Danny Sabatello will fight Shoko Sato at RIZIN 51 in Nagoya on September 28, as part of a card headlined by featherweight champion Razhabali Shaidulloev’s title defense.
Danny Sabatello, the former Bellator bantamweight contender, is set to make a return to Japan on September 28. This marks his second appearance in the RIZIN ring, as announced by the promotion. “The Italian Gangster” will face off against the seasoned Shoko Sato, a veteran of 56 fights, as part of the RIZIN 51 event in Nagoya.
Sabatello, with a record of 15-4-1, made his RIZIN debut back in May. After a stint with PFL, he snapped a three-fight winless streak by knocking out Shinobu Ota in the third round. This victory was his first since defeating Marcos Breno in Bellator in 2023, which was followed by losses to Magomed Magomedov and Raufeon Stots, and a majority draw with Lazaro Dayron.
As for Sato, his record stands at 37-16-2, with 1 no-contest. A former Shooto champion, Sato has fought across many Asian MMA promotions over the past 17 years. His RIZIN record is 3-1, with his only loss coming against future champion Naoki Inoue.
RIZIN 51 will feature featherweight champion Razhabali Shaidulloev defending his title against Viktor Kolesnik. The event will also include the semifinals of the flyweight grand prix, though the pairings are yet to be finalized for fighters like Hiromasa Ougikubo, Yuki Ito, and others.
Curious about the lineup? Here it is:
– Razhabali Shaidulloev vs. Viktor Kolesnik
– Shoko Sato vs. Danny Sabatello
– Ryo Takagi vs. Kisa Miyake
– Tetsuya Yamato vs. Takahiro Okuyama
– Genji Umeno vs. Ryusei Ashizawa
– Daichi Tomizawa vs. Joe Hiramoto
Exciting times ahead in the world of MMA!