Li Kaiwen scored a first-round TKO victory over Mizuno Shinta in a RIZIN featherweight contest. A single powerful left hook dropped Mizuno as he pressed forward, and Kaiwen followed up with ground-and-pound to force the stoppage.
Li Kaiwen delivered a sharp first-round finish at a RIZIN featherweight event on August 11, 2026, stopping Mizuno Shinta with a TKO after a single left hook changed the complexion of the fight in an instant.
The sequence was decisive. Mizuno pressed forward looking to engage, and Kaiwen — fighting out of a switch stance — timed the advance perfectly, landing a powerful left hook that sent Mizuno to the canvas. Kaiwen swarmed with ground-and-pound and the referee waved it off without hesitation.
Kaiwen, nicknamed "The Underdog," now stands at 15 wins and 6 losses at 30 years of age. The Chinese featherweight brings a well-rounded offensive game to the RIZIN stage, averaging just over four significant strikes per minute with an impressive 51 percent striking accuracy. He does not rely heavily on the grappling side of the ledger, though he occasionally looks for takedowns at a rate of 0.54 per 15 minutes. Standing 173 cm tall with a 180 cm reach, he operates comfortably in the featherweight division where his switch stance gives him angles that are difficult for opponents to read.
Why it matters
- A first-round TKO finish in front of a RIZIN audience raises Kaiwen's profile considerably in a competitive featherweight landscape.
- The finish demonstrated Kaiwen's counter-striking ability and willingness to follow up quickly on a knockdown, qualities that will attract attention from higher-ranked featherweights.
- Kaiwen's switch stance and punching volume make him a stylistically awkward opponent for pressure fighters who look to walk opponents down, as Mizuno discovered.
