Mikuru Asakura (image via RIZIN / YouTube)

By FCF Staff

After incurring his first loss under the RIZIN banner, Mikuru Asakura says fans will see a return to his aggressive, “street fighting” approach at RIZIN 26.

Asakura is booked to fight Satoshi Yamasu at the New Year’s Eve event, which will take place at the Saitama Super Arena in Japan. Asakura will be looking to get back on track, as at RIZIN 25 last month, he dropped a decision loss to Yutaka Saito. The bout was for the vacant, featherweight title.

While talking about his last performance, and how he plans to have a different outcome at RIZIN 26, Asakura said this (quotes via MMA Junkie).

“Saito is a stud, no doubt. But when Saito fights next time, how many people will buy tickets to watch him fight?” he asked. “Guys who have the numbers get to call the shots, and being a badass fighter is the icing on the cake. So I would like that revenge fight.”

“…Going the distance itself is embarrassing. You find that zen moment during firefights. I think it would be fun to bring that from the beginning. I’d like to fight in a way that the fight will end in the very first round. I think of bringing back my old style, from the street fighting days. It’s that ‘kill or be killed’ mentality that I want to bring back to my next fight.”

Asakura (13-2, 1 no-contest) had gone 7-0 with RIZIN before facing Saito.

Yamasu (11-5), meanwhile, is coming off a decision loss to Juntaro Ushiku at a DEEP card in September. Prior tp that he had won 8 straight.