Bellator v Rizin 2: Flyweight title ends in no-contest, Patricky Freire finishes Roberto de Souza

Bellator's inaugural flyweight rubric remains vacant aft Kyoji Horiguchi's bout with Makoto Takahashi ended aft 25 seconds due to the fact that of an oculus poke.

Horiguchi, 32, came retired arsenic the aggressor, landing a close high-kick.

However his travel up near jab yet ended the combat arsenic Takahashi, 23, instantly stepped backmost and held his manus to his eye.

Referee Jason Herzog called a aesculapian clip retired but Takahashi, who had won 10 fights successful a row, was inactive struggling to spot and the combat was deemed a nary contest.

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The main lawsuit connected the cross-promotional paper astatine Saitama Arena did not disappoint however, arsenic Bellator's Patricky 'Pitbull' Freire, 37, earned a third-round TKO triumph against Roberto 'Satoshi' de Souza successful a Bellator lightweight expansive prix quarter-final.

Brazil's Freire, who lost the lightweight title via unanimous determination against Usman Nurmagomedov astatine Bellator 288, volition look Russian Alexandr Shabliy successful the semi-finals of the competition.

Rizin lightweight champion De Souza, 33, took the combat connected conscionable six days' announcement aft Bellator's AJ McKee withdrew due to the fact that of a bacteria infection.

It was a tentative commencement arsenic Freire and De Souza sized 1 different up, but 'Pitbull' began to spell connected the onslaught successful the last moments of the opening round, landing a flurry of punches and conscionable missing with a flying knee.

Patricky Freire is connected a ngo to reclaim the lightweight rubric helium mislaid successful November

Freire seemed to person a work connected his countryman successful circular 2 arsenic helium started to excavation successful with immoderate stinging limb kicks that stifled De Souza's quality to determination retired of danger.

'Pitbull' stuffed respective takedown attempts past recovered a location with different flying knee, sending De Souza down to the canvas but being saved by the bell.

In afloat control, Freire continued to person occurrence with debased kicks and yet chopped De Souza down earlier diving successful with a flurry of punches to seal victory.

"I instrumentality my win, that's it. I conscionable bash my occupation and instrumentality the win," Freire said.

"It's my tournament, let's go. I judge successful my caput and my team. I don't attraction astir the $1m, I attraction astir the tournament. I'm the king of knockouts."