Luis Gustavo became the new RIZIN lightweight champion by knocking out Ilkhom Nazimov in the first round at RIZIN 53. The event featured multiple notable finishes including Ryo Takagi's first-round knockout of Kaiwen Li and Shinobu Ota's second-round arm triangle submission of Yuto Hokamura. The main card also saw Kento Oyama defeat Katie Perez by unanimous decision in women's action. Ryan Cafaro submitted Koyomi Matsushima with a guillotine choke in the third round. The Ren Hiramoto versus Koji Tanaka special standing-only rules bout ended in a draw. Multiple other fights ended in submission victories including triangles, rear-naked chokes, and armbars across the card.
Luis Gustavo claimed the RIZIN lightweight championship with a first-round knockout of Ilkhom Nazimov at RIZIN 53 on May 11, 2026, adding the promotion's title to his résumé in emphatic fashion.
The card delivered finishes throughout, with Ryo Takagi stopping Kaiwen Li inside the opening round. Known as "The Underdog," Kaiwen carries a 15-6 record and stands five-foot-eight with a 71-inch reach. The 30-year-old switch-stance fighter had shown consistent striking volume in his career, averaging just over four significant strikes per minute at a 51 percent accuracy rate, but Takagi did not allow him to settle into his rhythm.
Ryan Cafaro submitted Koyomi Matsushima by guillotine choke in the third round. Matsushima, a 33-year-old Japanese fighter out of Gaio Gym, entered with a 13-6 record and a compact five-foot-seven frame and a 66-inch reach. The orthodox striker averaged 2.7 significant strikes per minute, but his most notable statistical trait was a remarkable takedown rate of nine attempts per 15 minutes, suggesting a grappling-heavy style that ultimately could not prevent the submission loss.
Shinobu Ota added another finish to the night by submitting Yuto Hokamura with an arm triangle in the second round. Women's competition was also on display as Kento Oyama earned a unanimous decision over Katie Perez. The card's unusual highlight came in the Ren Hiramoto versus Koji Tanaka contest, contested under special standing-only rules, which concluded in a draw.
Why it matters
- Gustavo's title win establishes a new champion at RIZIN lightweight and reshapes the division's landscape going forward
- The depth of finishes across the card, including triangles, rear-naked chokes, armbars, and knockouts, underlines RIZIN 53 as one of the promotion's more action-heavy events of the year
- Matsushima's loss snaps momentum for one of Japan's more active lightweight grapplers and raises questions about his path back into title contention
