fight with Alves was bout 6 on a 12 fight card, likely before intermission but it's hard to tell on this card. Her next bout is where things get a little spicy - She was the co main event on the September 2016 Openweight Grand Prix Opening Round. To give a little more context, she came after Cro Cop's RIZIN Debut. Why the large jump in card placement? She was facing Miyuu Yamamoto, debuting sister of legendary KID Yamamoto.

Make no mistake - Rizin wanted Miyuu Yamamoto to win. Sure, she was 42 and had no real future in MMA, but just look at what the score was. RENA went from opening bout and mid card to co main eventing against a legendary surname, relative of a legendary MMA fighter and mother to burgeoning star Erson (Who competed very highly on NYE 2015 Night 2 against Kron Gracie). Worse, Miyuu is a 3 time world championship wrestler, one of the most accomplished wrestlers to cross over into MMA especially as a woman. RENA had one fight and it was against a kickboxer, and while Miyuu hadn't fought in MMA, she had a lifetime of experience as a wrestler to draw from to put the kickboxer on her back and grind it out, bringing glory to the Yamamoto name.

That wasn't in the cards

Not the gif you were expecting huh? Make no mistake about it, Miyuu Yamamoto put RENA on her ass. Despite being old, the Yamamotos are genetically gifted. They are incredible natural talents, and even though she was way outside, even though she stopped the initial effort and turned a full 180 degrees, keeping her hips away from Miyuu, Miyuu STILL got her down. Before this, what can we say? RENA looked hesitant to step in against the wrestler, and the second she makes any move, even one as non committal as this one, she gets taken down. Everything was going according to plan, but then something changes. Miyuu is on top but not throwing punches, not passing guard. She's riding on top control but she's not throwing anything, it's RENA who's working from the bottom. Miyuu postures up, maybe contemplating the concept of ground and pound, when...

RENA lands an upkick, shocking Miyuu. After a brief flurry, Miyuu readjusts and puts RENA down again, but the damage was done. RENA knew that openings would present themselves, and she just needed to remain patient. A minute later, the code opened up again, and RENA, as if she saw the matrix, exploited once again and wasn't going to let it go to waste.

RENA flurried on Yamamoto after a vicious upkick before finishing her off with a Ninja Choke. RENA was now 2-0 in MMA with two obscure submissions, and it was clear that she wasn't going anywhere. She got a huge first round win in a fight that a lot of people were watching, the co main event of a show where Cro Cop returned and Kron Gracie headlined against Hideo Tokoro, RENA wasn't ever going back to opening the show again.

RENA would fight again on NYE 2016 Day 2, a year since she had made her MMA Debut against Hannah Tyson, and while she wasn't co main event, she was 4th from the top, underneath Tokoro vs Erson (Yamamotos might not be great fighters, but they've got star power), Kron Gracie vs Tatsuya Kawajiri (A significant fight and a classic Rizin one, go watch it) and Cro Cop vs Amir Aliakbari in the Openweight Grand Prix Finals. These are fights I expect to go on above nearly anything, even my girl RENA. The fight wasn't incredible, Hannah Tyson was hesitant and RENA was more than content to let her coast. It was here that I realized that this is RENA's game - she is an incredibly slow starter, which may lead to her dropping a round or two, a very bad tendency to have in MMA


But as we've discussed, and as is the story of RENA, the third round is a different story. RENA arrives and pours on damage, and debuts her ace in the hole at Atomweight, the calling card she would leave with each victory since - The Body Shot.


RENA had completed the first year of her career, 3-0 with a flying armbar, a ninja choke and a body kick KO. Most importantly, she fought exclusively in Rizin and would remain a constant fixture in the promotion. What we didn't know, however, was how important 2017 would be for Little Miss RENA, the burgeoning Ace.

She competed next in Yokohama against Hungarian Nightmare Dora Perjes. At 7-1 with 7 submissions, she was absolutely a dangerous fight for RENA at this point in her career. Outside of being taken down by a toothless Miyuu Yamamoto, RENA had never really experienced hardship in MMA, never been put in bad situations she needed to fight out of. Perjes, her most experienced opposition by far (Debuting Valentino, debuting Miyuu, 1-0 Hannah Tyson), would put her through the ringer.


