Bellator MMA and RIZIN are set to stage a historical event on New Year’s Eve (January 31, 2022) at Saitama Super Arena in Saitama, Japan. The event will feature five fighters from each promotion facing off in a one-night spectacle. The co-main event will pit Bellator’s featherweight king, Patricio Pitbull, against champion Kleber Koike.

According to Bellator president Scott Coker, the two sides have agreed to hold two such events, with the other one taking place in 2023 in the United States under Bellator’s MMA rule set. Coker stated that the next event “has to be in the cage, and it has to be Bellator rules. It would be different. Whether in the US or somewhere else. I think Hawaii would be fun.”

The main event of the Bellator and RIZIN cross-promotion event on New Year’s Eve will be a lightweight bout between A.J. McKee and Roberto de Souza. McKee, who is ranked No. 3 in the Bellator pound-for-pound rankings, is known for his dynamic striking ability and submission skills, with 13 combined stoppage victories in his career. De Souza is the RIZIN featherweight champion and has a professional record of 14-2, with several notable victories in his career. The fight will be a non-title bout and will take place inside the four-sided ring at the Saitama Super Arena in Saitama, Japan. Additional information about the rules set and other details of the fight have not yet been announced.

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