Manel Kape scored a shock win over Japanese frontrunner Kai Asakura in the main event of RIZIN 20 in Saitama, Japan on Tuesday, claiming the RIZIN bantamweight title that Asakura took from Kyoji Horiguchi in the process.
Kape dropped Asakura twice in quick succession before he landed several grounded strikes that prompted the referee to stop the contest. Following the stoppage, Kape immediately left the ring and celebrated with former foe and champion Horiguchi.
Kape did well to negate Asakura’s reach advantage in the first round. Just as Asakura seemed to grow in the exchanges, Kape finished the round out with a thudding spinning back fist that.