MMA/UFC

RIZIN announces return of lightweight champ Roberto Satoshi, new date for Chihiro Suzuki’s title defense

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Roberto Satoshi | Photo via RIZIN FF

RIZIN Fighting Federation’s upcoming schedule has undergone a slight change.

RIZIN 46 and 47 were previously announced for March 23 and May 6, respectively, to take place in Japanese cities Kobe and Tokyo. However, the company has not only changed the events’ names, but also their dates — RIZIN 46 will now be labelled RIZIN Landmark 9, and the following show will now go by the name RIZIN 46 on April 29.

Featherweight champion Chihiro Suzuki was already booked to defend his belt versus veteran Masanori Kanehara in May, and will now compete a week earlier on the April event. The March event will feature the return of 155-pound champion Roberto Satoshi opposite Keita Nakamura, however the belt will not be at stake.

Satoshi lost his most recent bout in July 2023, replacing A.J. McKee on days’ notice against Patricky Pitbull as part of the Bellator lightweight grand prix. Satoshi has not defended his title since April 2022, when he tapped Johnny Case with an armbar in less than four minutes. The Brazilian has gone 1-2 since. Nakamura, a longtime UFC veteran, re-entered a ring to beat Kiichi Kunimoto in April 2023 in his first match in nearly three years.

Check the updated RIZIN Landmark 9 card below.

  • Roberto Satoshi Souza vs. K-Taro Nakamura
  • Naoki Inoue vs. Shoko Sato
  • Rena Kubota vs. Yu Ri Shim
  • Koji Takeda vs. Kyohei Hagiwara
  • Igor Tanabe vs. Strasser Kiichi
  • Yuya Shibata vs. Erson Yamamoto
  • Yuta Kubo vs. Ryogo Takahashi
  • Kintaro vs. Daiki Lightyear
  • Takakenshin vs. Cody Jerabek
  • Yusaku Nakamura vs. Arman Ashimov
  • Ryo Takagi vs. Taisei Nishitani
  • Yuya vs. Masaya Jaki — kickboxing
  • Aoi Noda vs. Yuto Uemura — kickboxing
  • Shun Matsuyama vs. Shin Sakurai — kickboxing
  • Daichi Akahira vs. Yuki Yoshioka — kickboxing

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