Rizin 55: Takahashi defends flyweight title vs Laramie; Inoue-Tilenov is eliminator

Rizin 55 has two title threads. Makoto Takahashi defends the flyweight belt against Tony Laramie, and the Naoki Inoue vs. Yrysbek Tilenov fight decides who meets bantamweight champion Danny Sabatello next.

Takahashi won the title in June at Rizin Landmark 14 and is 26, a 5'4" Japanese fighter. Laramie also won on that card, according to Pos-Luta, and is trying to take the belt out of Japan. The main event is scheduled for three rounds.

The eliminator carries the sharper story. Inoue is the former bantamweight champion. According to Pos-Luta, he won the belt in September 2024 by knocking out Kim Soo-chul, defended it twice in 2025 and lost it by decision to Sabatello at the turn of the year. He beat Marcilio Alves at a PFL event in Belgium in May. He says he expected an immediate title shot afterward but accepted Rizin's request to prove himself in the promotion first. He called Tilenov's strength unusual and promised specific answers to it. Tilenov, a Kyrgyz fighter, debuted in July by stopping Ota in round two.

The open workout also produced the card's loudest exchange. Kashimura, the DEEP interim bantamweight champion, returns from his July knockout loss to Sabatello and faces Olympic silver medalist Ota. Ota promised to finish Kashimura in round one, noting that Sabatello needed three rounds. Kashimura said it would be his first striking-focused fight. Sabatello, on Zoom, warned he would fly to Tokyo and slap both men if the friendliness was real. The face-off ended in a handshake after Ota shoved Kashimura.

Chiharu, the NEXUS featherweight champion, makes his Rizin debut against Hiroaki Suzuki. He won the title in July with a first-round rear-naked choke and called out Rizin CEO Nobuyuki Sakakibara from the cage. He says his life is riding on the fight.

Watch for Sabatello. He has beaten Inoue, Kashimura and Ota, and he will meet the Inoue-Tilenov winner.