Kleber
Koike Erbst could not have drawn up a more daunting challenge
for himself.
The reigning
Rizin Fighting Federation featherweight champion will take on
current Bellator
MMA featherweight champion Patricio
Freire as part of a promotion-versus-promotion supershow at
Rizin 40 on Saturday at the Saitama Super Arena in Saitama,
Japan. Erbst enters the co-headliner on the strength of a
seven-fight winning streak. The 33-year-old last appeared at Rizin
39, where he submitted Juntaro
Ushiku with a triangle choke in the second round of their Oct.
23 pairing.
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In this exclusive interview with Sherdog.com, Erbst touches on the
path he traveled to mixed martial arts, the opportunity to meet a
pound-for-pound great like Freire and the motivations that continue
to drive him forward:
Sherdog.com: How did you get into martial
arts?
Erbst: I started very young in judo. My mom signed me up because I
was very high-strung, always looking to pick fights. After moving
to Japan, I started training both jiu-jitsu and judo. I arrived in
Japan during the
Pride Fighting Championships era, so MMA was well-known there.
This was especially true of jiu-jitsu due to guys like Antonio
Rodrigo Nogueira and Antonio
Rogerio Nogueira. That’s how I got into martial arts.
Sherdog.com: What motivated you to transition to
MMA?
Erbst: I was still young when I entered MMA, and I did enter
several jiu-jitsu competitions. In truth, I wanted to test myself.
In some sports like soccer, some fans watching at home may call a
player stupid if he misses a goal. I didn’t want to just watch
fights. I wanted to know how it was for real. To have the right to
speak about it, I wanted to have experience. It’s how I got into
MMA. I haven’t stopped since.
Sherdog.com: Did you have help in your chosen career
initially?
Erbst: It was difficult to get any sort of financial assistance.
Today, as a champion, things are looking better. It was tough at
first. Gladly, my mother supported my choice. My father didn’t like
it at first. He still doesn’t love it, but he supports me. The
biggest boosters I had were my instructors. At first, they tried to
discourage me since I wasn’t very good, but they saw my dedication
and hard work. They started believing in me. Today, they seem to
believe in me more than I do myself. It’s very important to have
family and teachers who always believe in you.
Sherdog.com: What were some of your more important career
moments?
Erbst: I’m thankful to have had a good MMA career and to be on a
long winning streak. I always look to put in good work. Some people
are surprised by how many professional fights I’ve had. I competed
in Europe and was a champion over there [with
KSW in Poland]. I also fought in China and around Japan. The
numbers don’t lie. My Sherdog record doesn’t lie. I have some wins,
some losses and a draw. I keep doing the work. I prefer to be
active. I do get tired fighting so frequently, but since my style
is to get submissions, I don’t suffer many striking-related
injuries. Thankfully, I don’t get too hurt, so I’m always available
when called upon. I’ve fought some high-level opponents such as
Miguel
Torres. Maybe some folks don’t remember anymore, but he was one
of the top pound-for-pound fighters in the world during the
[World
Extreme Cagefighting] era. My last loss was to a better-known
fighter and [current
Ultimate Fighting Championship lightweight contender] in
Mateusz
Gamrot. He’s been doing an excellent job in the UFC. I had a
war with him.
Sherdog.com: What lessons have you learned from your few
losses?
Erbst: Regarding my losses, it’s hard to be in MMA and be
undefeated. Losses are great learning experiences. In that regard,
one loss is equivalent to five victories. It teaches us what needs
to be corrected, what we need to dedicate ourselves to and what
skills need to evolve. I’ve tasted the very bitter taste of a loss.
I keep it in mind when I’m training. I work hard so it won’t happen
again. Unfortunately, it’s part of our jobs, but at least we can
learn and get better.
Sherdog.com: What can you say about your next
opponent?
Erbst: Patricio is the best pound-for-pound fighter outside of the
UFC. He is very tough. I admire him as a fighter. He has a great
deal of experience, but a fight is a fight. My mission is to defend
my organization, my work and my belt. As far as the
organization-versus-organization aspect [of it goes], I think
that’s very cool. We’re making history. It’s a new era of
challenges. The UFC brass seems to be afraid to get in on this.
They know there are many tough champions outside the UFC. They
don’t want to lose their prestige. “Pitbull” and I are entering a
new era. We’re going to show the world that the UFC isn’t the only
great promotion. Others are just as strong as the UFC. I’m very
happy to the representing Team Rizin.
Sherdog.com: How has your training camp played
out?
Erbst: I represent and also co-lead the Bonsai Team in Japan. I do
my training camps here. Everyone knows jiu-jitsu is my strong suit.
I train with Roberto
Satoshi de Souza, Marcos Souza [and] Mauricio Dai Souza, as
well as other champions like Alan
Yamaniha and Hiroaki
Suzuki. They always give me their full support. I also
represent the Bellwood Kickboxing Team here in Japan. We have
members in K-1, One Championship, Rizin and several other
organizations. This time I also had a camp in Thailand, at Phuket
Fight Club in the Chalong subdistrict. I worked on my striking with
Leonardo Sessegolo. He’s a muay thai instructor with no equal. I
also worked with Bruno
Miranda, a Road Fighting Championship veteran who’s in the
Professional Fighters League, as well as Fabricio
Andrade, who’s [going to be a] One
Championship champion. I worked with several muay thai champs
like Julio Lobo and Luis Cajaiba, and now Johnny Case
is also part of our training camp. I started my training camp in
Japan, spent some time in Thailand, and then came back to Japan to
finish things out with my coaches and students. This is the biggest
event of the year. It has a lot of impact. God willing, we’ll have
a great fight and put on a show.
Sherdog.com: Does this opportunity mean less with it being
a non-title fight?
Erbst: It doesn’t change anything in that regard. It’s just a
champion-versus-champion and organization-versus-organization
challenge. Who knows? In the future, maybe we can put either the
Bellator or Rizin belts up for grabs.
Sherdog.com: What are your plans for the
future?
Erbst: My plans are to remain champion and defend my organization.
Perhaps in the future maybe we can unify the titles. I’d like to be
champion for as long as possible and build my legacy.
Sherdog.com: What else drives you?
Erbst: I left Brazil at a very young age. I was a dreamer. I was 14
when I moved to Japan. I come from a Japanese family. I’ve been
putting in my work. I’ve been looking to improve the quality of
life for myself as well as my family. I want to let people know
about our work—jiu-jitsu and martial arts. I feel it’s something
that’s being lost nowadays. The business world seems to have lost
some of the essence of martial arts: respect. I try to bring back
the samurai culture of Japan. Today, I can help my family, my
students and those closest to me find a better future. I hope this
type of champion-versus-champion challenge can occur even more
often in the future.