https://www.sho.com/stream-showtime?s_cid=da-bellator-22736

Los Angeles &mdash; Following last year&rsquo;s historic New Year&rsquo;s Eve co-promotion, BELLATOR MMA and RIZIN Fighting Federation have announced another star-studded event for fight fans in Japan on Sunday, July 30 (Saturday, July 29 in America), when BELLATOR x RIZIN: Pitbull vs. McKee lands at the world-famous Saitama Super Arena in Saitama, Japan.
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In addition to the three previously announced bouts, today BELLATOR is confirming two additional fights featuring top-ten ranked athletes. The first, a bantamweight tilt with former title challenger and No. 5-ranked Danny Sabatello (14-2) taking on No. 4-ranked Magomed Magomedov (19-3) of Russia. Also, a welterweight rematch between former titlist and No. 5-ranked Andrey Koreshkov (26-4) against No. 9-ranked Lorenz Larkin (25-7, 2 NC).
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Equally as important, the broadcast details for the extravaganza have been finalized in the United States, with SHOWTIME set to air the event LIVE on Saturday, July 29 at 11 p.m. ET/8 p.m. PT. Please note, RIZIN&rsquo;s portion of the event which follows BELLATOR&rsquo;s will not air on SHOWTIME.
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Headlining the event, which departs from the head-to-head format of last year&rsquo;s iteration of the crossover card, will be a BELLATOR Lightweight World Grand Prix Quarterfinal matchup between ex-Lightweight World Champion Patricky Pitbull (24-11) and former Featherweight World Champion AJ McKee (20-1). Also, former BELLATOR and RIZIN champion Kyoji Horiguchi (31-5) will return to fight on home soil when he fights for the inaugural BELLATOR Flyweight World Championship against Makoto &ldquo;Shinryu&rdquo; Takahashi (16-1-1), who enters the bout on a blazing hot, ten-fight winning streak.
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Plus, Japan&rsquo;s own Kana Watanabe (11-2-1) puts her No. 3 flyweight ranking on the line former title challenger Veta Arteaga (7-5), who ranks No. 7.
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Fans in attendance at the historic Saitama Super Arena will get to watch both portions of the event with the BELLATOR fights taking place in the cage with the iconic red and blue BELLATOR gloves, plus white gloves for the World Grand Prix competitors. The BELLATOR contests will be adhere to the Unified Rules of MMA.
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After a thrilling, dominant victory over Brazil&rsquo;s Marcos Breno in April, Japan will play host to the next edition of the Danny Sabatello show. One of the sport&rsquo;s most entertaining talents on the microphone and the cage, the next target to draw the ire of the Chicago native will be Magomed Magomedov, a fighter Sabatello has called out repeatedly. The former NCAA Division I wrestling standout looks to score a second straight victory and vault himself right back into title contention atop the ever-exciting BELLATOR bantamweight division.&nbsp;
 Magomedov, 31, has proven to be one of the 135-pound division&rsquo;s most dynamic contenders. A flashy striker keen to throw spinning attacks, the World Grand Prix semi-finalist also sports a lightning-quick submission game. Following a defeat to eventual tournament winner Patchy Mix, Magomedov will travel to the &ldquo;Land of the Rising Sun&rdquo; eager to shut &ldquo;The Italian Gangster&rsquo;s&rdquo; mouth once and for all. It will be the first fight of 2023 for Magomedov, who hopes to add Sabatello&rsquo;s name to an impressive list of vanquished foes that includes former World Champion Petr Yan.
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At welterweight, few men have had as much success inside the BELLATOR cage as Andrey Koreshkov. The former Welterweight World Championship title challenger is an impressive 15-4 with the promotion, a run that includes eight knockout victories &mdash; including several highlight reel-worthy finishes. On July 30, Koreshkov will have a chance to lengthen his flawless run and avenge one of his few defeats, a 2019 split decision at the hands of Larkin. With both men highly ranked in the division, this consequential rematch of top-ten athletes will be sure to entertain the Japanese crowd.
