Tag: Patrick Mix

MMA Junkie’s 2019 ‘Submission of the Year’: Bryce Mitchell’s twister

Here are the top four honorable mentions and winner of MMA Junkie’s “Submission of the Year” award for 2019.

With another action-packed year of MMA in the books, MMA Junkie takes a look at the best submissions from January to December. Here are the top five and winner of MMA Junkie’s “Submission of the Year” award for 2019.

At the bottom of the post, let us know if we got it right by voting on your choice for “Submission of the Year.”

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Honorable mentions

Aviv Gozali def. Eduard Muravitskiy at Bellator 225

It only took [autotag]Aviv Gozali[/autotag] (3-0 MMA, 3-0 BMMA) 11 seconds to imanari roll his way into the fastest stoppage victory in Bellator history against Eduard Muravitskiy (9-9 MMA, 0-1 BMMA).

The 18-year-old Israeli fighter started out the bout with one move on his mind – a heel hook. As the opening bell sounded, Gozali rolled towards opponent Muravitskiy and snatched a leg. A few adjustments, and Gozali forced the tap by heel hook for a third consecutive win to open his career.

4. Ovince Saint Preux def. Michal Oleksiejczuk at UFC on ESPN+ 18

[autotag]Ovince Saint Preux[/autotag] (24-13 MMA, 12-8 UFC) added to his legend with another one of his signature submission wins, this time at the expense of Michal Oleksiejczuk (14-3 MMA, 2-1 UFC) in their light heavyweight matchup.

A rough first round looked like it was going to lead to a bad night for Saint Preux. When the second round arrived, though, Oleksiejczuk was the more fatigued fighter, and when Saint Preux got on top, he wasted little time securing the Von Preux choke to tie the all-time submission record at 205 pounds.

3. Patrick Mix def. Isaiah Chapman at Bellator 232

[autotag]Patrick Mix[/autotag] (13-0 MMA, 2-0 BMMA) achieved a first in Bellator history when in his bantamweight fight he managed to force Isaiah Chapman (9-4 MMA, 0-1 BMMA) to tap out with a rarely seen submission.

After just a few minutes of action, Mix found himself on Chapman’s back during a grappling exchange. He went after the leg and got in position to secure the Suloev stretch, which he fully locked in to become the first in Bellator to win with the technique.

2. Brent Primus def. Tim Wilde at Bellator Europe 2

After losing his Bellator lightweight title in lopsided fashion to close out 2018, [autotag]Brent Primus[/autotag] (9-1 MMA, 7-1 BMMA) got back in the win column in resounding fashion with a finish of Tim Wilde (13-4 MMA, 1-1 BMMA), who never saw it coming.

It was a matter of moments before Primus started working of for the finish. After finding himself on his back, Primus maneuvered his legs into position for a gogoplata. Such attempts rarely bare fruit, but Primus was able to get his shin under Wilde’s neck and force the tap just 80 seconds into the match.

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Winner: Bryce Mitchell def. Matt Sayles at UFC on ESPN 7

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[autotag]Bryce Mitchell[/autotag] pulled off an all-time submission in just his third UFC appearance.

Facing off against Matt Sayles (8-3 MMA, 1-2 UFC) in a featherweight bout, Mitchell (12-0 MMA, 3-0 UFC) pulled off a rare twister submission at the 4:20 mark of the first round.

As the fight wore on, Mitchell and Sayles became tangled on the ground. With his opponent’s leg locked, Mitchell swung his head under the arm of Sayles.

From there, Mitchell wrapped his arms around Sayles’ neck. One grip adjustment was all it took. Clearly in pain due to the torque on his torso, Sayles was forced to tap.

The submission was only the second of its kind successfully executed in UFC history. The first came at UFC Fight Night 24 in March 2011. “The Korean Zombie” Chan Sung Jung pulled off a second-round twister submission in a rematch against fellow WEC alum Leonard Garcia.

