Bellator vs. Rizin Card Announced for New Year’s Eve in Japan

.@BellatorMMA vs. @rizin_PR

History will be made on New Year's Eve in Japan. pic.twitter.com/z9QdafBdWJ

— Scott Coker (@ScottCoker) October 24, 2022

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.