Roberto Satoshi de Souza Chokes Out Won Bin Ki at Rizin 'World Series in Korea'

🇧🇷THE CHAMPION HAS A NAME

AND HIS NAME IS ROBERTO SATOSHI SOUZA 🙌

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⏱️ANOTHER WIN IN UNDER A MINUTE

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— RIZIN.tv (@RIZINTV_) May 31, 2025

Rizin Fighting Federation lightweight champion Roberto Satoshi de Souza extended his streak of stoppage victories to four with a quick destruction of “Road to UFC” veteran Won Bin Ki in the main event of Rizin “World Series in Korea” in Incheon, South Korea on Saturday. De Souza blitzed Ki with punches and choked him out just 50 seconds into their non-title main event bout.

De Souza (19-3, 12-2 Rizin) chose to stand with Ki (18-10, 0-1 Rizin) and that decision paid off when he landed a lunging right hook that dropped the South Korean early in the fight. De Souza followed up with more punches on the ground before he took Ki’s back and locked on a rear-naked choke. Within seconds, Ki was rendered unconscious and the brief fight was stopped.

While de Souza’s Rizin title was not on the line – a decision that de Souza himself questioned, as he prides himself on being a fighting champion – his performance once again affirmed his status as the premier lightweight on the Rizin roster. Even more impressively, the 35-year-old has torn through his recent opposition and finished four consecutive opponents inside the first round.

Sato Shoko has given team Japan the lead!

He wins the rematch against Kim by unanimous decision!

🇯🇵 Team Japan 5️⃣- 4️⃣ Team Korea 🇰🇷

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— RIZIN.tv (@RIZINTV_) May 31, 2025

In the bantamweight co-main event, Shoko Sato avenged a loss from all the way back at Road FC 8 in June 2012 when he outpointed multi-time Road FC titleholder Soo Chul Kim via unanimous decision.

Sato (37-16-2, 1 NC, 3-1 Rizin) countered an early takedown from Kim (23-9-1, 1 NC, 3-3 Rizin) by attacking with an inverted triangle choke attempt from the bottom. He used that to create a scramble and got back to his feet, where he stunned Kim on three occasions with counter right hooks as Kim closed the distance. Kim was able to get the fight down to the mat once more before time expired.

Sato hurt Kim two more times in the second round by again timing his movement and landing counter right hands, but he was unable to put his Korean foe away. Kim continued to pursue takedowns as the fight progressed, but Sato’s hard elbows left Kim’s face a bloody mess as the minutes ticked down. When Kim finally got Sato down, time ran out soon after and the bout went to the scorecards. All three judges sided with Sato for a unanimous decision victory. The 17-year veteran has posted wins in four of his past five fights and remains a top contender in the bantamweight division.

Failing to make weight robbed Johnny Case of what would have been one of his best victories in a lightweight matchup against former Deep and Black Combat titlist Juri Ohara. Case (28-10-1, 1 NC, 4-4, 1 NC Rizin), who missed weight by more than half a pound, hurt Ohara (36-21-2, 2 NC, 3-1, 1 NC Rizin) with several leg kicks before knocking him out with a massive right hook at the 2:22 mark of Round 1. However, due to Case’s failure to make weight, the bout was officially declared a no contest.

Kate Lotus brings Team Japan closer to even!

🇰🇷Team Korea 4️⃣- 3️⃣ to Team Japan 🇯🇵

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— RIZIN.tv (@RIZINTV_) May 31, 2025

Opening up the main card, popular Deep Jewels fighter Keito Oyama – better known as “Kate Lotus” – notched her first Rizin victory by defeating former Road FC champion Yu Ri Shim in a women’s super atomweight bout at 108 pounds.

The southpaw Oyama (7-7, 1-1 Rizin) attacked the lead leg of Shim (6-6, 0-3 Rizin) with a series of kicks in the opening round while also landing straight left hands that really stifled Shim’s ability to get anything going. Oyama scored two takedowns early and late in the second round, and she also fared well on the feet during the time in between. In the final minute, she landed two knees to Shim’s face while holding her against the cage.

Shim’s best success came in the final round when she scored with knees and elbows during an early clinch. Oyama responded with two more takedowns, and she trapped Shim in a tight rear-naked choke just as the fight was coming to an end. The bell rang to potentially save Shim and all three judges scored the bout in favor of Oyama, who evened her pro record with the unanimous decision victory. Oyama has won three of her past four bouts overall and has improved at a fast pace during the past year.

Earlier on the card, Sho Patrick Usami (8-4, 4-2 Rizin) narrowly defeated Si Won Kim (4-2, 0-1 Rizin) via a close but unanimous decision in a back-and-forth lightweight bout; Ji Yong Yang (10-3, 1 NC; 3-1 Rizin) blitzed bantamweight veteran Yuto Hokamura (15-15-2, 3-7 Rizin) with punches for a TKO stoppage at the 19-second mark of Round 3; Hyuk Min Ji (5-1, 1-0 Rizin) overwhelmed Rizin mainstay Koji Takeda (17-8, 7-8 Rizin) with knees and punches for a TKO finish at the 4:13 mark of Round 2 at featherweight; Young Jae Song (8-1-1, 1-0 Rizin) knocked out a fatigued Yoshiki Nakahara (18-8, 3-3 Rizin) with a right hook at the 1:28 mark of Round 3 in their featherweight contest; and Yong Cheol Kwon (1-0, 1-0 Rizin) made a successful pro MMA debut by brutally mauling Kota Miura (2-4, 2-4 Rizin) with elbows and punches in their 139-pound bout that mercifully came to an end at the 2:46 mark of the opening frame.

The event also featured a pair of kickboxing matches on the preliminary card. San Hae Jo and Hide Meison Usami battled back and forth in a thrilling matchup at 149 pounds that ended in a unanimous draw after three rounds. The fight was easily one of the best on the card. Opening up the action, Seiya Inoue earned a unanimous decision win over Beom Jun Kang at 137 pounds.