“It’s something I do in practice a lot,” Mitchell said. “I’ve seen Eddie Bravo doing it on YouTube and I practiced it, practiced it, and practiced it. I remember every step that he told me. I even know the Peruvian twister – it’s the tighter version. I really paid a lot of attention to that video. Shout out to Eddie Bravo. Yeah, that’s where I got it from.

“If your opponent doesn’t know how to defend it, if they don’t know how to defend, then it’s going to be a one- or two-step process because they will just give you the arm. But if they defend, then it’s like a six-step process, so it takes time. I think that’s why it’s so uncommon because people don’t know all the steps and how to do it.”

Also see:

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Bellator in 2019: A robust look at the stats, streaks, skids, and records

A full recap of Bellator’s most significant footnotes and milestones from the events, fights and individual performances of 2019.

Bellator had its biggest and busiest year to date in 2019, with 24 numbered events that helped raise the promotion’s profile to a true position of prominence in MMA. During that time, many records were set and a host of historic moments were produced.

Now that the year has come to a close, here are some of 2019’s most significant fights and individual performances.

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GENERAL

Bellator president Scott Coker

Bellator held 24 numbered events (not including full European series shows) in 14 different cities across six countries and three continents. The 24 events are the most for the organization in a calendar year.

Those events had 128 main card fights across 11 different weight classes (not including catchweight bouts).

Those 128 main card fights combined for a total cage time of 19:48:08.

The longest event of the year (main card fights only) was Bellator 223 (1:49:02).

The shortest event of the year (main card fights only) was Bellator 214 (20:07).

Eight fighters missed weight for main card bouts. Those fighters went 4-3, while one bout was canceled.

Seven main or co-main event bouts were canceled due to a variety of reasons.

Betting favorites went 82-26 during Bellator main card fights. 14 fights had no odds available while three fights had even odds, and three ended in a no contest.

Six cards saw all the betting favorites win.

No fight cards had more underdogs win than favorites.

Bellator 225 was the first event in company history to have every fight end in a stoppage.

CHAMPIONSHIP FEATS

Ryan Bader

[autotag]Ryan Bader[/autotag] became the first simultaneous two-division champion in company history when he captured the heavyweight title at Bellator 214.

Bader joined Joe Warren as the second fighter in company history to win titles in two weight classes.

[autotag]Rory MacDonald[/autotag] vs. [autotag]Jon Fitch[/autotag] at Bellator 220 marked the first title fight in company history to end in a draw.

[autotag]Patricio Freire[/autotag] became the second simultaneous two-division champion in company history when he captured the lightweight title at Bellator 221.

Freire became the third fighter in company history to win titles in two weight classes, joining Bader and Warren in that exclusive club.

[autotag]Michael Chandler[/autotag] became the first in company history to suffer five losses in title fights when he was defeated at Bellator 221.

Kyoji Horiguchi

[autotag]Kyoji Horiguchi[/autotag] became the first fighter in history to earn titles in Bellator and Rizin FF when he won the Bellator bantamweight title at Bellator 222.

Bader became the first champion in company history to register title defenses in two weight classes when he retained his heavyweight belt at Bellator 226.

Freire set a new mark for most championship-fight victories in company history with his eighth when he won at Bellator 228.

[autotag]Douglas Lima[/autotag] became the second fighter in company history to have three title reigns in a single weight class when he reclaimed the welterweight belt at Bellator 232. Chandler also accomplished the feat.

[autotag]Ilima-Lei Macfarlane[/autotag] became the second champion in company history to earn four consecutive title defenses when she won at Bellator 236. Ben Askren also accomplished the feat.

INDIVIDUAL FEATS

Matt Mitrione vs. Sergei Kharitonov at Bellator 215

[autotag]Matt Mitrione[/autotag] vs. [autotag]Sergei Kharitonov[/autotag] at Bellator 215 marked the third shortest no-contest in Bellator/UFC/WEC/Strikeforce/PRIDE combined history at just 15 seconds. Only Marius Zaromskis vs. Waachim Spiritwolf (six seconds) at Strikeforce Challengers 12 and Kevin Casey vs. Antonio Carlos Junior (11 seconds) at UFC Fight Night 80 were faster.

