Ali Akbar Rosady
Japanese mixed martial arts sensation Seika Izawa, currently boasting an unblemished professional record of 17-0, has articulated a clear and ambitious vision for her career: to transcend national acclaim and solidify her legacy as the greatest female fighter of all time, sending a stark warning to any aspiring talents in her path. Having already captured championships in both the DEEP and RIZIN promotions, Izawa’s trajectory shows no signs of decelerating, with her sights set firmly on global recognition.
Izawa is slated to make her anticipated return to the RIZIN ring on the promotion’s traditional New Year’s Eve spectacle, an event synonymous with high-stakes combat sports in Japan. She is scheduled to defend her atomweight championship against the popular Japanese fighter Rena Kubota. While a victory over a well-known opponent like Kubota, who has previously competed under the Bellator banner, would undoubtedly add another significant win to her resume, Izawa does not believe it will instantly propel her to the pinnacle of pound-for-pound rankings or "GOAT" discussions on a global scale.
"I definitely need to put my name out there in the international market," Izawa conveyed to MMA Fighting through an interpreter. "I need to fight at the international level, for sure. But the weight classes prevent me. I think the weight class is preventing me from doing so. It’s not a very popular division as of now. So I need to continue to do what I can to be able to have people talk about myself."
The 108-pound atomweight division, while prominent in Japan, notably in RIZIN and DEEP, currently lacks the widespread international presence and depth seen in categories like strawweight (115 lbs) or flyweight (125 lbs) in major global organizations such as the Ultimate Fighting Championship (UFC) or ONE Championship. Izawa firmly believes that the lighter weight classes offer a more dynamic and entertaining spectacle in women’s MMA. "In my point of view, I do believe that the lighter weight classes, as far as for women’s MMA, are more interesting and more entertaining. It shows the dynamics and it shows what women can really do in the lighter weight classes," she asserted. "I think there’s a lot more to show, a lot more that people can see from the smaller weight class. I really hope that the popularity of my division spreads internationally, and we get more contestants so we get to show the appeal of women’s MMA."
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Izawa initially commenced her professional MMA journey as a strawweight, where she secured the DEEP title. Following this success, she transitioned to the atomweight division, a move that initiated her highly successful run within RIZIN. Within the premier Japanese promotion, she has accumulated 11 consecutive victories, with seven of those coming by way of finish, showcasing her versatile skillset and dominant performances. Despite her past success at strawweight, a return to the 115-pound division appears unlikely for the foreseeable future.
"As of right now, I just can’t put on weight so it’s hard for me to commit to fighting at a heavier weight class," Izawa explained, detailing the physiological challenges. "So as of right now, I think I’m going to stay at atomweight. However, it depends on how things go. If I start to struggle with finding fights and actually making a living at this weight class, I think I’m going to be forced to step up. But it’s all going to depend on how things go. But as of right now, I feel like I’m going to be fighting at atomweight." This statement underscores the practical considerations that often influence a fighter’s career trajectory, balancing competitive advantage with professional viability in a less populated weight class.
Despite her commitment to atomweight, Izawa openly revealed her "dream match" opponent, who currently competes in the strawweight division: South Korean veteran Seo Hee Ham. Ham, a highly respected figure in Asian MMA, boasts an impressive professional record of 25 wins and 9 losses, having recently announced her free agency after parting ways with ONE Championship, where she previously held the Atomweight World Grand Prix Championship. Ham’s career also includes stints in the UFC and a championship reign in Road FC.
"We do compete in a sport where weight classes do exist, so for me, I can’t really wrap my head around that fact," Izawa acknowledged regarding the weight discrepancy. "If I were to say who do I want to fight, my dream match is – Seo Hee Ham would be somebody I’d be definitely motivated in fighting." A potential clash between Izawa and Ham would represent a monumental cross-promotional and cross-divisional challenge, pitting two of Asia’s most decorated female fighters against each other.
