Two title fights official for RIZIN 48 in September

Roberto Satoshi | Photo via RIZIN

Two championship belts will be on the line when RIZIN returns to Saitama Super Arena on Sept. 29, the promotion announced Sunday.

Lightweight king Roberto Satoshi defends his 155-pound title for the first time since April 17, 2022, when he faces Brazilian knockout artist Luiz Gustavo in the main event of RIZIN 48 in Saitama, Japan. In the co-main event, Naoki Inoue battles Soo Chul Kim for the bantamweight title Kai Asakura recently vacated to sign with the UFC.

Satoshi (16-3) went 2-2 in non-title fights since the night he tapped out Johnny Case, finishing veteran Keita Nakamura in his most recent appearance. Gustavo (14-2) earned his long-awaited shot at the belt after winning four in a row with a pair of knockouts.

Inoue (17-4) won seven of nine with four finishes since joining RIZIN in 2020, a contrast to his 1-2 run as a UFC fighter. Kim (22-7-1), a veteran of Road FC and ONE Championship, gets his crack at gold after going 4-0 in his past four bouts. He knocked out Taichi Nakajima in his most recent RIZIN appearance.

RIZIN 48 also features the return of RIZIN and DEEP Jewels atomweight champion Seika Izawa, who faces two-time championship contender Kanna Asakura in a non-title affair. Kyohei Hagiwara vs. Ryo Takagi is also officially announced for the card.