[autotag]Michael Page[/autotag] became the second fighter in history to earn a 10-fight Bellator winning streak when he won at Bellator 216. A.J. McKee also accomplished the feat.

[autotag]David Rickels[/autotag] became the third fighter in history to reach 15 Bellator victories when he won at Bellator 219. Patricio Freire and Chandler have also accomplished the feat.

[autotag]Jordan Young[/autotag] became the first fighter in company history to earn five consecutive victories by submission when he won at Bellator 224.

[autotag]Aviv Gozali[/autotag], 18, became the youngest fighter to earn a Bellator victory when he won at Bellator 225.

Gozali’s 11-second victory at Bellator 225 marked the fastest submission in company history.

Patricio Freire

Freire set a new mark for most victories in company history with his 18th when he won at Bellator 228.

[autotag]Haim Gozali[/autotag], 46, became the oldest fighter in Bellator history to earn a submission victory when he won at Bellator 234.

[autotag]Frank Mir[/autotag] earned his first non-UFC victory since August 2001 when he won at Bellator 231.

Lima became the first fighter in company history to claim three separate tournaments victories when he won the welterweight grand prix at Bellator 232.

[autotag]Saad Awad[/autotag] became the first in history to suffer 10 Bellator defeats when he lost at Bellator 232.

[autotag]Patrick Mix[/autotag] earned the first Suloev stretch submission finish in company history when he won at Bellator 232.

[autotag]Muhammed Lawal[/autotag] retired from MMA competition following his loss at Bellator 233.

Ilima-Lei Macfarlane

Macfarlane became the third fighter in history to earn a 10-fight Bellator winning streak when she won at Bellator 236. Page and McKee also accomplished the feat.

McKee extended his company record winning streak to 16 fights when he earned a victory at Bellator 236.

McKee set a new record for most stoppages in featherweight history with his 11th when he won at Bellator 236.

Chandler set a new record for most stoppages in company history with his 12th when he won at Bellator 237.

MMA Junkie’s 2019 ‘Under-the-Radar Fighter of the Year’: Geoff Neal

Geoff Neal is MMA Junkie’s 2019 “Under-the-Radar Fighter of the Year” – and for good reason.

[autotag]Geoff Neal[/autotag] is MMA Junkie’s 2019 “Under-the-Radar Fighter of the Year” – and for good reason.

Fortis MMA welterweight Neal (13-2 MMA, 5-0 UFC) had a monster 2019, defeating three difficult opponents in impressive fashion.

Neal’s year began sitting atop a 2-0 UFC record. At UFC on ESPN+ 1 in January, Neal kicked, punched, and outpointed a very tough Belal Muhammad en route to a dominant unanimous decision victory.

Six months later, Neal returned to the cage at UFC 240 in July. One month short of his 29th birthday, Neal took on Niko Price in a thrilling brawl. The two men traded barbs, before Neal eventually finished the Floridian with ground-and-pound in Round 2.

A win over a formidable opponent like Price set Neal up for an even bigger-name opponent in his final outing of the calendar year. In December at UFC 245, Neal made it three-for-three, and did so in short order.

Taking on fan-favorite “Platinum” Mike Perry in the final UFC pay-per-view of the year, Neal didn’t hold back. The Texas native landed a hard head kick, which wobbled Perry. From there, Neal didn’t let Perry off the hook. Instead, Neal swarmed and handed Perry his first career TKO loss at 1:30 of Round 1.

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What Neal did this year was nothing short of incredible. And while the general public is starting to take notice, he still isn’t quite getting the recognition he deserves.

All three of the opponents Neal faced this year were, and are, extremely difficult tests to pass. Muhammad, Price, and Perry are three of the UFC 170-pound division’s most violent. Since their respective fights with Neal, the trio has not lost a fight.

Expect 2020 to be a big year for Neal, who will almost certainly kick off the upcoming decade with a top-15 opponent. If his trajectory continues, we could see his name inserted into the title picture by the end of 2020.

