Barry Recks
The last fight remaining in the quarterfinals round of the Bellator Lightweight World Grand Prix Tournament will be the main event of this coming weekend’s Bellator MMA x Rizin 2 at Saitama Super Arena in Saitama Japan, as AJ McKee and Patricky Pitbull top the billing. Before that showdown, though, Bellator has a handful of exciting matchups all lined up.
Read on for more about this Bellator event in Saitama, Japan, including our predictions, picks, and latest odds in each bout, as brought to you by JefeBet. Also, don’t forget to check out the other MMA content here to help you make the best betting decisions.
Betting Preview for Bellator MMA vs. Rizin 2 Featuring AJ McKee vs Patricky Pitbull & Other Big Cards on July 30 2023
AJ McKee (odds) vs Patricky Pitbull (odds)
Lightweight
A quarterfinal battle in the Bellator Lightweight World Grand Prix will headline this Bellator event in Japan, with McKee (20-1-0) and Patricky Pitbull(24-11-0) going at it. McKee defeated Roberto de Souza in his last fight via unanimous decision last December, while Patricky Freire is coming off a unanimous decision loss at the hands of Usman Nurmagomedov back in November.
Prediction: McKee wins via decision.
Kyoji Horiguchi (odds) vs Makoto Shinryu (odds)
Flyweight
On a two-fight win streak, Horiguchi (31-5-0) will try to keep it going when he faces off with Shinryu this coming weekend. Horiguchi us 31-5-0 with a 15-2 knockout record and also has four wins via submissions against a loss. Makoto “Shinryu” Takahashi, meanwhile, has never lost since 2018, going undefeated in 10 consecutive fights since then. He carries a 16-1-1 record.
Prediction: Horiguchi wins via knockout.
Danny Sabatello (odds) vs Magomed Magomedov (odds)
Bantamweight
Sabatello will be stepping inside the cage again, as he looks to keep his momentum going after winning via submission against Marcos Breno last April in Bellator 294: Carmouche vs. Bennett 2. Sabatello is 14-2-0 with a 3-1 T/KO record and 5-0 submissions slate. Magomedov, on the other hand, is 19-3-0 and has gone just 1-2 in his last three bouts. He lost in his most recent one to Patchy Mix via submission back in December. It’s worth noting that Magomedov has a win against former UFC champion Petr Yan.
Prediction: Sabatello wins via decision.
Kana Watanabe (odds) vs Veta Arteaga (odds)
Women’s Flyweight
Watanabe (11-2-1) is coming off a split-decision loss last April to Ilima-Lei Macfarlane in Bellator 295: Stots vs. Mix. She is looking to regain her footing inside the cage after going just 1-2 in her last three fights, which came after going undefeated in her first 11 fights as a pro. Arteaga (7-5-0) also lost in her last fight via split decision to Sumiko Inaba just last April.
Prediction: Watanabe wins via submission.
Andrey Koreshkov (odds) vs Lorenz Larkin (odds)
Welterweight
Koreshkov, who is 26-4-0, is on a scorching run, having won all of his last four fights. He is dangerous with his striking game, as he’s got 14 knockout wins to go with four submission victories. Larkin (25-7-0) isn’t too shabby himself, as he has been undefeated in his last eight fights, going 8-0-1 over that stretch. He has a 0-0 submission record but owns a 13-2 T/KO slate.
Prediction: Koreshkov wins by KO.
All odds courtesy of DraftKings. Read our review here!
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