Tag: Bellator

AJ McKee spent $100,000 on a Samurai suit for his walkout: “It’s an iconic piece.”

AJ McKeeThe Bellator featherweight world champion AJ McKee defeated the RIZIN lightweight champion Roberto de Souza this past week at the New year’s Eve Bellator MMA vs. Rizin FF event. The 27-year-old athlete walked out to this fight in the Saitama Super Arena wearing a 25 kg Samurai suit that he says he spent $100,000 on. […]

AJ McKee

The Bellator featherweight world champion AJ McKee defeated the RIZIN lightweight champion Roberto de Souza this past week at the New year’s Eve Bellator MMA vs. Rizin FF event.

The 27-year-old athlete walked out to this fight in the Saitama Super Arena wearing a 25 kg Samurai suit that he says he spent $100,000 on. In an interview with MMA Junkie’s Danny Segura about the suit of armor, McKee explained that he wanted to put on a show for the Japanese audience. He said:

“The fans [in Japan] they genuinely just love the fight game out there and the art aspect of it. And that’s why I came out in the Samurai suit. You know, just really relate to the culture. I felt like I’m the last warrior coming out. You’re not taking me alive, no survivors type.”

AJ McKee on his Samurai suit

The Bellator MMA world champion spent a ton of time researching various Samurai suits that he could get. The one he wore on the fight night was the perfect pick for him. He continued:

“There’s this place you can go about purchasing them. There’s just many suits, he’s got like different suits. It depends on like the General and who the Samurai was under and so forth, there’s levels to it … This one, in particular, it was THAT guy and when I saw it I was like I gotta get this one … This was the one.”

It was a handmade Samurai suit with alligator leather and steel plates. McKee explained how he was mentally able to spend that much, he said:

“If you’re going to do it, go full send on it, you know. I ended up finding this one, it was one-hundred grand. It took a while to pull the trigger. A lot of negotiating. I was like sh*t, I’ll do half right now, get everything else situated, want to walk out in it, put on a great show.”

A fan of the classics, AJ McKee continued:

“Imagine if Sakuraba had a Samurai suit he walked out in his first fight in Japan … It’s an iconic piece … It’s marked in the history books forever.”

See the full interview with AJ McKee below:

Khabib Nurmagomedov showers praise on Bellator MMA vs. Rizin event: ‘This is unbelievable’

Khabib Nurmagomedov Scott CokerFormer undisputed UFC lightweight champion, Khabib Nurmagomedov is said to have been left awestruck by last weekend’s Bellator MMA vs. Rizin event in Saitama, Japan – describing the cross-promoted event as “unbelievable” according to Bellator president, Scott Coker. Khabib, a former undisputed lightweight champion under the banner of the UFC, retired from active competition back […]

Khabib Nurmagomedov Scott Coker

Former undisputed UFC lightweight champion, Khabib Nurmagomedov is said to have been left awestruck by last weekend’s Bellator MMA vs. Rizin event in Saitama, Japan – describing the cross-promoted event as “unbelievable” according to Bellator president, Scott Coker.

Khabib, a former undisputed lightweight champion under the banner of the UFC, retired from active competition back in October 2020 on ‘Fight Island’ in Abu Dhabi, UAE – improving to 29-0 with a second round triangle submission win over then-interim titleholder, Justin Gaethje. 

In the time since, the Dagestan native has turned his hand successfully to coaching – guiding both Islam Makhachev, and Usman Nurmagomedov to lightweight gold under the UFC and Bellator MMA banners, respectively, as well as heading up Florida-based promotion, Eagle FC. 

Scott Coker details attending Bellator MMA vs. Rizin alongside Khabib Nurmagomedov

Attending Bellator MMA vs. Rizin on New Year’s Eve at the Saitama Super Arena in Japan, Khabib, who sat alongside the above-mentioned, Coker, is said to have been left in amazement by the event and pageantry. 

“It’s very interesting, because he (Khabib Nurmagomedov) wasn’t here in the heyday,” Scott Coker told assembled media at the post-fight press conference. “I got to see those fights. A lot ofyou know that [I’ve been] in the martial arts business a long time, I started working for K-1 in 199, so I got to see all the great fights in K-1. I got to see the great fights of PRIDE. And Khabib has never see the production and the fans, and he was freaking out.”

“He was telling me, ‘This is unbelievable,’” Scott Coker said of Khabib Nurmagomedov. “He kept telling me, ‘This is unbelievable. I had no idea that something like this was happening in Japan.’ And I said, ‘This is where it started, Khabib.’ This is where MMA and martial arts combat – it started here, it grew throughout the rest of the world, but there was a time when Japan had the best fighters in the world, the best production in the world, the best promotion in the world, and that’s why the UFC bought it (PRIDE). Just like my company, Strikefroce, I think we had a great roster, great events, so they (the UFC) bought it.” (Transcribed by MMA Fighting)

A.J. McKee hands Roberto Satoshi unanimous decision loss in Bellator clean sweep – Bellator vs. Rizin Highlights

A.J. McKee Bellator RizinFormer Bellator MMA featherweight champion, A.J. McKee made sure of a main card clean sweep for the Scott Coker-led promotion tonight at the Saitama Super Arena in Japan, handing Brazilian submission artist and Rizin FF lightweight kingpin, A.J. McKee a unanimous decision loss in the main event of Bellator MMA vs. Rizin. McKee, a former […]

A.J. McKee Bellator Rizin

Former Bellator MMA featherweight champion, A.J. McKee made sure of a main card clean sweep for the Scott Coker-led promotion tonight at the Saitama Super Arena in Japan, handing Brazilian submission artist and Rizin FF lightweight kingpin, A.J. McKee a unanimous decision loss in the main event of Bellator MMA vs. Rizin.

