Eight fights added to Bellator Japan and RIZIN 20, including Kai Asakura vs. Manel Kape for vacant RIZIN bantamweight title

A light heavyweight title bout between RIZIN champion Jiri Prochazka and UFC veteran CB Dollaway isn’t the only addition to the New Years Eve card in Saitama on Dec. 31, as both RIZIN and Bellator announced new match-ups for their upcoming year-end cards in Japan.

Five other match-ups have been officially announced for RIZIN 20. RIZIN’s bantamweight title, recently vacated by Kyoji Horiguchi, will be on the line for Kai Asakura (14-1) and Manel Kape (14-4). Asakura, who knocked out Horiguchi in just 68 seconds earlier this year, also holds a split decision win over Kape.

According to RIZIN, the new bantamweight champion will put his title on the line in 2020 against whoever wins between Shintaro Ishiwatari (26-7-4) vs. Hiromasa Ogikubo (19-4-2), which is also set for the card in Saitama.

Other addition to RIZIN 20 is a rematch between Rena Kubota (9-3) and Lindsey Vanzandt (7-2). They first met in June inside the Bellator cage, and VanZandt won via first-round submission. Satoshi Ishii (22-10-1) vs. Jake Heun (14-9) and Vitaly Shemetov (23-10) vs. Simon Biyong (6-1) were also announced for the card.

Bellator Japan, scheduled for Dec. 29 and headlined by Fedor Emelianenko vs. Quinton Jackson, will also feature Kanna Asakura (15-4) vs. Jayme Hinshaw (4-3) and Shoma Shibisai (5-2) vs. Sergei Shemetov (9-6). A kickboxing bout between K-1 veteran Ren Hiramoto (10-4 in kickboxing) and DEEP featherweight champion Takahiro Ashida (23-1-2 in MMA) was also added to the card.

Check the current lineups for Bellator Japan and RIZIN 20 below.

Bellator Japan

Main card
Fedor Emelianenko vs. Quinton Jackson
Michael Chandler vs. Ben Henderson
Lorenz Larkin vs. Keita Nakamura
Ilara Joanne vs. Kana Watanabe
Goiti Yamauchi vs. Daron Cruickshank

Post-lims
Andy Nguyen vs. Ai Shimizu
Ryuichiro Sumimura vs. Jon Tuck
Haruo Ochi vs. Jarred Brooks
Yusuke Yachi vs. Hiroto Uesako
Kanna Asakura vs. Jayme Hinshaw
Shoma Shibisai vs. Sergei Shemetov
Rena Hiramoto vs. Takahiro Ashida (kickboxing)

RIZIN 20

Kai Asakura vs. Manel Kape
Jiri Prochazka vs. C.B. Dollaway
Ayaka Hamasaki vs. Seo Hee Ham
Johnny Case vs. Tofiq Musaev [Lightweight GP semifinal]
Patricky Freire vs. Luiz Gustavo [Lightweight GP semifinal]
Yuki Motoya vs. Patrick Mix
Mikuru Asakura vs. John Macapa
Vitaly Shemetov vs. Simon Biyong
Jake Heun vs. Satoshi Ishii
Lindsey VanZandt vs. Rena Kubota
Shintaro Ishiwatari vs. Hiromasa Ogikubo
Case/Musaev vs. Freire/Gustavo [Lightweight GP final]