FIGHT ANNOUNCED RISE 203: Mandokoro vs. Kazushima for vacant 53kg title closes Nov. 8 card

The vacant 53kg title has no holder, and the winner on Nov. 8 becomes RISE's fifth domestic champion at the weight. Jin Mandokoro and Riku Kazushima close RISE 203 at Korakuen Hall, and they have met before: Mandokoro took a split decision in Nagoya in May 2025.

Mandokoro enters as the division's top-ranked contender and Kazushima is second. The belt is the domestic title, separate from the world championship Ryujin Nasukawa won against Kazuki Osaki. RISE's register has Nasukawa's domestic reign ending in September, and the promotion bills this as a fight to decide a champion, not a defense by either man.

Mandokoro, an orthodox fighter from Osaka, is listed at 24-14-1 with nine knockouts and previously won RISE's NEW WARRIORS super flyweight tournament. His last outing was a September decision loss to Arsen Soiyrkas in Thailand. In his Oct. 28 training update he said he was in the final, hardest week of camp and felt good physically and mentally.

Kazushima, a southpaw from Oikawa Dojo and a former RISE flyweight champion, is listed at 16-5-2 with eight knockouts. He stopped Kaito Hasegawa in round two at RISE 201 in August, so he arrives off a finish. His Oct. 26 post said only that results, not talk, would prove it.

The co-main event pairs unbeaten RISE QUEEN atomweight champion Haruka Shimada (7-0) with ISKA world champion MARI in a three-round, 46kg SuperFight. It is billed as a one-off, not a unification or a defense of Shimada's belt. Just before it, Thai fighter Phayahong Banchamek, a former K-1 atomweight and Rajadamnern women's minimumweight titleholder, faces Mina Hayashi at 49kg.

Doors open at Sun, Nov 8, 3 a.m. ET (08:00 UTC). Watch whether Mandokoro can repeat his narrow first win or Kazushima turns the rematch around.