 Larkin, 36, is unbeaten in his last eight fights, defeating his last seven opponents in what has been a bit of a career resurgence for the Southern California-based veteran. Coming off back-to-back knockouts, including the social media-breaking standing elbow finish of Mukhamed Berkhamov at February&rsquo;s BELLATOR 290 event at The Forum, Larkin is making his case for a crack at Yaroslav Amosov&rsquo;s title hard to ignore. With a second win over Koreshkov in Japan, little would stand in the way of Larkin earning his second crack at the BELLATOR Welterweight World Championship more than five years after his first.&nbsp;
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BELLATOR X RIZIN: Pitbull vs. McKee:
Sunday, July 30 at Saitama Super Arena in Japan
SHOWTIME (U.S.) - July 29 at 11 pm ET / 8 pm PT
&nbsp;
Lightweight World Grand Prix Quarterfinals: #2-Patricky Pitbull (24-11) vs. #5-AJ McKee (20-1)
Inaugural Flyweight World Championship: Kyoji Horiguchi (16-9) vs. Makoto &ldquo;Shinryu&rdquo; (16-1-1)
Bantamweight Bout: #5-Danny Sabatello (14-2) vs. #4-Magomed Magomedov (19-3)
Flyweight Bout: #3-Kana Watanabe (11-2-1) vs. #7-Veta Arteaga (7-5)
Welterweight Bout: #5-Andrey Koreshkov (26-4) vs. #9-Lorenz Larkin (25-7, 2 NC)
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<a href="https://urldefense.proofpoint.com/v2/url?u=https-3A__nam10.safelinks.protection.outlook.com_-3Furl-3Dhttps-253A-252F-252Furldefense.proofpoint.com-252Fv2-252Furl-253Fu-253Dhttp-2D3A-5F-5Fwww.bzapr.com-5Fcredentials-2526d-253DDwMF-2Dg-2526c-253DjGUuvAdBXp-5FVqQ6t0yah2g-2526r-253D3-5FJ6jNe7ZPHA4Gg-5Fe4RgtlmSNx8Q-5F9Awo3t-5FSpc8Gf8-2526m-253DjqZOeF5HzlPYVkOsG61cGpvUO0Qbzszq8ShVe4A5LI3iB-2DVB-5FZatGxplV7qQ6v2h-2526s-253DtLmxFt84ElL7kOOazMNUF7jnAwTrxxkFLclLkOmpWEM-2526e-253D-26data-3D04-257C01-257CJanem-2540bzapr.com-257C964a6bb07b31455de5a608da0230da45-257C3674bf0f3d5b41a99e3785c6140a53d5-257C0-257C0-257C637824706096613511-257CUnknown-257CTWFpbGZsb3d8eyJWIjoiMC4wLjAwMDAiLCJQIjoiV2luMzIiLCJBTiI6Ik1haWwiLCJXVCI6Mn0-253D-257C3000-26sdata-3Duvv1-252BkEUScGzIbn4H-252BnovyfRdVVJT1fmFPzTaYpoEDw-253D-26reserved-3D0&amp;d=DwMFaQ&amp;c=jGUuvAdBXp_VqQ6t0yah2g&amp;r=3_J6jNe7ZPHA4Gg_e4RgtlmSNx8Q_9Awo3t_Spc8Gf8&amp;m=WTovQZEe5sw20GFLx7u7cI_nDrP13D2xaVFLKUrMQcb8EQ0O_6tL4BlopuVugN-M&amp;s=f6ZJqliX_DoTRqdT9YRH2olAmK6AJw0oOToQ6acpRCI&amp;e=">Apply for BELLATOR&nbsp;media&nbsp;credentials</a>&nbsp; <a href="https://urldefense.proofpoint.com/v2/url?u=https-3A__nam10.safelinks.protection.outlook.com_-3Furl-3Dhttps-253A-252F-252Furldefense.proofpoint.com-252Fv2-252Furl-253Fu-253Dhttp-2D3A-5F-5Fwww.bzapr.com-5Fzoom-2526d-253DDwMF-2Dg-2526c-253DjGUuvAdBXp-5FVqQ6t0yah2g-2526r-253D3-5FJ6jNe7ZPHA4Gg-5Fe4RgtlmSNx8Q-5F9Awo3t-5FSpc8Gf8-2526m-253DjqZOeF5HzlPYVkOsG61cGpvUO0Qbzszq8ShVe4A5LI3iB-2DVB-5FZatGxplV7qQ6v2h-2526s-253DnDKVYnWW76FtaIKh6bajGQpUlEI4U2IbG-5FyGFfeRwgE-2526e-253D-26data-3D04-257C01-257CJanem-2540bzapr.com-257C964a6bb07b31455de5a608da0230da45-257C3674bf0f3d5b41a99e3785c6140a53d5-257C0-257C0-257C637824706096613511-257CUnknown-257CTWFpbGZsb3d8eyJWIjoiMC4wLjAwMDAiLCJQIjoiV2luMzIiLCJBTiI6Ik1haWwiLCJXVCI6Mn0-253D-257C3000-26sdata-3DLEZclo-252FyeaviZk94038IYoTgyW0eC0QAfNv7Hfbj6RQ-253D-26reserved-3D0&amp;d=DwMFaQ&amp;c=jGUuvAdBXp_VqQ6t0yah2g&amp;r=3_J6jNe7ZPHA4Gg_e4RgtlmSNx8Q_9Awo3t_Spc8Gf8&amp;m=WTovQZEe5sw20GFLx7u7cI_nDrP13D2xaVFLKUrMQcb8EQ0O_6tL4BlopuVugN-M&amp;s=uRKyKK-UzY-GtGUPYCyIING8-MLIgTFQyA2R8q7P6C4&amp;e=">RSVP