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. Satoshi 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,” Satoshi 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,” Satoshi 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. Satoshi de Souza faced Tofiq Musaev 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 Satoshi 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.
Satoshi 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,” Satoshi 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,” Satoshi 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, Satoshi 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.”