With A.J. McKee out of Bellator x RIZIN 2 due to injury, RIZIN’s lightweight champion Patricky Freire will now face Bellator veteran Roberto de Souzain in a quarter-final bout of the Bellator Lightweight Grand Prix on July 29.
The event takes place at the Saitama Super Arena in Japan and airs on Showtime in the U.S. It will coincide with Super RIZIN 2.
Patricky turned pro in 2005. Joining Bellator in 2011, he has gone 17-10 with the promotion and is 1-3 in his last four. In 2021, he beat Peter Queally for the Bellator lightweight title but lost it in his next fight to Usman Nurmagomedov in November 2022.
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Roberto de Souza made his pro debut in 2013. Joining RIZIN in 2019, de Souza was on a five-fight win streak before losing to McKee at the first Bellator x RIZIN event in December. He rebounded in May, beating Spike Carlyle via unanimous decision at RIZIN 42. The 33-year-old won the RIZIN lightweight title in 2021 by beating Tofiq Musayev via submission.
Outside of the main event, Bellator will debut a new title while several fighters are ready to move up within their divisional rankings. Here is a look into the entire main card of Bellator MMA x RIZIN 2.
Bellator MMA x RIZIN 2 undercard
Kyoji Horiguchi vs. Makoto Shinryu
- Division/Weight: Flyweight
- Horiguchi record: 31-5
- Shinryu record: 16-1-1
- Belts at stake: Bellator flyweight title
The co-main event will be Kyoji Horiguchi vs. Makoto Shinryu for the vacant Bellator flyweight title. It is the first time a men’s Bellator flyweight champion will be crowned. RIZIN does not have a flyweight champion.
Horiguchi (31-5) made his pro debut in 2010 and is a former Shooto bantamweight champion. The former UFC contender lost to Demetrious Johnson for the UFC flyweight title in 2015. Following that setback, he went on a 13-fight win streak, claiming the 2017 RIZIN Bantamweight Grand Prix and becoming the first RIZIN bantamweight champion in 2018 by defeating Darrion Caldwell. He is 3-3 in his last six fights. On a two-fight win streak, his last bout was a unanimous decision win against Hiromasa Ougikubo at the first Bellator vs. RIZIN event.
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"Mr. Scott Coker, I would like to thank you very much,” Horiguchi said. “[Shinryu] is a good opponent and a good fighter, but I will go to Japan and beat him up.”
Born in 2000, Shinryu (16-1-1) turned pro in 2016. Fighting for Deep, he competed in Bellator in 2019 and has fought three times inside a RIZN ring. On a 10-fight win streak, his last bout was a submission win over Daichi Kitakata in April.
“Hi, I’m Makoto Shinryu. I’m the best flyweight in the world,” Shinryu said. “Horiguchi’s time is over. I will beat him up, and I will gather my third promotional championship belt.”
Danny Sabatello vs. Magomed Magomedov
- Division/Weight: Bantamweight
- Sabatello record: 14-2
- Magomedov record: 19-3
- Belts at stake: N/A
Further down the card will be Danny Sabatello vs. Magomed Magomedov.
The loud-mouthed Sabatello (14-2) turned pro in 2018. A Titan FC bantamweight champion, the wrestler joined Bellator in 2021 and is 4-1 with the promotion. "The Italian Gangster" lost to Raufeon Stots in a semi-final bout of the Bellator Bantamweight Grand Prix in December 2022. He bounced back with a submission win over Marcos Breno in April.
Magomedov (19-3) turned pro in 2011. An ACB bantamweight champion, Magomedov joined Bellator in 2020 and is 3-2 with the promotion. Beating Enrique Barzola in the opening round of the Bellator Bantamweight Grand Prix, the Russian lost his last fight in December, a semi-final bout against Patchy Mix.
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Kana Watanabe vs. Veta Arteaga
- Division/Weight: Flyweight
- Watanabe record:11-2-1
- Arteaga record: 7-5
- Belts at stake: N/A
Kana Watanabe faces Veta Arteaga.
An All-Japan Junior Championships winner, Watanabe (11-2-1) was born in Tokyo and fights for Bellator. Ranked third in Bellator's flyweight division, the judo star is 3-0 with RIZIN, and since joining Bellator in 2019 is 3-2 with the promotion. The 34-year-old lost her last Bellator bout in April, a split decision to Ilima-Lei Macfarlane.
Arteaga (7-5) turned pro in 2016. She joined Bellator that year and is 6-5 with the promotion. The 35-year-old, ranked 7th in the division, had her two-fight win streak snapped by Sumiko Inaba in April 2023.
Andrey Koreshkov vs. Lorenz Larkin
- Division/Weight: Welterweight
- Koreshkov record: 26-4
- Larkin record: 26-7
- Belts at stake: N/A
Opening the card will be Andrey Koreshkov vs. Lorenz Larkin.
A gold medalist in the World Combat Games in Pankration, Koreshkov (26-4) turned pro in 2010. Joining Bellator in 2012, he is 15-4 with the promotion. In 2015, Koreshkov beat Douglas Lima for the Bellator welterweight title but lost it in a rematch in 2016.
"The Spartan" is on a three-fight win streak, with two wins in Bellator. His last bout was a TKO win against Leonardo Cavalheiro in June 2022.
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Larkin (26-7, two no-contests) turned pro in 2009. "The Monsoon" competed in Strikeforce before joining the UFC in 2013. With the UFC he was 5-5. Signing with Bellator in 2017, Larkin lost to Douglas Lima for the Bellator welterweight title. Larkin is 7-0 with one no-contest in eight fights and won his last outing against Mukhamed Berkhamov via knockout in February.
When is Bellator MMA x RIZIN 2: Patricky Freire vs. Roberto de Souza
In the U.S., Bellator x RIZIN 2 starts with the main card at 11 p.m. ET. Freire and de Souza should make their way to the octagon around 2:15 a.m. ET, depending on how long the undercard fights last.
| Region | Date | Main Card Start Time | Main Event Ring Walks (approx.) |
| USA and Canada (ET) | Saturday, July 29 | 11 p.m. ET | 2:15 a.m. ET |
| USA and Canada (PT) | Saturday, July 29 | 8 p.m. PT | 11:15 p.m. PT |
| UK and Ireland | Sun. July 30 | 4 a.m. BST | 7:15 a.m. BST |
| Australia | Sun. July 30 | 1 p.m. AEST | 4:15 p.m. AEST |
| Japan | Sun. July 30 | 12 p.m. JST | 3:15 p.m. JST |
How to watch Bellator MMA x RIZIN 2: Patricky Freire vs. Roberto de Souza
| Country | Date | Channel + Live Stream (main card) |
| United States/Canada | Saturday, July 29 | Showtime, YouTube, Fubo |
| United Kingdom | Sun. July 30 | BBC Sport, BBC iPlayer |
| Australia | Sun. July 30 | 10 Play |
| Japan | Sun. July 30 | RIZIN STREAM PASS, ABEMA, U-NEXT, SKY PerfecTV! |
Fight fans can watch the event on SHOWTIME. It is also available to stream on Fubo, which includes a free trial.
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Viewers can stream Showtime via Amazon Fire TV, Android TV, Apple TV, Roku, Xbox ONE, a laptop, or any mobile or tablet device.
In Japan, the fight card will be available on RIZIN STREAM PASS, ABEMA, U-NEXT, and SKY PerfecTV!
