Hiromasa Ougikubo is set to make a significant impact at Rizin Landmark 14 on June 6th as he defends his RFF flyweight championship in a highly anticipated rematch against Makoto Shinryu. Ougikubo shared his perspective on this upcoming bout, highlighting the perceived differences in his opponent since their initial encounter at Super Rizin 3 in July 2024. He commented, “Shinryu is still very young, and it’s already been two years, and I think young fighters can develop a lot in two years. He’s been training at ATT, and I’m sure his level of skill has certainly risen. But for me too, over the past two years, I’ve also developed many skills and I believe I’ve leveled up as well. So, I think we’re going to put on a much higher-level fight than our first one.”
The Rizin Landmark 14 card also features a potential title eliminator. Ougikubo, the reigning Rizin Fighting Federation 125-pound champion, offered his thoughts on who might be next in line for a shot at his title, depending on the outcome of the fight between Tony Laramie and Yuki Motoya. Ougikubo stated, “I think if Tony Laramie wins, if he beats Motoya, and obviously if I defeat Shinryu, it would make sense for me to defend my title against Tony Laramie. So, I think that’s a no-brainer. But if Motoya wins and I defend my title, I’m not sure if that fight would make sense. However, it’s obviously going to be up to Rizin.”
Concluding his remarks, Ougikubo confidently declared his intentions for the title defense, stating, “I am going to knock him out in my first title defense. So please tune in and watch me finish this fight.”