Roberto Satoshi de Souza is the reigning RIZIN FF lightweight world champion and he’s been enjoying his time at the top of the promotion, but he recently revealed that there is something that would make him move to the UFC. Satoshi sat down for an interview with MMAFighting shortly after fellow RIZIN FF world champion Kai Asakura made his UFC debut in a flyweight title-fight against Alexandre Pantoja. As a two-time bantamweight world champion, Asakura had already achieved a huge amount at RIZIN FF before moving over to the UFC and that’s why he was given an immediate shot at the belt.
It didn’t end well for Asakura though, as Pantoja submitted him in the second round at UFC 310. Roberto Satoshi de Souza revealed that he’d want a similar opportunity if he was ever going to be tempted into signing for the UFC:
“The only way I would have the desire to go to the UFC is if it’s like Kai (Asakura) went. It doesn’t need to be in a title fight, which I think is hard, especially in the lightweight division with a long line waiting for (Islam) Makhachev, but if there’s an opportunity to fight someone ranked, I’d be very interested. Now, if I have to go there and fight someone else to then start climbing the rankings, then I’m not interested.”
Obviously a huge opportunity like that would be difficult for anyone to turn down, but Satoshi elaborated on one aspect of his situation that makes it more of a necessity:
“I’m already 35, so it’s hard to start that journey from zero. But if I can cut the line a little bit and at least fight someone ranked, then I’m in. I’m happy here at RIZIN, I’m well-paid, I’m the champion, and fans recognize me in Japan, but, like it or not, looking in terms of (size) of the UFC, to have the opportunity of fighting someone ranked there would be another great chapter in my career as a fighter.”
Souza isn’t wrong either, he’s 10-1 at RIZIN FF and 17-3 overall. With that kind of record and the promotion’s lightweight title around his waist, he must be able to command a pretty big pay cheque from the promotion. He’s also known for his high-finishing rate, something he owes in large part to his background as an elite Jiu-Jitsu competitor before he set foot in the cage. He stood on the podium of the IBJJF World Championship on multiple occasions and this is something that makes Roberto Satoshi de Souza transitioning to the UFC even more interesting. He has quite a bit of history on the mats with another elite grappler in the lightweight division, Charles Oliveira:
“He was brave. He was from a lighter weight class but moved up just to fight me, so we always ended up fighting each other twice in every tournament because we would also meet in the absolute. People make fun when I say this, but I’ve never lost to him in jiu-jitsu. I think we fought six or seven times, and I always won!”
