ATT: Sabatello on Bellator MMA x Rizin 2 main card. Masvidal talks Poirier UFC BMF title shot

Jim Varsallone

July 26, 2023 at 11:18 AM·6 min read

“The Italian Gangster” Danny Sabatello, one of the top bantamweight MMA fighters in the world, prepares for the super-show Bellator MMA X Rizin 2, which is July 30 via Showtime in Japan.

For those watching from the United States, the mega-event is broadcast July 29.

Sabatello (14-2) battles Russia’s Magomed Magomedov (19-3) on the main card, with the main event featuring Patricky “Pitbull” Freire vs. RIZIN lightweight champ Roberto “Satoshi” De Souza, who replaces A.J. McKee.

Because of medical reasons, McKee was forced to withdraw from the bout. With “Pitbull” is Coach Eric Albarracin, a (South Florida) Coral Springs High School alum.

Coach Eric Albarracin (left) with the Pitbull brothers.

All the action occurs at the world-renowned Saitama Super Arena in Saitama, Japan.

Here is my video interview with Sabatello of American Top Team in (South Florida) Coconut Creek.

Sabatello, 30, from Chicago trains at the prestigious ATT. In his last fight, in April, he won by submission (rear-naked choke) over Marcus Breno in Hawaii.

“The Italian Gangster” Danny Sabatello (14-2) of American Top Team beats Marcus Breno at Bellator MMA 294 in April in Hawaii.

From Fort Lauderdale to Honolulu to Saitama, Sabatello is excited to be an integral part of this card in Japan. All business, he’s not going for the sight-seeing and sushi; he’s going there to win a fight against a very worthy opponent, getting him one step closer to a title shot.

Sabatello is ranked No.5 in the Bellator bantamweight division. Magomedov ranked No.4. Sabatello has won all but one of his Bellator outings, save for a split-decision loss to Raufeon Stots in the $1,000,000 World Grand Prix in December.

After bouncing back with his first promotional finish over Brazil’s Breno, Sabatello is eager to continue his run toward the 135-pound title with a win in Japan against Magomedov.

As always, Sabatello has kept the trash talk fierce toward his opponent. He also backs it up.

“The Italian Gangster” Danny Sabatello (14-2) with his friend Aaron Assad and American Top Team coaches including Mike Brown, after beating Marcus Breno at Bellator MMA 294 in April in Hawaii.

ATT standout coach Mike Brown will be with UFC fighter Dustin Poirier for his UFC BMF fight on July 29; so this will be the first time Brown will not be in Sabatello’s corner. Aaron Assad, who wrestled with Sabatello at Purdue University, will continue to be in his corner for July 30 in Japan as well as ATT standout wrestling coach Steve Mocco and ATT’s Adriano Moraes, the former ONE Championship champion.

“The Italian Gangster” Danny Sabatello of ATT is on the main card of Bellator MMA x Rizin 2 on Showtime from Japan.

Kyoji Horiguchi, 32, also of American Top Team will compete in a title fight in front of his hometown fans on July 30. Already having won Bellator’s 135-pound title, Horiguchi campaigned for the promotion to add a flyweight (125 pound) division, which was his original weight class as a professional.

Lo and behold, Horiguchi got his wish. For the first time since 2014, Bellator will add a new weight division, with Horiguchi (31-5) competing for the inaugural Flyweight World Championship against surging Japanese 23-year-old Makoto Shinryu (16-1-1) on the main card.

BELLATOR MMA X RIZIN 2: Pitbull vs. De Souza:

Sunday, July 30 at Saitama Super Arena in Japan

SHOWTIME (U.S.) - July 29 at 11 p.m. ET / 8 p.m. PT

Lightweight World Grand Prix Quarterfinals: #2-Patricky “Pitbull” Freire (24-11) vs. Roberto “Satoshi” De Souza (15-2), who replaces #5-AJ McKee (20-1)

Inaugural Flyweight World Championship: Kyoji Horiguchi (16-9) of American Top Team vs. Makoto “Shinryu” (16-1-1)

Bantamweight: #5-Danny Sabatello (14-2) of American Top Team vs. #4-Magomed Magomedov (19-3)

Flyweight: #3-Kana Watanabe (11-2-1) vs. #7-Veta Arteaga (7-5)

Welterweight: #5-Andrey Koreshkov (26-4) vs. #9-Lorenz Larkin (25-7, 2 NC).

