‘I’m Not Just Any Black Belt’

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.

“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.”