Our double-header day for MMASucka staff picks sees the second-half of our stacked night of fights.
Later tonight, July 30th sees Bellator MMA x Rizin 2 in addition to Super Rizin 2 set for action from the Saitama Super Arena in Saitama, Japan, as the two organizations prepares for its second collaboration following a successful event in December. The Bellator MMA x Rizin 2 portion will begin at 11:00pm ET (8:00pm PT) on Showtime. Super Rizin 2 will follow afterwards around 3:00am ET (12:00am PT) on pay-per-view available for purchase through FITE TV.
Results from Bellator MMA x Rizin 2 and Super Rizin 2 will be available here at MMASucka.
Also, be sure to check out our staff picks from UFC 291: Poirier vs. Gaethje 2 in Salt Lake City.
The Fights
Headlining the Bellator MMA x Rizin 2 card sees Patricky Pitbull and Roberto de Souza ready for five possible five-minute rounds as part of Bellator’s Lightweight World Grand Prix. Former divisional champion and promotional veteran Pitbull looks to rebound after losing the title in his November of 2022 fight with still-undefeated Usman Nurmagomedov. Former Rizin Lightweight Champion de Souza makes a quick turnaround after taking a unanimous decision over Spike Carlyle in May; his first win after losing to A.J. McKee in last year’s inaugural collaboration event. Although at a catchweight of 161 pounds, the winner between Pitbull and de Souza will advance onward to the semifinals in a fight with Alexandr Shabliy at a later date this year.
In the co-main event, Bellator sees its inaugural championship fight in the flyweight division between Kyoji Horiguchi and Makoto Shinryu. Former Shooto and Bellator Bantamweight Champion Horiguchi looks for three in-a-row after back-to-back victories in September and December last year over Yuto Hokamura and Hiromasa Ougikubo, respectively. Former DEEP and Cage Fury FC Flyweight Champion Shinryu an eleventh-straight win dating back to his only career defeat against Tatsumitsu Wada in April of 2018.
Three additional fights make up the awaiting main card which can be found further below.
👀 Ice cold staredown from @PatrickyPitbull and @ToshiJJ!
👊 #BellatorXRizin
🇺🇸 7/29 | 11pm ET/8pm PT | @SHOsports
🇯🇵 7/30 | 12pm JST | @UNEXT_fight pic.twitter.com/vmqg3sRwQW— Bellator MMA (@BellatorMMA) July 29, 2023
In a special twist for picks this year, three Super Rizin 2 fights will be counted towards our 2023 records.
Current undefeated women’s Super Atomweight Champion Seika Izawa will look to defend her title against the two-fight win streak of talent Claire Lopez. A battle for the vacant Bantamweight Championship pairs 2021 promotional tournament winner and former two-divisional Shooto title holder Hiromasa Ougikubo against former four-divisional King of the Cage champion and former Bellator Bantamweight Champion Juan Archuleta. The main event features an additional vacant Rizin Championship in the featherweight division as former title challenger Mikuru Asakura fights rising Azerbaijani star Vugar Karamov.
See further below for Bellator MMA x Rizin 2 and Super Rizin 2 picks and predictions.
2023 Staff Picks
MMASucka staff picks are composed of five promotions: the Ultimate Fighting Championship (UFC), Bellator MMA, ONE Championship, the Professional Fighters League (PFL), and Dana White’s Contender Series (DWCS). UFC and Bellator events feature picks from only main cards. PFL will feature select fights from the main and preliminary card while DWCS sees all fights counted from the event. ONE Championship returns to picks for the first time since 2020 and will feature only mixed martial arts (MMA) fights selected from cards with a minimum three matchups.
The WINNER of staff picks at the end of 2023, who picked the most victorious fighters, will have a choice between receiving a custom-made championship belt from ProAmBelts or a chain from Championship Chains. Staff picks in 2022 was won by Wesley Riddle with a record of 264-135.
Find our staff picks and predictions for Bellator MMA x Rizin 2 and Super Rizin 2 below.
MMASucka’s 2022 Championship Belt (courtesy of ProAmBelts).
