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Wanderlei Silva Joins Rizin, Faces Sakuraba in Tag-Team Grappling Match on April 17

Former Pride Fighting Championships star Wanderlei Silva is set to return to the land where he gained notoriety.

Japanese promoter Rizin Fighting Federation on Monday announced that it has inked Silva to “a multi-year promotional contract.” The move reunites “The Axe Murderer” with Rizin president Nobuyuki Sakakibara, the co-founder and former head of Pride, whose 205-pound title Silva held from 2001 to 2007.

The announcement comes less than a week after Silva signed a multi-fight contract with Bellator MMA, the American organization with whom Rizin is aligned.