Roberto Satoshi, known for his grappling prowess, has improved his striking skills and aims to defend his 155-pound title against Vugar Karamov on December 31 at the Saitama Super Arena, highlighting his complete fighting abilities and hoping to gain recognition beyond Japan.
Roberto Satoshi is a grappling wizard. But he’s not just about the mat game anymore. After obliterating Luiz Gustavo, a Brazilian knockout artist, in a mere 21 seconds during his last title defense, he’s shown some serious stand-up chops too. Come December 31st, he’s stepping back into the ring, hoping to make waves beyond Japan.
This jiu-jitsu maestro is putting his 155-pound title on the line against Vugar Karamov at the legendary Saitama Super Arena. In a chat with MMA Fighting, Satoshi expressed admiration for Karamov’s success across various promotions before claiming featherweight gold in RIZIN.
“I once joked I was like a cocky purple belt in striking,” Satoshi chuckled, “but now I’m more of a brown belt.” He’s knocked folks out before, sure, but they weren’t exactly striking phenoms. This time, taking out a striker like Gustavo? It’s proof of his well-rounded game. “I’m the champ; I’ve got to be complete,” he insists. Respect is earned, and his recent performances demand it.
Karamov has an interesting journey too. He went 1-0 with Bellator after dispatching Gustavo Wurlitzer in 99 seconds in Israel back in 2019 but didn’t stick around there. Instead, he made waves in RIZIN, eventually snatching the 145-pound title by submitting Japanese sensation Mikuru Asakura. Although he lost that belt to Chihiro Suzuki, he bounced back with a lightning-fast 28-second KO against Kazumasa Majima in November.
Satoshi was “very surprised” when Karamov decided to move up and challenge him on December 31st. He notes that Karamov isn’t quite like his teammate Tofiq Musayev. When Satoshi faced Musayev for the vacant lightweight title in 2021, he choked him out in a swift 81 seconds.
“I see [Karamov] and Tofiq as completely different fighters,” Satoshi explained. While Kleber Koike and he share similarities despite different strengths, Tofiq and Karamov are polar opposites. Tofiq? A striking assassin—explosive with nothing much on the ground. Karamov? Packs a punch but favors takedowns and ground control over flashy knockouts.
With three of his six RIZIN wins coming via submission, Karamov has nine submissions out of 20 MMA victories overall. Yet tangling on the ground with someone of Satoshi’s caliber is another ballgame entirely. The Brazilian boasts ten submissions from 17 MMA wins—nine of those coming in the first round.
“I expect him to stick to his usual game—takedowns and ground and pound,” says Satoshi. “But folks tend to shy away from grappling with me.” With Karamov’s recent quick knockout boosting his confidence in striking, who knows? Still, jiu-jitsu is Satoshi’s domain, and he’s always prepping for any curveballs, ensuring he doesn’t get overwhelmed by that Russian style.