Satoshi Ishii will be looking to add another title to his collection next month. The Olympic gold medalist challenges undefeated Brazilian Cally Gibrainn de Oliveira for the Heat heavyweight title on March 2nd.
Heat 44 is set for the Nagoya Congress Center and sees Ishii (18-8-1) make his promotional debut. Since winning gold in Judo at the 2008 Olympics he has competed for K-1, Dream, Rizin and Bellator and faced the likes of Mirko Filipovic, Muhammed Lawal, Quinton Jackson, Fedor Emeliannenko and Tim Sylvia.
De Oliveira (3-0) will be at a significant disadvantage in terms of experience. The Brazilian had not fought since 2015 when he was handed a Heat title shot last year but stopped a seasoned Korean veteran to win the belt.
Rae Yoon Ok (11-2) will make the second defence of his Heat lightweight title on March 2nd. The Korean faces Brazil’s Tom Santos (10-6) who has been fighting in Asia for the last three years and has appeared at Road FC, Pancrase and Rizin.
The card will also feature Heat 205lbs champion Jung Da-Un (10-2) who is moving up to heavyweight. He challenges Saša Milinković (6-1), a once beaten Croatian who fights out of the same camp as Filipovic.
Heat 44, Nagoya, March 2nd
Cally Gibrainn de Oliveira (c) vs. Satoshi Ishii (For Heat Heavyweight Title)
Rae Yoon Ok (c) vs. Tom Santos (For Heat Lightweight Title)
Jung Da-Un vs. Saša Milinković (Light Heavyweight)