Staff Records after UFC Fight Night 224:
1T. Michael DeSantis: 163-82
1T. Ben Jamieson: 163-82
3. Nate Freeman: 158-87
4. Jeremy Brand: 156-89
5. Frazer Krohn: 155-90
6. Wesley Riddle: 154-91
7. Julio Monteros Jr.: 140-83
8. Jack Goodwillie: 124-69
9. Andrew Benjamin: 123-97
10. Brian Knight: 114-65
11. Tim Wheaton: 105-60
12. Roemello Reyes: 62-34
13. Jonathan Andrade: 31-24
14. Brandon Joint: 12-9
15. Andrew Benjamin: 10-7
16. Joshua Yule: 7-6
17. Antwyn Jackson: 5-6
18. Chris De Santiago: 3-3
*Note – not all staff pick for every event*
*Note – UFC 291 picks will be added to the above records NEXT weekend*
BELLATOR MMA VS. RIZIN 2 PORTION
Andrey Koreshkov (26-4)
vs.
Lorenz Larkin (25-7, 2 NC)
Welterweight Division
– 170 LBS. ~ 77.1 KG. –
Jeremy Brand: Koreshkov via Round 2 SUB
Wesley Riddle: Larkin via Split Decision
Michael DeSantis: Larkin via Unanimous Decision
Andrew Benjamin: Larkin via Unanimous Decision
Frazer Krohn: Larkin via Round 2 TKO
Nate Freeman: Larkin via Split Decision
Julio Monteros Jr.: Larkin via Unanimous Decision
Brian Knight: Larkin via Unanimous Decision
Jack Goodwillie: Koreshkov via Unanimous Decision
Ben Jamieson: Koreshkov via Round 3 TKO
Staff picking Koreshkov: 3
Staff picking Larkin: 7
Danny Sabatello (14-2)
vs.
Magomed Magomedov (19-3)
Bantamweight Division
– 135 LBS. ~ 61.2 KG. –
Jeremy Brand: Sabatello via Unanimous Decision
Wesley Riddle: Sabatello via Unanimous Decision
Michael DeSantis: Sabatello via Unanimous Decision
Andrew Benjamin: Sabatello via Unanimous Decision
Frazer Krohn: Sabatello via Unanimous Decision
Nate Freeman: Sabatello via Unanimous Decision
Julio Monteros Jr.: Sabatello via Unanimous Decision
Brian Knight: Sabatello via Round 2 SUB
Jack Goodwillie: Sabatello via Split Decision
Ben Jamieson: Sabatello via Unanimous Decision
Staff picking Sabatello: 10
Staff picking Magomedov: 0
Kana Watanabe (11-2-1)
vs.
Veta Arteaga (7-5)
Women’s Flyweight Division
– 125 LBS. ~ 56.7 KG. –
Jeremy Brand: Watanabe via Unanimous Decision
Wesley Riddle: Watanabe via Unanimous Decision
Michael DeSantis: Watanabe via Unanimous Decision
Andrew Benjamin: Watanabe via Round 1 SUB
Frazer Krohn: Watanabe via Unanimous Decision
Nate Freeman: Watanabe via Unanimous Decision
Julio Monteros Jr.: Watanabe via Unanimous Decision
Brian Knight: Watanabe via Unanimous Decision
Jack Goodwillie: Watanabe via Unanimous Decision
Ben Jamieson: Watanabe via Unanimous Decision
Staff picking Watanabe: 10
Staff picking Arteaga: 0
Kyoji Horiguchi (31-5)
vs.
Makoto Shinryu (16-1-1)
Inaugural Flyweight Divisional Championship
– Bellator MMA vs. Rizin 2 Co-Main Event –
– 125 LBS. ~ 56.7 KG. –
Jeremy Brand: Horiguchi via Round 1 TKO
Wesley Riddle: Horiguchi via Round 2 TKO
Michael DeSantis: Horiguchi via Round 1 TKO
Andrew Benjamin: Horiguchi via Unanimous Decision
Frazer Krohn: Horiguchi via Round 2 TKO
Nate Freeman: Horiguchi via Unanimous Decision
Julio Monteros Jr.: Horiguchi via Round 2 TKO
Brian Knight: Horiguchi via Round 3 TKO
Jack Goodwillie: Horiguchi via Round 2 SUB
Ben Jamieson: Horiguchi via Round 2 TKO
Staff picking Horiguchi: 10
Staff picking Shinryu: 0
Patricky Pitbull (24-11)
vs.