Super Rizin 2 (FITE TV PPV)

Bantamweight Kai Asakura vs. Juan Archuleta

Super Atomweight Seika Izawa (champ) vs. Claire Lopez

Featherweight Mikuru Asakura vs. Vugar Karamov

Middleweight Daichi Abe vs. Igor Tanabe

Bantamweight Kenta Takizawa vs. Shinobu Ota

More about Sabatello

He graduated from Stevenson High School in Lincolnshire, Illinois, where he was a two-time Illinois state champion, going 152-19, which included two years at St. Viator High School.

He then wrestled for Division I Purdue University, where his older brothers Joey and Vinny also went. He was a three-time NCAA Championships qualifier at 133 and 141, and a two-time 141-pound Big Ten Championship place-winner.

He also become the first Purdue wrestler to twice earn Big Ten Wrestler of the Week honors. After earning his college degree in Law and Society with a minor in Organizational Leadership and Supervision, he moved to South Florida to become an MMA fighter, eventually landing at American Top Team.

Sabatello is a former Titan FC champion. He did not lose the title, signing with Bellator.

Twitter: https://mobile.twitter.com/shockthisworld

BELLATOR WEB & SOCIAL

Website: http://www.bellator.com/

Twitter: https://twitter.com/BellatorMMA

Facebook: https://www.facebook.com/BellatorMMA/

YouTube: https://www.youtube.com/user/BellatorMMA

For more information, go to www.SHO.com.

Jorge Masvidal talks Poirier, Gaethje, BMF Title

Dustin Poirier of American Top Team faces Justin Gaethje for the “BMF” title in the main event of UFC 291: Poirier vs. Gaethje 2 on July 29 via ESPN+ from the Delta Center in Salt Lake City, Utah.

Dustin Poirier of American Top Team vs. Justin Gaethje for the vacant “BMF” title at UFC 291 on July 29 on ESPN+.

Who better to talk about this match-up for the “BMF” title than former “BMF” title holder Jorge Masvidal, a proud Miami local who is a staple of American Top Team, Miami and UFC. He never lost the title, vacating it after announcing his retirement in April.

Here is my audio interview with Jorge Masvidal about UFC 291, the BMF title, Gamebred Promotions and more.

Poirier is 1-0 against Gaethje. They fought at UFC on Fox: Poirier vs. Gaethje in April 2018 which Poirier won by fourth-round TKO. The fight was considered “Fight of the Year” by several media channels.

UFC 291’s main card begins at 10 p.m. ET and streams on ESPN+ pay-per-view. The prelims air on ABC and ESPN and also stream on ESPN+ beginning at 8 p.m. ET. A trio of early prelims streams on ESPN+ at 6:30 p.m. ET.

UFC Socially

UFC Website: https://www.ufc.com/

UFC Facebook: https://www.facebook.com/UFC/

UFC Twitter: https://twitter.com/ufc

UFC YouTube: https://www.youtube.com/user/UFC

MASVIDAL THE PROMOTER

Masvidal is also a businessman. He and his team run bareknuckle MMA shows, boxing and other combat sports events via Jorge Masvidal’s Gamebred Promotions.

Gamebred Bareknuckle MMA Dos Santos vs. Werdum is Friday, Sept. 8 in Jacksonville.

Twitter: https://twitter.com/GamebredFighter

YouTube: https://www.youtube.com/channel/UCLqPsB0IEfj_oEn3rhEM3xQ

My MMA and Pro Wrestling Talk on the Web and Social Media

Web: http://www.miamiherald.com/sports/fighting/

Twitter: @jimmyv3

YouTube: jim varsallone (jimmyv3 channel)

Facebook: https://www.facebook.com/ProWrestlingSouthFlorida/

Facebook: https://www.facebook.com/WWE-WrestleMania-28-Miami-241160769255279/

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