RIZIN has co-promoted a number of occasions with Bellator up to now, making room for Kyoji Horiguchi to make historical past as two-promotion champion, however these days could possibly be up to now.
Bellator was acquired by the Skilled Fighters League in 2023 and can reportedly change into an eight-event worldwide sequence going ahead. PFL founder Donn Davis has beforehand talked about an curiosity in working with the Japanese group, however RIZIN president Nobuyuki Sakakibara instructed MMA Preventing that that’s a relationship that must be constructed.
“[Co-promoting] was all attainable due to the connection that we’ve had with Scott Coker,” Sakakibara mentioned, referring to the previous head of Bellator. “And this relationship has not been developed inside only one or two years – this goes method again of working collectively and the belief and relationship that we’ve had. That’s the one motive why we might make this occur.
“When two promoters get collectively and assume like, ‘What can we do for the way forward for this sport? We simply can’t have our guys beneath contract, in an unique contract, and never allow them to combat outdoors as a result of the followers need to see who’s one of the best fighter.’ And if promoters with the identical open thoughts can work collectively like that, we will make this stuff occur. When two promoters get collectively and begin serious about what one of the best transfer is for the way forward for our sport, we will try this form of stuff.”
Bellator and RIZIN labored collectively for a two-night particular on 2022’s New Years’ Eve in Japan, with 5 Bellator fighters flying to Japan to face a few of RIZIN’s finest. For such extravaganza to occur once more, Sakakibara and Davis should have their “philosophies” aligned.
“We perceive that Bellator is beneath a brand new possession and all promoters have totally different motives – all promoters have alternative ways to advertise and philosophies which can be totally different,” Sakakibara mentioned. “Clearly, if Donn Davis has that zeal, if he sees the significance of what we’re doing, the idea of what we’re doing for the game and for the longer term. … We name ourselves a combat federation, RIZIN Preventing Federation, we need to proceed to work with as many promoters as attainable that share the identical imaginative and prescient. I perceive that Donn Davis has his ambitions and plans, so if we will make issues work, our doorways are at all times open.”
RIZIN will maintain it’s conventional New Years’ Eve present on Dec. 31 with two championship bouts on high of the cardboard in Saitama, Juan Archuleta vs. Kai Askura and Kyoji Horiguchi vs. Makoto Shinryu, and Japanese followers will get one other MMA attraction when ONE Championship returns to the nation on Jan. 28.
“We don’t take a look at ONE coming to Japan and doing a present as a menace in any respect,” Sakakibara mentioned. “We really assume it’s a very good factor, you recognize? As a promoter, we’re really to see what sort of environment, what sort of product they’re gonna convey and cater to the Japanese followers.
“We really need the UFC to return and do their factor and simply form of convey their present to Japan, as a result of that solely helps the Japanese followers, it solely helps develop and educate the Japanese followers with fight sports activities content material. Proper now, we’re the one ones doing large occasions, and there’s nothing to match it with. We at all times imagine that wholesome competitors is critical in each market, so I actually do need the Japanese followers to have the ability to expertise totally different form of promotions and totally different form of productions and atmospheres whereas staying in Japan. We expect it’s a very good factor, really.”
