In a rarely seen cross-promotional collaboration between two of MMA’s biggest organizations, Bellator MMA vs. RIZIN arrived Saturday with the chance to change the sport’s promotional landscape.
While yes, Bellator and RIZIN had cross-promoted before, there was little danger for either side in the fights that were booked. Fedor Emelianenko and Rampage Jackson were both Bellator fighters when they faced off at Bellator 237 in Japan in 2019, a card advertised as “powered by RIZIN.” Yes, Lorenz Larkin fought Keita Nakamura while Michael Page faced Shinso Anzai, but none of the above were champions.
Bellator MMA vs. RIZIN, on the other hand, paired up current reigning featherweight champions Patricio Pitbull (Bellator) and Kleber Koike (RIZIN), while current RIZIN lightweight champ Roberto de Souza met ex-Bellator featherweight champ A.J. McKee, who recently made the move up to 155lbs.
Another former champion for Bellator, Juan Archuleta, faced RIZIN’s Soo Chul Kim, while one of the promotion’s brighter prospects, Gadzhi Rabadanov — who trains under Khabib Nurmagomedov — kicked off the card against Koji Takeda.
Former Bellator bantamweigth champ Kyoji Horiguchi, who holds RIZIN’s bantamweight title currently, represented the American promotion when he took on Hiromasa Ougikubo, the Bellator bantamweight grand prix winner, for the third time in their career series.
Horiguchi aside (there would be no loser if he won, quite frankly), there were some serious bragging rights attached to these fights. And the head-to-head format came after RIZIN 40, which started earlier in the night and featured the likes of Seika Izawa, Naoki Inoue, John Dodson, Junior Tafa, and Johnny Case. A solid way to ring in the new year (a little early, for those outside Japan).
Bellator MMA vs. RIZIN and RIZIN 40 take place on December 31, 2022 with the main card airing live on Showtime in the U.S. Elsewhere, the full event can be viewed live on Fite.tv.
Bellator MMA vs. RIZIN / RIZIN 40 Results
Bellator MMA vs. RIZIN
A. J. McKee def. Roberto de Souza by unanimous decision
Patrício Pitbull def. Kleber Koike Erbst by unanimous decision
Kyoji Horiguchi def. Hiromasa Ougikubo by unanimous decision
Juan Archuleta def. Soo Chul Kim by split decision
Gadzhi Rabadanov def. Koji Takeda by unanimous decision
RIZIN 40
Seika Izawa def. Si Woo Park by split decision – RIZIN women’s super atomweight grand prix final
Naoki Inoue def. Kenta Takizawa by submission (straight arm-bar), Round 2, 3:53
Junior Tafa def. Tsuyoshi Sudario by TKO (punches), Round 1, 1:38
John Dodson def. Hideo Tokoro by KO (punches), Round 1, 1:43
Intermission
Ren Hiramoto vs. Mystery Fighter (Genji Umeno) announced as a draw (Umeno knocked down at the bell/ref waved off the fight in round 2, but exhibition/special rules results in no winner) – Special Standing Rules
Yuki Motoya def. Rogério Bontorin by KO (knee), Round 2, 2:56
Johnny Case def. Nobumitsu Osawa by TKO (Punches), Round 1, 0:36
Chihiro Suzuki def. Yoshiki Nakahara by KO (Punches), Round 1, 4:44
Sho Patrick Usami def. BeyNoah by KO (Punch), Round 1, 0:45
Yushi def. Tatsuya Nakazawa by unanimous decision – Special Rules bout
