UFC and Rizin veteran Kiichi Kunimoto has signed with Bellator, according to Japanese website MMA Planet. The 37 year old is coming off back to back wins but only fought once last year.
Kunimoto (19-7-2-1) started out with Pancrase and went on to win the Heat welterweight title. He won his first three UFC fights but was handed his marching papers after losing the next two.
He signed for Rizin after being released for the UFC and won both his fights for the promotion. But possibly due to the dearth of welterweights on the roster Kunimoto was unable to compete regularly.
The Bellator welterweight title is currently the property of Rory Macdonald and Kunimoto joins numerous other UFC veterans on the promotion’s 170lbs roster including Gegard Mousasi, Paul Daley and Jon Fitch.
There is still the possibility he might get to compete on a future Rizin card. The promotion has a partnership with Bellator that saw Kyoji Horiguchi face Darrion Caldwell in a title fight last year.
Horiguchi beat Caldwell to become the inaugural Rizin bantamweight champion. He is set to defend that title on a Bellator card at some stage during 2019.
