Bellator & RIZIN Set For Historic December Show, Fedor Emelianenko Confirmed
Bellator and RIZIN Fighting Federation are set for a massive event on December 29 in Japan. The two promotions are set for an “emergency” press conference on Wednesday in Tokyo.
RIZIN FF CEO Nobuyuki Sakakibara broke the news saying it will be a “historic” event between the two promotions. He also posted on Instagram that Fedor Emelianenko will be on the card.
“”Bellator will be coming to Japan to put on a historical event on December 29th! We will host an emergency press conference with Bellator president Scott Coker and Fedor Emelianenko! We hope to be able to deliver exciting news so please make sure to come out and experience the press conference!,” he wrote.
Bellator president, Scott Coker has been teasing a Japan show at the end of the year for quite some time. Back in July, the Bellator boss talked to Ariel Helwani about the possible show.
“There’s nothing confirmed,” Coker said on Ariel Helwani’s MMA Show. “As people already know, we’ve been talking to Sakakibara about doing some type of event together. We haven’t decided if it’s going to be a ‘co-pro,’ fight sharing, a Bellator event by itself.
“But I’d love nothing more than to be in Japan sometime in December throwing a big fight there at Saitama Super Arena, where all the big fights happen.”
Coker also says there are several options for Emelianenko’s opponent on the card.
“Whether it’s a Japanese fighter or he fights [Quinton] ‘Rampage’ Jackson or Josh Barnett, or whoever, I think it would just be a magical night to see him back in the Bellator cage in Tokyo,” Coker said.
Emelianenko is coming off of a knockout loss to Ryan Bader in the Heavyweight Grand Prix Finals. The expectation is Fedor’s opponent will be announced at the press conference.
Who do you think Fedor Emelianenko should fight at this ‘historic’ event?
