Bellator MMA and Rizin will continue their relationship with a special promotion-versus-promotion event on New Year’s Eve in Japan.
Bellator MMA vs. Rizin will see five top Bellator fighters take on the best of Rizin on a special fight card at the Saitama Super Arena in Saitama, Japan.
Already confirmed for the event are four of Bellator’s top stars. The promotion’s top pound-for-pound fighter, featherweight champion Patricio Pitbull, is in the lineup, as is former featherweight champion, A.J. McKee.
They’ll be joined by former bantamweight champions Juan Archuleta and Kyoji Horiguchi, who also held the bantamweight crown for Rizin. The fifth and final Bellator fighter will be confirmed in due course, with key matchups will be confirmed at a special kickoff press conference in Tokyo on Wednesday, October 26.
The event will round out a busy year for Bellator who, by the close of 2022, will have held 18 events across the United States, Europe and Asia.
Bellator MMA: Upcoming Events
- Saturday, October 29 – Bellator 287: Piccolotti vs. Barnaoui – Milan, Italy
- Friday, November 18 – Bellator 288: Nemkov vs. Anderson 2 – Chicago, USA
- Friday, December 9 – Bellator 289: Stots vs. Sabatello – Uncasville, USA
- Saturday, December 31 – Bellator MMA vs. Rizin – Saitama, Japan
- Friday, February 24, 2023 – Bellator: Dublin – Dublin, Ireland
