{"id":8748,"date":"2026-03-27T17:27:08","date_gmt":"2026-03-27T17:27:08","guid":{"rendered":"https:\/\/www.europesays.com\/be\/8748\/"},"modified":"2026-03-27T17:27:08","modified_gmt":"2026-03-27T17:27:08","slug":"rizin-to-send-former-champ-to-pfl-brussels-against-2025-pfl-tourney-winner","status":"publish","type":"post","link":"https:\/\/www.europesays.com\/be\/8748\/","title":{"rendered":"Rizin to send former champ to PFL Brussels against 2025 PFL tourney winner"},"content":{"rendered":"

It\u2019s officially official: Professional Fighters League<\/a> and Rizin Fighting Federation<\/a> are co-promoting.<\/p>\n

A
\nhigh-stakes middleweight clash headlines PFL Pittsburgh: Tune in
\nLIVE, Saturday, March 28 at 10 p.m. ET<\/a>.<\/p>\n

During a press conference on Thursday, Rizin officials announced<\/a>
\nthat their former bantamweight champion, Naoki Inoue<\/a>
\n(20-5), would be departing its confines to take a match outside of
\nAsia. The organization will now be working with PFL for the time
\nbeing, lending Inoue to the former tournament-based league to take
\non a home-grown talent. Inoue will be squaring off with 2025
\nbantamweight tourney victor Marcirley
\nAlves<\/a> (15-4) at
\nPFL Brussels<\/a> in Belgium\u2019s capital city on May 23.<\/p>\n

Kill Cliff FC product Inoue saw his four-fight win streak come to a
\ngrinding halt when he lost a split decision to Danny
\nSabatello<\/a> in December. First winning the strap by knocking out
\nSoo
\nChul Kim<\/a> in 2024, Inoue registered a pair of defenses against
\nYuki
\nMotoya<\/a> and Ryuya
\nFukuda<\/a> in 2025. Of note, he became the lone 135-pound Rizin
\nbeltholder to ever successfully defend his throne. It will be his
\nfirst appearance outside of his native Japan since his one-off
\nmatch at Cage Fury FC 72 in New Jersey in 2019.<\/p>\n

His Brazilian opponent crashed into last year\u2019s PFL tournament and
\nrattled off three decisions to unexpectedly take home the belt and
\na $500,000 check. Alves closed as a betting underdog in his
\npromotional debut against Leandro
\nHigo<\/a>, and similarly clocked in at plus money when facing
\nJake
\nHadley<\/a> in the semifinals. He did come in as the favored fighter
\nin the finals against Justin
\nWetzell<\/a>, and he picked up the narrow decision that had the
\nSherdog
\nvirtual judges<\/a> split and leaning in the latter\u2019s favor.<\/p>\n

PFL Brussels current lineup:
\nPatrick
\nHabirora<\/a> vs. Benson
\nHenderson<\/a> \u2013 welterweight
\nTaylor
\nLapilus<\/a> vs. Jake Hadley<\/a>
\n\u2013 bantamweight
\nBoris
\nMbarga Atangana<\/a> vs. Jared
\nGooden<\/a> \u2013 middleweight
\nMarcirley
\nAlves<\/a> vs. Naoki Inoue<\/a>
\n\u2013 bantamweight
\nAsael
\nAdjoudj<\/a> vs. Keisuke
\nSasu<\/a> \u2013 featherweight
\nDonegi
\nAbena<\/a> vs. Joe
\nSchilling<\/a> \u2013 light heavyweight
\nBaris
\nAdiguzel<\/a> vs. Gustavo
\nOliveira<\/a> \u2013 bantamweight<\/p>\n

\ud83d\udce35.24
\n#PFLBrussels<\/a>
\ud83d\udca5\u4e95\u4e0a\u76f4\u6a39\u3001PFL\u53c2\u6226\u6c7a\u5b9a\ud83d\udca5<\/p>\n

Bantamweight(135)<\/p>\n

\ud83d\udfe5#\u30de\u30eb\u30b7\u30eb\u30ea\u30fc\u30a2\u30a6\u30d9\u30b9<\/a>\ud83c\udde7\ud83c\uddf7
\u30fc\u30fc\u30fc\ud83c\udd9a\u30fc\u30fc\u30fc
\ud83d\udfe6#\u4e95\u4e0a\u76f4\u6a39<\/a>\/@NaokiInoueMMA<\/a>\ud83c\uddef\ud83c\uddf5
\u7b2c7\u4ee3RIZIN\u30d0\u30f3\u30bf\u30e0\u7d1a\u738b\u8005#PFL<\/a>
\n\u30d6\u30ea\u30e5\u30c3\u30bb\u30eb(\u30d9\u30eb\u30ae\u30fc\ud83c\udde7\ud83c\uddea\uff09
\ud83d\udcc5\u65e5\u672c\u6642\u95935\/24(\u65e5)
\u23f0\ufe0f\u30d7\u30ec\u30ea\u30e0\uff1aAM1\u6642\u3001\u30e1\u30a4\u30f3\uff1aAM4\u6642
\ud83d\udce1#UNEXT<\/a>
\n\u306b\u3066\u72ec\u5360\u898b\u653e\u984c\u914d\u4fe1\u26a1\ufe0f\u2026 https:\/\/t.co\/OpT9uEHeND<\/a> pic.twitter.com\/n7YMjyaWAJ<\/a><\/p>\n

\u2014 RIZIN FF OFFICIAL (@rizin_PR)
\nMarch 27, 2026<\/a><\/p>\n