Naoki Inoue successfully defended his RIZIN bantamweight title against Yuki Motoya in the main event of RIZIN 50 in Kagawa, Japan, securing a split decision victory.
Inoue, making his first title defense since claiming the belt in September, utilized his striking skills to control Motoya for much of the fight. He effectively used jabs and combinations, while Motoya attempted a guillotine choke but Inoue escaped. In their previous encounter in 2020, Inoue had submitted Motoya quickly.
The fight saw Inoue open a cut near Motoya`s eye. Motoya, needing a finish in the final round, took Inoue down and launched ground-and-pound attacks and submission attempts in the closing seconds of the fight, but Inoue survived until the bell.
Ultimately, Naoki Inoue, younger brother of UFC fighter Mizuki Inoue, retained his championship despite a swollen eye. He apologized to the fans for his performance in the post-fight interview, promising to improve and become a more dominant champion.
In the co-main event, Karshyga Dautbek extended his winning streak to 10 with a split decision win over former RIZIN champion Chihiro Suzuki in a closely contested featherweight bout.
Earlier, Shunta Nomura won by technical decision against Luiz Gustavo due to a cut caused by an accidental head clash, leading to a doctor`s stoppage.
The preliminary card delivered several impressive finishes, including King Edkpolo`s ground and pound victory over Ryo Sakai and rapid knockouts by Shuya Kimura and Kyohei Hagiwara.
Marcus Blakely 
Wesley Dunham