2019 ‘Under-the-Radar Fighter of the Year’ Honorable Mentions

[autotag]Charles Oliveira[/autotag]

Charles Oliveira

2019 Record: 3-0
Win #1, Feb. 2: UFC on ESPN+ 2 vs. David Teymur (submission via anaconda choke – Round 2, 0:55)
Win #2, May 18: UFC on ESPN+ 10 vs. Nik Lentz (TKO via punches – Round 2, 2:21)
Win #3, Nov. 16: UFC on ESPN+ 22 vs. Jared Gordon (knockout via punches – Round 1, 1:26)

[autotag]Cory Sandhagen[/autotag]

Cory Sandhagen

2019 Record: 3-0
Win #1, Jan. 19: UFC on ESPN+ 1 vs. Mario Bautista (submission via armbar – Round 1, 3:31)
Win #2, April 27: UFC on ESPN+ 8 vs. John Lineker (via split decision)
Win #3, Aug. 17: UFC 241 vs. Raphael Assuncao (via unanimous decision)

[autotag]Glover Teixeira[/autotag]

Glover Teixeira

2019 Record: 3-0
Win #1, Jan. 19: UFC on ESPN+ 1 vs. Karl Roberson (submission via arm-triangle choke – Round 1, 3:21)
Win #2, April 27: UFC on ESPN+ 8 vs. Ion Cutelaba (submission via rear-naked choke – Round 2, 3:37)
Win #3, Sept. 14: UFC on ESPN+ 16 vs. Nikita Krylov (via split decision)

[autotag]Edmen Shahbazyan[/autotag]

Edmen Shahbazyan

2019 Record: 3-0
Win #1, March 2: UFC 235 vs. Charles Byrd (TKO via elbows and punches – Round 1, 0:38)
Win #2, July 6: UFC 239 vs. Jack Marshman (submission via rear-naked choke – Round 1, 1:12)
Win #3, Nov. 2: UFC 244 vs. Brad Tavares (knockout via head kick – Round 1, 2:27)

[autotag]Gilbert Burns[/autotag]

Gilbert Burns

2019 Record: 3-0
Win #1, April 27: UFC on ESPN+ 8 vs. Mike Davis (submission via rear-naked choke – Round 2, 4:16)
Win #2, Aug. 10: UFC on ESPN+ 14 vs. Aleksei Kunchenko (via unanimous decision)
Win #3, Sept. 28: UFC on ESPN+ 18 vs. Gunnar Nelson (knockout via punches – Round 1, 1:26)

[autotag]Irene Aldana[/autotag]

Irene Aldana

2019 Record: 3-1
Win #1, May 11: UFC 237 vs. Bethe Correia (submission via armbar – Round 3, 3:24)
Loss, July 20: UFC on ESPN 4 vs. Raquel Pennington (via split decision)
Win #2, Sept. 21: UFC on ESPN+ 17 vs. Vanessa Melo (via unanimous decision)
Win #3, Dec. 14: UFC 245 vs. Jared Gordon (knockout via punch – Round 1, 4:51)

[autotag]Emiliano Sordi[/autotag]

Emiliano Sordi

2019 Record: 5-0
Win #1, June 6: PFL Regular Season vs. Vinny Magalhaes (TKO via punches – Round 2, 2:45)
Win #2, Aug. 8: PFL Regular Season vs. Bozigit Ataev (knockout via punches – Round 1, 1:23)
Win #3, Oct. 31: PFL Playoffs vs. Sigi Pesaleli (TKO via strikes – Round 1, 1:13)
Win #4, Oct. 31: PFL Playoffs vs. Bozigit Ataev (submission via rear-naked choke – Round 1, 4:26)
Win #5, Dec. 31: PFL Final vs. Jordan Johnson (TKO via ground-and-pound – Round 1, 2:01)

[autotag]Patrick Mix[/autotag]

Patrick Mix

2019 Record: 4-0
Win #1, Feb. 23: KOTC vs. Turrell Galloway (via TKO – Round 1, 1:45)
Win #2, June 14: Bellator 222 vs. Ricky Bandejas (submission via rear-naked choke – Round 1, 1:06)
Win #3, Oct. 26: Bellator 232 (submission via Suloev stretch – Round 1, 3:49)
Win #4, Dec. 31: RIZIN 20 vs. Yuki Motoya (submission via guillotine choke – Round 1, 1:36)

Also see:

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Rizin FF 20: Bellator bantamweight Patrick Mix continues finishing streak with Saitama submission

Bellator bantamweight Patrick Mix impressed in Japan as he claimed his third successive submission win with victory over Yuki Motoya at Rizin FF 20.