for BELLATOR virtual&nbsp;media&nbsp;availabilities</a>&nbsp;
&nbsp;
For more information on upcoming&nbsp;BELLATOR MMA&nbsp;events, visit&nbsp;<a href="http://bellator.com/">BELLATOR.com</a>.&nbsp;
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Updated schedule of BELLATOR events - click links for updated fight cards
Fri. June 16 //&nbsp;<a href="https://www.bellator.com/event/314">BELLATOR 297: Nemkov vs. Romero</a> // Wintrust Arena // Chicago, ILL
Sun. Jul. 30 // <a href="https://www.bellator.com/event/316">BELLATOR X RIZIN: Pitbull vs. McKee</a> // Saitama Super Arena // Tokyo, JP
Fri. Aug. 11 // <a href="https://www.bellator.com/event/315">BELLATOR 298: Storley vs. Ward</a> // Sanford Pentagon // Sioux Falls, SD
Sat. Sept. 23 //&nbsp;<a href="https://www.bellator.com/event/313">BELLATOR 299: Eblen vs. Edwards</a> // 3Arena // Dublin, IRE
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About BELLATOR:
BELLATOR MMA is a leading global mixed martial arts organization featuring many of the best fighters in the world. Under the direction of veteran fight promoter Scott Coker, BELLATOR events take place in major cities worldwide and can be seen on television in over 160 countries to an available audience of over one billion people. In the United States, BELLATOR can be seen on SHOWTIME. BELLATOR is comprised of an executive team that includes top industry professionals in television production, live event orchestration, fighter development/relations, venue procurement, sponsorship creation/development, international licensing, marketing, advertising, publicity, and commission relations. BELLATOR is based in Hollywood, Calif. and owned by entertainment giant Paramount, home to the world's premier entertainment brands that connect with audiences through compelling content across television, motion picture, online and mobile platforms.

BELLATOR x RIZIN CO-PROMOTION ADDS TWO INCREDIBLE FIGHTS FOR EVENT IN JAPAN ON JULY 30

DUBLIN, IRELAND &ndash; A thrilling featherweight matchup between No. 3-ranked Aaron Pico (11-4) and No. 4-ranked Pedro Carvalho (13-7) has been confirmed today for the main card of BELLATOR 299: Eblen vs. Edwards, in the promotion&rsquo;s return to Dublin on Saturday, September 23. The fight supports the talent stacked card taking place at the 3Arena, which is headlined by a middleweight world championship bout between the USA&rsquo;s undefeated champion Johnny &ldquo;The Human Cheat Code&rdquo; Eblen and the UK&rsquo;s No.1 challenger Fabian &ldquo;The Assassin&rdquo; Edwards.
