RIZIN CEO Nobuyuki Sakakibara and Kouzi Take a 'Bara Sanpo' Through Sangenjaya! Ex-Lover of 13 Years Makes a Surprise Appearance! Kouzi's True Self Revealed from Childhood to His Move to Tokyo – Published on ABEMA Fighting Channel Official YouTube
ABEMA announced the live broadcast of the RIZIN.53 fighting event, held on May 10, 2026, via 'ABEMA PPV'. To promote the event, they have released 'Bara Sanpo' on the ABEMA Fighting Channel Official YouTube, a program featuring RIZIN CEO Nobuyuki Sakakibara and fighter Kouzi exploring places significant to him.
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- 📰 Published: May 7, 2026 at 23:54
- 🔍 Collected: May 7, 2026 at 15:32
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New Future TV "ABEMA" will live-stream all matches of 'RIZIN.53', Japan's top fighting event, held by RIZIN on Sunday, May 10, 2026, at GLION ARENA KOBE, via "ABEMA PPV". In conjunction with this, ABEMA has released 'Bara Sanpo' on its official fighting channel YouTube.
'Bara Sanpo' is a program where RIZIN CEO Nobuyuki Sakakibara walks with fighters through places significant to them, discovering their true selves and new aspects of their personalities. This episode's guest is fighter Kouzi, who will compete in 'RIZIN.53'. The program delves into Kouzi's life, from his childhood to his fighting career, and his feelings about the upcoming match against Ren Hiramoto, as they visit the gym he trained at when he first moved to Tokyo, his favorite spots, and memorable locations.
At the beginning of the program, while walking through Sangenjaya with CEO Sakakibara, Kouzi reveals his athletic prowess and the origins of his combat sports career, starting karate and Japanese boxing around age three due to his father's influence, winning national championships in karate, placing second nationally in Japanese boxing, and also dedicating himself to soccer.
Kouzi, who was 'naughty' since childhood, also confesses about leaving his parents at age 15 and the trigger that made him want to become strong. When CEO Sakakibara probed, "Have you been a ladies' man since birth?" Kouzi immediately replied, "Even before I was born!", showcasing their lively banter.
Furthermore, in a surprise turn, Kouzi's ex-girlfriend, whom he dated for about 13 years since junior high school, makes an appearance. As Kouzi is taken aback by the sudden reunion, old photos and letters are revealed, including a message written on the back of an answer sheet that read "I love you to death," which greatly excited CEO Sakakibara. His ex-girlfriend also shares stories of Kouzi's past 'overly popular' episodes, his devoted side, and sends words of encouragement for his match against Hiramoto, shedding light on Kouzi's unknown youth.
Afterward, the group visits "Silver Wolf," the gym Kouzi attended during his kickboxing days. Gym staff and close friends who have known Kouzi since his Kansai days appear, sharing anecdotes about his training period before moving to Tokyo and how he commuted daily from Osaka to Kobe to practice. They describe Kouzi as a hard worker, saying, "He had guts," and "I learned important aspects as a fighter from Kouzi." The discussion also touches upon his strong commitment to 'showmanship,' such as his taunts during the K-1 era and his use of props, highlighting his professionalism in taking on the role of a villain to hype up combat sports.
Midway through the program, fighter Yusuke Yachi, a drinking buddy, also appears. A series of hilarious anecdotes about Kouzi's social life, his bold drinking style, and his relationships with women, where he would bring a different woman to every drinking party, are revealed.
Regarding his opponent Ren Hiramoto for 'RIZIN.53' on Sunday, May 10, Kouzi evaluates him, saying, "He definitely has skill, and I knew he was great even from his K-1 days," and "He's a specialist in striking." He then commented, "The theme this time is to show how my spirit overcomes technique," and regarding the match development, he expressed his resolve to confront head-on, saying, "It will be a slugfest. We'll keep hitting each other until one of us falls or gets exhausted."
'Bara Sanpo', which explores Kouzi's origins, present, and resolve for the Ren Hiramoto fight, set in Sangenjaya, is now available on the ABEMA Fighting Channel Official YouTube. Please take a look.
In addition, ABEMA will free-stream a total of six matches from OPENING FIGHT match 1 to match 2 (Aomeyama Seiya vs. Hiramoto Joe), and will live-stream the public weigh-in held on Saturday, May 9.
