Watch out, or better yet, look up – Japanese heavyweight Ed Polo King has made his mark on the global MMA scene, and the rising star is here to make an impact.
The massive prospect, who would dwarf many heavyweights in the UFC, delivered a breath-taking first-round knockout in his professional MMA debut earlier today.
Ed Polo King Makes Spectacular MMA Debut with First-Round Knockout at RIZIN New Year’s Eve Event
The final MMA event of 2024 is underway in Saitama, Japan, with an impressive 22 fights lined up for the annual RIZIN New Year’s Eve PPV extravaganza.
Though there are still several hours of action left, featuring MMA, kickboxing, and boxing bouts, there have already been several memorable moments. This is including a massive heavyweight scoring a sensational debut knockout.
Standing at an imposing 6’8, 23-year-old Japanese heavyweight Ed Polo King is now the tallest athlete in RIZIN history. He showcased his size and power in a stunning first-round knockout against Satoshi ‘Takakenshin’ Kamiyama.
Kamiyama, who is 6’3, held his own in the opening exchanges. However, when he attempted to duck under a left hook, King quickly clinched him in a Thai clinch. This was when he delivered a devastating knee to the midsection. Moments later, King unleashed two massive right hands, sending Kamiyama crashing to the canvas and securing a first-round KO in his professional MMA debut – an impressive way to start his career.
King would go on to share his thoughts on the victory shortly after when he said;
“I feel great. I’m not satisfied and will train a lot. I’m still too early for world level. I will improve step by step. I train with Lutte avec frappe [Senegalese wrestling] partners. They will debut someday. Please look forward to it.”
RIZIN New Year’s Eve Brawl Sees Referee Punched Twice in Wild Chaos
As previously mentioned, RIZIN’s New Year’s Eve event has already delivered several viral moments. This is including a wild brawl that saw the referee punched not once, but twice.
The chaos unfolded during what was supposed to be an exhibition boxing match between Iranian kickboxer Sina Karimian and Japanese combat sports veteran Rukiya Anpo.
Late in the sixth round, Karimian Decided to abandon the agreed-upon rules and threw a spinning back fist. Anpo responded with one of his own, and from there, things quickly spiralled out of control.
As the two fighters exchanged wild swings, the referee was caught in the middle, taking two massive punches to the face – first from Anpo and then from Karimian.
Featured image credits to Embed from Getty Images
