''Bellator MMA vs. Rizin FF'' and ''Rizin 40'' was a

mixed martial arts Mixed martial arts (MMA), sometimes referred to as cage fighting, no holds barred (NHB), and ultimate fighting, and originally referred to as Vale Tudo is a full-contact combat sport based on striking, grappling and ground fighting, inc ...

event being co-promoted by

Bellator MMA Bellator MMA (formerly Bellator Fighting Championships) is an American mixed martial arts promotion (entertainment), promotion founded in 2008 and based in Santa Monica, California, owned and operated as a subsidiary of television and media cong ...

and the

Rizin Fighting Federation Rizin Fighting Federation (Rizin FF or Rizin) is a Japanese mixed martial arts organization created in 2015 by the former Pride Fighting Championships and Dream Stage Entertainment president Nobuyuki Sakakibara. Rizin was founded to be the spir ...

that took place on December 31, 2022, at the

Saitama Super Arena is a multi-purpose indoor arena located in Chūō-ku, Saitama, Saitama Prefecture, Japan. It opened preliminarily on May 5, 2000, and then was officially opened on September 1 of the same year. Its maximum spectator capacity is 36,500, making i ...

in Saitama, Japan.

Background

The main card saw fighters from each promotion fight each other, with the Bellator representatives including a current champion and three former champions:

Patrício Pitbull Patrício Freire (born July 7, 1987, in Natal, Brazil), known professionally by his ring name Patrício Pitbull, is a Brazilian mixed martial artist currently competing in Bellator MMA where he is the current three-time Bellator Featherweight Ch ...

, A. J. McKee,

Juan Archuleta Juan Archuleta (born September 13, 1987) is an American mixed martial artist who competes in the Bantamweight (MMA), Bantamweight division of Bellator MMA, and he is the former Bellator Bantamweight Champion. A professional MMA competitor sinc ...

and

Kyoji Horiguchi is a Japanese mixed martial artist currently competing in Bellator MMA and Rizin FF in the Flyweight division. He is the former bantamweight champion in both organizations. As of December 13, 2022, he is #6 in the Bellator Bantamweight Rankings ...

. Matches were contested under Rizin's ruleset, which differs from Bellator's usual

Unified Rules of Mixed Martial Arts Most rule sets for mixed martial arts (MMA) competitions have evolved since the early days of Vale Tudo. As a result of health, legal, and moral concerns, many different rulesets were created, which give different countries and promotions very dif ...

. The main card aired tape delayed in the U.S. on

Showtime Showtime or Show Time may refer to: Film * ''Showtime'' (film), a 2002 American action/comedy film * ''Showtime'' (video), a 1995 live concert video by Blur Television Networks and channels * Showtime Networks, a division of Paramount Global w ...

, Bellator's regular broadcast partner.

Results

References

External links

Bellator MMA vs. Rizin
- Bellator Sport Worldwide
Rizin 40
- Rizin Fighting Federation {{2022 in mixed martial arts Bellator MMA events Rizin Fighting Federation Sport in Saitama (city) 2022 in mixed martial arts 2022 in Japanese sport Mixed martial arts in Japan Sports competitions in Japan December 2022 sports events in Japan

Background

Results

See also

References

External links