Bellator MMA and RIZIN announce promotion vs. promotion NYE event

BELLATOR MMA and RIZIN Combating Federation introduced a historic, first-iteration of a star-studded BELLATOR MMA vs. RIZIN occasion set to happen on New Yr’s Eve, Saturday, Dec. 31, at Saitama Tremendous Enviornment in Saitama, Japan.
 
BELLATOR MMA athletes will step exterior of the cage and compete contained in the four-sided ring in opposition to their RIZIN counterparts in a five-fight most important card. BELLATOR MMA and RIZIN have led the way in which for your entire MMA panorama on collaborative co-promotion courting again to 2015, nonetheless, this would be the first time two promotions have had their prime fighters problem each other over the course of a whole occasion. Extra data, together with the principles set shall be revealed quickly.
 
Representing BELLATOR in Tokyo at this star-studded spectacle shall be present featherweight world champion and No. 1-ranked pound-for-pound athlete Patricio Pitbull (34-5), his prior foe and No. 3-ranked pound-for-pound expertise AJ “Mercenary” McKee (19-1), in addition to a pair of former BELLATOR Bantamweight World Champions in Juan “The Spaniard” Archuleta (26-4) and Kyoji Horiguchi (30-5). A fifth most important card BELLATOR fighter, together with a whole preliminary card providing shall be introduced within the close to future.

Believed by many to be BELLATOR’s biggest all-time athlete, Patricio Pitbull has proven no indicators of slowing down almost 20 years into his skilled MMA profession. The reigning BELLATOR featherweight champion defended his title in dominant style earlier this month in opposition to No. 1-ranked contender Adam Borics (18-2) in the primary occasion ofBELLATOR 286, notching his ninth victory in his final ten outings. Pitbull was BELLATOR’s second-ever athlete to concurrently maintain two weight lessons’ titles, and his championship pedigree is unequalled; the Brazilian holds the promotion’s information for fights, wins, title fights, title victories, and whole championship reigns. A risk in any state of affairs, Pitbull has received 23 of his 34 skilled victories by stoppage, totaling 11 knockouts and 12 submissions in a showcase of his harmful ending talents and spectacular well-roundedness. At 35, Pitbull’s outstanding consistency has rendered him a dwelling legend within the sport. He stays BELLATOR’s prime pound-for-pound expertise within the promotion’s official rankings, and he has his sights set on dropping right down to bantamweight in pursuit of a historic third championship within the close to future. 
 
Arguably the most effective homegrown expertise within the historical past of  BELLATOR MMA, Lengthy Seashore’s AJ “Mercenary” McKee proved his championship caliber and world-class standing with a devastating, title-clinching run within the BELLATOR Featherweight World Grand Prix. The 27-year-old defeated Patricio Pitbull at BELLATOR 273 to turn out to be the promotion’s featherweight champion, fulfilling a lifelong dream and ascending to the highest of BELLATOR’s pound-for-pound rankings. McKee’s lightning-quick submission capacity and dynamic putting arsenal have manifested in 13 mixed stoppage victories, sufficient to tie for first-most in BELLATOR historical past with Pitbull and Michael Chandler; McKee’s seven submissions, together with the consensus 2020 Submission of the Yr, lead the BELLATOR featherweight division. His record-setting 18-0 begin to his profession catapulted him to superstardom within the sport, however McKee isn’t completed including to his burgeoning legacy by any stretch of the creativeness: earlier this month, “Mercenary” efficiently debuted within the light-weight division, step one towards capturing a second world title beneath the BELLATOR banner. At this time, McKee is ranked as BELLATOR No. 3 pound-for-pound expertise.
 
Juan “The Spaniard” Archuleta holds the excellence of being the one skilled combined martial artist to have held notable championships in 4 weight lessons, a feat that prompted BELLATOR MMA to signal the 35-year-old to the roster. Archuleta’s success continued beneath the BELLATOR banner; “The Spaniard” captured the promotion’s bantamweight title in 2020 with a unanimous choice victory over Patchy Mix (16-1) and was among the many elite eight bantamweights who comprised the BELLATOR Bantamweight World Grand Prix. The previous NJCAA nationwide wrestling champion makes use of his crisp putting and technical wrestling to outclass opponents each on the toes and the canvas. Earlier this month, Archuleta outpointed the relentless Enrique Barzola (18-6-2) to safe his place as BELLATOR’s No. 3-ranked bantamweight contender in a division fraught with notable, world-class competitors. 
 
Japan’s Kyoji Horiguchi is among the nation’s most interesting fighters of all time, which is not any small feat when one considers the legendary athletes to have emerged from the “Land of the Rising Solar.” The 32-year-old has held the Shooto, RIZIN Combating Federation, and BELLATOR Bantamweight Championship over the course of his 12-year skilled profession, going through a who’s-who of elite opposition alongside the way in which. An suave striker who has notched half of his MMA wins by the use of knockout, Horiguchi returned to the win column final month with a second-round submission Yuto Hokamura (14-12-2) in a testomony to his continued growth as a combined martial artist. The American Prime Group product was an entrant within the BELLATOR Bantamweight World Grand Prix and is ranked No. 5 within the official BELLATOR rankings. He’ll search to earn his option to a title shot within the hopes of recapturing the BELLATOR belt, which he received in 2019 by defeating Darrion Caldwell (14-6) for a second time in consecutive outings.