Kleber Koike Erbst (born October 16, 1989; ) is a Japanese mixed martial artist who competes in the Featherweight division of

Rizin Fighting Federation Rizin Fighting Federation (Rizin FF or Rizin) is a Japanese mixed martial arts organization created in 2015 by the former Pride Fighting Championships and Dream Stage Entertainment president Nobuyuki Sakakibara. Rizin was founded to be the spir ...

, where he is the former Rizin Featherweight Champion. He has also competed in Konfrontacja Sztuk Walki (KSW), where is the former KSW Featherweight Champion.

Background

Born in São Paulo, Brazil, to a Brazilian father of German and Japanese descent and a Japanese mother, Kleber lived in Brazil in his teenage years, until financial troubles led his parents to move to Japan. Erbst initially stayed in Brazil with relatives, but at the age of 14, joined them in Japan. Initially intending to help his parents and return to Brazil, but once he met jiu-jitsu, he decided to stay in Japan. When financial crisis hit Japan, his parents decided to move back to Brazil, leaving behind an 18 years old Erbst who wanted to stay. To finance his fighting career, Erbst took odd jobs such as construction, trash collection, etc. to pay for the sign-up fees.

Mixed martial arts career

Bonsai Jiu-jitsu club competitor, submission specialist. His favorite technique is Triangle choke. A holder of a black belt

Brazilian jiu-jitsu Brazilian jiu-jitsu (BJJ; pt, jiu-jitsu brasileiro ) is a self-defence martial art and combat sport based on grappling, ground fighting (ne-waza) and submission holds. BJJ focuses on the skill of taking an opponent to the ground, control ...

from the city of Iwata. In 2008–2014 he fought mainly at Japanese galas DEEP and Rings, beating at that time, among others of the former Shooto champion of Hideki Kadowaka.

Konfrontacja Sztuk Walki

At the KSW 30 gala: Genesis defeated Anzor Azhiev by triangular choke in the 1st round. After a successful debut for the federation KSW, he took part in a featherweight tournament organized by the Chinese federation Rebel FC, which won and became a champion, defeating the American Miguel Torres. At KSW 33: Materla vs. Khalidov, which took place on November 28, 2015, fought a duel with Artur Sowiński for the inaugural KSW Featherweight Championship, eventually losing by the judges' decision. After another stint returning to Asia, picking two third round submission wins at Pancrase 277 and Rebel FC 4, Kleber returned to KSW, facing Leszek Krakowski on October 1, 2016 at KSW 36. He won the bout via triangle choke in the first round. On May 27, 2017, at the KSW 39 gala held at the

Stadion Narodowy The Stadion Narodowy im. Kazimierza Górskiego (, en, Kazimierz Górski's National Stadium), known for sponsorship reasons as the PGE Narodowy since 2015 (with patron being added in 2021), is a retractable roof football stadium located in W ...

, he won the KSW Featherweight Championship, defeating then featherweight champion Marcin Wrzosek unanimously for points. Kleber was to defend his title against Artur Sowiński at KSW 41 on December 23, 2017. However, after missing weight, Erbst was stripped of the belt, meaning only Sowiński was eligible for the title. Erbst won the bout via rear-naked choke in the third round. Kleber was to rematch Marcin Wrzosek for the vacant featherweight title on June 9, 2018 at KSW 44. However Wrzosek suffered a pectoral muscle tear and was forced out of the rematch. As a result, Marian Ziolkowski stepped in against Erbst in a catchweight fight. Erbst won the bout via armbar in the first round. Kleber faced Mateusz Gamrot on December 1, 2018 at KSW 46: Narkun vs. Khalidov 2. He lost the bout via an unanimous decision.

