Bellator_MMA_x_Rizin_2
Bellator MMA x Rizin 2
Bellator and Rizin mixed martial arts event in 2022
Bellator MMA x Rizin 2 and Super Rizin 2 was a mixed martial arts event being co-promoted by Bellator MMA and the Rizin Fighting Federation that took place on July 30, 2023, at the Saitama Super Arena in Saitama, Japan.[1][2][3][4]
| Bellator MMA x Rizin 2 | |||
|---|---|---|---|
| Promotion | Bellator MMA Rizin Fighting Federation | ||
| Date | July 30, 2023 (2023-July-30) | ||
| City | Saitama, Japan | ||
| Venue | Saitama Super Arena | ||
| Bellator MMA events chronology | |||
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| Rizin events chronology | |||
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The event marked the second co-promotion between Bellator MMA and the Rizin Fighting Federation, and Bellator's third visit to Saitama; following Bellator MMA vs. Rizin in December 2022, and Bellator 237 on December 29, 2019.[5]
A Bellator Lightweight World Grand Prix quarterfinal bout between former Bellator Featherweight Champion A. J. McKee and former Bellator Lightweight Champion Patricky Pitbull was scheduled to headline the event.[1] However, on July 26, it was announced McKee had pulled out of the bout due to medical issues and was replaced by current Rizin Lightweight Champion Roberto de Souza at a catchweight of 161 pounds.[6]
For the co-main event, an inaugural Bellator Flyweight Championship bout between former Bellator Bantamweight Champion Kyoji Horiguchi (also former two-time Rizin Bantamweight Champion) and Makoto Takahashi took place at the event.[7] If successful, Horiguchi would have become the fourth fighter in Bellator history to win a title in different divisions (after Joe Warren at Bellator 128, Ryan Bader at Bellator 214, and Patrício Pitbull at Bellator 221).[3]
A Rizin Bantamweight Championship bout for the vacant title between former Bellator Bantamweight Champion Juan Archuleta and former champion Kai Asakura was scheduled to take place at the event.[8][4] Former champion Kyoji Horiguchi vacated the title on December 22 after moving down to the flyweight division.[9] However on July 18 it was announced that Asakura withdrew due to injury and was replaced by Hiromasa Ougikubo.[10]
| Part 1: Bellator MMA x Rizin 2 (Showtime) | |||||||
|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|
| Weight class | Method | Round | Time | Notes | |||
| Catchweight (160 lb) | Patricky Pitbull | def. | Roberto de Souza | TKO (leg kicks) | 3 | 0:49 | [lower-alpha 1] |
| Flyweight | Kyoji Horiguchi | vs. | Makoto Takahashi | No Contest (accidental eye poke) | 1 | 0:25 | [lower-alpha 2] |
| Women's Flyweight | Kana Watanabe | def. | Veta Arteaga | Decision (unanimous) (29-28, 29-28, 29-28) | 3 | 5:00 | |
| Bantamweight | Magomed Magomedov | def. | Danny Sabatello | Submission (guillotine choke) | 1 | 3:55 | |
| Welterweight | Andrey Koreshkov | def. | Lorenz Larkin | Decision (split) (29–28, 29–28, 28–29) | 3 | 5:00 | |
| Part 2: Super Rizin 2 (FiteTV PPV) | |||||||
| Featherweight | Vugar Keramov | def. | Mikuru Asakura | Submission (rear-naked choke) | 1 | 2:41 | [lower-alpha 3] |
| Bantamweight | Juan Archuleta | def. | Hiromasa Ougikubo | Decision (unanimous) | 3 | 5:00 | [lower-alpha 4] |
| Super Atomweight | Seika Izawa (c) | def. | Claire Lopez | Submission (ninja choke) | 1 | 1:06 | [lower-alpha 5] |
| Intermission | |||||||
| Catchweight (154 lb) | Chihiro Suzuki | def. | Patrício Pitbull | KO (punch) | 1 | 2:32 | |
| Lightweight | Tofiq Musayev | def. | Akira Okada | KO (punches) | 2 | 1:11 | |
| Bantamweight | Shinobu Ota | def. | Kenta Takizawa | TKO (punches) | 1 | 4:54 | |
| Middleweight | Igor Tanabe | def. | Daichi Abe | Submission (heel hook) | 1 | 4:34 | |
| Catchweight (128 lb) | Yuki Ito | def. | Hiroya Kondo | Decision (split) | 3 | 5:00 | |
- Bellator Lightweight World Grand Prix Quarterfinal.
- For the inaugural Bellator Flyweight World Championship. Accidental eye poke rendered Takahashi unable to continue.
- For the vacant Rizin Featherweight Championship.
- For the vacant Rizin Bantamweight Championship.
- "AJ McKee vs. Patricky Pitbull to fight at Bellator x RIZIN event". Bloody Elbow. 2023-05-29. Retrieved 2023-06-01.
- Riddle, Mathew (2023-05-27). "Bellator x Rizin 2 Crossover Event Confirmed for July, McKee vs. Pitbull". Sports Illustrated MMA News, Analysis and More. Retrieved 2023-06-01.
- "Bellator X Rizin 2 to feature AJ McKee vs. Patricky Freire, Kyoji Horiguchi in inaugural men's flyweight title fight". MMA Junkie. 2023-05-27. Retrieved 2023-06-01.
- Anderson, Jay (2023-05-27). "Kai Asakura vs. Juan Archuleta, Mikuru Asakura vs. Vugar Karamov Announced for Bellator X RIZIN 2". Cageside Press. Retrieved 2023-06-01.
- Raimondi, Marc (2023-05-27). "AJ McKee vs. Patricky Freire headlines Bellator-Rizin event". ESPN. Retrieved 2023-06-01.
- Wells, Matthew (July 26, 2023). "Major changes to Bellator X Rizin 2: A.J. McKee out; Patricky Freire faces RIZIN champ; Patricio 'Pitbull' added". MMA Junkie. Retrieved July 26, 2023.
- Martin, Damon (2023-05-27). "AJ McKee vs. Patricky Pitbull, first ever Bellator flyweight champion will be crowned at Bellator x RIZIN 2 in July". MMA Junkie. Retrieved 2023-06-01.
- Riggs, Drake (2023-05-30). "Juan Archuleta 'couldn't ask for a better position' between Bellator and RIZIN as he pursues gold in Japan". MMA Mania. Retrieved 2023-06-01.
- Martin, Damon (2022-12-28). "Kyoji Horiguchi pushes Bellator to add 125-pound division: 'Flyweight is my weight class'". MMA Fighting. Retrieved 2023-06-01.
- "Bellator MMA | Bellator MMA vs. Rizin 2". www.bellator.com. Retrieved 2022-11-05.