Kazushi Sakuraba
Encyclopedia
is a Japanese professional mixed martial artist
and former professional wrestler. He has competed in pro-wrestling for New Japan Pro Wrestling
, UWFi and Kingdom Pro Wrestling
. He has fought in MMA competition in the Ultimate Fighting Championship
, PRIDE Fighting Championships, K-1 Hero's
and Dream
. He is known as the "Gracie Hunter" due to his wins over four members of the famed Gracie family
including Royler Gracie
, Renzo Gracie
, Ryan Gracie
, and Royce Gracie
. In particular, Sakuraba is famous for his initial fight with Royce Gracie which lasted ninety minutes. His other notable victories include wins over Ken Shamrock
, Minowaman
, Kevin Randleman
, Quinton 'Rampage' Jackson
, Vitor Belfort
and Carlos Newton
.
, a team which had counted Olympic gold medalists Shozo Sasahara
and Osamu Watanabe
amongst its ranks. He won the East Japan Freshman championship in his first year and served as their team captain thereafter. In his senior year, he finished fourth place in the All-Japan tournament. Amongst his notable wins was a defeat of future Olympic bronze medalist Kat Ota.
as a coach. However, at the last minute he decided to pursue a career as a professional wrestler. According to Sakuraba, the impetus for this stemmed from a childhood dream of one day emulating Tiger Mask
, a famous Japanese cartoon hero and real-life professional wrestler.
organization Pancrase
, he ultimately chose the UWFi, a professional wrestling
league that was nonetheless known for its highly technical and realistic-looking bouts. His time in the UWFI would prove to be a formative experience for Sakuraba; it was there under the tutelage of Billy Robinson
that he received his initial instruction in catch wrestling
. It is catch wrestling
that would serve as the base of the unorthodox ground-game that would later lead him to success in the Pride Fighting Championships.
In spite of his amateur pedigree, Sakuraba was forced to work his way up from the bottom of the UWFi's rung. Sakuraba lost his debut in 1993 to Steve Nelson and went winless through his rookie year with the league. It is also popularly alleged that under the eye of Kiyoshi Tamura
, he was made to perform menial chores about the dojo. Still undeterred, Sakuraba steadily built a working knowledge of submission holds upon his freestyle wrestling base until his efforts were at last rewarded with a win over Mark Silver in October 1994.
Though his record remained below .500, Sakuraba continued to edge his way closer to mid-card status through the rest of the year. Then, in 1995, the UWFi began an interpromotional feud with New Japan Pro Wrestling
. The vast majority of UWFi workers came out on the losing end of the booking to the larger and more mainstream promotion and Sakuraba was no exception. He was defeated in high-profile bouts to Tokimitsu Ishizawa, Koji Kanemoto
and Shinjiro Otani, bringing Sakuraba a new level of exposure to the public. The ring psychology and technical prowess he displayed in the bouts also impressed the management of the UWFi enough that he was finally pushed towards main event status.
New Japan's dominance in the feud injured the marketability of the UWFi promotion, which had pressed the perception that their athletes boasted legitimate skill in catch wrestling
and kickboxing
. In a bid to regain credibility, Yoji Anjoh travelled to California to challenge Rickson Gracie
in the latter's own dojo, only to be swiftly and brutally defeated before the assembled Japanese press that had followed him there. With the UWFi's formerly fearsome reputation in tatters, its attendance numbers swiftly decreased, with the federation closing its doors once and for all in December 1996. In their final show it was Sakuraba who at long last headlined, defeating Yoji Anjoh by submission.
, the most popular of the UWFi workers amongst the mainstream public founded Kingdom Pro Wrestling
, taking in Sakuraba and the majority of his fellow UWFi alumni. In the vein of its predecessor, Kingdom was primarily a league devoted to realistic-looking works. Having by now established his ability, Sakuraba was this time booked as a main-eventer from the outset. However, unlike the UWFi, Kingdom struggled from the beginning to draw substantial crowds. Mixed martial arts
was growing in popularity, and the dominance of the Gracie family
and their fellow Brazilian Jiu Jitsu practitioners over the field and more specifically over professional wrestlers, left the Japanese public ever more unconvinced as to the fighting ability of Kingdom's stable of athletes.
and Yoji Anjoh signed on to compete in the Ultimate Fighting Championship
's Ultimate Japan tournament. Kanehara was injured in his training for the tournament, and Sakuraba wound up as his late-hour substitute. The tournament was intended for heavyweights, and Sakuraba, at 183 pounds, was nearly twenty pounds beneath the UFC's 200 pound designation for the weight class. Purposely reporting himself as 203 pounds in order to gain entry, Sakuraba was paired off against the 243 pound Brazilian Jiu Jitsu blackbelt and former Extreme Fighting champion, Marcus Silveira
.