■ABEMA PPV 'RIZIN.53 Pre-event Public Weigh-in' Overview
Broadcast Date and Time: Saturday, May 9, 2026, from 15:30
Broadcast Channel: Fighting Channel
Broadcast URL: https://abema.tv/channels/fighting-sports/slots/8foGuk3Tbq4eoh
■ABEMA PPV 'RIZIN.53' Overview
Streaming Date and Time: Sunday, May 10, 2026, from 12:30 (Streaming starts at 12:00)
Archive Streaming: Until Friday, May 15, 2026, at 23:59
▼Streaming Ticket Purchase Page
https://abema.tv/live-event/dc2186fd-24db-422e-b534-2cf899f3c90f
*Archive streaming and catch-up playback are not available from the above ticket purchase page.
Archive streaming and catch-up playback are available on the [Archive Streaming] dedicated page.
▼Streaming Ticket
'Bara Sanpo' is a program where RIZIN CEO Nobuyuki Sakakibara walks with fighters through places significant to them, discovering their true selves and new aspects of their personalities. This episode's guest is fighter Kouzi, who will compete in 'RIZIN.53'. The program delves into Kouzi's life, from his childhood to his fighting career, and his feelings about the upcoming match against Ren Hiramoto, as they visit the gym he trained at when he first moved to Tokyo, his favorite spots, and memorable locations.
At the beginning of the program, while walking through Sangenjaya with CEO Sakakibara, Kouzi reveals his athletic prowess and the origins of his combat sports career, starting karate and Japanese boxing around age three due to his father's influence, winning national championships in karate, placing second nationally in Japanese boxing, and also dedicating himself to soccer.
Kouzi, who was 'naughty' since childhood, also confesses about leaving his parents at age 15 and the trigger that made him want to become strong. When CEO Sakakibara probed, "Have you been a ladies' man since birth?" Kouzi immediately replied, "Even before I was born!", showcasing their lively banter.
Furthermore, in a surprise turn, Kouzi's ex-girlfriend, whom he dated for about 13 years since junior high school, makes an appearance. As Kouzi is taken aback by the sudden reunion, old photos and letters are revealed, including a message written on the back of an answer sheet that read "I love you to death," which greatly excited CEO Sakakibara. His ex-girlfriend also shares stories of Kouzi's past 'overly popular' episodes, his devoted side, and sends words of encouragement for his match against Hiramoto, shedding light on Kouzi's unknown youth.
Afterward, the group visits "Silver Wolf," the gym Kouzi attended during his kickboxing days. Gym staff and close friends who have known Kouzi since his Kansai days appear, sharing anecdotes about his training period before moving to Tokyo and how he commuted daily from Osaka to Kobe to practice. They describe Kouzi as a hard worker, saying, "He had guts," and "I learned important aspects as a fighter from Kouzi." The discussion also touches upon his strong commitment to 'showmanship,' such as his taunts during the K-1 era and his use of props, highlighting his professionalism in taking on the role of a villain to hype up combat sports.
Midway through the program, fighter Yusuke Yachi, a drinking buddy, also appears. A series of hilarious anecdotes about Kouzi's social life, his bold drinking style, and his relationships with women, where he would bring a different woman to every drinking party, are revealed.
Regarding his opponent Ren Hiramoto for 'RIZIN.53' on Sunday, May 10, Kouzi evaluates him, saying, "He definitely has skill, and I knew he was great even from his K-1 days," and "He's a specialist in striking." He then commented, "The theme this time is to show how my spirit overcomes technique," and regarding the match development, he expressed his resolve to confront head-on, saying, "It will be a slugfest. We'll keep hitting each other until one of us falls or gets exhausted."
'Bara Sanpo', which explores Kouzi's origins, present, and resolve for the Ren Hiramoto fight, set in Sangenjaya, is now available on the ABEMA Fighting Channel Official YouTube. Please take a look.
In addition, ABEMA will free-stream a total of six matches from OPENING FIGHT match 1 to match 2 (Aomeyama Seiya vs. Hiramoto Joe), and will live-stream the public weigh-in held on Saturday, May 9.
■ABEMA PPV 'RIZIN.53 Pre-event Public Weigh-in' Overview
Broadcast Date and Time: Saturday, May 9, 2026, from 15:30
Broadcast Channel: Fighting Channel
Broadcast URL: https://abema.tv/channels/fighting-sports/slots/8foGuk3Tbq4eoh
■ABEMA PPV 'RIZIN.53' Overview
Streaming Date and Time: Sunday, May 10, 2026, from 12:30 (Streaming starts at 12:00)
Archive Streaming: Until Friday, May 15, 2026, at 23:59
▼Streaming Ticket Purchase Page
https://abema.tv/live-event/dc2186fd-24db-422e-b534-2cf899f3c90f
*Archive streaming and catch-up playback are not available from the above ticket purchase page.
Archive streaming and catch-up playback are available on the [Archive Streaming] dedicated page.
▼Streaming Ticket