Bold statement: Danny Sabatello’s march to defend his bantamweight title is set to light up RIZIN LANDMARK 13 in a headline clash that signals a pivotal moment for both him and the promotion. But here’s where it gets controversial: the card also stakes a bold return for Patricky Pitbull and marks the Japanese debut of James Gallagher, creating a mix of veteran grit, explosive potential, and fresh matchups that could shift the balance in both winner-take-all and momentum-building ways.
Here’s a clear, beginner-friendly rewrite of the key details while keeping every essential fact intact and widening the context with helpful explanations.
Danny Sabatello will headline RIZIN LANDMARK 13 as he makes the first defense of his bantamweight title. The bout is scheduled for April 11, and he will face Joji Goto. The event will take place at Marine Messe Fukuoka in Fukuoka, Japan.
RIZIN announced the event news on Friday and also confirmed two notable additions: Patricky Pitbull, a former Bellator champion, will return to Japan for the card, and James Gallagher will make his promotional debut with RIZIN.
In Sabatello’s background, the Bellator veteran has a professional record of 17-4-1. After parting ways with PFL in 2024, he joined RIZIN and secured three consecutive victories over the past year. His most recent win came via split decision against Naoki Inoue on the last card of 2025, which crowned him as the bantamweight champion.
Joji Goto’s record stands at 20-8-1. He earned this title shot by posting a 5-0 run inside the RIZIN ring, with his most recent performance a split-decision triumph over Jose Torres on the December 30 show.
In the lightweight division, Patricky Pitbull—who holds a record as Bellator’s all-time knockout leader with 25 wins by KO—will face Yoshinori Horie, who has a 14-6 record. Pitbull has endured a rough stretch across promotions, losing his last four fights across Bellator, PFL, and RIZIN. Horie last competed in September, losing a RIZIN title bout to Roberto Satoshi.
James Gallagher, representing Ireland, is returning to action after requesting his release from PFL following PFL’s acquisition of Bellator. He came back in June 2025 and defeated Fabricio Soares by submission in the second round in Dubai. His first Japanese opponent will be Kazumasa Majima, who owns an 18-6 record and has competed nine times in RIZIN, with just one decision defeat on his ledger.
Here is the current RIZIN LANDMARK 13 fight card for reference:
- Danny Sabatello vs. Joji Goto
- Yoshinori Horie vs. Patricky Pitbull
- Makoto Shinryu vs. Nkazimulo Zulu
- Ayaka Hamasaki vs. Natasha Kuziutina
- Kazumasa Majima vs. James Gallagher
- Kyohei Hagiwara vs. Kaleo Meheula
- Nurkhan Zhumagazy vs. Tenya Yoshimura
- Taiki Yahiro vs. Shun Okamoto
- Kodai Yamasaki vs. Tomoaki Arimatsu
- Ryota Oki vs. Ginji Arai
- Ryusei Imamura vs. Yu-ki — kickboxing
If you’re following this card, you’ll want to watch to see whether Sabatello can translate his recent momentum into a successful title defense, how Pitbull rebounds from a tough spell, and how Gallagher adapts to RIZIN’s environment in his first appearance under the promotion. Do you think Sabatello’s preparation for Goto will be enough to secure a victory, or could Goto pull off a significant upset in Fukuoka? Share your thoughts in the comments.
