Danny Sabatello’s first title defense is set for RIZIN Landmark 13 this April.
Sabatello, a former Bellator MMA standout, earned bantamweight gold in RIZIN last time out. On April 12, 2026 at RIZIN Landmark 13, he’ll put his belt on the line against Joji Goto.
James Gallagher and Patricky Pitbull, two other Bellator ex-pats, will also feature on the card, which takes place at the Marine Messe Fukuoka in Fukuoka, Japan.
Promotion officials recently announced the news, with the event looking to be one of the most star-studded of the Landmark series.
Known as “The Italian Gangster,” Sabatello (17-4-1) has taken on a Chael Sonnen-style persona in promoting his fights, and used that and a solid run in Bellator to earn a shot at an interim title in Bellator in 2022, only to come up short against Raufeon Stots in a fight that was also a semifinal in the promotion’s bantamweight grand prix.
Sabatello went 1-2-1 in his next four fights including a second loss to Stots, but has been reinvigorated in RIZIN, where he’s 3-0 thus far.
Goto (20-8-1) sits on a four-fight win streak, with his last three victories coming in RIZIN. He’s previously fought for Pancrase, Shooto, and ONE Championship.
Patricky Pitbull (25-15) faces UFC alum Yoshinori Horie (14-6) at RIZIN Landmark 13 in lightweight action. Pitbull has lost his last four, including his final Bellator bout, a pair of losses in the PFL, and his RIZIN debut against Shunta Nomura.
Horie has been trading wins and losses over his last several fights, beating Bellator vet Spike Carlyle and Yamato Nishikawa but losing to Luiz Gustavlo and most recently then-lightweight champ Roberto Satoshi in a championship bout.
James Gallagher (13-3) went 9-3 for Bellator MMA, and had a fight booked for the PFL in August of 2024 that fell through due to visa issues. He later requested and was granted his release by the promotion, joining an exodus of fighters including Patricio and Patricky Pitbull and Aaron Pico. He faces Kazumasa Majima (18-6) in April, in what will be Gallagher’s RIZIN debut.
Former Invicta FC atomweight champ Ayaka Hamasaki (26-7) returns to RIZIN for the first time since 2024 after splitting a pair of fights under the DEEP banner. Also a former RIZIN Super Atomweight champ, she takes on Russian LFA veteran Natasha Kuziutina (9-1), winner of eight straight.
