RIZIN Fighting Federation announced new match-ups for the promotion’s openweight GP now that Wanderlei Silva and Shane Carwin are out of the tournament.
Mirko Cro Cop, originally booked to face “The Axe Murderer”, will now meet Muhammed Lawal at the Saitama Super Arena in Saitama, Japan, on Dec. 29.
“Cro Cop” tapped Hyun Man Myung in the tournament’s opening round, while “King Mo”, who won RIZIN’s first tournament in 2015, enters the fight fresh off a decision win over Satoshi Ishii under the Bellator banner.
Silva pulled out of the card with an injury, and sources told MMA Fighting that Carwin won't compete due to "family commitments". The former UFC interim heavyweight champion hopes to be back in action in early 2017.
The winner of “Cro Cop” vs. “King Mo” advances to the semifinal, which takes place Dec. 31, against the winner of Baruto vs. Tsuyoshi Kosaka.
The other finalist will emerge from the combination of quarterfinal bouts Heath Herring vs. Amir Aliakbari and Szymon Bajor vs. Valentin Moldavsky, which are also scheduled for Dec. 29.