RIZIN lightweight champion Roberto Satoshi wants to make a statement in his cross promotion clash with former Bellator titleholder A.J. McKee at Saturday’s Belator vs. RIZIN event at the Saitama Super Arena in Saitama, Japan.
A decorate grappler turned MMA star in Japan, the Brazilian jiu-jitsu ace said on this week’s episode of Trocacao Franca he expects to get the respect he feels he deserves from the western world with a win over a highly touted fighter in McKee.
” “It’s going be proving that I am a MMA fighter,” Satoshi stated. “Like it or not, people say ‘Satoshi is doing MMA, he has the belt, but it’s in Japan’. Japanese promotion are still a subject of prejudice. Even though there are some very tough fighters in Japan, international media does not pay much attention to them.
“Fighting somebody with the same name inside Bellator and the respect he commands in the MMA community will be a true dream .”
Satoshi has won five of his previous bouts under RIZIN, all via stoppage. He took the title from Tofiq Musayev, and successfully defended it twice against Yusuke Yachi, and Johnny Case. McKee scored seven of his 19 pro wins via submission, but Satoshi isn’t sure what to expect from him come Saturday night.
“I asked my brothers and they don’t think he’ll grapple, but Johnny Case thinks he will throw some hands but go to the ground if he has the opportunity,” said Satoshi, who invited Case to be part of his camp. I believe he is confident enough to submit [me].. People take risks in the beginning, ‘let me see if he’ll [do] all that.’ I think he might try to take me down or not defend a takedown attempt, but it all depends on how the fight goes. If he feels it’s too dangerous, he’ll just stay on the feet, but I have both games well-thought. I’ve trained for both possibilities.”
Will Satoshi aim specifically for a submission when he enters the ring this weekend?
“Winning is what matters, no matter how,” he said. “I feel comfortable on the ground. He can make one mistake and I will submit him. If he does make a mistake in jiu jitsu I will submit [him].”
.
Source: https://www.mmafighting.com/2022/12/30/23530702/rizin-champion-roberto-satoshi-aj-mckee-fight-one-mistake-submit-him-bellator?rand=96749
