Mikuru Asakura (12-1-1) burst onto the scene with three victories in the RIZIN ring to end the second half of 2018. He upped the ante in 2019 with three more victories; this time over legit competition in Wanderlei Silva-coached Luiz Gustavo, RIZIN-regular Yusuke Yachi, and Bellator-veteran John Teixeira. To go with his in-the-ring success, Asakura has a wildly successful Youtube channel, a super-talented younger brother, Kai Asakura (14-2), who starched fan-favorite Kyoji Horiguchi, and a sterling reputation for fight analysis and breakdown. (Watching the two brothers discuss the Gooch fight on the RIZIN Confessions show is not to be missed.) It seems Mikuru’s pot couldn’t be richer and that if RIZIN plays its cards right, 2020 will be another massively successful year for the fighter. Unfortunately, the early judgement is that RIZIN folded.

Yes, the elder Asakura will headline February’s RIZIN 21 card, but not against a Bellator stud or a JMMA killer (or at least entertainer). In fact, Mikuru will be up against 17-6 Daniel Salas, a little-known fighter whose claim to fame seems to be an appearance on TUF Latin America. The overwhelming response in Japan has been Kore wa dare desu ka? Or to borrow the phrase of some infamous Irishman, Who the fook is that guy?

All of this is not to knock Salas, who may well turn up and give Asakura a good fight, but more to question RIZIN’s decision to put one of their potential superstars into such a snoozer after he uniformly dismantled quality Bellator competition on New Year’s Eve. By the sound of it, Asakura is gradually losing interest in fighting as the numbers of his Youtube subscribers tick up. Is this really the best way to keep the guy engaged and committed? Is this the best way to keep JMMA rising? It remains to be seen. RIZIN has said that more fights may be added to the card, and given the excess of kickboxing already present, perhaps they’re praying wunderkind Tenshin Nasukawa will come along to save the day. Even so, it seems a wasted opportunity to not come up with a bigger fight for Mikuru at such a key moment in his career.