Rizin Fighting Federation

After a first round submission win at ONE Japan Series against Akiyo Nishiura, Kleber made his Rizin debut on December 31, 2020 at during Rizin 26 against Kyle Aguon He won the bout via brabo choke in the first round. Kleber faced Kazumasa Majima at Rizin 27 on March 21, 2021. He won via triangle choke in the second round. Kleber faced

Mikuru Asakura is a Japanese mixed martial artist who competes in the featherweight division of Rizin Fighting Federation. A professional competitor since 2012, he has also competed for Road Fighting Championship, Fighting Network Rings and DEEP. He is a fo ...

at Rizin 28. He won the bout after choking Mikuru unconscious via triangle choke. Kleber headlined Rizin Trigger 2 on February 23, 2022 against Ulka Sasaki. After overcoming a knockdown in the first round, Kleber submitted Sasaki in the second round via rear-naked choke. Kleber faced Kyohei Hagiwara on May 5, 2022 in the main event of Rizin Landmark 3.He won the bout in the first round with a face crank. On October 23, 2022, Kleber faced reigning champion Juntaro Ushiku for the Rizin Featherweight Championship at Rizin 39. taking control in the first round with a tackle takedown, and in the second round, he threw him down with a hip throw and set up a triangle choke to win by triangle choke to win the title. Kleber faced reigning

Bellator Featherweight Champion Bellator MMA (formerly known as "Bellator Fighting Championships") is an American mixed martial arts promotion, and the following is a history of its champions in each weight class. At the time of its inception in 2008, CEO Bjorn Rebney founded ...

Patrício Pitbull in a non-title bout at Bellator MMA vs. Rizin on December 31, 2022. He lost the bout by unanimous decision. Kleber was set to make his first title defense against Chihiro Suzuki on June 24, 2023 at Rizin 43. At the weigh-ins, Kleber weighed in at 145.88 pounds, 0.88 pounds over the divisional title limit. As a result, upon commencement of the fight, Kleber was officially stripped of the championship, and only Suzuki is eligible to win the title. Although Kleber submitted Suzuki via triangle choke at the 2:59 minute mark of the opening round, the fight result was immediately overturned into a no-contest, due to Kleber's weight miss.

Championships and accomplishments

Mixed martial arts

** Rizin Featherweight Championship (One time, current) * Konfrontacja Sztuk Walki ** KSW Featherweight Championship (One time) * Rebel FC ** Rebel FC Featherweight Tournament Winner

Mixed martial arts record

, - , NC , align=center, , Chihiro Suzuki , No Contest (missed weight) , Rizin 43 , , align=center, 1 , align=center, 2:59 , Sapporo, Japan , , - , Loss , align=center, 31–6–1 , Patrício Pitbull , Decision (unanimous) , Bellator MMA vs. Rizin , , align=center, 3 , align=center, 5:00 , Saitama, Japan , , - , Win , align=center, , Juntarou Ushiku , Submission (triangle choke) , Rizin 39 , , align=center, 2 , align=center, 1:29 , Fukuoka, Japan , , - , Win , align=center, 30–5–1 , Kyohei Hagiwara , Submission (face crank) , Rizin Landmark 3 , , align=center, 1 , align=center, 1:37 , Tokyo, Japan , , - , Win , align=center, 29–5–1 , Ulka Sasaki , Submission (rear-naked choke) , Rizin Trigger 2 , , align=center, 2 , align=center, 3:22 ,

Fukuroi 270px, Shizuoka Stadium is a city located in Shizuoka Prefecture, Japan. , the city had an estimated population of 88,395 in 34,842 households, and a population density of 820 persons per km². The total area of the city was . Fukuroi is a me ...

, Japan , , - , Win , align=center, 28–5–1 ,

, Technical Submission (triangle choke) , Rizin 28 , , align=center, 2 , align=center, 1:49 , Tokyo, Japan , , - , Win , align=center, 27–5–1 , Kazumasa Majima , Submission (triangle choke) , Rizin 27 , , align=center, 2 , align=center, 3:02 , Nagoya, Japan , , - , Win , align=center, 26–5–1 , Kyle Aguon , Technical Submission (brabo choke) , Rizin 26 , , align=center, 1 , align=center, 4:22 , Saitama, Japan , , - , Win , align=center, 25–5–1 , Akiyo Nishiura , Submission (brabo choke) , ONE Japan Series: Road to Century , , align=center, 1 , align=center, 2:15 , Tokyo, Japan , , - , Loss , align=center, 24–5–1 , Mateusz Gamrot , Decision (unanimous) , KSW 46: Narkun vs. Khalidov 2 , , align=Center, 5 , align=center, 5:00 , Gliwice, Poland , , - , Win , align=center, 24–4–1 , Marian Ziółkowski , Submission (armbar) , KSW 44: The Game , , align=center, 1 , align=center, 3:44 ,