Following a barrage of light blows by Silveira, Sakuraba dropped for a low single leg takedown but referee John McCarthy stopped the fight prematurely before Sakuraba could complete the takedown. A loud protest followed from the crowd and an angry Sakuraba attempted unsuccessfully to take the microphone and address the Japanese audience. However, after reviewing tape, McCarthy changed his decision to a no-contest. Tank Abbott
, who had earlier defeated Yoji Anjoh, dropped from the tournament due to an injured hand, leaving Sakuraba and Silveira to face off once more that night in what would be the championship bout of the tournament. This time, Sakuraba claimed the victory, submitting Silveira with an armbar. Afterwards, Sakuraba famously stated, "In fact, professional wrestling is strong". With the victory Sakuraba remains one of the last UFC tournament champions to date.
With Nobuhiko Takada
having left Kingdom to challenge Rickson Gracie
in a KRS
promoted event called Pride, the still struggling promotion capitalized on Sakuraba's newly found popularity establishing him as Kingdom's top talent. He embarked on a winning streak against several foreign mixed martial arts competitors including Paul Herrera, Rene Rooze
, Mark Hall and Orlando Weit. However, Kingdom continued to flounder and finally folded in March 1998.
at the hands of Rickson Gracie
in the organization's initial event, Sakuraba was paired off against Vernon White
, then a veteran of 32 bouts who also boasted a 20-pound weight advantage. Showcasing a balance of wrestling and submission prowess, Sakuraba came after White with constant takedowns and unceasing submission attempts. White held Sakuraba off for the first two sessions, but was ultimately armbarred towards the end of the third round.
Next, Sakuraba was matched against Ultimate Fighting Championship
veteran Carlos Newton
. Though relatively new to mixed martial arts
, Newton had recently disposed of the reigning Shooto
light heavyweight champion Erik Paulson with a swift armbar victory and already developed a reputation as a talented grappler. Sakuraba finished the match in the second round, this time with a rolling kneebar. Throughout the bout, both men displayed a high-level of grappling acumen, leading many fans and pundits of mixed martial arts to label it as the definitive grappling match in the history of the sport.
Eager to capitalize on Sakuraba's catch wrestling
prowess to reverse the perception that Japanese professional wrestlers were inferior to Brazilian combatants (in part perpetuated by his teammates' own defeats), Sakuraba's next three bouts were scheduled against Brazilian jiu jitsu blackbelts Vitor Belfort
, Allan Goes
and Luta Livre blackbelt Ebenezer Fontes Braga
. Sakuraba, after enduring an early flurry, defeated Belfort by unanimous decision, drew with Goes and submitted Braga via armbar. In a trend that would continue through Sakuraba's Pride career, each opponent occupied a spot near the top of the 205-pound class at the time of their meeting with him and held a weight advantage of around 20 pounds.
, Sakuraba was matched against Royler Gracie
, who had previously conquered Sakuraba's stablemate Yuhi Sano
. It marked the largest weight advantage Sakuraba has enjoyed in his career to date (being around 30 pounds heavier than Royler). Royler, unable to score a takedown or strike effectively from a standing position, remained on the ground in an effort to bait Sakuraba into a grappling-oriented contest, while Sakuraba, standing, landed punishing kicks to Royler's legs, thighs and head. Eventually, with less than two minutes remaining, Sakuraba finally engaged Royler on the ground, soon catching him in an elbow lock know as a Kimura lock and or Double-top wristlock. As Sakuraba wrenched on the submission, the referee intervened with 1 minute and 44 seconds remaining on the clock, ending the contest and awarding Sakuraba the win by TKO. Sakuraba's victory over Royler constituted the first loss by a Gracie in professional fighting in several decades and as such, sent ripples of shock and controversy through the mixed martial arts community. Some protested that the victory was tainted due to the fact that Royler (although placed in a debilitating submission hold) never conceded defeat and was mere seconds away from the final bell when the bout was stopped. It is worth noting that the last Japanese athlete to defeat a Gracie prior to Sakuraba's win against Royler, legendary judoka Masahiko Kimura
, had used the very same maneuver Sakuraba utilized to beat Royler. That time, the recipient had been Royler's father, Helio Gracie
, who had, like Royler, also refused to submit.
While the Japanese fight media rejoiced and elevated Sakuraba to superstar status, the Gracie family took great umbrage over the incident, feeling that they had been cheated by Pride. Compelled to set the record straight and re-assert the dominance of his family, Royler's younger brother and former UFC champion Royce Gracie
returned to the sport of mixed martial arts in 2000 and entered the 16-Man Pride Grand Prix alongside Sakuraba and several other top fighters of the era. Placed on the same side of the bracket, a special set of rules were requested by the Gracies in the event of a Sakuraba-Royce match, including no referee stoppages and no time-limits, the fight ending only in the event of a submission or knock-out. In his first fight of the 2000 Pride tournament Sakuraba once again found himself matched up against a heavier opponent, this time the well-regarded 205-pound fighter, former King of Pancrase Guy Mezger
. After a closely fought 15 minutes the judges requested an overtime round, and the fight ended in controversy when Mezger's coach Ken Shamrock
forced his fighter back to the locker room claiming that no additional rounds were agreed upon in the contract. Sakuraba ended up winning the match by forfeit. Meanwhile, Royce defeated Nobuhiko Takada by unanimous decision and thus set the stage for their much anticipated showdown.
