Juan Archuleta: Rizin Fighters ‘Confidence Lacking a Little More’ vs. Bellator Foes

Juan Archuleta left Rizin 40 with plenty of respect for opponent Soo Chul Kim following a hard-fought split-decision triumph on New Year’s Eve.

Archuleta defeated Kim, a former Road Fighting Championship title holder, via split decision as part of a Bellator vs. Rizin main card at Saitama Super Arena in Saitama, Japan. “The Spaniard” believes Kim would be a ranked fighter if he competed on a regular basis in Bellator’s bantamweight division.

“Definitely in the Top 6, above the Top 10 that’s for sure,” Archuleta said at the Rizin 40 post-fight press conference. “I think he finishes a lot of guys we have in Bellator just because of toughness and his grit. It reminded me a lot of my last opponent I fought, Enrique Barzola.”

Though it was close on the scorecards, Archuleta believed he did enough significant work to get the nod at the end of the fight.

“I inflicted the first damage; bloodied him up. Then, I started the takedowns. It was slippery. It was my first time in the ring; I tried not to let it get to my head. I knew where I had to take the fight to win the fight,” he said. “I knew I had to take him to the ground to get control, to establish dominance and cause damage, and that’s what I did. And remember, [Rizn President Nobuyuki] Sakakibara didn’t bring us here for an easy [win. He’s a former champ. These fights are close; they’re gonna be dogfights for us to win. I had the best of Soo Chul Kim, and he had the very best of me.”

Archuleta’s triumph was part of a 5-0 Bellator victory in the head-to-head matchup with Rizin. The former Bellator bantamweight champ noticed one key difference between fighters from his organization and the Japanese promotion.

“I think their confidence [was the deciding factor]. They’re lacking in dictating their offense. With Soo Chul Kim, if he had started his offense a little earlier, he would have had me on the back foot more,” Archuleta said. “I think their confidence is lacking a little more. It is scary though, because you’re crossing the line. Sometimes when you cross the line and get hit, it makes you second guess your next move. I think fighters on both sides were questioning how to cross the line without getting hurt.”

Like many of his Bellator cohorts, Archuleta is open to the idea of return to fight under the Rizin banner with a title on the line.

“I definitely would like to come back and fight for the title. I think beating one of Rizin’s top fighters puts me in title contention,” he said. “I think Asakura if he wants the challenge. I’m more than willing to take the fight, I’ve offered the fight. If I am able to come back to Japan I will fight anyone who Sakikabara wanted.”