Gdańsk Gdańsk ( , also ; ; csb, Gduńsk;Stefan Ramułt, ''Słownik języka pomorskiego, czyli kaszubskiego'', Kraków 1893, Gdańsk 2003, ISBN 83-87408-64-6. , Johann Georg Theodor Grässe, ''Orbis latinus oder Verzeichniss der lateinischen Benen ...

, Poland , , - , Win , align=center, 23–4–1 , Artur Sowiński , Submission (rear-naked choke) , KSW 41: Mankowski vs. Soldic , , align=center, 3 , align=center, 3:56 ,

Katowice Katowice ( , , ; szl, Katowicy; german: Kattowitz, yi, קאַטעוויץ, Kattevitz) is the capital city of the Silesian Voivodeship in southern Poland and the central city of the Upper Silesian metropolitan area. It is the 11th most popul ...

, Poland , , - , Win , align=center, 22–4–1 , Marcin Wrzosek , Decision (unanimous) , KSW 39: Colosseum , , align=center, 3 , align=center, 5:00 , Warszawa, Poland , , - , Win , align=center, 21–4–1 , Leszek Krakowski , Submission (triangle choke) , KSW 36: Materla vs. Palhares , , align=center, 1 , align=center, 4:24 , Zielona Góra, Poland , , - , Win , align=center, 20–4–1 , George Hickman , Submission (triangle choke) , Rebel FC 4: Battle Royale Ascension , , align=Center, 3 , align=center, 4:35 ,

Qingdao Qingdao (, also spelled Tsingtao; , Mandarin: ) is a major city in eastern Shandong Province. The city's name in Chinese characters literally means " azure island". Located on China's Yellow Sea coast, it is a major nodal city of the One Belt ...

, China , , - , Win , align=center, 19–4–1 , Yusuke Yachi , Submission (rear-naked choke) , Pancrase 277 , , align=center, 3 , align=center, 0:37 , Tokyo, Japan , , - , Loss , align=center, 18–4–1 , Artur Sowiński , Decision (unanimous) , KSW 33: Materla vs. Khalidov , , align=center, 3 , align=center, 5:00 , Kraków, Poland , , - , Win , align=center, 18–3–1 , Miguel Torres , Submission (brabo choke) , rowspan=2 , Rebel FC 3: The Promised Ones , rowspan=2 , , align=center, 2 , align=center, 4:40 , rowspan=2 ,

, China , , - , Win , align=center, 17–3–1 , Takahiro Ashida , Submission (triangle choke) , align=center, 1 , align=center, 3:06 , , - , Win , align=center, 16–3–1 , Anzor Azhiev , Submission (triangle choke) , KSW 30: Genesis , , align=center, 1 , align=center, 3:16 , Poznań, Poland , , - , Win , align=center, 15–3–1 , Katsuyoshi Beppu , Submission (triangle choke) , Deep: Hamamatsu Impact 2014 , , align=center, 3 , align=center, 1:29 , Hamamatsu, Japan , , - , Win , align=center, 14–3–1 , Hideki Kadowaki , Submission (rear-naked choke) , DEEP: Cage Impact 2013 , , align=center, 1 , align=center, 4:21 , Tokyo, Japan , , - , Win , align=center, 13–3–1 , Yutaka Ueda , TKO (punches) , Deep: Cage Impact 2013 in Hamamatsu , , align=center, 2 , align=center, 2:81 , Hamamatsu, Japan , , - , Win , align=center, 12–3–1 , Liu Si Cong , Submission (triangle choke) , Real Fight MMA Championship 2 , , align=Center, 1 , align=center, 2:19 ,

Zhengzhou Zhengzhou (; ), also spelt Zheng Zhou and alternatively romanized as Chengchow, is the capital and largest city of Henan Province in the central part of the People's Republic of China. Located in north-central Henan, it is one of the National ...

