Flexibility was always one of Roberto
Satoshi de Souza’s strong suits.
A world-class Brazilian jiu-jitsu player by all viable measures, he
initially made the decision to test the waters in mixed martial
arts as a means to improve his skills as a grappler. De Souza
fought only once in 2013, 2014 and 2015. However, the results were
impossible to ignore, even for him.
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“I was looking to gain experience and be a better instructor for my
students,” de Souza told Sherdog.com. “MMA was the best way to gain
experience, even though my biggest passion was still jiu-jitsu.”
The situation—most notably the size of his paychecks—evolved during
the ensuing years, and the
Rizin Fighting Federation brought him aboard in 2019. He was
7-0 with seven first-round finishes at the time. “That’s when
things totally changed,” de Souza said. “It’s when I started
dedicating myself 100% to MMA.”
The Bonsai Jiu-Jitsu representative eventually upped his record to
11-1, a technical knockout loss to Johnny Case
his lone misstep. De Souza faced Tofiq
Musayev for the inaugural lightweight championship at Rizin 28
on June 23, 2021 and needed just 72 seconds to choke the Orion
Fight Club standout into submission in front of more than 9,000
fans at the Tokyo Dome. He embraced his role as a marked man within
the company and successfully retained his title on two subsequent
occasions, dismissing Yusuke
Yachi with a triangle armbar at Rizin 33 before vanquishing
Case with a reverse triangle armbar in the first round of their
Rizin 35 rematch. Though de Souza has worked diligently to add
ancillary weapons to his arsenal, the two-time Abu Dhabi Combat
Club Submission Wrestling World Championships gold medalist
understand what greases his wheels.
“My ground game makes me stand out,” he said. “I’m not just any
black belt. I win by submission. That’s why my MMA bouts don’t go
to the judges. I either submit [my opponent] or get a knockout.
Even back when I was only doing jiu-jitsu, I’d almost never go to a
decision.
De Souza’s degree of difficulty figures to rise considerably when
Bellator
MMA and the Rizin Fighting Federation unite to co-promote
Rizin 40 on Saturday at the Saitama Super Arena in Saitama,
Japan. A non-title affair with former Bellator featherweight
champion A.J. McKee
awaits him in the main event.
“I became very familiar with A.J. after I started watching more
Bellator fights,” de Souza said. “He has incredible skills. I think
that’s very cool. His father raised him to be an MMA fighter. My
father raised us in jiu-jitsu. I think it’s going to be great.”
McKee, 27, rides a sensational 19-1 record into the match, the
great Patricio
Freire responsible for the only blemish on his otherwise
pristine resume. The Team Bodyshop cornerstone last fought at
Bellator 286, where he moved up to 155 pounds and took a unanimous
decision from Spike
Carlyle on Oct. 1. McKee sports 13 finishes—seven by
submission, six by knockout or technical knockout—among his 19
professional victories.
“A.J. is a complete fighter,” de Souza said. “He’ll help me
demonstrate how good my striking actually is, in addition to my
ground game. He’s well-balanced. I think that on the ground I can
submit anyone, and I’ve surprised a lot of people with my striking.
I’m confident I can win either way. The only thing is to choose the
right strategy. When we’re in the fight, every punch, kick and move
can change our plans.”
Win or lose against McKee, de Souza plans to shift his attention
toward his responsibilities as Rizin lightweight champion in
2023.
“My goal is to keep defending my belt, as well as Rizin,” he said.
“I want to show that Japanese promotions are some of the best. I
want us to return to the Pride [Fighting Championships] era, when
the best in the world fought in Japan.”