Bellator MMA has announced that it has once again linked up with RIZIN to bring combat sports fans an action-packed night of fights on New Year’s Eve featuring several of each organization’s top stars battling one another.
Per a press release, the event — which is being dubbed “Bellator MMA vs Rizin” — is slated to go down inside the famed Saitama Super Arena in Tokyo, Japan on Dec. 31, 2022, at 8 p.m. ET:
BELLATOR MMA athletes will step outside of the cage and compete inside the four-sided ring against their RIZIN counterparts in a five-fight main card. BELLATOR MMA and RIZIN have led the way for the entire MMA landscape on collaborative co-promotion dating back to 2015, however, this will be the first time two promotions have had their top fighters challenge one another over the course of an entire event.
Bellator has already confirmed four of the five stars that will compete inside the ring, which include current featherweight champion, Patricio Pitbull, who is coming off a successful title defense against Adam Borics at Bellator 286. Also, A.J. McKee will compete at the event following his lightweight debut win against Spike Carlyle, also at Bellator 286.
Juan Archuleta, who defeated Enrique Barzola earlier this month, will also be taking part in the star-studded event. Plus, former RIZIN bantamweight champion, Kyoji Horiguchi, will return to his old stomping grounds to take part in the event along with another Bellator combatant that has yet to be revealed.
As far as who they will be facing from RIZIN that hasn’t been revealed just yet, however, the promotions will be holding a joint press conference this Wednesday (Oct. 26) in Tokyo where the fights are expected to be announced.
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