, China , , - , Win , align=center, 11–3–1 , Albert Cheng , Submission (triangle choke) , Real Fight MMA Championship 1 , , align=center, 1 , align=center, 4:00 ,

, China , , - , Win , align=center, 10–3–1 , Teppei Hori , Submission (triangle choke) , Rings: Vol. 2: Conquisito , , align=center, 1 , align=center, 2:40 , Tokyo, Japan , , - , Win , align=center, 9–3–1 , Atsushi Ueda , Submission (armbar) , ZST: Battle Hazard 6 , , align=center, 3 , align=center, 3:07 , Tokyo, Japan , , - , Win , align=center, 8–3–1 , Yoshifumi Dogaki , Submission (armbar) , Heat 23 , , align=center, 1 , align=center, 4:06 ,

Kobe Kobe ( , ; officially , ) is the capital city of Hyōgo Prefecture Japan. With a population around 1.5 million, Kobe is Japan's seventh-largest city and the third-largest port city after Tokyo and Yokohama. It is located in Kansai region, whic ...

, Japan , , - , Win , align=center, 7–3–1 , Hidenobu Koike , Submission (triangle choke) , Deep: Cage Impact 2011 in Hamamatsu , , align=center, 1 , align=center, 2:16 , Hamamatsu, Japan , , - , Win , align=center, 6–3–1 , Shinichiro Tanaka , Submission (triangle choke) , Deep: Shizuoka Impact 2011 , , align=center, 1 , align=center, 3:18 , Shizuoka, Japan , , - , Win , align=center, 5–3–1 , Yusuke Hoshiko , Decision (unanimous) , Heat 16 , , align=center, 3 , align=center, 5:00 , Osaka, Japan , , - , Draw , align=center, 4–3–1 , Mitsuru Yamaguchi , Draw , Deep: Cage Impact 2010 in Hamamatsu , , align=center, 2 , align=center, 5:00 , Hamamatsu, Japan , , - , Loss , align=center, 4–3 , Toshiaki Kitada , Submission (armbar) , Deep: 44 Impact , , align=center, 2 , align=center, 0:56 , Tokyo, Japan , , - , Win , align=center, 4–2 , Takashi Fujii , KO (head kick) , Deep: Hamamatsu Impact , , align=center, 1 , align=center, 2:40 , Hamamatsu, Japan , , - , Loss , align=center, 3–2 , Yoshiro Maeda , DQ (groin strike) , Deep: Osaka Impact , , align=center, 1 , align=center, 4:00 , Osaka, Japan , , - , Loss , align=center, 3–1 , Toshikazu Iseno , Decision (unanimous) , Deep: 42 Impact , , align=center, 2 , align=center, 5:00 , Tokyo, Japan , , - , Win , align=center, 3–0 , Yasutomo Katsuki , Submission (rear-naked choke) , rowspan=2 , Heat: New Age Cup 1 , rowspan=2 , , align=center, 1 , align=center, 3:28 , rowspan=2 , Nagoya, Japan , , - , Win , align=center, 2–0 , Keizo Sakuragi , Submission (rear-naked choke) , align=center, 2 , align=center, 2:39 , , - , Win , align=center, 1–0 , Masaki Wada , Submission (rear-naked choke) , Deep: clubDeep Hamamatsu , , align=center, 1 , align=center, 1:11 , Hamamatsu, Japan ,

Footnotes

{{DEFAULTSORT:Erbst Koiker, Kleber Brazilian male mixed martial artists Japanese male mixed martial artists Mixed martial artists utilizing Brazilian jiu-jitsu Mixed martial artists utilizing shootboxing Brazilian practitioners of Brazilian jiu-jitsu Japanese practitioners of Brazilian jiu-jitsu People awarded a black belt in Brazilian jiu-jitsu Japanese people of Brazilian descent Sportspeople from Shizuoka Prefecture 1989 births Living people Sportspeople from São Paulo