Bellator has been doing regular co-promoted events and fighter exchanges with Rizin for years, but they’ll raise the bar New Year’s Eve.
The two promotions announced Monday a Bellator vs. Rizin event for Dec. 31 that will see fighters from each fight each other against all five fights on the main card. Included in that mix will be a current Bellator champion and at least three former champions: Patricio Freire, A.J. McKee, Juan Archuleta and Kyoji Horiguchi.
The event will take place at the historic Saitama Super Arena just outside Tokyo. The main card will air in the U.S. on Showtime, Bellator’s regular broadcast partner. A kickoff news conference to announce the event is set for Wednesday in Tokyo, at which particular rule sets will be revealed. Fights will take place in Rizin’s ring instead of a cage.
