Danny Sabatello Defends His Rizin Title in Hiroshima This Week, and His Story Is a Wrestling-to-Grappling Blueprint

Reviewed by BJJ Gyms · Updated 2026-07-27

Sabatello's Path From Purdue Mats to a Rizin Title

Before he was a mixed martial artist, Sabatello was a two-time Illinois state high school champion who went on to wrestle Division I at Purdue University, qualifying for the NCAA Championships three times and placing twice at the Big Ten Championships at 141 pounds. That wrestling foundation carried directly into his MMA career, where he won his first six professional fights largely through top control and submissions before eventually capturing the Titan FC bantamweight title in 2020.

After stints in Bellator's featherweight grand prix and a run through the PFL, Sabatello signed with Rizin Fighting Federation in early 2025. He moved quickly, beating Olympic silver medalist Shinobu Ota and veteran Shoko Sato before dethroning Naoki Inoue for the Rizin Bantamweight Championship on New Year's Eve 2025. He made his first defense in April 2026 against Joji Goto, and now returns to defend it a second time in Hiroshima.

Kashimura's Case for the Upset

Kashimura enters the title fight with an 11-5 professional record and a three-fight winning streak built almost entirely on submissions. His most recent win came against longtime Japanese veteran Hideo Tokoro, whom he finished with a first-round anaconda choke, following a rear-naked choke finish the fight before that.

Where Sabatello's game is built on wrestling-driven control, Kashimura's is built on hunting for the finish the moment a scramble opens up. That contrast in approach is exactly what makes this title fight worth watching for anyone interested in stylistic matchups rather than just names.

Wrestling Control vs. Submission Hunting: The Grappling Question at the Center of the Card

Fights between a dominant wrestler and a committed submission specialist tend to come down to the same tactical question every time: can the wrestler maintain top position long enough to neutralize the threat, or does a scramble eventually open the door for the finish. Sabatello's job is to control distance, get inside for takedowns, and stay heavy on top without giving Kashimura the transitional openings he has used to finish his last three opponents.

Kashimura, meanwhile, needs to survive the early exchanges and capitalize the moment Sabatello commits to a takedown or scramble, since that split second of transition is exactly where his most recent finishes have come from. It is the same tension that shows up constantly in BJJ, between the grappler who wants stalled, controlled positions and the one who wants live, moving exchanges.

Why a Regional Japanese Title Fight Belongs on a BJJ Fan's Radar

It is easy to only track the UFC and the biggest ADCC-adjacent grappling headlines, but promotions like Rizin regularly feature exactly the kind of technical, style-driven matchups that reward a grappling-literate audience. A wrestler defending a title against a submission-first challenger is a genuinely useful watch for understanding how those two skill sets actually interact under pressure.

If breaking down a matchup like this makes you want to feel the difference between wrestling control and submission hunting for yourself, that is exactly what a trial class at a local BJJ gym is for. Most academies are happy to let a total beginner roll and start figuring out which side of that equation feels more natural.

5 Grappling Fundamentals on Display in a Fight Like This

Whether you watch Rizin regularly or not, here are five fundamentals worth tracking when a wrestler faces a submission specialist.

1. Level changes: Watch how quickly Sabatello can drop his hips to shoot for a leg, since a slow level change gives a submission hunter time to defend and counter.
2. Sprawl and hip pressure: Kashimura's ability to stop takedowns and flatten out his hips will determine whether Sabatello can ever establish top control in the first place.
3. Scramble awareness: Most submissions in this style of matchup come from a scramble, not a static position, which is why transitional awareness matters more than raw strength.
4. Positional patience: A wrestler who rushes to pass guard or advance position often creates the exact opening a submission specialist is waiting for.
5. Conditioning for grappling exchanges: Extended grappling rounds favor whichever fighter has trained their gas tank specifically for wrestling-pace output, not just striking rounds.

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