Tag: RIZIN FF 40

MMA Junkie’s Knockout of the Month for December: Sergei Pavlovich’s 54-second starching

With another action-packed month of MMA in the books, MMA Junkie looks at the best knockouts from December 2022.

With another action-packed month of MMA in the books, MMA Junkie looks at the best knockouts from December 2022: Here are the five nominees, listed in chronological order, and winner of MMA Junkie’s Knockout of the Month award for December.

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

Nominees

John Dodson wants Rizin FF bout vs. Kyoji Horiguchi: ‘He has to be my stepping stone’

John Dodson is hoping to fight fellow former UFC title challenger Kyoji Horiguchi now under the Rizin FF banner.

[autotag]John Dodson[/autotag] wants to take on one of Japan’s best ever.

The former UFC title challenger is hoping to cross paths with former Bellator and Rizin FF champion [autotag]Kyoji Horiguchi[/autotag] now that they’re once again fighting under the same banner.

Dodson (23-13) made a statement in his Rizin FF debut at Saturday’s Rizin FF vs. Bellator event in Japan. The 38-year-old knocked out veteran Hideo Tokoro in less than two minutes into their flyweight bout.

Dodson is hoping to fight Horiguchi next, as it’s a bout he was promised long ago.

“I’ve been trying to fight Horiguchi for the last two years,” Dodson told reporters at the post-fight press conference. “When I got released from the UFC, they gave me Horiguchi as a future opponent coming into Rizin, but then the borders were shut down (due to the pandemic), and they wouldn’t let me come over here.

“Then he got signed to Bellator, so it’s been like a back-and-forth thing. I’ve been waiting for my opportunity to really test my abilities against the former champion of Rizin. I want to be the champion, and he has to be my stepping stone to become it.”

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Horiguchi is one of the most successful fighters in Japanese MMA history. He knows he’s likely not going to be the fan favorite going into a potential showdown with the ATT standout, but that doesn’t bother Dodson one bit.

“I don’t care, I can be the villain of any story,” Dodson said. “But at the same time I’m going to come out the hero.”

The win over Tokoro was Dodson’s second MMA fight and second MMA victory of 2022.

“The Magician” was coming off a unanimous decision win over Francisco Rivera back in April at XMMA 4: Black Magic. Dodson also competed in bareknuckle boxing this year, knocking out Ryan Benoit at BKFC 28 in August. Dodson is currently 2-1 in MMA since his departure from the UFC in 2020.

For more on the card, visit MMA Junkie’s event hub for Rizin FF 40: Rizin vs. Bellator.

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A.J. McKee wants Japan return after Rizin FF vs. Bellator win – except with title on the line

A.J. McKee hopes there are more opportunities to fight in Japan in his future, and ideally with gold on the line.

[autotag]A.J. McKee[/autotag] loved everything about his first time fighting in “The Land of the Rising Sun.”

The former Bellator featherweight champion made the trip to Japan for his fight against Rizin FF lightweight champion Roberto de Souza in the main event of Saturday’s Rizin FF 40: Rizin vs. Bellator. It was a non-title bout that was part of a promotion vs. promotion event.

McKee (20-1) won the fight by unanimous decision after three rounds of fighting, completing a 5-0 sweep for Team Bellator. For McKee, fighting in Japan, a country with an extensive history in MMA, was an unforgettable experience.

“I’m just trying to embrace it all,” McKee told reporters at the post-fight press conference. “Being here and fighting in Japan for the fans here is a lifetime experience. They just appreciate the art of the sport so much more here. So it’s an honor to be here and put on a great show.”

McKee’s father and coach, Antonio, had competed in Japan in his younger days as an active fighter. He fought for K-1 and DREAM. In his last appearance in Japan, Antonio suffered a stoppage loss to Shinya Aoki.

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McKee felt the need to leave the last name McKee victorious in Japan with this outing in Rizin FF.

“This place is phenomenal,” McKee said. “Fans are phenomenal, culture is phenomenal, it’s just an honor to be here, honestly. I’ve just heard so many stories and witnessed so many great fights here, so to finally be here and be a part of it.

“I had to redeem the last name McKee. The last time we were here, my father broke his orbital against Aoki. I just wanted to make sure to put on a great show for you guys.”

