Bellator vs. RIZIN 2022: One-Hour Event | McKee, Pitbull & Horiguchi
On December 31, 2022, Bellator MMA and RIZIN Fighting Federation brought five cross-promotional fights to Japan's legendary Saitama Super Arena. AJ McKee, Patricio Pitbull, Kyoji Horiguchi, Juan Archuleta and Gadzhi Rabadanov represented Bellator against five of RIZIN's leading fighters, with the American promotion completing a remarkable 5-0 sweep.
This one-hour Bellator vs. RIZIN event compilation revisits the five matchups from the historic New Year's Eve crossover, including champion-versus-champion encounters, difficult stylistic battles and the unusual sight of Bellator fighters competing inside a Japanese ring under RIZIN MMA rules.
AJ McKee vs. Roberto Satoshi de Souza: The Bellator vs. RIZIN main event
The main event brought former Bellator featherweight champion AJ McKee against reigning RIZIN lightweight champion Roberto Satoshi de Souza in a non-title contest at 155 pounds.
McKee had moved up to lightweight after establishing himself among Bellator's best featherweights. De Souza, meanwhile, was known for an aggressive Brazilian jiu-jitsu game that had produced numerous submission finishes in Japan.
The matchup delivered three competitive rounds, with McKee repeatedly having to navigate his opponent's dangerous ground attacks. De Souza pulled guard, threatened submissions and managed to take McKee's back during scrambles, but the American consistently found ways to escape.
McKee also demonstrated his willingness to adapt to RIZIN's rules. He used ground-and-pound, attacked with soccer kicks when opportunities appeared and even threatened a D'Arce choke in the final round.
The judges awarded McKee a unanimous decision, completing Bellator's sweep of the five-fight series. Although he did not take De Souza's lightweight championship, the victory was an important result against one of Japan's most successful submission specialists.
Patricio Pitbull vs. Kleber Koike: Featherweight champions collide
The co-main event featured another rare cross-promotional matchup between reigning champions. Bellator featherweight titleholder Patricio Pitbull Freire faced RIZIN featherweight champion Kleber Koike Erbst, with neither championship at stake.
Koike entered as a dangerous submission specialist, capable of ending fights with very little space to work. Pitbull approached the contest cautiously, selecting his punches and controlling distance rather than giving his opponent extended opportunities to grapple.
Koike attempted takedowns and tried to draw Pitbull into ground exchanges, but the Brazilian Bellator champion repeatedly disengaged and returned to his striking.
After three rounds, Pitbull secured a unanimous decision. It wasn't the explosive knockout performance associated with some of his greatest victories, but it showed his ability to manage a dangerous opponent without taking unnecessary risks.
Kyoji Horiguchi vs. Hiromasa Ougikubo: A familiar Japanese rivalry
Of the five Bellator representatives, Kyoji Horiguchi had the strongest personal connection to Japanese MMA. The former Bellator and RIZIN bantamweight champion returned to flyweight to face longtime rival Hiromasa Ougikubo.
The pair had already met twice, with Horiguchi winning both previous encounters. Their third fight followed a similar pattern.
Horiguchi used his speed and footwork to control exchanges, landing hard calf kicks and repeatedly finding openings with his hands. He scored knockdowns and maintained the initiative throughout the 15-minute contest.
Ougikubo remained competitive enough to survive the distance, but he struggled to establish sustained offense. Horiguchi earned a commanding unanimous decision, recording his third victory over Ougikubo.
It was a particularly interesting result for the crossover format: a Japanese fighter representing Bellator defeated another Japanese fighter competing for RIZIN.
Juan Archuleta vs. Soo Chul Kim: The closest fight of the night
Former Bellator bantamweight champion Juan Archuleta faced South Korean veteran Soo Chul Kim in the most closely contested matchup on the five-fight card.
Kim made Archuleta work throughout the contest, attacking with calf kicks and combinations while refusing to give ground during striking exchanges.
Archuleta responded with his wrestling, physical pressure and varied striking. A jumping knee late in the fight nearly produced a decisive moment, while Kim continued searching for opportunities to turn the contest in his favor.
Kim even threatened a choke in the closing seconds, but neither fighter could secure a finish.
Archuleta ultimately won by split decision, with two judges favoring the American. It was the only split decision of the crossover and arguably the clearest example of how competitive the matchup between the promotions could be despite Bellator's eventual clean sweep.
Gadzhi Rabadanov vs. Koji Takeda: A near-finish and a comeback effort
The opening crossover bout matched Bellator lightweight Gadzhi Rabadanov against RIZIN's Koji Takeda.
Rabadanov appeared close to producing the event's first stoppage when he knocked Takeda down with a heavy punch in Round 1. He followed his opponent to the canvas and attacked with ground-and-pound, but Takeda survived the initial barrage.
The Japanese fighter recovered and began presenting more problems as the contest continued. He defended takedowns, found success with his striking and opened a cut near Rabadanov's eye.
Rabadanov nevertheless maintained enough control through his wrestling and grappling to secure a unanimous decision after three rounds.
The result set the tone for the night: Bellator would win every matchup, but its fighters were not simply walking through the opposition.
Why Bellator vs. RIZIN 2022 was different from a regular MMA event
The crossover was unusual for reasons beyond the fighters involved. Instead of competing in Bellator's familiar cage, the visiting athletes entered RIZIN's ring and fought under Japanese MMA rules.
Those rules allow techniques such as soccer kicks, stomps and knees to the head of grounded opponents, creating possibilities that are generally unavailable under the Unified Rules used by major American MMA promotions.
The change was particularly significant for fighters like McKee, who were accustomed to controlling opponents against a cage rather than negotiating ring ropes and corners.
The event also offered legitimate competition between champions and high-level contenders from different organizations. McKee fought RIZIN's lightweight champion, Pitbull met its featherweight champion, and Horiguchi returned to a division in which he had previously enjoyed major success.
All five bouts lasted the full three rounds. Bellator won four unanimous decisions and one split decision, giving the promotion a perfect record without recording a single finish.
The collaboration continued with a second Bellator vs. RIZIN event in July 2023. Bellator was subsequently acquired by the Professional Fighters League in November 2023, with its separate event branding largely discontinued in 2025.
RIZIN has continued its own schedule of major Japanese MMA events, including its traditional New Year's Eve shows. For additional background on the promotion's ring format, scoring and connection to the PRIDE era, read MMAtown's guide to RIZIN Fighting Federation and Japanese MMA.
For viewers who missed the original broadcast, this one-hour replay offers a condensed look at a rare occasion when two major MMA promotions allowed their leading fighters to compete directly against one another. Bellator left Saitama with every victory, but the five contests also demonstrated the depth of RIZIN's roster and the appeal of cross-promotional competition.