Kleber Koike called Ren Hiramoto afraid on social media and Hiramoto answered that nobody fears Koike now and promised a knockout; no fight is announced.
From 2 reports by 2 outletsLatest Hiramoto fires back at Koike: nobody fears him now, promises a knockout 2 outlets
What you need to know
- Kleber Koike called out Ren Hiramoto on social media, asking whether he was scared and accusing him of running.
- Hiramoto replied that nobody fears Koike at the moment and promised to knock him out if they fight.
- No bout is announced; fans speculate about Rizin's Dec. 31 show, where Hiramoto says he wants to fight but has named no opponent.
Reported, not confirmed
- Koike publicly challenged Hiramoto on X, in Japanese, asking whether he was scared and accusing him of hiding and running; Mikuru Asakura quote-posted it with a joke about Koike's Japanese. Knockout Daily
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Hiramoto answered that nobody fears Koike at the moment and promised to knock him out if they fight.
Pos-Luta
- No bout between Koike and Hiramoto has been announced, and there is no sign Rizin is in talks; Hiramoto says he wants to fight on Rizin's Dec. 31 show without naming an opponent. Knockout Daily / Pos-Luta
- Koike is a former two-time Rizin featherweight champion and a former KSW featherweight champion; his last fight was on Aug. 11, 2026. Knockout Daily
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Hiramoto returned to MMA in September at Super Rizin 5, beating Calshaga Dautbek by split decision.
Pos-Luta
Kleber Koike has put Ren Hiramoto on notice, and he did it in Japanese. Tagging Hiramoto directly on X, the former two-time RIZIN featherweight champion asked whether he was scared, whether he would hide again and run again. He added that he had heard Hiramoto does not want to fight him, and told him to back the talk up in the ring.
The ducking claim is Koike's alone. Nothing shows Hiramoto turning down a fight with him, and Hiramoto's side has not answered publicly. There is also no sign of RIZIN being in talks, so for now this is a callout and nothing more.
Mikuru Asakura gave it a wider audience. He quote-posted the message with four words that ignored the beef entirely, roughly "his Japanese is growing fast" (translated).
Koike brings a long résumé to the challenge. The São Paulo native moved to Japan at 14, is also a former KSW featherweight champion, and is 35-10-1 according to Knockout Daily. He fights out of Bonsai Jiu-Jitsu, and the triangle choke is his signature weapon. His last fight was August 11, 2026.
Hiramoto is 28 and competes at featherweight in RIZIN after a kickboxing career that began with a first-round left hook knockout at K-1 in January 2015. He was runner-up in both the 2016 Krush lightweight tournament and the 2017 K-1 lightweight tournament.
The styles make the matchup easy to picture: Hiramoto's hands against Koike's grappling and submissions, in the same division and the same promotion. What to watch next is whether Hiramoto replies, and whether RIZIN shows any interest in booking it.
The ducking claim is Koike's alone. Nothing shows Hiramoto turning down a fight with him, and Hiramoto's side has not answered publicly. There is also no sign of RIZIN being in talks, so for now this is a callout and nothing more.
Mikuru Asakura gave it a wider audience. He quote-posted the message with four words that ignored the beef entirely, roughly "his Japanese is growing fast" (translated).
Koike brings a long résumé to the challenge. The São Paulo native moved to Japan at 14, is also a former KSW featherweight champion, and is 35-10-1 according to Knockout Daily. He fights out of Bonsai Jiu-Jitsu, and the triangle choke is his signature weapon. His last fight was August 11, 2026.
Hiramoto is 28 and competes at featherweight in RIZIN after a kickboxing career that began with a first-round left hook knockout at K-1 in January 2015. He was runner-up in both the 2016 Krush lightweight tournament and the 2017 K-1 lightweight tournament.
The styles make the matchup easy to picture: Hiramoto's hands against Koike's grappling and submissions, in the same division and the same promotion. What to watch next is whether Hiramoto replies, and whether RIZIN shows any interest in booking it.
- Summary
- Kleber Koike called Ren Hiramoto afraid on social media and Hiramoto answered that nobody fears Koike now and promised a knockout; no fight is announced.
- Key points (one per line)
- Kleber Koike called out Ren Hiramoto on social media, asking whether he was scared and accusing him of running.
Hiramoto replied that nobody fears Koike at the moment and promised to knock him out if they fight.
No bout is announced; fans speculate about Rizin's Dec. 31 show, where Hiramoto says he wants to fight but has named no opponent.
- Also reported by (Name | URL per line)
- Knockout Daily | https://knockoutdaily.com/news/kleber-koike-calls-ren-hiramoto-scared-and-mikuru-asakura-grades-his-japanese
Pos-Luta | https://posluta.com/ren-hiramoto-e-kleber-koike-trocam-provocacoes-e-esquentam-possivel-duelo-no-rizin/
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