Esther Lin, MMA Fighting
Bellator MMA and RIZIN will produce a pair of year-end cards on Dec. 29 and Dec. 31 that will also include several crossover fights between the two promotions.
First up will be Bellator: Japan with Fedor Emelianenko vs. Quinton “Rampage” Jackson already announced as the main event.
That card will also feature top-ranked welterweight contender Lorenz Larkin back in action as he takes on RIZIN veteran Keita Nakamura.
Larkin is coming off a win over Andrey Koreschkov in his last outing with a potential title shot waiting in the wings against new champion Douglas Lima. First things first, Larkin has to get past Nakamura on Dec. 29 to hopefully secure his spot as the No. 1 contender at welterweight in Bellator.
Ilara Joanne, who is fresh off a submission win over Bec Rawlings, will also fight on the card as she faces undefeated prospect Kana Watanabe on the Bellator card. Joanne trains out of the same gym as Patricio and Patricky “Pitbull” and she will look to hand Watanabe her first defeat when they clash in on Dec. 29.
Goiti Yamaguchi will also represent Bellator in a fight against RIZIN veteran Daron Cruickshank in a lightweight fight on the main card from Japan.
Two nights later at RIZIN 20, undefeated bantamweight Patrick Mix will put his perfect record on the line against Yuki Montoya while John Macapa faces off with Mikuru Asakura in a featherweight showdown.
Mix has looked unstoppable in his first two fights under the Bellator banner but now he will compete on the New Year’s Eve card at RIZIN 20 while representing the American promotion at the show.
More fights for Bellator: Japan as well as RIZIN 20 are expected to be announced in the coming weeks.
