Olympic gold medalist Satoshi Ishii is making his return to PFL on August 18th, 2023 when he takes on Danilo Marques in a heavyweight showcase fight at PFL 8. Both men are MMA veterans and will be bringing a ton of experience into the cage when they meet, as they’ve had a combined total of well over 60 professional fights. Together they have fought for every major MMA promotion available, with several fights in K-1, Bellator, Dream, RIZIN FF, and the UFC. Both men are known for finishing the majority of their fights, a sign of excellent matchmaking for PFL as this fight is likely to produce some fireworks for the fans.
Ishii is a veteran Judo competitor who achieved the highest honor in the sport in 2008 when he won a gold medal at the Olympic Games, before immediately transitioning to MMA the following year. He’s since fought against several of the best heavyweight and light-heavyweight fighters on the planet over the past 15 years, putting together an impressive 25-12-1 professional record. In that time he’s fought big names like Fedor Emelianenko, Jiri Prochazka, Heath Herring, Quinton ‘Rampage’ Jackson, and Mirko ‘Crocop’ Filopovic; among others.
After a little time on the regional MMA circuit, it was announced earlier this year that Ishii had signed a contract to make his return to PFL. Marques is not an easy return fight by any stretch of the imagination though, as he also holds a solid 14-5 professional record dating back to 2014. He’s currently 2-1 in PFL after going 2-2 for the UFC and he’ll be eager to add a huge name like Ishii to his resume, while Ishii will be looking to make a big impact in his first fight of the year.
PFL announced the news that Satoshi Ishii would be making his return for the promotion against Danilo Marques at PFL 8 in a recent post to their official Instagram account:
