Kickboxing fans are in for a treat as RISE 184 is set to feature a women’s flyweight title clash on Dec. 15, 2024. The current RISE Women’s Flyweight (-52 kg) champion, Tessa de Kom, will defend her title against a formidable challenger as Arina Kobayashi is moving up from the mini flyweight division.
Tessa de Kom vs. Arina Kobayashi
Arina Kobayashi, the reigning RISE Women’s Mini Flyweight (-49 kg) champion, is moving up in weight to challenge for the flyweight title. Born on November 2, 2000, Kobayashi has quickly become a prominent figure in Japanese kickboxing. Her impressive record of 13 wins, including 4 knockouts, 3 losses, and 1 draw.
She claimed the RISE Women’s Mini Flyweight title on November 18, 2023, with a second-round technical knockout victory over Erika. Since then, she has continued to dominate, securing wins against Wang Chin Long and Manazo Kobayashi. Her most recent victory came at RISE 182 on October 20, 2024, where she defeated Bo-Kyeong Byun. With these impressive and dominant wins, she earned the Combat Press Female Fighter of the Year award in 2023.
Tessa de Kom, the defending champion, won her RISE Women’s Flyweight title in 2023. The Dutch striker is a formidable athlete with significant skills and experience in the flyweight division. Additionally, she is a full-time student. Outside of RISE, she has earned world titles in Enfusion and IFP. She is an exciting and aggressive striker.
For de Kom, this is a chance to solidify her reign as the flyweight champion and prove her mettle against a rising star from a lower weight class. For Kobayashi, it’s an opportunity to become a two-division champion and further cement her status as one of the top pound-for-pound female kickboxers in the world.