Bellator bantamweight [autotag]Patrick Mix[/autotag] enhanced his growing reputation as one of the most dangerous men in the organization’s 135-pound class with his latest stoppage victory as he submitted former DEEP flyweight champion Yuki Motoya on the preliminary card at Rizin FF 20 in Saitama, Japan.

Mix and Motoya went to the mat early and scrambled back and forth for position, with the Japanese fighter taking the early initiative as he looked close to locking up an armbar submission.

But Mix showed his composure as he calmly extricated himself from the tricky predicament, then turned the tables on the Nagoya native as he grabbed his opponent’s neck and locked up a tight guillotine choke that left Motoya with no option but to tap after just 96 seconds of their Rizin vs. Bellator matchup.

It gave Mix his third straight submission finish, his seventh sub from his last eight outings and his fourth successive first-round finish as he served notice to his rivals back home that he is a serious threat to Bellator’s best at 135 pounds, especially when the action hits the mat.

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Up-to-date Rizin FF 20 results include:

  • Patrick Mix def. Yuki Motoya via submission (guillotine choke) – Round 1, 1:36
  • Miyuu Yamamoto def. Suwanan Boonsorn via unanimous decision
  • Patricky Freire def. Luiz Gustavo via TKO (punches and soccer kick) – Round 1, 0:28
  • Tofiq Musaev def. Johnny Case via TKO (punches) – Round 1, 2:46

Rizin Shine: Kai Asakura gets his shot at superstardom in Saitama at Rizin FF 20

MMA Junkie’s Simon Head looks ahead to Rizin FF’s end-of-year spectacular at the Saitama Super Arena on New Year’s Eve.

Things didn’t work out as originally planned for Rizin FF, but the Japanese promotion’s New Year’s Eve spectacular at the Saitama Super Arena will still finish with a wild scrap for their bantamweight title.

Rizin FF 20 was all set to feature the hotly-anticipated rematch between Kyoji Horiguchi and the man who shocked the MMA world when he finished the two-promotion bantamweight champion in their non-title meeting at Rizin FF 18 in October, [autotag]Kai Asakura[/autotag].

Asakura’s 68-second demolition of Horiguchi in Nagoya stunned the Japanese MMA community, and when Asakura (14-1, 6-0 Rizin FF) repeated the trick with a 54-second knockout of Ulka Sasaki at Rizin 19 that left the former UFC fighter with a broken jaw, it was clear that the 26-year-old was the undeniable number-one contender for Horiguchi’s title.

Everything seemed set for an end-of-year showdown in Saitama, but disaster struck in November when news emerged that Horiguchi had sustained a knee injury that would require surgery and an estimated layoff of around 10 months. But, in an honorable move from the American Top Team man, Horiguchi decided to relinquish his Rizin and Bellator bantamweight titles to free up the belts and allow Rizin to book an alternative title fight for New Year’s Eve.

Now the vacant bantamweight strap will be up for grabs in the night’s main event, with Asakura taking on the explosive [autotag]Manel Kape[/autotag] (, whose second-round knockouts of Seiichiro Ito and Takeya Mizugaki at Rizin FF 15 and 18 respectively made him a compelling replacement opponent for Dec. 31. And with Asakura taking the spoils when the pair battled to a split decision back in May 2018, there’s fighting pride, as well as a championship belt, at stake.

Hamasaki and Seo set for super-atomweight showdown

A second title fight will also feature at the top end of the main card, with reigning Rizin women’s super atomweight champion [autotag]Ayaka Hamasaki[/autotag] returning to action to face the challenge of South Korea’s [autotag]Seo Hee Ham[/autotag] in a title fight between fighters with a combined 51 fights to their name.

