Bellator X Rizin 2 predictions: Short-notice replacement Roberto de Souza or Patricky Freire in Japan?
Bellator is back in Japan this week for the another co-promoted event with Rizin.
Bellator x Rizin 2 takes place Saturday at Saitama Super Arena in Saitama, Japan. The Bellator portion of the card airs on Showtime.
(Click here to open a PDF of the staff picks grid in a separate window.)
Get pick results from our 11 editors, writers, radio hosts and videographers, as well as additional analysis, below.
Andrey Koreshkov vs. Lorenz Larkin
Records: Andrey Koreshkov (25-4 MMA, 15-4 BMMA), Lorenz Larkin (25-7 MMA, 7-2 BMMA)
Division: Welterweight
Betting odds: Koreshkov -135, Larkin +110
Junkie pick results: Larkin 7, Koreshkov 4
Odds and ends: Larkin and Koreshkov fought in October 2019 at Bellator 229, where Larkin won a split decision. Koreshkov has four straight wins since then, including three finishes. It’ll be his first fight in more than a year. After losses in his first two Bellator fights, Larkin has seven straight wins, including two straight first-round finishes.
Veta Arteaga vs. Kana Watanabe
Records: Veta Arteaga (7-5 MMA, 6-5 BMMA), Kana Watanabe (11-2-1 MMA, 3-2 BMMA)
Division: Women’s flyweight
Betting odds: Watanabe -450, Arteaga +325
Junkie pick results: Watanabe 11, Arteaga 0
Odds and ends: Watanabe is looking to bounce back from a close split decision loss to Ilima-Lei Macfarlane in Honolulu in April.
Magomed Magomedov vs. Danny Sabatello
Records: Magomed Magomedov (19-3 MMA, 3-2 BMMA), Danny Sabatello (14-2 MMA, 4-1 BMMA)
Division: Bantamweight
Betting odds: Sabatello -210, Magomedov +170
Junkie pick results: Sabatello 7, Magomedov 4
Odds and ends: After his split decision loss to Raufeon Stots this past December, Sabatello will try to stay in the bantamweight title mix against fellow contender Magomedov. Sabatello rebounded with a submission win in April, but thinks a win over Magomedov could get him a shot at the Sergio Pettis vs. Patchy Mix winner.
Kyoji Horiguchi vs. Makoto Shinryu
Records: Kyoji Horiguchi (30-5 MMA, 2-2 BMMA), Makoto Shinryu (16-1-1 MMA, 1-0 BMMA)
Division: Flyweight
Betting odds: Horiguchi -450, Shinryu +340
Junkie pick results: Horiguchi 11, Shinryu 0
Odds and ends: Horiguchi, a former Rizin and Bellator bantamweight champion, meets Shinryu for the inaugural Bellator flyweight title.
Patricky Freire vs. Roberto de Souza
Records: Patricky Freire (24-11 MMA, 15-9 BMMA), Roberto de Souza (15-2 MMA, 0-1 BMMA)
Division: Lightweight
Betting odds: de Souza -175, Freire +145
Junkie pick results: de Souza 5, Freire 4 (2 no-picks)
Odds and ends: De Souza stepped in on just a few days’ notice when former featherweight champion A.J. McKee had to pull out of the fight with a staph infection. De Souza is Rizin’s lightweight champion, and now has a quarterfinal spot against ex-Bellator champ Freire in the opening round of the lightweight grand prix.
Check out all the Bellator picks below.
Bellator X Rizin 2 picks
Freire | Horiguchi | Magomedov | Arteaga | Koreshkov | |
MMA Junkie readers’ | 
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Simon Samano |
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Nolan King |
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Matt Erickson |
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Matthew Wells |
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Ken Hathaway  2018, 2022 Champion | 
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Mike Bohn 2014 Champion | 
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George Garcia |
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Farah Hannoun |
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Brian Garcia 2017 Champion |
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Abbey Subhan |
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Danny Segura |
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For more on the card, visit MMA Junkie’s event hub for Bellator x Rizin 2.