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BELLATOR 299: Eblen vs. Edwards will air live at 9 p.m. IST/4 p.m. ET/1 p.m. PT on SHOWTIME in the US. The preliminary card will begin at 4 p.m. IST/11 a.m. ET/8 a.m. PT and will stream live on the BELLATOR and SHOWTIME Sports YouTube Channels as well as Pluto TV.
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Tickets for the event are on sale now at <a href="http://www.bellator.com/">Bellator.com</a> and <a href="https://urldefense.com/v3/__https:/www.ticketmaster.ie/venueartist/197033/1319868?did=fanpre__;!!CxwJSw!Kkc5EbIB7rNb76wEeT8usT8EcX4bcEXxsYmJLU2--x9VmpSdMTumm9-zLEyjLBAEbdddlITCy-FeOW5H7tWcS6wv$">Ticketmaster.ie</a>.
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A battle between the No. 3 and No. 4 ranked 145-pounders on the BELLATOR roster, Southern California&rsquo;s Aaron Pico will return to the cage for the second time in 2023 when he makes the walk in September, looking to parlay his one-sided decision victory in April with another win, which would be his eighth in nine outings. A product of Jackson&rsquo;s MMA in Albuquerque, New Mexico, the 26-year-old Pico has made it clear his time for a shot at Patricio Pitbull&rsquo;s title is imminent, and a win over Carvalho would only further his case.
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Recently making the decision to re-sign with BELLATOR, the 10-fight veteran of the promotion has fought against the top names the featherweight division has to offer since his debut in 2018. With heritage from both Portugal and Ireland, &ldquo;The Game&rdquo; will need to be on his &ldquo;A-game&rdquo; to secure a win over the well-rounded prowess of his September 23- opponent. Carvalho has proven to be a tough matchup for all comers, defeating the likes of Daniel Weichel and Mads Burnell in recent outings.
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BELLATOR 299: EBLEN VS. EDWARDS MAIN CARD
SHOWTIME // BBC iPlayer (UK) // Virgin Media Sport (IRE) 
September 23 &mdash; 9 p.m. IST/4 p.m. ET/1 p.m. PT
&nbsp;
Middleweight World Championship: C-Johnny Eblen (13-0) vs. #1-Fabian Edwards (12-2)
&nbsp;&nbsp;Featherweight Bout: #3-Aaron Pico (11-4) vs. #4-Pedro Carvalho (13-7)
Featherweight Bout: #6-Mads Burnell (17-5) vs. #9-Daniel Weichel (42-14)
&nbsp;
BELLATOR 299: EBLEN VS. EDWARDS PRELIMINARY CARD
BELLATOR MMA &amp; SHOWTIME Sports YouTube channels | Pluto TV
September 23 &mdash; 4 p.m. IST/11 a.m. ET/8 a.m. PT
&nbsp;
Featherweight Bout: Brian Moore (16-9) vs. Otto Rodrigues (13-1)
Women&rsquo;s Featherweight Bout: #4-Sinead Kavanagh (9-5) vs. #6-Sara Collins (4-0)
Light Heavyweight Bout: #8-Luke Trainer (7-1) vs. Laurynas Urbonavicius (14-1)
Lightweight Bout: Mark Ewen (4-0) vs. Noah Gugnon (1-1)
Featherweight Bout: Kenny Mokhonoana (5-0) vs. Josh O&rsquo;Connor (4-0)
Women&rsquo;s Strawweight Bout: Chiara Penco (8-3) vs. Mackenzie Stiller (1-0)
Welterweight Bout: Nicolo Solli (5-1) vs. Romain Debienne (9-4) &nbsp;
