LOS ANGELES –BELLATOR MMA announced today that U-NEXT has become the promotion’s new exclusive broadcast partner in Japan beginning with BELLATOR 272: Pettis vs. Horiguchi, which takes place at the Mohegan Sun Arena in Uncasville, Conn., on Friday, Dec. 3, and airs live in Japan on Saturday, Dec. 4 starting at 9 a.m. JST. The exclusive two-year streaming agreement will see U-NEXT air all BELLATOR live events, including preliminary bouts and have a library of past events on demand beginning in December.
Hailing from Takasaki, Gunma, Japan, Kyoji “The Typhoon” Horiguchi (29-3) is the former BELLATOR 135-pound titleholder and current RIZIN champion. On Friday, Dec. 3, Horiguchi will challenge current BELLATOR Bantamweight World Champion Sergio “The Phenom” Pettis (21-5) in a bid to reclaim the title he once held.
BELLATOR MMA is owned by media giant, ViacomCBS, and hosts over 30 live events annually across the globe featuring many of the sport’s best fighters. In addition to Horiguchi, BELLATOR is home to several Japanese mixed martial artists including Shinsho Anzai, Keita Nakamura, Kana Watanabe and Goiti Yamauchi.
Scott Coker, President, Bellator MMA:
“We are very excited to be able to have our fights air in Japan on the U-NEXT network. Throughout the history of this great sport, Japan has always had a ton of dedicated and knowledgeable MMA fans and we are thrilled to be able to regularly bring them our great events starting with this incredible fight between two world champions in Sergio Pettis and Kyoji Horiguchi.”
Tenshin Tsutsumi, President and Representative Director of U-NEXT:
“I am very pleased to be able to deliver the world’s famous martial arts competition BELLATOR to Japanese viewers. The world title match of the coming BELLATOR 272, where the current RIZIN bantamweight champion Kyoji Horiguchi challenges BELLATOR bantamweight world champion Sergio Pettis is attracting nation-wide attention. We hope every MMA fan in Japan will enjoy the fight through our live streaming service.”
About BELLATOR
BELLATOR MMA is a leading global mixed martial arts organization featuring many of the best fighters in the world. Under the direction of veteran fight promoter Scott Coker, BELLATOR events take place in major cities worldwide and can be seen on television in over 160 countries to an available audience of over one billion people. In the United States, BELLATOR can be seen on SHOWTIME. BELLATOR is comprised of an executive team that includes top industry professionals in television production, live event orchestration, fighter development/relations, venue procurement, sponsorship creation/development, international licensing, marketing, advertising, publicity and commission relations. BELLATOR is based in Hollywood, Calif. and owned by entertainment giant ViacomCBS, home to the world’s premier entertainment brands that connect with audiences through compelling content across television, motion picture, online and mobile platforms.
About U-NEXT
U-NEXT is a video distribution service with the largest number of unlimited viewing works. In addition to enjoying unlimited viewing of over 220,000 movies, dramas, and anime, we also have a lineup of over 20,000 rental works, including the latest works that have just been released and broadcast, and over 680,000 manga and books. We provide an entertainment experience that transcends genres, allowing you to seamlessly enjoy “watching” and “reading” with a single app.
U-NEXT: https://video.unext.jp