Hamasaki (19-2, 5-0 Rizin FF) captured the vacant title at Rizin FF 14 last December via second-round armbar finish of Kanna Asakura, then defended her title with a unanimous decision against Jihn Yu Frey in June. Most recently, she armbarred Suwanan Boonsorn in a non-title showcase at Rizin FF 18. Now she takes on former UFC strawweight Seo (22-8, 2-0 Rizin FF) Hee Ham, who hasn’t lost since departing the UFC at the end of 2016.

Rizin FF women’s atomweight champion: Ayaka Hamasaki (L) with Seo Hee Ham

Seo has won five in a row, with her last two victories coming via stoppage inside the Rizin ring. Tomo Maesawa was dispatched inside a round, then Seo finished Japanese amateur wrestling icon Miyuu Yamamoto via second-round TKO at Rizin FF 19 in October. Now the 32-year-old from Busan will bid to capture her second title since leaving the UFC as she aims to add the Rizin title to the Road FC atomweight title she won in December 2017.

Dolloway aims for redemption – and a championship belt

A USADA anti-doping suspension may have left [autotag]C.B. Dolloway[/autotag] unable to compete Stateside, but the MMA free-agent has been handed not just a lifeline, but the opportunity of a lifetime, as he takes on reigning champion [autotag]Jiri Prochazka[/autotag] for the Rizin light heavyweight title.

Dolloway (17-9, 0-0 Rizin FF) was handed a two-year ban by USADA after a pair out-of-competition tests came back positive, while an IV infusion was also adjudged to be over the allowable limit.

It resulted in Dolloway’s eventual release from the UFC, with the American seemingly banned from competition until mid-December 2020. But with Rizin not recognizing USADA’s suspensions, Dolloway is free to fight for the Japanese promotion, and will challenge the dominant champ Prochazka (25-3-1, 10-1 Rizin FF), who is riding a 10-fight, four-year win streak. The big Czech has finished nine of those 10 victories, with eight of those coming inside the opening round.

Lightweight grand prix reaches its climax

In addition to the three title fights on the card, Rizin FF 20 will also feature the two semifinals, then the final, of the promotion’s lightweight grand prix tournament.

The semis will see America’s [autotag]Johnny Case[/autotag] face off with dangerous Azerbaijani contender [autotag]Tofiq Musaev[/autotag], while the other half of the draw features Bellator star [autotag]Patricky Freire[/autotag], who will take on fellow countryman [autotag]Luiz Gustavo[/autotag].

The four men will contest their semifinal matchups early on the preliminary card, with the two winners facing off in the tournament final in the final bout before the intermission.

And finally…

Look out for Bellator bantamweight contender [autotag]Patrick Mix[/autotag], who will be representing his promotion with pride as he takes on former DEEP bantamweight champion [autotag]Yuki Motoya[/autotag].

Former King of the Cage bantamweight champ Mix has been one of the big success stories of Bellator’s lower weight classes after joining the promotion midway through the year and producing a pair of highlight-reel first-round submissions.

After his Suloev stretch finish of Isiah Chapman at Bellator 232, Mix told MMA Junkie he was only just scratching the surface of his capabilities, and now he gets the chance to showcase his grappling prowess inside the Rizin ring.

And perhaps the biggest reception of the night could come early on the card, as [autotag]Miyuu Yamamoto[/autotag] returns to action against [autotag]Suwanan Boonsorn[/autotag] (4-2, 0-1 Rizin FF). Yamamoto (5-4, 5-4 Rizin FF) is still competing in MMA and grappling tournaments at the age of 45, and the former amateur wrestling phenom and sister of the late, great Norifumi “Kid” Yamamoto remains a firm favorite with the Japanese fight fans wherever she competes.