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<a href="https://urldefense.proofpoint.com/v2/url?u=https-3A__nam10.safelinks.protection.outlook.com_-3Furl-3Dhttps-253A-252F-252Furldefense.proofpoint.com-252Fv2-252Furl-253Fu-253Dhttp-2D3A-5F-5Fwww.bzapr.com-5Fcredentials-2526d-253DDwMF-2Dg-2526c-253DjGUuvAdBXp-5FVqQ6t0yah2g-2526r-253D3-5FJ6jNe7ZPHA4Gg-5Fe4RgtlmSNx8Q-5F9Awo3t-5FSpc8Gf8-2526m-253DjqZOeF5HzlPYVkOsG61cGpvUO0Qbzszq8ShVe4A5LI3iB-2DVB-5FZatGxplV7qQ6v2h-2526s-253DtLmxFt84ElL7kOOazMNUF7jnAwTrxxkFLclLkOmpWEM-2526e-253D-26data-3D04-257C01-257CJanem-2540bzapr.com-257C964a6bb07b31455de5a608da0230da45-257C3674bf0f3d5b41a99e3785c6140a53d5-257C0-257C0-257C637824706096613511-257CUnknown-257CTWFpbGZsb3d8eyJWIjoiMC4wLjAwMDAiLCJQIjoiV2luMzIiLCJBTiI6Ik1haWwiLCJXVCI6Mn0-253D-257C3000-26sdata-3Duvv1-252BkEUScGzIbn4H-252BnovyfRdVVJT1fmFPzTaYpoEDw-253D-26reserved-3D0&amp;d=DwMFaQ&amp;c=jGUuvAdBXp_VqQ6t0yah2g&amp;r=3_J6jNe7ZPHA4Gg_e4RgtlmSNx8Q_9Awo3t_Spc8Gf8&amp;m=WTovQZEe5sw20GFLx7u7cI_nDrP13D2xaVFLKUrMQcb8EQ0O_6tL4BlopuVugN-M&amp;s=f6ZJqliX_DoTRqdT9YRH2olAmK6AJw0oOToQ6acpRCI&amp;e=">Apply for BELLATOR&nbsp;media&nbsp;credentials</a>&nbsp; <a href="https://urldefense.proofpoint.com/v2/url?u=https-3A__nam10.safelinks.protection.outlook.com_-3Furl-3Dhttps-253A-252F-252Furldefense.proofpoint.com-252Fv2-252Furl-253Fu-253Dhttp-2D3A-5F-5Fwww.bzapr.com-5Fzoom-2526d-253DDwMF-2Dg-2526c-253DjGUuvAdBXp-5FVqQ6t0yah2g-2526r-253D3-5FJ6jNe7ZPHA4Gg-5Fe4RgtlmSNx8Q-5F9Awo3t-5FSpc8Gf8-2526m-253DjqZOeF5HzlPYVkOsG61cGpvUO0Qbzszq8ShVe4A5LI3iB-2DVB-5FZatGxplV7qQ6v2h-2526s-253DnDKVYnWW76FtaIKh6bajGQpUlEI4U2IbG-5FyGFfeRwgE-2526e-253D-26data-3D04-257C01-257CJanem-2540bzapr.com-257C964a6bb07b31455de5a608da0230da45-257C3674bf0f3d5b41a99e3785c6140a53d5-257C0-257C0-257C637824706096613511-257CUnknown-257CTWFpbGZsb3d8eyJWIjoiMC4wLjAwMDAiLCJQIjoiV2luMzIiLCJBTiI6Ik1haWwiLCJXVCI6Mn0-253D-257C3000-26sdata-3DLEZclo-252FyeaviZk94038IYoTgyW0eC0QAfNv7Hfbj6RQ-253D-26reserved-3D0&amp;d=DwMFaQ&amp;c=jGUuvAdBXp_VqQ6t0yah2g&amp;r=3_J6jNe7ZPHA4Gg_e4RgtlmSNx8Q_9Awo3t_Spc8Gf8&amp;m=WTovQZEe5sw20GFLx7u7cI_nDrP13D2xaVFLKUrMQcb8EQ0O_6tL4BlopuVugN-M&amp;s=uRKyKK-UzY-GtGUPYCyIING8-MLIgTFQyA2R8q7P6C4&amp;e=">RSVP for BELLATOR virtual&nbsp;media&nbsp;availabilities</a>&nbsp;
&nbsp;
For more information on upcoming&nbsp;BELLATOR MMA&nbsp;events, visit&nbsp;<a href="http://bellator.com/">BELLATOR.com</a>.&nbsp;
&nbsp;
Updated schedule of BELLATOR events - click links for updated fight cards
Fri. June 16 //&nbsp;<a href="https://www.bellator.com/event/314">BELLATOR 297: Nemkov vs. Romero</a> // Wintrust Arena // Chicago, ILL
Sun. Jul. 30 // <a href="https://www.bellator.com/event/316">BELLATOR X Rizin 2: McKee vs. Pitbull</a> // Saitama Super Arena // Tokyo, JP
Fri. Aug. 11 // <a href="https://www.bellator.com/event/315">BELLATOR 298: Storley vs. Ward</a> // Sanford Pentagon // Sioux Falls, SD
Sat. Sept. 23 //&nbsp;<a href="https://www.bellator.com/event/313">BELLATOR 299: Eblen vs. Edwards</a> // 3Arena // Dublin, IRE
&nbsp;
About BELLATOR:
BELLATOR MMA is a leading global mixed martial arts organization featuring many of the best fighters in the world. Under the direction of veteran fight promoter Scott Coker, BELLATOR events take place in major cities worldwide and can be seen on television in over 160 countries to an available audience of over one billion people. In the United States, BELLATOR can be seen on SHOWTIME. BELLATOR is comprised of an executive team that includes top industry professionals in television production, live event orchestration, fighter development/relations, venue procurement, sponsorship creation/development, international licensing, marketing, advertising, publicity, and commission relations. BELLATOR is based in Hollywood, Calif. and owned by entertainment giant Paramount, home to the world's premier entertainment brands that connect with audiences through compelling content across television, motion picture, online and mobile platforms.

Top Featherweights Aaron Pico and Pedro Carvalho Added to BELLATOR 299: Eblen vs. Edwards on Saturday, Sept. 23 in Dublin

TOKYO &mdash; Following last year&rsquo;s historic New Year&rsquo;s Eve co-promotion, BELLATOR MMA and RIZIN Fighting Federation will bring another industry-altering, star-studded event to fight fans in Japan on Sunday, July 30. Headlining the event, which departs from the head-to-head format of last year&rsquo;s iteration of the crossover card, will be a BELLATOR Lightweight World Grand Prix Quarterfinal matchup between former Featherweight World Champion AJ McKee (20-1) and ex-Lightweight World Champion Patricky Pitbull (24-11).
&nbsp;
In addition to the highly anticipated clash between McKee and the second of his Pitbull family foes, former BELLATOR and RIZIN champion Kyoji Horiguchi (31-5) will return to fight on home soil when he fights for the inaugural BELLATOR Flyweight World Championship against Makoto&ldquo;Shinryu&rdquo; Takahashi (16-1-1), who enters the bout on a blazing hot, ten-fight winning streak.
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Plus, Japan&rsquo;s own Kana Watanabe (11-2-1) puts her No. 3 flyweight ranking on the line former title challenger Veta Arteaga (7-5), who ranks No. 7.
&nbsp;
Fans in attendance at the historic Saitama Super Arena will get to watch both portions of the event with the BELLATOR fights taking place in the cage with the iconic red and blue BELLATOR gloves, plus white gloves for the World Grand Prix competitors. The BELLATOR contests will be adhere to the Unified Rules of MMA.
&nbsp;
The RIZIN FF fights will be taking place in their normal ring, and BELLATOR stars Juan Archuleta (28-4) and Tofiq Musayev (20-5) are scheduled to compete during the RIZIN portion of the event.
&nbsp;
Broadcast details and ticket information will be announced at a later date.
&nbsp;
McKee, 28, is one of the most prominent faces of BELLATOR MMA, having competed under the promotion&rsquo;s banner for the entirety of his impressive professional career. McKee reached the pinnacle of the sport in 2021 when he dethroned rival Patricio Pitbull, the brother of upcoming opponent Patricky, in the finale of the $1,000,000 Featherweight World Grand Prix to become the Featherweight World Champion. After their rematch, McKee moved north to the lightweight division, where he has proven his worthiness of the promotion&rsquo;s No. 5 pound-for-pound status, besting Spike Carlyle and RIZIN champion Roberto Satoshi &mdash; the latter in the main event last year&rsquo;s BELLATOR vs. RIZIN card &mdash; on his path to the Grand Prix. At BELLATOR X RIZIN 2, McKee will look to advance to a semifinal matchup against Alexander Shabliy by adding another Pitbull to his lengthy list of victories.
