At RIZIN 53, Luis Gustavo captured the lightweight championship by knocking out Ilkhom Nazimov in the first round. The event featured multiple notable finishes, including Ryo Takagi's first-round knockout of Kaiven Li and Shinobu Ota's second-round arm triangle submission of Yuto Hokamura. The card also included a special ruleset standing-only fight with no weight limit between Ren Hiramoto and Koji Tanaka that ended in a draw. Other significant results included Ryan Cafaro submitting Koyomi Matsushima with a guillotine in round three, and multiple first-round finishes throughout the card. The event showcased RIZIN's mix of MMA and kickboxing competitions, with several kickboxing bouts also taking place on the card.
Luis Gustavo claimed the RIZIN lightweight title at RIZIN 53 on May 11, 2026, finishing Ilkhom Nazimov inside the first round to become the promotion's newest champion in the 155-pound division.
The card delivered several notable finishes beyond the main event. Ryo Takagi stopped Kaiven Li in the first round, while Shinobu Ota submitted Yuto Hokamura with an arm triangle choke in the second. Ryan Cafaro also picked up a submission victory, tapping out Koyomi Matsushima with a guillotine choke in round three. A special standing-only, no-weight-limit contest between Ren Hiramoto and Koji Tanaka ended in a draw.
Matsushima, the 33-year-old Japanese fighter out of Gaio Gym, entered the bout carrying a 13-6-0 record. Fighting out of an orthodox stance, the five-foot-seven veteran brings a strong wrestling dimension to his game, averaging nine takedowns per 15 minutes. His striking output sits at 2.7 significant strikes landed per minute at 47 percent accuracy, though Cafaro's guillotine neutralized those attributes before Matsushima could impose his grappling-heavy style.
Why it matters
- Gustavo's first-round finish gives RIZIN a new lightweight champion and reshapes the top of the 155-pound division in the promotion.
- Matsushima's loss drops him to 13-6 and raises questions about where the veteran fits in RIZIN's lightweight picture going forward.
- The card's high finish rate, combined with the experimental standing-only bout, underlines RIZIN's continued willingness to blend traditional MMA with alternative competition formats.
