Luis Gustavo wins RIZIN lightweight title with first-round knockout

At RIZIN 53, Luis Gustavo became the new lightweight champion by defeating Ilkhom Nazimov via first-round knockout. The main event saw Gustavo claim the vacant title in dominant fashion. In other notable results, the special stand-up rules bout between Ren Hiramoto and Koji Tanaka ended in a draw. Ryo Takagi scored a first-round knockout over Kaiven Lee, while Shinobu Ota submitted Yuto Hokamura with an arm triangle in the second round. The event featured multiple finishes across its card in Saitama, Japan.