Bellator MMA vs Rizin Predictions & Odds 2022
By Nick Holz in Mixed Martial Arts News
Published:
- Bellator MMA fighters take on the champions of Rizin on December 31st from Japan
- Bellator ace AJ McKee and Rizin lightweight champ Roberto De Souza headline the card
- Check out the Bellator MMA vs Rizin odds and predictions below
As the year winds down, Bellator MMA and Rizin have joined forces to finish 2022 with a bang. Cross-promotion mixed martial arts is back! The extravaganza of Bellator MMA vs Rizin will be coming at you live in the early morning hours of December 31st.
The event will feature five bouts pitting Bellator fighters against Rizin rivals. The main event has pits Bellator fan favorite AJ McKee against submission specialist Roberto De Souza(Rizin’s lightweight champion). While former Bellator featherweight champion Patricky Pitbull will face Rizin featherweight champion Kleber Koike in the co-main event.
Bellator MMA vs Rizin gets underway from Saitama Super Arena in Tokyo, Japan. You can catch all the action when it airs on Showtime at 8pm ET. Until then check out all the odds and our best bets for Bellator MMA vs Rizin below.
Bellator MMA vs Rizin Odds
| Fighter | Odds |
|---|---|
| AJ McKee | -225 |
| Roberto De Souza | +180 |
| Fighter | Odds |
| Patricky Pitbull | -400 |
| Kleiber Koike | +290 |
| Fighter | Odds |
| Juan Archuleta | -155 |
| Soo Chul Kim | +120 |
| Fighter | Odds |
| Kyoji Horiguchi | -550 |
| Hiromasa Ougikubo | +380 |
| Fighter | Odds |
| Gadzhi Rabadanov | -350 |
| Koji Takeda | +260 |
Odds as of December 28th at PointsBet.
AJ McKee is a -225 favorite over his Brazilian counterpart in the Bellator MMA vs Rizin main event. While Patricky Pitbull enters the co-main event as a -400 favorite over Kleiber Koike.
McKee vs De Souza Odds & Prediction
AJ McKee represents the epitome of a new breed of MMA fighter.
The former Bellator featherweight champion is a tough all-around fighter. McKee is more than capable of winning a stand up battle or taking the fight to the mat. Most importantly, he has the ability to finish the fight no matter its direction, as his six wins by TKO/KO and seven submission victories attest to.
Fans love “the Mercenary” as he aims to entertain, with 10 first-round victories so far in his career.
Bellator 136 (2015.04.10)
vs Marcos Bonilla (1-1)
AJ McKee wins his MMA debut in a grappling sequence starting with a D’Arce choke and ending with a rear naked choke pic.twitter.com/dosMrSgjp3
— Alexander Volkara France (@VolkaraFrance) December 28, 2022
Roberto De Souza possesses some of the best pure brazilian jiu-jitsu in the sport. He’s excellent at shooting for a low takedown and pulling opponents into his guard to set up submissions. That being said, submitting opponents appears to be his only offensive gameplan. While he has been successful with 12 submission victories, if he is unable to show any resistance to McKee’s striking prowess, this fight could be over quickly.
| 27 | Age | 33 |
| 5’10 | Height | 5’11 |
| 73.5″ | Reach | N/A |
| 12 | Career Finishes | 13 |
The main event of the Bellator MMA vs Rizin card is an intriguing match up to bet on. While McKee has had a dominant career in Bellator, De Souza is a world-class grappler capable of finishing this fight from any position.
That being said, Mckee’s dynamic striking game, power and motor will be too much for De Souza in this match. Look for McKee to finish this fight.
Bellator MMA vs Rizin Main Event pick: AJ McKee to win (-200)
Patricio Pitbull vs Kleber Koike Odds & Predictions
The co-main event of Bellator MMA vs Rizin will feature a classic striker versus grappler match up.
While Patricky Pitbull is the far more accomplished fighter, Kleber Koike is a dangerous brazilian jiu-jitsu artist. Pitbull will be the much smaller fighter in this match-up. However, because of his lack of stature, he’s learned to develop outstanding fight IQ and elite distance management throughout his career.
He is one of the most technical strikers in all of MMA. Importantly, Pitbull is one of greatest counter-punchers in the history of the sport, and possesses the ability to end these New Year’s festivities in an instant.
🇧🇷 @PatrickyPitbull is no stranger to an epic finish!
Ahead of #Bellator258 on Friday, May 7th we look back at the Top 5 Patricky Pitbull Finishes inside the Bellator cage. pic.twitter.com/ndR1GnNaK8
— Bellator MMA (@BellatorMMA) May 7, 2021
Unfortunately, Koike’s striking defense may be his achilles heel in this one. Look for Patricky to end his night with a classic counterpunch.
Patricky is a massive favorite for a reason. Take Pitbull to win this fight.
Bellator MMA vs Rizin Co-Main Event Pick: Patricky Pitbull to win (-400)
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Sports Content Writer
A sports betting aficionado and graduate of Toronto Film School, Nick covers the NFL, NBA, Soccer, and MMA for SBD. He is also an avid NBA podcaster, and sports betting TikToker. Nick's work has been featured on Bleacher Report.
