Japanese promotion Rizin FF has announced its tournament lineup for a lightweight grand prix, with perennial Bellator contender Patricky Freire set to be featured in it.
On Wednesday, Rizin FF officials announced the eight participants in the upcoming tournament, which kicks off at October 12 at Rizin FF 19.
The eight-man field includes:
- Patricky “Pitbull” Freire (21-8 MMA, 0-0 Rizin)
- Johnny Case (26-6 MMA, 2-0 Rizin)
- Luiz Gustavo (9-1 MMA, 1-1 Rizin)
- Tatsuya Kawajiri (37-13 MMA, 2-3 Rizin)
- Tofiq Musaev (15-3 MMA, 2-0 Rizin)
- Roberto de Souza (9-0 MMA, 2-0 Rizin)
- Damien Brown (19-12 MMA, 2-0 Rizin)
- Hiroto Uesako (16-7 MMA, 1-0 Rizin)
The quarterfinals are set to take place on the Rizin FF 19 card. A draw to determine those matchups is set to take place next week.
The event, which takes place at Edion Arena in Osaka, Japan (1 a.m. ET, Fite.tv), will feature a “100kg super fight” as Rizin FF light heavyweight champion Jiri Prochazkha takes on Brazilian knockout artist Fabio Maldonado, while the organization looks to establish its welterweight division with the booking of former UFC veteran Keita Nakamura, who makes his promotional debut against Marcos de Souza.
The card will also feature a crowd-pleasing super atomweight clash between fan favorites Seo Hee Ham and Miyuu Yamamoto, who recently faced off in the ring after Seo’s victory at Rizin FF 18 to tee up their eagerly anticipated match.
Rizin FF 19 confirmed fights include:
- Jiri Prochazka vs. Fabio Maldonado
- Seo Hee Ham vs. Miyuu Yamamoto
- Marco de Souza vs. Keita Nakamura
- Rena Kubota vs. Shawna Ram
- PLUS four lightweight grand prix quarterfinal matchups TBA