Apart from being the first time McKee fought overseas, it was also his first experience competing under a different MMA rule set. At Rizin fighters are allowed to head-stomp, and kick and knee downed opponents – something that’s illegal in the U.S..

McKee very much enjoyed the freedom that came with Rizin FF.

“Man, that was so fun,” McKee said. “I don’t know if that’s something I can do every fight, but it’s definitely something I enjoy a lot. I look forward to doing it again. Hopefully Rizin enjoyed the show, and they bring me back, and we can do it again for a title.”

For more on the card, visit MMA Junkie’s event hub for Rizin FF 40: Rizin vs. Bellator.

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Scott Coker reacts to Bellator’s 5-0 win vs. Rizin FF: ‘This is the best roster we’ve ever had’

Scott Coker says Bellator’s 5-0 sweep over Rizin FF shows how competitive the promotion’s roster is.

Bellator boss [autotag]Scott Coker[/autotag] saw his team go unbeaten in their clash against Rizin FF on Saturday.

In a promotion vs. promotion event to close out 2022, Bellator fighters went 5-0, giving their American promotion a clean sweep at Saturday’s Rizin FF vs. Bellator event in Japan. The fights took place at Saitama Super Arena in Saitama, near Tokyo. The main card airs on Showtime via tape delay at 8 p.m. ET.

These bouts included A.J. McKee defeating Rizin FF lightweight champion Roberto de Souza in the main event of the card, Patricio Freire topping Kleber Koike Erbst in the co-main, Kyoji Horiguchi outpointing Hiromasa Ougikubo, Juan Archuleta beating Soo Chul Kim, and to open up the main card Gadzhi Rabadanov defeating Koji Takeda.

Coker is happy with the result, but feels that perfect record could’ve been denied in the final fight of the card.

“I always said my wish was to go 5-0, and I’m happy that my guys won, but to me, it was very competitive out there,” Coker told reporters at the post-fight press conference. “That last fight, de Souza when he was fighting A.J., there were a couple of times I thought he might get tapped.

“It was very stressful to watch that last fight. It was very back and forth. I’m glad A.J. did what he had to do to win. But anything can happen in a fight in MMA. It was an entertaining night of fights.”

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Although the record might indicate it was a one-sided affair, Coker thinks the Rizin FF fighters held their own. He also believes Bellator is the strongest its ever been talent wise and that a similar result could be expected against other MMA promotions.

“It just shows you how much the Rizin fighters to me have grown in the last five, six years,” Coker said. “I see a big growth spur. Keep in mind, when you talk about the Bellator athletes, and I’m not just saying this because you know it’s the company I run, but over the last six, seven years, this is the best roster we’ve ever had in the history of the company. …

“If you go all the way down the weight classes, we not just have fighters that can compete in the UFC, but we have fighters at three or four in each weight class that can compete against any company on the planet. We have a very strong, strong fighter base right now.”

For more on the card, visit MMA Junkie’s event hub for Rizin FF 40: Rizin vs. Bellator.

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Rizin FF 40 video: Ex-UFC title challenger John Dodson scores vicious knockout in debut

Two-time UFC title challenger John Dodson scored a vicious knockout of Hideo Tokoro in his Rizin FF debut.

[autotag]John Dodson[/autotag] sure made a good first impression with the Japanese fan base.

Two-time UFC title challenger Dodson scored a vicious knockout in his Rizin FF debut at Saturday’s Rizin FF vs. Bellator event in Japan. Dodson (23-13) put the lights out on veteran [autotag]Hideo Tokoro[/autotag] (35-32-1) in their flyweight bout on the preliminary card of the event. The official stoppage came at the 1:43 minute mark of Round 1.

The event took place at Saitama Super Arena in Saitama, near Tokyo. The main card airs on Showtime via tape delay at 8 p.m. ET.

You can watch Dodson’s KO win in the video below:

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This was Dodson’s second MMA fight and second MMA win of 2022. The 38-year-old was coming off a unanimous decision win over Francisco Rivera back in April at XMMA 4: Black Magic. Dodson also competed in bareknuckle boxing this year, knocking out Ryan Benoit at BKFC 28 in August.

Dodson is currently 2-1 in MMA since his departure from the UFC in 2020.

