Kleber Koike and Patricky Pitbull will compete on the identical occasion Sunday morning in Japan, sharing the Tremendous RIZIN 4 card in Saitama, and RIZIN made certain to keep away from extra drama between them.
Pitbull signed with the promotion after parting methods with PFL and can make his debut as a full-time RIZIN fighter two years after they each had a locker room brawl throughout Tremendous RIZIN 2.
On July 29, 2023, Patricky knocked out Koike’s teammate Roberto Satoshi. The next night time, his brother Patricio Pitbull — who held a previous win over Koike — was completed by Chihiro Suzuki. Patricky and Koike had an altercation proper exterior the ring, and Pitbull staff accused Koike of invading his locker room and kicking Patricky from behind later that night time.
Koike confirmed the locker room brawl in a dialog with MMA Fighting on the time, blaming Pitbull’s translator for inflicting rift by mistranslating his phrases. In the long run, Koike mentioned “they began the combat and I defended myself.”
Kleber Koike despatched me this video of Patricky Pitbull pushing him ringside at Tremendous RIZIN 2, proper after Suzuki knocked out Patricio pic.twitter.com/wrlvY0lcNK
— Guilherme Cruz (@guicruzzz) August 2, 2023
Years later, and now sharing the identical card with Koike headlining the present in a rematch with Mikuru Asakura and Pitbull battling Shunta Nomura, they advised MMA Combating that RIZIN particularly requested them to not create any drama earlier than, throughout or after the occasion on the Saitama Tremendous Enviornment.
“The very first thing they requested me when signing the contract was, ‘Don’t begin a brawl with Kleber,’” Pitbull mentioned. “Don’t go after him, don’t tease him. I mentioned, ‘Okay, inform him to remain cool and I’ll keep cool. But when he teases me or comes after me, I received’t maintain again. I don’t get attacked totally free.’ … I joke that that was the primary clause on the contract [laughed]. I don’t need to converse to him. I solely have respect for Roberto Satoshi, a really well mannered household man, very similar to me. However Kleber, no contact, no speak.”
Koike confirmed he was requested the identical factor going into Tremendous RIZIN 4, and mentioned it’s all water underneath the bridge now.
“I’ve nothing in opposition to them,” Koike mentioned. “It’s up to now. We now have to remain targeted on doing our job. I don’t need to lose focus due to a brawl. I’m knowledgeable and I rely upon this work. What occurred, occurred. I don’t need to create any extra bother as a result of that’s already introduced me sufficient bother. I misplaced sponsors, I misplaced a misplaced due to that mess.
“Perhaps [brawls] promote for the combat group in Brazil, in the USA, however I dwell right here. I depend on sponsorships, and I’ve misplaced sponsors. That’s not good for me right here, and RIZIN requested me. ‘You’ll be able to harm different individuals. 5 minutes there can harm harmless individuals and break your lives, so watch out.’ And so they’re not unsuitable, proper?”
Each Brazilians enter the occasion with their again in opposition to the wall, too. Koike misplaced his featherweight belt in a 62-second knockout defeat to Razhabali Shaydullaev this previous Might, and Pitbull has to snap a three-fight dropping skid.
“I’ve to be one hundred pc targeted on this combat. I must win this combat,” mentioned Koike, a former KSW and RIZIN champion who turns 36 in October. “I do know my profession is nearing its finish. I nonetheless have wooden to burn, however I’ve to remain targeted on what I wanna do. I don’t have time for errors. I’ve to profit from the alternatives, and that’s all I feel proper now.”
Pitbull, nevertheless, mentioned he would like to have the prospect to place his arms on Koike for a sanctioned combat contained in the RIZIN ring.
“Perhaps someday they throw me his head,” Pitbull mentioned. “I feel they’re defending him an excessive amount of [laughs]. I’d go down [to a] catchweight, 145, no matter they need. However [RIZIN] say they don’t need that, go away him alone, don’t mess with him. Cool, no drawback. I nonetheless have him caught [in my throat]. I’m not one to carry grudges, however I’ll management myself, I’ll respect the group, I’ll respect the game. However like I mentioned, if he comes joking… I’d actually need to combat him, however I don’t assume the group desires that. It appears that evidently they’re utterly uninterested.”