Roberto de Souza (15-2)
Lightweight Grand Prix Quarterfinals
– Bellator MMA vs. Rizin 2 Main Event –
– Catchweight Fight –
– 161 LBS. ~ 73.0 KG. –
Jeremy Brand: Pitbull via Round 3 TKO
Wesley Riddle: de Souza via Round 1 SUB
Michael DeSantis: Pitbull via Unanimous Decision
Andrew Benjamin: de Souza via Round 2 SUB
Frazer Krohn: Pitbull via Unanimous Decision
Nate Freeman: de Souza via Unanimous Decision
Julio Monteros Jr.: Pitbull via Unanimous Decision
Brian Knight: Pitbull via Unanimous Decision
Jack Goodwillie: de Souza via Unanimous Decision
Ben Jamieson: de Souza via Unanimous Decision
Staff picking Pitbull: 5
Staff picking de Souza: 5
SUPER RIZIN 2 PORTION
Seika Izawa (10-0)
vs.
Claire Lopez (8-4)
Women’s Super Atomweight Divisional Championship
– 108 LBS. ~ 49.0 KG. –
Jeremy Brand: Izawa via Round 2 TKO
Wesley Riddle: Izawa via Unanimous Decision
Michael DeSantis: Izawa via Unanimous Decision
Andrew Benjamin: Lopez via Round 2 TKO
Frazer Krohn: Izawa via Unanimous Decision
Nate Freeman: Izawa via Unanimous Decision
Julio Monteros Jr.: Izawa via Unanimous Decision
Brian Knight: N/A
Jack Goodwillie: Izawa via Unanimous Decision
Ben Jamieson: Izawa via Unanimous Decision
Staff picking Izawa: 8
Staff picking Lopez: 1
Hiromasa Ougikubo (25-7-2)
vs.
Juan Archuleta (28-4)
Vacant Bantamweight Divisional Championship
– Super Rizin 2 Co-Main Event –
– 134 LBS. ~ 61.0 KG. –
Jeremy Brand: Archuleta via Round 3 SUB
Wesley Riddle: Archuleta via Round 2 SUB
Michael DeSantis: Archuleta via Unanimous Decision
Andrew Benjamin: Archuleta via Unanimous Decision
Frazer Krohn: Archuleta via Unanimous Decision
Nate Freeman: Archuleta via Unanimous Decision
Julio Monteros Jr.: Archuleta via Unanimous Decision
Brian Knight: N/A
Jack Goodwillie: Archuleta via Unanimous Decision
Ben Jamieson: Archuleta via Round 3 SUB
Staff picking Ougikubo: 0
Staff picking Archuleta: 9
Mikuru Asakura (17-3, 1 NC)
vs.
Vugar Karamov (18-4)
Vacant Featherweight Divisional Championship
– Super Rizin 2 Main Event –
– 146 LBS. ~ 66.0 KG. –
Jeremy Brand: Asakura via Unanimous Decision
Wesley Riddle: Asakura via Split Decision
Michael DeSantis: Asakura via Unanimous Decision
Andrew Benjamin: Karamov via Round 1 SUB
Frazer Krohn: Karamov via Unanimous Decision
Nate Freeman: Asakura via Split Decision
Julio Monteros Jr.: Karamov via Unanimous Decision
Brian Knight: N/A
Jack Goodwillie: Karamov via Unanimous Decision
Ben Jamieson: Asakura via Unanimous Decision
Staff picking Asakura: 5
Staff picking Karamov: 4
BELLATOR MMA VS. SUPER RIZIN 2 FEATURED IMAGE:
Patricky Pitbull (left) and Roberto de Souza (right) ahead of their Bellator MMA x Rizin 2 championship fight taking place Saturday and Sunday, July 29th and 30th from the Saitama Super Arena in Saitama, Japan (photo credits to Bellator MMA).