&nbsp;
Seeking to put an end to the McKee saga in emphatic fashion for his family is former lightweight title holder Patricky Pitbull. BELLATOR&rsquo;s all-time knockout leader, Pitbull is known throughout the sport as a fearsome striker with dangerous punching power. While he came up short against the prodigious Usman Nurmagomedov in his last outing, the sting of losing his title has only strengthened the hunger Pitbull has to reclaim the championship gold he wore across his waist. Armed with the knowledge of two outings against McKee fought by brother Patricio, Pitbull hopes to dispatch of the American in front of an adoring Japanese crowd this July 30.
&nbsp;
Despite fighting at flyweight for much of his professional career, Japan&rsquo;s Kyoji Horiguchi dominated the bantamweight division in both BELLATOR and RIZIN, becoming champion on the strength of his artful karate-based style and well-honed fight IQ. However, the desire to fight at 125 pounds has remained for the American Top Team-trained fighter, who has won two straight fights in dominant fashion &mdash; including a decision over Hiromasa Ougikubo on last year&rsquo;s BELLATOR vs. RIZIN event. On July 30, Horiguchi will compete for the inaugural BELLATOR Flyweight World Championship as he ushers in a new division for the promotion, one sure to bolster the overall talent of the BELLATOR roster.
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&ldquo;Shinryu&rdquo; will make his second appearance for the BELLATOR brand when he challenges Horiguchi in this championship bout. Originally from Miyagi, Japan, &ldquo;Shinryu&rdquo; has become a fan favorite in Japan over his impressive, young career. At just 22-years-old, He&rsquo;s already secured championships from DEEP and CFFC and now hopes to add BELLATOR gold to his growing trophy room.
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&nbsp;
BELLATOR X Rizin 2: McKee vs. Pitbull 
JULY 30
&nbsp;
Lightweight World Grand Prix Quarterfinals: #5-AJ McKee (20-1) vs. #2-Patricky Pitbull (24-11)
Inaugural Flyweight World Championship: Kyoji Horiguchi (16-9) vs. Makoto &ldquo;Shinryu&rdquo; (16-1-1)
Women&rsquo;s Flyweight Bout: #3-Kana Watanabe (11-2-1) vs. #7-Veta Arteaga (7-5)
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<a href="https://urldefense.proofpoint.com/v2/url?u=https-3A__nam10.safelinks.protection.outlook.com_-3Furl-3Dhttps-253A-252F-252Furldefense.proofpoint.com-252Fv2-252Furl-253Fu-253Dhttp-2D3A-5F-5Fwww.bzapr.com-5Fcredentials-2526d-253DDwMF-2Dg-2526c-253DjGUuvAdBXp-5FVqQ6t0yah2g-2526r-253D3-5FJ6jNe7ZPHA4Gg-5Fe4RgtlmSNx8Q-5F9Awo3t-5FSpc8Gf8-2526m-253DjqZOeF5HzlPYVkOsG61cGpvUO0Qbzszq8ShVe4A5LI3iB-2DVB-5FZatGxplV7qQ6v2h-2526s-253DtLmxFt84ElL7kOOazMNUF7jnAwTrxxkFLclLkOmpWEM-2526e-253D-26data-3D04-257C01-257CJanem-2540bzapr.com-257C964a6bb07b31455de5a608da0230da45-257C3674bf0f3d5b41a99e3785c6140a53d5-257C0-257C0-257C637824706096613511-257CUnknown-257CTWFpbGZsb3d8eyJWIjoiMC4wLjAwMDAiLCJQIjoiV2luMzIiLCJBTiI6Ik1haWwiLCJXVCI6Mn0-253D-257C3000-26sdata-3Duvv1-252BkEUScGzIbn4H-252BnovyfRdVVJT1fmFPzTaYpoEDw-253D-26reserved-3D0&amp;d=DwMFaQ&amp;c=jGUuvAdBXp_VqQ6t0yah2g&amp;r=3_J6jNe7ZPHA4Gg_e4RgtlmSNx8Q_9Awo3t_Spc8Gf8&amp;m=WTovQZEe5sw20GFLx7u7cI_nDrP13D2xaVFLKUrMQcb8EQ0O_6tL4BlopuVugN-M&amp;s=f6ZJqliX_DoTRqdT9YRH2olAmK6AJw0oOToQ6acpRCI&amp;e=">Apply