As part of the lead up to Rise Girls Power 5, which is scheduled for September 12th, Koyuki Miyazaki held an open-workout. After working out, she answered some questions from the media. Specifically, she talked about her upcoming fight, her preparations, and what fighting on this card means to her. (photo is (c) of Rise)
Genius vs Genius
On Sunday, at the famed Korakuen Hall, two “geniuses” will face off in the ring, Koyuki Miyazaki, one part of the “genius karate sisters”, and Saya Ito, the “genius muay thai girl.” Acknowledging that they both have genius in their nickname, Koyuki tweeted, “We don’t need two geniuses. Let’s do it…”
Having made her pro debut near the end of 2019, when she was 16, Koyuki has put together a record of 5-1-1. During this time, she defeated the former champion Momi and the now Pancrase title challenger Karen. She also won Rise’s 2021 Atomweight Next Queen Tournament and the Atomweight championship.
As her nickname indicates, Koyuki has a background in karate, having gotten started in the 3rd grade. Eventually, she transitioned to kickboxing and put together an impressive amateur record of 10-0 and won the Kamanarimon All Japan Women’s Tournament. She now trains at Try Hard Gym, with her sister, Wakana, and Rizin fighters Hiroya and Taiga.
The Upcoming Fight
On Sunday, Koyuki will face Saya Ito, a highly respected muay thai fighter and multiple-time champion. When asked if she feels prepared, she commented, “Yes, I am. I can do it all automatically now, so I think my preparation has gone well. There are certain things that you can’t understand until you actually fight, like her power and the sense of distance, so I’m hoping I can get a good grasp on these during the fight.” She further commented that she thinks the fight between them will be a technical affair, primarily at distance, despite Rise’s preference for more action-packed fights.
Going into the fight, both fighters are known for their preference to kick rather than punch. As a result, fans have commented that this should be an interesting fight between two of the premier kickers in the division. When asked about Saya’s kicking game, Koyuki offered the following, “My impression is that she is very good at middle and front kicks, but I think I have the same level of skill as her, so I’m confident that no matter what kind of attack comes my way, whether its a kick or punch, I will win.”
When asked about her strategy going into the fight, she refused to divulge any details, but did have the following to say about her opponent, “I can tell you that she has a good kicking game and her overall technique is very high. I think she has the best technique of anyone I’ve fought, so I’d like to prove my skills are the real deal by beating her.”
Fighting on a Historic Event
On Sunday, Rise Girls Power 5 will go down at the Korakuen Hall in Tokyo, Japan. This will be the first women’s only kickboxing event at the venue in 26 years. When asked about fighting at this noteworthy event, Koyuki responded, “Some people say that the women aren’t interesting, but I’d like to prove with this event that that’s a thing of the past, and I’d like to make women’s kickboxing a thing that can be held at the Korakuen Hall and larger venues too.”
Rise Girls Power 5
Rise Girls Power 5 will take place on September 12th at the Korakuen Hall in Tokyo, Japan. The event will stream on Abema TV and Fite TV.
Full Card
- 49kg Champion Hinata Terayama vs 52kg Champion Manazo Kobayashi (49.5kg, 109lbs)
- Koyuki Miyazaki vs Saya Ito (46.5kg, 102.5lbs)
- Koto Hiraoka vs Nana Okuwaki (46kg, 101.5lbs)
- King Reina vs Yuka Murakami (Special Exhibition Match)
- Yaya Weerasakreck vs Akari (52kg, 115lbs)
- Haruka Asai vs Yuka Murakami (57.5kg, 127lbs)
- Misaki Shimada vs Ayaka Nishihara (43kg, 95lbs)
- Tomomi Yamamoto vs Wakana Tsuji (52kg, 115lbs)
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