RIZIN 55 Fighter Sho Sekihara Fighting for His Life After Slam KO
Japanese flyweight Sho Sekihara is in critical condition after suffering an acute subdural hematoma at RIZIN 55.
Sho Sekihara is fighting for his life in a Japanese hospital after a devastating slam knockout at RIZIN 55 left the 33-year-old flyweight with an acute subdural hematoma.
Sekihara was competing against former Pancrase champion Takumi Hamada on November 8 at LaLa Arena Tokyo-Bay in Funabashi, Japan. The fight went deep into the third round with Sekihara working from top position in half guard as time wound down. Hamada stood, lifted Sekihara and drove him to the canvas in a violent slam, then finished with ground punches at 4:56 of the final round. Sekihara was knocked unconscious, placed in a neck brace and removed from the ring on a stretcher.
RIZIN officials initially reported Sekihara"s condition was not life-threatening. That changed. Per a RIZIN statement on November 12, Sekihara underwent emergency surgery at Chiba Emergency Medical Center after losing consciousness with an acute subdural hematoma. The first operation saved his life, but his condition worsened the next morning and he required a second surgery. RIZIN describes his current condition as critical.
Sekihara"s father released a statement through RIZIN thanking supporters and asking fans to pray that his son regains consciousness. RIZIN asked the public not to spread unverified information and said it would share updates once his symptoms settled.
Sekihara fights out of RESURGO MMA and had been building momentum in the Japanese flyweight scene, including a win over former Pancrase champion Daichi Kitakata in August 2025. Hamada, a former Pancrase flyweight titleholder, had campaigned for a RIZIN spot after being stripped of his belt earlier this year.
This is the part of fighting nobody wants to talk about. Sho Sekihara went in there, competed hard for three rounds, and now his father is asking strangers on the internet to pray his son wakes up. That is the reality of this sport.
I have watched hundreds of slam finishes. Most of the time the guy gets up, shakes it off, and fights again in three months. But every now and then the margin between a highlight reel and a hospital bed disappears completely. Sekihara was winning that fight on the ground when Hamada found the slam. Four seconds before the final bell.
There is no take here about technique or matchmaking. A young man is in critical condition after doing what he trained his whole life to do. RIZIN"s medical team got him into surgery fast, and that matters. I hope the next update we get is that he opened his eyes. That is all any of us should be hoping for right now.