for BELLATOR&nbsp;media&nbsp;credentials</a>&nbsp; <a href="https://urldefense.proofpoint.com/v2/url?u=https-3A__nam10.safelinks.protection.outlook.com_-3Furl-3Dhttps-253A-252F-252Furldefense.proofpoint.com-252Fv2-252Furl-253Fu-253Dhttp-2D3A-5F-5Fwww.bzapr.com-5Fzoom-2526d-253DDwMF-2Dg-2526c-253DjGUuvAdBXp-5FVqQ6t0yah2g-2526r-253D3-5FJ6jNe7ZPHA4Gg-5Fe4RgtlmSNx8Q-5F9Awo3t-5FSpc8Gf8-2526m-253DjqZOeF5HzlPYVkOsG61cGpvUO0Qbzszq8ShVe4A5LI3iB-2DVB-5FZatGxplV7qQ6v2h-2526s-253DnDKVYnWW76FtaIKh6bajGQpUlEI4U2IbG-5FyGFfeRwgE-2526e-253D-26data-3D04-257C01-257CJanem-2540bzapr.com-257C964a6bb07b31455de5a608da0230da45-257C3674bf0f3d5b41a99e3785c6140a53d5-257C0-257C0-257C637824706096613511-257CUnknown-257CTWFpbGZsb3d8eyJWIjoiMC4wLjAwMDAiLCJQIjoiV2luMzIiLCJBTiI6Ik1haWwiLCJXVCI6Mn0-253D-257C3000-26sdata-3DLEZclo-252FyeaviZk94038IYoTgyW0eC0QAfNv7Hfbj6RQ-253D-26reserved-3D0&amp;d=DwMFaQ&amp;c=jGUuvAdBXp_VqQ6t0yah2g&amp;r=3_J6jNe7ZPHA4Gg_e4RgtlmSNx8Q_9Awo3t_Spc8Gf8&amp;m=WTovQZEe5sw20GFLx7u7cI_nDrP13D2xaVFLKUrMQcb8EQ0O_6tL4BlopuVugN-M&amp;s=uRKyKK-UzY-GtGUPYCyIING8-MLIgTFQyA2R8q7P6C4&amp;e=">RSVP for BELLATOR virtual&nbsp;media&nbsp;availabilities</a>&nbsp;
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For more information on upcoming&nbsp;BELLATOR MMA&nbsp;events, visit&nbsp;<a href="http://bellator.com/">BELLATOR.com</a>.&nbsp;
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Updated schedule of BELLATOR events - click links for updated fight cards
Fri. June 16 //&nbsp;<a href="https://www.bellator.com/event/314">BELLATOR 297: Nemkov vs. Romero</a> // Wintrust Arena // Chicago, ILL
Sun. Jul. 30 // BELLATOR X Rizin 2: McKee vs. Pitbull // Saitama Super Arena // Tokyo, JP
Fri. Aug. 11 // <a href="https://www.bellator.com/event/315">BELLATOR 298: Storley vs. Ward</a> // Sanford Pentagon // Sioux Falls, SD
Sat. Sept. 23 //&nbsp;<a href="https://www.bellator.com/event/313">BELLATOR 299: Eblen vs. Edwards</a> // 3Arena // Dublin, IRE
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About BELLATOR:
BELLATOR MMA is a leading global mixed martial arts organization featuring many of the best fighters in the world. Under the direction of veteran fight promoter Scott Coker, BELLATOR events take place in major cities worldwide and can be seen on television in over 160 countries to an available audience of over one billion people. In the United States, BELLATOR can be seen on SHOWTIME. BELLATOR is comprised of an executive team that includes top industry professionals in television production, live event orchestration, fighter development/relations, venue procurement, sponsorship creation/development, international licensing, marketing, advertising, publicity, and commission relations. BELLATOR is based in Hollywood, Calif. and owned by entertainment giant Paramount, home to the world's premier entertainment brands that connect with audiences through compelling content across television, motion picture, online and mobile platforms.