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Bellator MMA and Rizin Fighting Federation will go head-to-head
this New Year’s Eve.

The California-based promotion announced on Monday that five
Bellator athletes will square off against five Rizin competitors on
Dec. 31 at Saitama Super Arena in Saitama, Japan. The five-bout
main card will be contested inside the Rizin ring. The card will
air in the United States on Showtime beginning at 8 p.m. ET/PT.

While Bellator and Rizin have engaged in cross-promotional events
in the past, this will mark the first time that fighters from the
organizations have faced each other over the course of an entire
card. Four of the five fighters that will represent Bellator were
announced in a release: reigning featherweight champion Patricio
Freire, former 145-pound champ A.J. McKee,
ex-bantamweight king Juan
Archuleta, and former Bellator and Rizin champ Kyoji
Horiguchi. A fifth Bellator representative will be revealed in
the near future. Fighters on the Rizin side were not announced.

Several matchups for Bellator vs. Rizin are expected to be
confirmed at a press conference in Tokyo on Wednesday. That event
will be available for viewing on a Bellator YouTube channel at 5
a.m. ET/2 a.m. PT. A rule set and additional information for the
special card will be announced soon, according to the release.

IMAK ADMIN

By IMAK ADMIN

Internationaler Kampfkunst und Kampfsport Kleinanzeiger