Shiro will look to defend his title against Toki Tamaru in a highly anticipated rematch booked for September 8. The two strikers had met earlier in 2024 but due to an accidental clash of heads, the bout was called off as a no contest. The RISE Bantamweight (-55 kg) will once again be on the line in this match.
Japan's Toki Tamaru is looking to add a third-division title to his name. Currently, he holds the RISE Super Flyweight (-53 kg) and Flyweight (-51.5 kg) championships and will look to add another against Shiro. At just the age of 22, this athlete has been able to secure a top spot as a pound-for-pound kickboxer. In 2023, Tamaru was able to win five bouts and the RISE -54 kg World Series Tournament title. This included notable wins over Kazuki Osaki, Kumandoi, and others. For his efforts, the young striker was awarded 'Fighter of the Year' awards from RISE and Combat Press.
The Bantamweight king Shiro Matsumoto has a background as a Muay Thai striker. When he was only 16 years old he made his professional debut on the Bangkok Stadium scene competing in both Lumpiee and Rajadamnern. With a win over the True4U Muay Thai champion Diesellek Wor.Wanchai Shiro was able to pick up the RISE Bantamweight world title. He competed in the 2023 -54 kg tournament but suffered a loss to Kumandoi. Since this loss, he earned a first-round knockout win against Boonlong and recently defeated ISKA champion Christian Manzo.
Earlier this year, we got a preview of what's likely to happen in the fight as they met for approximately three minutes before this match was called off. The southpaw Tamaru was landing kicks to the open-side to pressure Shiro, while Shiro was attempting to parry punches and counter with a cross. The match was just getting started until it was called off as a No Contest due to an inadvertent headbutt which opened a cut.