When contemplating the identity of the greatest woman to ever compete in MMA, Izawa conceded it was "a hard one," but she specifically lauded PFL featherweight champion Cris Cyborg, describing her as "definitely very, very, very tough." Cyborg, a legendary figure in the sport, has held championship titles across multiple major organizations, including the UFC, Strikeforce, Invicta FC, Bellator, and currently the Professional Fighters League (PFL), cementing her status as a pioneer and one of the sport’s most dominant forces. However, it was not Cyborg who ignited Izawa’s initial passion for MMA.
Instead, Izawa cited Kanna Asakura as her primary inspiration. "My biggest inspiration was Kanna Asakura," Izawa shared. "We’re the same age, and I’ve known her from our wrestling days. From my point of view, somebody my same age who I’ve wrestled with, who I knew. She was fighting in this organization called RIZIN and she was very successful and very popular. She’s definitely the reason why I transitioned to MMA and wanted to be an MMA fighter." Asakura (20-7-1), a former RIZIN Super Atomweight Grand Prix winner, has been a cornerstone of the promotion’s female divisions for years, providing a relatable and aspirational figure for Izawa.
Izawa’ eventually faced her inspiration in the RIZIN ring in late 2024, securing a unanimous decision victory over Asakura. Despite the personal significance of the matchup, Izawa did not view the bout as a defining moment for her legacy in terms of skill comparison. "In terms of skill set as a fighter, I believe that I was a much more significant fighter, so beating her didn’t really mean much to me," Izawa stated candidly. Instead, she contextualized it alongside her prior victory over Miyuu Yamamoto, both fights occurring as retirement bouts for her opponents. "But at the time, I faced Miyuu Yamamoto and Kanna Asakura back to back and for both retirement fights, so for me it kind of showed that times are changing and things are moving. That’s kind of how I felt." These victories, therefore, served more as markers of a generational shift within Japanese MMA than as competitive benchmarks for Izawa’s own standing.
As Izawa continues to build her formidable legacy as an undefeated champion, she acknowledges the importance of defeating established veterans. However, her focus extends beyond immediate challenges to the future of the sport itself, particularly the generation of fighters who will look to emulate her success. In a powerful declaration, Izawa expressed her desire to become the ultimate barrier for these aspiring contenders.
"I would want to be the biggest obstacle that they’re going to face if they continue to proceed in their profession," Izawa asserted, directing a chilling warning to the next wave of talent. "I want to be this dominant champion who they want to surpass, but it’s not gonna be easy. I would like to be that kind of dominant champion for them. My goal is definitely to put my name on the books of MMA. Like I said, I want to be that obstacle, undefeated, dominant champion as long as I can. For the next 10, 15 years, I would like to continue to be that obstacle for all the future contestants." This statement solidifies her long-term ambition not just to win titles, but to maintain an impenetrable reign, forcing future generations to elevate their game significantly to even contend with her dominance.
The upcoming clash with Rena Kubota (14-5) has been a highly anticipated fixture for some time. Izawa had initially aimed to face Kubota in May of the current year, during RIZIN’s monumental "Otoko Matsuri" event, which drew an astounding 42,706 fans to the iconic Tokyo Dome. However, the fight could not materialize at that time due to Kubota’s health, leading to a delay that has only intensified the build-up.
"I do feel that a lot of the people are excited about this and the anticipation is definitely different," Izawa remarked on the long-awaited matchup. "I guess in terms of anticipation and people talking about this fight, I think this is definitely one of the biggest ones in the past few years, several years."
The two fighters are now set to finally collide to close out 2025, and Izawa approaches the contest with unwavering confidence, not foreseeing an evenly matched encounter. "I think that she’s a striker, and I am more of a grappler who can also strike," Izawa analyzed, highlighting the stylistic contrast. "In terms of total skillset, I have more weapons in my arsenal, for sure. Obviously the fight starts on our feet so we have to strike and we’re gonna have to exchange. In a perfect world, I want to dominate her on my feet as well. I want to prove a point and dominate her where she’s good at and then take her down and submit her." This declaration outlines Izawa’s intent not only to win but to comprehensively dismantle Kubota, even in her opponent’s preferred striking realm, before resorting to her formidable grappling prowess to secure a decisive finish. The New Year’s Eve event promises to be another chapter in Izawa’s relentless pursuit of MMA immortality.
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