Bellator and Rizin collaborate on another crossover card. Bellator x Rizin 2 returns to the Saitama Super Arena in Japan on Saturday with a Bellator Lightweight Grand Prix fight and the inaugural Bellator flyweight championship at stake. Patricky Pitbull vs. Roberto "Satoshi" de Souza headlines the show and Kyoji Horiguchi looks to add to his trophy case in the co-main event.
Patricky Pitbull (24-11) was preparing for a bad-blooded encounter with former featherweight champion AJ McKee, the rival of his younger brother Patricio Pitbull. McKee was forced off the card, allowing Rizin lightweight champion de Souza to enter the equation. Overcoming an active world champion is exactly the reboot Patricky Pitbull needs after losing the Bellator lightweight title to Usman Nurmagomedov during a tough 1-3 stretch.
"I'm going to stop his game," Pitbill told reporters through an interpreter at Thursday's media day. "I'm going to be smart. I'm going to be relaxed. Everything's going to be calm. Nothing changes: Go out there and win.
"I've been a blackbelt since 2007, so I train everything: striking, wrestling, jiu-jitsu. I'm a complete fighter. The strategy doesn't need to change that much when you're a complete fighter. I'm ready."
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De Souza (15-2) can right a wrong after losing to McKee in the inaugural Bellator x Rizin event. The submission specialist bounced back with a win over Bellator's Spike Carlyle and enters the Grand Prix with a unique objective. De Souza could achieve the rare distinction of holding simultaneous world titles in two different promotions if he can run the Grand Prix gauntlet while holding onto his Rizin belt.
Saturday's co-main event will crown the inaugural Bellator flyweight champion. Kyoji Horiguchi, the former Bellator bantamweight champion and UFC flyweight title challenger, meets Rizin's Rubix cube, Makoto Shinryu. Horiguchi is an elite two-division threat approaching 40 fights in 13 years. Shinryu has achieved an impressive 16-1-1 record since debuting in 2016.
Below is the rest of the fight card for Saturday night before we get to a prediction and pick on the main event.
Bellator x Rizin 2 fight card
| Fighter | Fighter | Weight class |
|---|---|---|
| Patricky Pitbull | Roberto de Souza | Lightweight Grand Prix |
| Kyoji Horiguchi | Makoto Shinryu | Flyweight championship |
| Danny Sabatello | Magomed Magomedov | Bantamweight |
| Kana Watanabe | Veta Arteaga | Women's flyweight |
| Andrey Koreshkov | Lorenz Larkin | Welterweight |
Bellator x Rizin 2 viewing information
Date: July 29 | Start time: 11 p.m. ET (main card)
Location: Saitama Super Arena -- Saitama, Japan
TV channel: Showtime
Predictions
Patricky Pitbull vs. Roberto Satoshi: This is arguably a more competitive fight than the previously scheduled Pitbull vs. McKee fight. Pitbull's status as a former champion is a matter of circumstance. A win over Peter Queally for a belt vacated by Pitbull's brother ranks low among impressive title wins. Pitbull is certainly well-rounded, but he's yet to prove himself as a truly elite fighter. de Souza has been relatively dominant in Rizin, but his loss to McKee and the outcomes of the inaugural Bellator x Rizin card suggest that the Japanese promotion's roster is a step behind its American counterpart. De Souza is going to aggressively pursue takedowns and submissions. Pitbull -- who could not compete with Usman Nurmagomedov in the grappling department -- would be wise to avoid the ground and look for a knockout blow. There is a low chance this fight produces fireworks, but a finish is certainly at play if the fighters avoid trepidation. Pitbull has reliable knockout power. De Souza is a submission savant. A decision outcome is likely a boring one, but I'll side with de Souza to rack up dominant ground positions with a finish in play. Pick: De Souza via decision
