Bellator MMA and RIZIN’s next co-promoted event just got two new additions to round out the main card, which is set to go down on Sat., July 30, 2023, inside the famed Saitama Super Arena in Saitama, Japan.
Per a recent press release, Danny Sabatello will return to face off against Magomed Magomedov in a Bantamweight affair. Sabatello — ranked No. 5 — is coming off a big win over Marcos Breno at Bellator 294 this past April, four months removed from his split-decision loss Raufeon Stots in an interim title fight.
As for Magomedov — ranked No. 4 — he is coming off a loss to current interim 135-pound champion, Patchy Mix, in the semifinals of the Bantamweight Grand Prix. He is hoping to bounce back with a huge win over “The Italian Gangster” in order to move up the championship ladder.
In further action, Lorenz Larkin (No. 9) looks to climb the Welterweight rankings when he rematches on Andrey Koreshkov. Larkin is coming off a spectacular knockout win over Mukhamed Berkhamov at Bellator 290 (see it here).
Koreshkov, meanwhile, is riding a four-fight win streak and ranked No. 5 on the official rankings. The two men initially fought at Bellator 229 in October 2019, with Larkin walking way with a razor-thin split-decision win.
The event will be headlined by a five-round Lightweight Grand Prix quarterfinal bout between A.J. McKee and Patricky Pitbull. In the co-main event, Kyoji Horiguchi faces Makoto “Shinryu” Takahashi in the inaugural Bellator Flyweight title fight, while Veta Arteaga takes on Kana Watanabe in a women’s 125-pound bout.
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