Shinobu Kandori has suffered a rib injury and the 52 year old former professional wrestler will no longer be facing Gabi Garcia at Rizin 4. Kandori will be replaced by another former professional wrestler in the 49 year old Yumiko Hotta.
Hotta (5-4-0) will not only be making her Rizin debut in this fight, but this will be her first professional MMA fight in well over four years. Hotta’s last MMA bout was a third round submission loss to Amanda Lucas at Deep 57. Hotta has held many championships as a pro wrestler, including the All Pacific Championship, UWA World Tag Team Titles, WWWA World Championship (x3), WWWA World Tag Team Titles (x3), Daily Sports Women’s Tag Team Titles, JWP Tag Team Titles, AtoZ World Championship, Reina World Tag Team Titles, Reina World Women’s Championship and the WWWD Tag Team Titles.
Garcia (3-0-0) has fought a professional wrestler before in MMA, Garcia defeated Lei’D Tapa at Rizin FF Day 2. Garcia has spent her entire professional MMA career in Rizin, the other two wins she has earned came over Anna Malyukova and Destanie Yarbrough. Garcia was also a coach on the UFC Ultimate Fighter Brazil 2, she will be entering her third year as a fighter in 2017.
Rizin 4 takes place on Saturday, December 31 from the Saitama Super Arena in Saitama, Japan with the 2016 Openweight Grand Prix Finals headlining.
