Danny Sabatello Record, stats and next fight

Analysis

Danny Sabatello is an American bantamweight fighter from Chicago who became Rizin champion after stints in Titan FC, Bellator and PFL. A college wrestler at Purdue, he built his style around clinch wrestling and ground scrambles.

Background

Danny Sabatello was born on March 31, 1993, in Chicago, Illinois, and grew up in Long Grove. He wrestled from high school at Stevenson High School, where he became a two-time state champion with a record near 150 wins against roughly twenty losses. He went on to Purdue University, competing in Division I, where he qualified for the NCAA championships three times without reaching the podium. After college he moved to South Florida and turned to MMA, competing at bantamweight with a collegiate wrestling base.

Titan FC career

Danny Sabatello made his professional debut on July 21, 2018, with a submission win over Ray Paige. He strung together several wins on regional circuits before joining Titan FC, where he suffered his first loss on December 20, 2019, against Irwin Rivera, by fourth-round TKO. He bounced back with a submission over Chris Johnson, then won the vacant Titan FC bantamweight title on June 26, 2020, submitting Raymond Ramos by rear-naked choke. He defended the belt on February 12, 2021, by unanimous decision over Da’Mon Blackshear, before vacating it to sign with Bellator.

Bellator and PFL career

Danny Sabatello debuted at Bellator on May 21, 2021, with a unanimous decision over Brett Johns, a promotion where Johnny Eblen also competes. He then beat Jornel Lugo and Leandro Higo in a quarterfinal on June 24, 2022, before fighting for the Bellator interim bantamweight title against Raufeon Stots on December 9, 2022, losing a split decision. He returned to the win column with a submission over Marcos Breno in April 2023, then lost by submission to Magomed Magomedov on a joint Bellator and Rizin card in the summer of 2023. A second loss to Raufeon Stots, by unanimous decision on November 17, 2023, closed out his Bellator run. He then made his PFL debut on August 16, 2024, in the playoff series, with a majority draw against Lazaro Dayron, after a point was deducted from his opponent for grabbing the fence.

Rizin career

Danny Sabatello then joined Rizin, where he reeled off two wins in 2025: a KO over Shinobu Ota in May, then a split decision over Shoko Sato in September. On December 31, 2025, he won the Rizin bantamweight title by split decision over Naoki Inoue, after repeated wrestling exchanges and taking his opponent’s back several times. He defended the belt for the first time on April 12, 2026, by unanimous decision over Joji Goto, then a second time on July 18, 2026, in Hiroshima, finishing Jinnosuke Kashimura by third-round KO after taking him down twice. It remains his most recent confirmed fight to date.

Fighting style

Danny Sabatello leans on his collegiate wrestling background to set the pace, with repeated wrestling exchanges, clinch work and extended control against the cage, a toolset he shares with other former wrestlers who came through the PFL such as Impa Kasanganay. He rounds out that base with hammer fists and elbows on the ground, with five of his nineteen wins coming by submission and nine by decision. He has also recorded stoppages by spinning back kick and by ground and pound, as in his most recent title defense against Jinnosuke Kashimura.

Record

• Professional record of 19 wins, 4 losses and 1 draw
• Wins by KO or TKO: 5
• Wins by submission: 5
• Wins by decision: 9
• Titles: Titan FC bantamweight champion (2020-2021), Rizin bantamweight champion (since December 2025, two defenses)

Vital stats

• Full name: Danny Sabatello
• Nickname: The Italian Gangster
• Born: March 31, 1993, in Chicago, Illinois, United States
• Nationality: American
• Height: 5’10” (178 cm)
• Division: Bantamweight
• Team: American Top Team, Coconut Creek, Florida
• Coach: Mike Thomas Brown
• Base: Collegiate wrestling

Sources

• en.wikipedia.org
• www.sherdog.com
• cagesidepress.com
• purduesports.com
• pflmma.com