RIZIN Fighters Taken to Hospital After Knockout Losses
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Several fighters from RIZIN's BD weight class were recently taken to hospital after being knocked out during their fights.
A doctor stop was used to end some of these matches. This is when doctors decide a fighter cannot safely continue.
Kazufusa Hosokawa, who once held the BD championship title, lost his second RIZIN fight in a row this way.
His opponent, Naoki, won the fight but seemed surprised by how tough Hosokawa was during the match.
Naoki said losing is simply "reality" for fighters, but also praised Hosokawa's strength, comparing him to another skilled fighter named Koji.
RIZIN CEO Nobuyuki Sakakibara spoke about the fighters who were hurt. He offered support and said he hopes they will make a comeback.
Sakakibara also discussed another RIZIN fighter, Sokichi Akimoto, who had been expected to fight in the promotion's big New Year's Eve event.
He said Akimoto should not be forced to compete on New Year's Eve this year.
Instead, Sakakibara wants to carefully manage Akimoto's career so he can compete safely in the future.
The comments show that RIZIN's leadership is paying close attention to fighter safety after several difficult knockout losses.
Doctor stops and hospital visits are part of ensuring fighters are not seriously hurt after a hard defeat.
Sakakibara's supportive comments suggest RIZIN wants its fighters to recover fully before returning to the sport.
Vocabulary10 words
- knocked out
- unable to continue fighting after being hit hard
- doctor stop
- when a doctor ends a fight to protect a fighter
- championship
- the top title in a sport
- opponent
- the person you compete against
- reality
- the true situation, not just an idea
- CEO
- the top leader of a company
- make a comeback
- to return to competing after time away
- career
- a person's long-term work in a field
- defeat
- a loss in a match
- promotion
- a company that organizes fighting events
Quiz
Answer key
1. Being knocked out in fights 2. Losing is reality, but Hosokawa was tough 3. He should not be forced to fight on New Year's Eve
Fill-in-the-blank listening
Play the audio again and fill in the missing words as you listen.
Several fighters from RIZIN's BD weight class were recently taken to _____ after being knocked out during their fights.
A _____ was used to end some of these matches, when doctors decide a fighter cannot safely continue.
Kazufusa Hosokawa, who once held the BD _____ title, lost his second RIZIN fight in a row this way.
His _____, Naoki, won the fight but seemed surprised by how tough Hosokawa was.
Naoki said losing is simply "_____" for fighters, but praised Hosokawa's strength.
RIZIN CEO Nobuyuki Sakakibara said he hopes the hurt fighters will make a _____.
Sakakibara said Sokichi Akimoto should not be forced to compete on New Year's _____ this year.
Instead, Sakakibara wants to carefully manage Akimoto's _____ so he can compete safely later.