McKee, a former featherweight champion under the Bellator banner, initially won the crown as well as a Featherweight World Grand Prix against event co-headliner, Patricio Pitbull back in July of last year, before suffering a title loss in a close decision defeat in an April rematch this year.

Making a lightweight division move back in October, McKee defeated UFC alum, Spike Carlyle over the course of three rounds in a unanimous decision win, setting up tonight’s headliner against Rizin FF lightweight kingpin, Satoshi.

Engaging in countless scramble after scramble with the Brazilian Jiu-Jitsu player, McKee was forced to defend his back on occasion as the lightweight champion even pulled guard during their main event bout.

Closing out a triumphant main card for Bellator MMA, McKee joined the aforenoted, Pitbull, Kyoji Horiguchi, Juan Archuleta, Gadhzi Rabadanov in landing judging wins for the North American-based organization.

Below, catch the highlights from A.J. McKee’s win against Roberto Satoshi

Patricio Pitbull defeats Kleber Koike in unanimous decision all-Brazilian clash – Bellator vs. Rizin Highlights

Patricio Pitbull BellatorReigning Bellator MMA featherweight kingpin, Patricio Pitbull continues his dominant run in a gold laiden career, tonight defeating Rizin FF lightweight champion, Kleber Koike in a unanimous decision effort in the co-main event of Bellator MMA vs. Rizin in Japan. Pitbull, who now moves to an impressive 35-5 as a professional win his win over […]

Patricio Pitbull Bellator

Reigning Bellator MMA featherweight kingpin, Patricio Pitbull continues his dominant run in a gold laiden career, tonight defeating Rizin FF lightweight champion, Kleber Koike in a unanimous decision effort in the co-main event of Bellator MMA vs. Rizin in Japan.

Pitbull, who now moves to an impressive 35-5 as a professional win his win over Sao Paulo native, Koike, handed the former KSW gold holder a unanimous decision defeat in their non-title bout in Saitama.

The victory comes as Pitbull’s third on the bounce, having previously reclaimed the Bellator featherweight crown in a rematch win over A.J. McKee, before defending successfully against Adam Borics.

Landing the heavier strikes throughout the opening round, Pitbull was, however, landed on the canvas in the closing stages of the frame — with Koike executing a perfectly-timed judo hip toss.

However, it was Pitbull who emerged with the victory, securing a unanimous decision triumph, on a main card containing consecutive judging successes for Bellator so far.

Below, catch the highlights from Patricio Pitbull’s win over Kleber Koike

Bellator MMA Vs. RIZIN FF Results And Highlights: Bellator Sweeps RIZIN

Bellator MMA vs. RIZIN FF took place on New Year’s Eve at the Saitama Super Arena in Japan, and MMA News has all of the results and highlights from the event! The two organizations have collaborated on events and shared fighters in the past, but …

Bellator MMA vs. RIZIN FF took place on New Year’s Eve at the Saitama Super Arena in Japan, and MMA News has all of the results and highlights from the event! The two organizations have collaborated on events and shared fighters in the past, but this was the first time they’ve co-promoted an event entirely…

Continue Reading Bellator MMA Vs. RIZIN FF Results And Highlights: Bellator Sweeps RIZIN at MMA News.

Shogun Rua reveals scuppered plan for super fight with Fedor Emelianenko: ‘It would have been an honor’

Shogun RuaBrazilian veteran, Shogun Rua has revealed that PRIDE FC officials had attempted to book a super fight between himself and fellow former promotional champion, Fedor Emelianenko during their stints with the now-defunct organization, speaking candidly of the missed-out clash. Rua, a former PRIDE FC middleweight Grand Prix victor back in 2005, is set to make […]

Shogun Rua

Brazilian veteran, Shogun Rua has revealed that PRIDE FC officials had attempted to book a super fight between himself and fellow former promotional champion, Fedor Emelianenko during their stints with the now-defunct organization, speaking candidly of the missed-out clash.

Rua, a former PRIDE FC middleweight Grand Prix victor back in 2005, is set to make his expected retirement walk at UFC 283 next month in his native Brazil, taking on light heavyweight prospect, Ihor Potieria. 

As for Emelianenko, the former PRIDE FC heavyweight champion and Grand Prix victor, is scheduled to headline Bellator 290 in February in a heavyweight title rematch with champion, Ryan Bader, in a bout which is also expected to serve as Emelianenko’s swansong in professional mixed martial arts.

Shogun Rua reveals plans for made for him to fight Fedor Emelianenko

Sharing a story of how he almost fought both Emelianenko and then compatriot, Wanderlei Silva – whom he described as an “idol” during their PRIDE FC tenures, Rua admitted he would have been honored to have competed against the Russian.

“After I won the light heavyweight [Grand Prix] and he (Fedor Emelianenko) won the heavyweight Grand Prix, the promoters started to talk about a super fight, but it never happened,” Shogun Rua told Sherdog. “Coincidentally, I was probably closer to fighting my idol, Wanderlei (Silva) before he lost to Ricardo Arona in the semi finals.”

“It would have been an honor to fight Fedor when we were both in our primes,” Shogun Rua continued. “In my opinion, Fedor is among the three best pound-for-pound fighters ever.” (Transcribed by MMA Mania)

In 2010, Rua competed for the UFC light heavyweight title in a rematch against compatriot, Lyoto Machida, securing the undisputed crown with a first round knockout win at UFC 113. 

Attempting to snap a two-fight losing skid to both Paul Craig, and Ovince Saint Preux in his Brazil homecoming against Potieria, Rua’s most recent professional win came in the form of a split decision win over Minotouro Nogueira in 2020.