For more on the card, visit MMA Junkie’s event hub for Rizin FF 40: Rizin vs. Bellator.

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A.J. McKee def. Roberto de Souza at Rizin FF vs. Bellator: Best photos

Check out the best photos from A.J. McKee’s unanimous decision win over Roberto de Souza at Rizin FF 40: Rizin vs. Bellator.

Check out these photos highlighting [autotag]A.J. McKee[/autotag]’s unanimous decision win over [autotag]Roberto de Souza[/autotag] at Rizin FF 40: Rizin vs. Bellator from Saitama Super Arena in Japan. (Photos by Rizin FF)

Rizin FF vs. Bellator results: A.J. McKee edges champ Roberto de Souza, secures 5-0 sweep for Team Bellator

A.J. McKee defeated Rizin FF champion Roberto de Souza in a unanimous decision to make it 5-0 for Team Bellator at Rizin FF vs. Bellator.

[autotag]A.J. McKee[/autotag] made it a clean sweep for Team Bellator at Rizin FF 40: Rizin vs. Bellator

The former Bellator featherweight champion defeated Rizin FF lightweight champion [autotag]Roberto de Souza[/autotag] by unanimous decision in the main event of Saturday’s card, which pitted the top names from the top organizations against one another. With the win, Bellator beat Rizin FF 5-0 in their cross-promotion showdown.

The event took place at Saitama Super Arena in Saitama, near Tokyo, Japan. The main card airs on Showtime via tape-delay at 8 p.m. ET.

McKee (20-1) and de Souza (14-2) arguably put on the best fight of the main card. The two went back and forth on both the ground and feet. It was a high-paced bout.

In Round 1, McKee looked to establish dominance on the feet, but de Souza pulled guard and forced him into grappling. Against his corner’s advice, McKee didn’t look to get back on his feet and welcomed the ground work. The rest of the round, it was McKee landing ground-and-pound from top and keeping defensively sound, while de Souza looked to set up submissions from bottom.

Things really picked up in Round 2. De Souza stood with McKee and the two traded shots, at times getting wild in their exchanges. It was fairly even on the feet, and then de Souza managed to get the fight to the ground and get the back around the halfway point. De Souza had good control, but didn’t look to get close in any of his submission attempts. With about a minute remaining, McKee slipped out and began punishing the Brazilian. Big strikes, body stomps, knees to the head while downed – McKee put it on de Souza.

In the final round, de Souza clearly was the one who shinned. He took a more aggressive approach and took down McKee several times, while taking his back a couple of times, and attacking from multiple positions. McKee spent the majority of the round trying to defend takedowns and fighting off submissions.

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McKee is now on a two-fight winning streak since losing his Bellator featherweight title and undefeated record to Brazil’s Patricio Freire back in April. This was also his second fight at 155 pounds, as he was coming off a successful lightweight debut in October against Spike Carlyle.

And with the defeat, de Souza saw a five-fight winning streak come to an end. Prior to the event, de Souza only had one professional defeat, which came in 2019 against former UFC fighter Johnny Case.

Official Rizin vs. Bellator results include:

For more on the card, visit MMA Junkie’s event hub for Rizin FF 40: Rizin vs. Bellator.

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Patricio Freire def. Kleber Koike at Rizin FF vs. Bellator: Best photos

Check out these photos highlighting Patricio Freire’s unanimous decision win over Kleber Koike Erbst at Rizin FF 40: Rizin vs. Bellator from Saitama Super Arena in Japan.

Check out these photos highlighting [autotag]Patricio Freire[/autotag]’s unanimous decision win over [autotag]Kleber Koike Erbst[/autotag] at Rizin FF 40: Rizin vs. Bellator from Saitama Super Arena in Japan. (Photos by Rizin FF)

Rizin FF vs. Bellator results: Patricio ‘Pitbull’ shuts down Kleber Koike in champion-vs-champion bout

Patricio Freire got the better of Kleber Koike Erbst in the lone champion-vs-champion matchup on Saturday at Rizin FF 40: Rizin vs. Bellator.

[autotag]Patricio Freire[/autotag] got the better of [autotag]Kleber Koike Erbst[/autotag] in the lone champion-vs-champion matchup on Saturday at Rizin FF 40: Rizin vs. Bellator.

