RIZIN Fighting Federation delivered a stacked event on Sunday as RIZIN 51 took over Nagoya, Aichi Prefecture, Japan. With two title fights, the heavyweight world grand prix final, and the second round of the flyweight grand prix, the card was loaded with action and lived up to its billing.
In the main event, lightweight king Roberto “Satoshi” de Souza wasted no time in showing why he remains the face of the promotion. Satoshi submitted Yoshinori Horie just one minute and forty seconds into the opening round with a standing rear-naked choke. The victory marked his fifth straight title defense and extended the longest championship reign in RIZIN history.
“He’s been the RIZIN FF lightweight champion since 2021, and this latest defense only adds to his legacy,” officials noted after the fight.
Horie, a veteran striker and former UFC fighter, entered with momentum but was outclassed once the fight hit the mat. Satoshi’s elite grappling proved inevitable, and his ability to secure the choke so quickly highlighted his dominance.
With another quick finish and virtually no damage sustained, Satoshi looks ready to return to action soon. The Brazilian has fought five times since the beginning of 2024, finishing all of his opponents in less than ten minutes of combined fight time. Known for being a fast starter, most of his wins have come in the first round, and most by submission.
RIZIN is expected to do everything possible to keep their most successful fighter, but each victory only strengthens the possibility that the UFC might eventually come calling.
The co-main event also delivered fireworks as Razhabali Shaidullaev defended his featherweight title for the first time with a blistering 33-second knockout of Viktor Kolesnik.
Main Card
Roberto Satoshi Souza def. Yoshinori Horie by round-one submission (standing rear-naked choke)
Razhabali Shaidullaev def. Viktor Kolesnik by KO, Round 1, 0:33
Hiromasa Ougikubo def. Alibek Gadzhammatov by unanimous decision
Yuki Motoya def. Makoto “Shinryu” by unanimous decision
Erson Yamamoto def. Yuki Ito by unanimous decision
Aleksandr Soldatkin def. Marek Samociuk by unanimous decision
Danny Sabatello def. Shoko Sato by split decision
Genji Umeno def. Ryusei Ashizawa by unanimous decision
Ryo Takagi def. Kisa Miyake by unanimous decision
Yusuke Yachi def. Bilal Haga by round-two submission (rear-naked choke)
Hiroaki Suzuki def. Yuele Huang by split decision
Daichi Tomizawa def. Joe Hiramoto by split decision
Thiatou Bambilor def. Kosuke Kindaichi by unanimous decision
Takahiro Okuyama def. Tetsuya Yamato by round-one submission (arm-bar)
Street Bob Kousuke def. Shogo Ota by unanimous decision
Kuushi Ishizaka def. Mahiro Yamaki by unanimous decision
Daisuke Kobayashi def. Syuto Sato by unanimous decision
Yuhei def. Jin Wakita by unanimous decision
