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 might be up to now.
Bellator was acquired by the Skilled Fighters League in 2023 and can reportedly develop 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 advised MMA Preventing that that’s a relationship that must be constructed.
“[Co-promoting] was all doable 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 approach again of working collectively and the belief and relationship that we’ve had. That’s the one cause why we may make this occur.
“When two promoters get collectively and suppose 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 battle outdoors as a result of the followers need to see who’s the perfect fighter.’ And if promoters with the identical open thoughts can work collectively like that, we will make these items occur. When two promoters get collectively and begin fascinated with what the perfect transfer is for the way forward for our sport, we will do this sort 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 will need to have their “philosophies” aligned.
“We perceive that Bellator is beneath a brand new possession and all promoters have completely different motives – all promoters have other ways to advertise and philosophies which are completely different,” Sakakibara mentioned. “Clearly, if Donn Davis has that keenness, 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 battle federation, RIZIN Preventing Federation, we need to proceed to work with as many promoters as doable 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 risk in any respect,” Sakakibara mentioned. “We really suppose it’s a great factor, you understand? As a promoter, we’re really to see what sort of ambiance, what sort of product they’re gonna convey and cater to the Japanese followers.
“We really need the UFC to come back and do their factor and simply sort 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 huge occasions, and there’s nothing to match it with. We at all times imagine that wholesome competitors is important in each market, so I actually do need the Japanese followers to have the ability to expertise completely different sort of promotions and completely different sort of productions and atmospheres whereas staying in Japan. We expect it’s a extremely good factor, really.”
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