On September 19, 2015 during
Bellator 142 Dynamite 1 event, it was announced that
Pride FC co-founder
Nobuyuki Sakakibara had signed former
Pride Heavyweight Champion The Last Emperor
Fedor Emelianenko to headline his new promotion's New Year's Eve Show in Tokyo. On October 8, 2015 The former President of
Pride FC, Sakakibara held a press conference to announce his return to
MMA with Rizin Fighting Federation. Sakakibara returned to mainstream
MMA, along with
Nobuhiko Takada and other former
Pride FC employees. Rizin partnered with
Bellator MMA to allow former Strikeforce Light Heavyweight Champion, Muhammed "King Mo" Lawal to compete the Rizin's inaugural grand prix. Eventually, King Mo won the 8 man under 100 kg tournament with a prize of $300,000. ==List of events==