Luis Gustavo knocks out Ilkhom Nazimov to win RIZIN lightweight title

Luis Gustavo captured the RIZIN lightweight championship by knocking out Ilkhom Nazimov in the first round at RIZIN 53. The main card also featured a special standing-only, no weight limit bout between Ren Hiramoto and Koji Tanaka that ended in a draw. In other action, Ryo Takagi knocked out Kaiven Lee in round one, while Shinobu Ota submitted Yuto Hokamura with an arm triangle in round two. Multiple other finishes occurred throughout the card, with submissions and knockouts featured across several weight classes.