Team Bellator had a pretty epic way to ring in the new year Saturday, and its members’ entrances were equally epic.
Bellator fighters went 5-0 in their matchups against Rizin fighters at a crossover event at Saitama Super Arena near Tokyo. Former featherweight champion A.J. McKee and current champ Patricio Freire got wins at the top of the bill. But so, too, did Kyoji Horiguchi, Juan Archuleta and Gadzhi Rabadanov.
Check out some of the epic only-in-Japan entrances from the fighters on the New Year’s Eve card below.
Introductions
5️⃣ of BELLATOR MMA's best
5️⃣ of @rizin_PR's bestThis one is 𝗡𝗢𝗧 to be missed!
🇺🇸 Full Replay at 8pm ET/PT on Showtime Sports#RIZINvsBellator#BellatorvsRIZIN pic.twitter.com/mQyDSpDxym
— BellatorMMA (@BellatorMMA) December 31, 2022
Gadzhi Rabadanov
Gadzhi Rabadanov makes the walk into battle ⚔️
🇺🇸 Full Replay at 8pm ET/PT on @SHOSports#RIZINvsBellator#BellatorvsRIZIN pic.twitter.com/HZIxq0Kjbc
— BellatorMMA (@BellatorMMA) December 31, 2022
Juan Archuleta
The Aztec Warrior… 🐆@jarchmma
[ #RIZIN40 | #RIZINvsBellator ] pic.twitter.com/49TDS5JoKT
— RIZIN FF English (@rizin_English) December 31, 2022
Soo Chul Kim
When you gotta go, you gotta go! 💨
[ #RIZIN40 | #RIZINvsBellator ] pic.twitter.com/k8ZyE4m4uo
— RIZIN FF English (@rizin_English) December 31, 2022
Kyoji Horiguchi
Electric ⚡️
Former Bellator and Rizin champ marches into battle.
🇺🇸 Full Replay at 8pm ET/PT on @SHOSports#RIZINvsBellator #BellatorvsRIZIN #Rizin40 pic.twitter.com/kD98PE024w
— BellatorMMA (@BellatorMMA) December 31, 2022
Patricio Freire
Epic walkout from @PatricioPitbull at #BellatorvsRizin pic.twitter.com/rqRqQFZsDi
— Scott Coker (@ScottCoker) January 1, 2023
Roberto De Souza
Our Champion is on his way to the ring!
[ #RIZIN40 | #RIZINvsBellator ] pic.twitter.com/84uCAnyDiD
— RIZIN FF English (@rizin_English) December 31, 2022
A.J. McKee
𝑴𝒂𝒌𝒊𝒏𝒈 𝒊𝒕 𝒓𝒂𝒊𝒏 💵
AJ McKee enters the legendary Saitama Super Arena in Samurai armour ⚔️
🇺🇸 Full Replay at 8pm ET/PT on @SHOSports#RIZINvsBellator#BellatorvsRIZIN#RIZIN40 pic.twitter.com/yC1MCTTknk
— BellatorMMA (@BellatorMMA) December 31, 2022