Full Rizin FF 20 MMA fight card includes:

MAIN CARD

  • Kai Asakura vs. Manel Kape – for vacant bantamweight title
  • Champion Ayaka Hamasaki vs. Seo Hee Ham – for super atomweight title
  • Mikuru Asakura vs. John Teixeira
  • Rena Kubota vs. Lindsey VanZandt

PRELIMINARY CARD

  • Rizin FF Lightweight Grand Prix Final
  • Champion Jiri Prochazka vs. C.B. Dolloway – for light heavyweight title
  • Simon Biyong vs. Vitaly Shemetov
  • Shintaro Ishiwatari vs. Hiromasa Ogikubo
  • Jake Heun vs. Satoshi Ishii
  • Patrick Mix vs. Yuki Motoya
  • Suwanan Boonsorn vs. Miyuu Yamamoto
  • Patricky Freire vs. Luiz Gustavo – lightweight grand prix semifinal
  • Johnny Case vs. Tofiq Musaev – lightweight grand prix semifinal

Bellator 237, Rizin FF 20 cards begin to fill out with multiple additions, including five crossover bouts

Multiple new additions have been added to December’s dual Bellator and Rizin FF cards in Japan, including five crossover contests.

Five additional fights have been added to the upcoming Bellator and Rizin FF joint cards being held in Saitama, Japan.

Bellator president Scott Coker shared the news of three crossover bouts that are headed to the Bellator 237 card at Saitama Super Arena, as well as two crossover bouts added to the Rizin FF 20 card also taking place at the same venue, two days later.

On the Bellator card, UFC veterans [autotag]Lorenz Larkin[/autotag] (21-7 MMA, 3-2 BMMA) and [autotag]Keita Nakamura[/autotag] (35-10-2 MMA, 0-0 BMMA) will both make quick turnarounds and square off in a welterweight bout. Since dropping his first two promotional bouts with Bellator, Larkin has won his last three in a row, most recently picking up a split-decision win over Andrey Koreshkov at Bellator 229. Nakamura made good in his Rizin debut, scoring a first round finish over Marcos Yoshio de Souza at Rizin FF 19.

Also headed to Bellator 237 is a women’s flyweight bout between [autotag]Ilara Joanne[/autotag] (9-4 MMA, 1-0 BMMA) and [autotag]Kana Watanabe[/autotag] (8-0-1 MMA, 0-0 BMMA). Joanne recently picked up the biggest win of her career, submitting UFC veteran Bec Rawlings in her Bellator debut last month. Joanne, who’s riding a three-fight winning streak, recently called out 125-pound champ Ilima-Lei Macfarlane, but instead draws Japan’s undefeated Watanabe.

The third bout added to Bellator 237 is a lightweight bout between [autotag]Goiti Yamauchi[/autotag] (24-4 MMA, 10-3 BMMA) and [autotag]Daron Cruickshank[/autotag] (22-12 MMA, 0-0 BMMA). Yamauchi is coming off back-to-back wins that include a decision over Daniel Weichel and a first-round submission over Saad Awad at October’s Bellator 229. Cruickshank, has dropped his last two in a row to Damien Brown and Tofiq Musaev, and he now looks to get back in the win column.

Meanwhile, on the Dec. 31 Rizin card, two bouts will take place under the Japanese promotion’s ruleset. [autotag]Yuki Motoya[/autotag] (23-7) faces undefeated [autotag]Patrick Mix[/autotag] (12-0) in a bantamweight bout, while [autotag]Mikuru Asakura[/autotag] (11-1) will take on [autotag]John Macapa[/autotag] (23-42) in a featherweight clash.

Meanwhile, Rizin officials announced a series of post-lim bouts to take place at Bellator 237, which the Japanese promotion is calling “Bellator Japan powered by RIZIN.”

The matchups include [autotag]Andy Nguyen[/autotag] (6-8) vs. [autotag]Ai Shimizu[/autotag] (5-1), [autotag]Ryuichiro Sumimura[/autotag] (14-7) vs. [autotag]Jon Tuck[/autotag] (10-5), [autotag]Jarred Brooks[/autotag] (15-2) vs. [autotag]Haruo Ochi[/autotag] (19-7-2) and [autotag]Hiroto Uesako[/autotag] (16-8) vs. [autotag]Yusuke Yachi[/autotag] (20-9).