Both Scott Coker and Nobuyuki Sakakibara are in agreement: The Bellator vs. Rizin card slated for New Year’s Eve is not a one-off event.
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While the organizations have shared fighters before, the upcoming event will mark the first time that a promotion vs. promotion format has been utilized, with five Bellator athletes squaring off against five Rizin athletes on the evening’s main card at Saitama Super Arena in Saitama, Japan. The first version will take place in the Rizin ring under the Japanese organization’s rule set, but the next iteration is expected to take place in a cage under Bellator rules.“Sakakibara and I talked about a two-fight event,” Coker said during a media call. “The next one has to be in a cage and under the Bellator rules. Things can be different when the rules are different and the apparatus is different.”
The location and venue for the second cross-promotional event hasn’t been decided, but Coker has at l…