RISE has announced that Mohammed Jaraya won't be making his way to Japan to take on Kaito Ono due to "various circumstances". Up-and-coming GLORY prospect James Condé (10-0) will step in on a week's notice and replace him on December 16 in Tokyo, Japan.
Jaraya's initial booking came as a big surprise given the criminal accusations raised against him. Whether the Japanese promoter wasn't aware of his precarious situation, or underestimated the efforts needed to nonetheless bring him into the country is unknown.
James Condé will serve as a solid replacement. The 24-year-old french fighter is undefeated in 10 outings, and has made his GLORY debut at GLORY 88 against Jonathan Mayezo. While coming in as the underdog, his sharp boxing and low kicks could pose a problem for Kaito.
Despite the late opponent change, Kaito remains focused and has his eyes on his goal.
"Who I have in front of me doesn't matter, the result will be the same. The only thing I want is to be GLORY Champion."
The RISE World Series 2023 Final Round will stream for free on Abema at 1:30 PM JST.
