Rizin vs. Bellator New Year’s Eve matchups announced: A.J. McKee, Patricio Freire among participants

Rizin and Bellator’s best will go head to head on New Year’s Eve in Japan.

Rizin and Bellator’s best will go head to head on New Year’s Eve.

During a press conference Wednesday in Japan, both promotions announced that Rizin 40 will take place Dec. 31 atΒ Saitama Super Arena just outside Tokyo. The main card will air in the U.S. on Showtime and the fights will take place in Rizin’s ring under the promotion’s ruleset.

Former Bellator champion [autotag]A.J. McKee[/autotag] (19-1) will meet Rizin lightweight champion [autotag]Roberto de Souza[/autotag] (14-1) in the night’s headliner, whereas reigning Bellator featherweight champion [autotag]Patricio Freire[/autotag] (34-5) will take on Rizin featherweight champ [autotag]Kleber Koike[/autotag] (31–5–1) in the co-main event.

Also announced for the card is a flyweight matchup between ex-Bellator bantamweight champ [autotag]Kyoji Horiguchi[/autotag]Β (30-5) and [autotag]Hiromasa Ougikubo[/autotag] (25–6–2), which will mark their third fight. Horiguchi defeated Ougikubo twice; once by submission to capture the Shooto bantamweight title in 2013, then a second time by unanimous decision at Rizin 11 in 2018.

The fourth fight announced is a bantamweight fight between former Bellator champ [autotag]Juan Archuleta[/autotag]Β (26-4) and South Korea’s [autotag]Kim Soo Chul[/autotag] (18-6-1).

The current Rizin 40 lineup includes:

  • A.J. McKee vs. Roberto de Souza
  • Patricio Freire vs. Kleber Koike
  • Juan Archuleta vs. Kim Soo Chul
  • Kyoji Horiguchi vs Hiromasa Ougikubo

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