Speaking personally: This was, perhaps, the most terrifying moment as a fan for me in MMA Period. I've had dramatic lows, Aldo being KO'd against McGregor, Gustafsson being robbed against Jon Jones, but those don't replicate active fear that one has when one of their favorite fighters is in a position of peril. RENA was hit, guard was pulled, a good armbar was thrown up and looked to be completed. To put this fight into context, it was, again, 4th fight from the top, underneath Amir Aliakbari vs Geronimo Dos Santos (Aliakbari is a big investment for Rizin), Kyoji Horiguchi vs Yuki Motoya (Horiguchi's big return to Japan after leaving the UFC against a Rizin veteran) and Tatsuya Kawajiri vs Anthony Birchak (Kawajiri is a legitimate all time great in Japanese MMA and is a major star), but it would be around 3-4am at the time of RENA's fight regardless. My inhibitions and tough guy facade melt away and i'm left with naked fandom, and the first minute of this fight is just me clutching myself wishing that anything else was happening. RENA escaped, but the writing may as well have been on the wall. Perjes could out hustle RENA on the ground and could get it there, and even if she pulled guard, she could create an environment that would crush RENA.

Right?

I'd figured out RENA's game, and it's one that doesn't lend itself to comfort in her fans, but it's one that leads to high drama - If she's at her own pace, she will take 2 rounds to warm up and then start throwing, but once some adversity shows up, once her blood gets pumping, she becomes the violent round 3 RENA at that moment





RENA had come up against adversity, real adversity, and bit down on her mouthpiece, wouldn't be hindered, fought through it and finished the most experienced fighter she'd faced faster than anybody she'd fought before. Her fight was the peak of drama in Yokohama that night, as Kawajiri cruised to an easy decision win, Kawajiri dominated Motoya and Aliakbari quietly pounded out Geronimo Dos Santos. RENA was the highest performing fighter on the card who also put on the most re watchable fight of the night. 2017 would be the year that defined RENA, but we didn't know just how much.

Rizin announced two grand prix events for 2017. As opposed to a heavyweight grand prix that they had run the previous two years, Rizin would focus on the lighter weights, running a Bantamweight Grand Prix, seemingly running Kyoji Horiguchi for the defining male fighter of 2017, but the other grand prix was the Women's Atomweight Grand Prix. 8 Women would participate:

RENA (The one true princess in MMA)
Alyssa Garcia (3-3 Josh Barnett Protege who had competed on NYE 2016)
Miyuu Yamamoto (1-2 Mother and all around rad girl)
Irene Rivera (6-4 Spanish Fighter)
Sylwia Juskiewicz (6-4 Polish Fighter)
Kanna Asakura (8-2 Rizin veteran, lost to Alyssa Garcia on NYE 2016)
Maria Oliveira (9-2 Brazilian with serious muay thai talent)
Andy Nguyen (5-4 King of The Cage veteran, submitted Miyuu Yamamoto in Yokohama)

While these aren't the most prestige riddled records, in October 2017, the matches were filled with a ton of skill and intrigue. Garcia, a Josh Barnett Protege who fights just like him, faced Maria Oliveira, and Oliveira fought like Anderson Silva in PRIDE. Stood straight up and destroyed Garcia with leg kicks and straight shots. Kanna Asakura, very young fighter, outhustled Sylvwia Juskiewicz with slick double legs and crushing top control. Irene Rivera managed to catch Miyuu Yamamoto with an armbar from guard, showing that Miyuu has a great blast double but is very susceptible to the armbar from the bottom.

Which leaves us with RENA vs Nguyen.

RENA had been fighting near the top of the Rizin shows for a year at this point. Co main event vs Miyuu, 4th from the top against Perjes and Tyson, but it would be this event that broke RENA big. RENA and Tenshin Nasukawa, top tier kickboxer and budding Rizin star, were selected to have their fights air live on Fuji TV, one of the biggest television stations in Japan. RENA was selected to headline against Andy Nguyen. Yes, RENA, the girl who, almost 2 years ago, opened New Years Eve 2015 Day 2, was the headliner, the main event to watch on Fuji TV. The program got strong ratings, but would RENA choke on the biggest stage? Would she see the bright lights and the big moment and choke in the first round of the Atomweight Grand Prix designed for her to win?

Not on your life.


Nguyen might not have the best record, but she is an incredibly savvy ground player, and she caught RENA cold. Once again, in the first two minutes, RENA would be on the bad end of a dominant position on the ground. But what did RENA do against Perjes? What does RENA do when confronted with adversity?

Never Let Go.


RENA's ability to punch the body is something that is clearly a blindspot in women's MMA. There isn't a lot of heavy muscle or fat to protect the liver from shots, and just a little bit of savvy that RENA has mastered can get her to that liver over and over and over.

RENA, Rizin's Ace, is poised to headline New Years Eve in Saitama Super Arena, winning the Women's Atomweight Grand Prix, and there is nothing that I would love more. RENA has dedicated herself to MMA, and she has a serious knack for it. She faces Irene Rivera and, should she win, no matter who she faces, be it Maria Oliveira or Kanna Asakura, it will be an amazing fight.

RENA Doesn't let the fans leave unhappy.

It would be unbecoming of The Ace.