Bellator x Rizin 2 is set for the Saitama Super Arena on July 30th. Three fights have already been confirmed for the card which looks set to be headlined by a lightweight bout between AJ McKee and Patricky Freire.
A Japanese fighter will be crowned as the inaugural Bellator flyweight champion. Kyoji Horiguchi faces Makoto Takahashi with the newly minted title on the line.
McKee (20-1) and Freire (24-11) will meet in the quarter final of the Bellator lightweight Grand Prix in a fight that looks set to headline the card. The American is the former 145lbs champion while the Brazilian previously held the 155lbs belt.
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Main attraction
But for Japanese fans the main attraction will surely be the flyweight title fight. Horiguchi (16-9) is returning to the division where he made his name with the UFC, after capturing the Bellator and Rizin titles during his recent stint as a bantamweight.
Takahashi (16-1-1) beat Yusaku Nakamura at Bellator Japan in 2019. He also has three recent wins for Rizin and has win his last ten fights.
Horiguchi dropped down to flyweight after suffering back to back defeats on Bellator cards. He won two fights out of two competing at 125lbs last year and saw a recent bout fall through when opponent Ray Borg couldn’t make weight.
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Japanese stars
The card will also feature a flyweight fight pitting Kana Watanabe (11-2-1) against Veta Arteaga (7-5). The latter will be looking to bounce back from her split decision defeat to Ilima-Lei Macfarlane.
Kai Asakura (20-4) will be looking to recapture the Rizin bantamweight title. He has been matched with Bellator’s Juan Archuleta (28-4) in a fight that will have the vacant belt on the line.
His brother will also be on the card. Mikuru Asakura (17-3) will be looking for his fourth straight win when he faces Vugar Karamov (18-4) who has won three in a row.
Bellator x Rizin 2, Tokyo, July 30th
AJ McKee vs. Patricky Freire (Lightweight)
Kyoji Horiguchi vs. Makoto Takahashi (For Bellator flyweight title)
Kana Watanabe vs. Veta Arteaga (Flyweight)
Kai Asakura vs. Juan Archuleta (For Rizin bantamweight title)
Mikuru Asakura vs Vugar Karamov (Featherweight)