In the co-main event of the special fight card which pitted the two organization’s best against one another, Bellator featherweight champ Freire (35-5) managed to outwork Rizin FF titleholder Koike (31-6-1) by unanimous decision after a methodical game plan of avoiding takedowns and putting in work on the feet.

The event took place at Saitama Super Arena in Saitama, near Tokyo. The main card airs on Showtime via tape delay at 8 p.m. ET.

Freire opened the fight by putting forward pressure on his opponent, and Koike tried to keep him at bay with a high output of kicks to the leg, body and head. Koike tried to get it to the ground by pulling guard and chasing his opponent, but Freire was wise to it and avoided the danger. The Brazilian stayed patient on the feet, but was effective when he did throw.

The paced slowed significantly in the second round, especially from Koike. Freire fell into a striking groove, landing a number of hard punches with both hands to cause some swelling around his opponent’s eye. Koike couldn’t do much to get to the ground, and although he tried to stay in it on the feet, he struggled to hurt Freire.

Early in the final round, Koike tried to pull guard and get it to the mat. Freire shut it down, however, and instead stood up and choose to throw kicks at the legs of his downed opponent over and over. When referee Jason Herzog finally stood it up, Koike pounced on another takedown and was successful. He got overly aggressive, however, and Freire scrambled to his feet. Freire responded with a takedown of his own, but didn’t stay on the mat for long before the fight ended.

With the victory, “Pitbull” made it 4-0 for Team Bellator in head-to-head matchups at the event, joining Kyoji Horiguchi, Juan Archuleta and Gadzhi Rabadanov in the winner’s circle. He’s now won 10 of his past 11 fights overall dating back to April 2017.

“He was a very tough opponent, it was a very hard fight,” Freire said in his post-fight interview. “I’m very proud to be standing here in the legendary Saitama Super Arena. My opponent is a very strong fighter, he’s worthy of being a champion.”

Official Rizin vs. Bellator results include:

For more on the card, visit MMA Junkie’s event hub for Rizin FF 40: Rizin vs. Bellator.

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Rizin FF vs. Bellator results: Kyoji Horiguchi dominates Hiromasa Ougikubo to give Team Bellator series win

Former Bellator and Rizin FF champ Kyoji Horiguchi made it 3-0 for Team Bellator with a one-sided win win.

[autotag]Kyoji Horiguchi[/autotag] is building momentum once again.

The former Bellator champion and ex-UFC title challenger got his second win of 2022 right before the year’s end while notching another victory for Bellator in the promotion’s head-to-head clash against Rizin FF. Horiguchi defeated fellow Japanese veteran [autotag]Hiromasa Ougikubo[/autotag] in a unanimous decision on the main card of Saturday’s Rizin FF vs. Bellator event in Japan.

The event took place at Saitama Super Arena in Saitama, near Tokyo. The main card airs on Showtime via tape delay at 8 p.m. ET.

Apart from a few moments, it was one-way traffic in favor of Horiguchi (31-5), as he dominated Ougikubo (25-7-2) from start to finish.

In Round 1, Horiguchi did big damage with calf kicks that immediately impaired Ougikubo’s mobility. And towards the end of the round, Horiguchi dropped him with a well-placed shot and finished the round with heavy ground-and-pound from top.

The second round started well for Horiguchi, but he would find himself on bottom halfway through the round. He was unable to get back to his feet, but he also didn’t take much damage. Horiguchi made up for lost time in Round 3, as he dropped Ougikubo in the first few seconds and then out grappled him and controlled him for the remainder of the round.

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With this result, Horiguchi is now on a two-fight wining streak since losing to Patchy Mix at Bellator 279 in April – a loss that saw him eliminated from the Bellator bantamweight grand prix. The Japanese star defeated Yuto Hokamura by technical submission in his bout prior to the Rizin FF vs. Bellator event. Horiguchi is 3-3 since losing the Bellator title in 2019.

Horiguchi’s victory made it 3-0 for Team Bellator at the event, joining Juan Archuleta and Gadzhi Rabadanov in the winner’s circle.

Official Rizin vs. Bellator results include:

For more on the card, visit MMA Junkie’s event hub for Rizin FF 40: Rizin vs. Bellator.

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