Rizin 47 Gains Pettis vs. Horiguchi Rematch, 2 Other Bouts for June 9 Show

📣 #Yogibo presents #RIZIN47
💥💥 Matchup Announcement 💥💥

RIZIN MMA Rules 61.0kg

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🟥 #KyojiHoriguchi / @kyoji1012
First-ever RIZIN Flyweight Champion
ーーー🆚ーーー
🟦 #SergioPettis / @sergiopettis
Former Bellator World Bantamweight Champion

🏟️ Yoyogi National Gymnasium,… pic.twitter.com/SnFB3SvWAu

— RIZIN FF English (@rizin_English) April 19, 2024

Rizin Fighting Federation is not messing around with its trip to Tokyo this June.

The organization broke the news on Friday morning, announcing a trio of noteworthy pairings for Rizin 47 on June 9. The event will be held at the Yoyogi National Gymnasium in Tokyo. The main attraction will come at the bantamweight division, when Sergio Pettis (23-6) and Kyoji Horiguchi (32-5, 1 NC) run back a thrilling encounter in 2021.

Horiguchi and Pettis first met atop Bellator 272, with Pettis defending his Bellator MMA bantamweight throne against his Japanese counterpart. The American Top Team fighter likely won all three rounds leading into Round 4, only for Pettis to put him away with a spinning back fist in a stunning comeback and Sherdog’s 2021 “Knockout of the Year” winner. Coming into the encounter, Horiguchi had previously held the division’s belt, only to surrender it willingly due to injury.

After losing to Pettis, Horiguchi remained under the Bellator banner so that he could join the 2022 bantamweight grand prix. Horiguchi faced off against eventual tourney victor and champion Patrick Mix, where he came out on the wrong end of a close decision. He returned to the Rizin banner a few months later, sleeping Yuto Hokamura with an arm-triangle and then beating old rival Hiromasa Ougikubo, with the latter his first appearance at 125 pounds since 2017. Horiguchi ultimately claimed the inaugural Rizin flyweight belt after two appearances against Makoto Takahashi, with the first ending by eye poke in 25 seconds.

Pettis has not been in action much since wrecking Horiguchi in 2021. Forced out all of 2022 and half of 2023 with a torn ACL, Pettis went on to defend the 135-pound belt against Patricio Freire last year. He put it up for grabs once more against tournament champion Mix, only for Mix to tap him with a second-round rear-naked choke. This will be Pettis’ first appearance under the Rizin banner, with six Bellator bouts under his belt to date.

Two other high-stakes tilts have been booked for the Rizin 47 lineup as well. Likely serving as the co-headliner, former Rizin featherweight champ Kleber Koike Erbst (32-7-1, 1 NC) will compete against ex-Rizin bantamweight kingpin Juan Archuleta (29-5) at 145 pounds. Additionally, a pair of 145ers come to blows as Karshyga Dautbek (14-3) tries again to get his first Rizin win against relative promotional vet Tetsuya Seki (15-9-1).