In the tournament quarterfinals Royce and Sakuraba battled for an hour and a half (six 15 minute rounds). Sakuraba nearly ended the match with a knee-bar towards the end of the first round. Later on, Royce returned the favor with a guillotine choke which Sakuraba lingered in, but eventually escaped from. As the confrontation stretched on, the Gracie's own no time-limit rules began to work against Royce as Sakuraba's wrestling skills and balance nullified Royce's ability to score a takedown and—in some instances—even pull guard. Even Royce's ever-present jiu-jitsu gi
became a weapon for the wrestler to use against him as Sakuraba used it to help him control Gracie on the instances the fight did come to the ground. However, with Sakuraba's control of the takedown, these instances of ground warfare became increasingly sporadic. After the 90 minute battle of punishing leg kicks, Royce's brother, Rorion threw in the towel. Sakuraba would lose a rematch with Royce in 2007. Royce tested positive for illegal steroids after the fight and was suspended for six months.
Prior to the bout, there was speculation that the fight was largely personal, with Royce looking to avenge his brother and Sakuraba looking to atone for his stablemate's defeats and vindicate professional wrestling
and the UWFi once and for all. However, following the stoppage, Royce and Sakuraba embraced in the ring. Gracious in victory, Sakuraba flatteringly pointed to Royce as the superior ground-technician when questioned as to why he didn't engage him on the ground more frequently. Exhausted from his battle with Royce, Sakuraba surprised many when he emerged from the locker room for the tournament semi-finals. His opponent, Igor Vovchanchyn
, outweighed him by close to fifty pounds (Sakuraba had come into the bout with Royce lighter than usual, at 176 pounds) and was considered to be the top heavyweight striker of the day. Sakuraba surprised many by taking Vovchanchyn down and nearly finishing him with an armbar. However, fatigue and size both had worn on Sakuraba by now his corner opted to throw in the towel.
Following the Grand Prix, Sakuraba was christened the "Gracie Hunter" by the Japanese sports media. Keeping in tow with his new nickname, Sakuraba sandwiched a swift victory via achilles lock against Shannon Ritch between fights against brothers Renzo Gracie
and Ryan Gracie
. In contrast to Royler and Royce, Renzo and Ryan were products of Carlson Gracie's approach to jiu-jitsu, which placed a stronger emphasis on combat-ready skills and training without a gi.
At the time of his bout with Sakuraba, Renzo's only loss in 10 bouts was a closely contested decision to Sakuraba's former UWFi stablemate and rival, Kiyoshi Tamura
while Maurice Smith, Oleg Taktarov
and Abu Dhabi champion Sanae Kikuta
numbered amongst his victims. Renzo's stylistic differences from his cousins were in evidence from the outset of his contest against Sakuraba, as he pressed the pace of the bout with a variety of kicks and punches, although few connected. Sakuraba responded in kind, and the striking seemed to stalemate. Throwing his wrestling into the equation, Sakuraba timed a number of double and single leg takedowns against Renzo's flurries from where he alternately attempted to cartwheel past Gracie's guard, malign his legs with kicks from the standing position and even attack with a low dropkick
. However, Renzo's defensive skills from bottom nullified the entire gamut of Sakuraba's offensive attempts until mere seconds remained in the battle and the contestants found themselves pressed against the turnbuckle. Sakuraba locked in a kimura and spun around, flipping Renzo to the canvas even as he wrenched his arm behind his back. Like Royler and Helio before him, Renzo
refused to submit to the hold despite his elbow being snapped prior to hitting the ground and, even as the referee waved off the contest due to the injury. His arm in a sling, Renzo took the microphone and, before the 35,000 fans assembled at the Seibu Dome
, stated that Sakuraba was "the Japanese version of the Gracie family". Renzo has since referred to the bout as his proudest moment in mixed martial arts, due to his refusal to submit in the face of injury.
Ryan Gracie, who had fought on the same card and emerged victorious, issued a challenge to Sakuraba and the two were subsequently scheduled to meet at Pride 12
. Due to a shoulder injury, the fight was limited to a single 10-minute round, where Ryan's spirited efforts were generally stymied and controlled by Sakuraba, who noticeably avoided attacks on his younger opponent's injured arm.
MMA and BJJ instructor Gene Simco made some unsupported claims that "some sources" stated that Sergio Penha
, a Brazilian Jiu-Jitsu instructor, may have been training Sakuraba in Brazilian Jiu-Jitsu during his course of victories over Gracie family.
. Sakuraba knocked Wanderlei down, but the Brazilian Muay Thai
specialist recovered to TKO Sakuraba via knees to the head on the ground in the initial minutes of the first round. It marked Sakuraba's second defeat in mixed martial arts and his first loss in the 205-pound division. In spite of his weight disadvantage, Sakuraba had been a heavy favorite to win. Sakuraba then shocked the audience by giving Silva his belt entitled SAKU on it. Wanderlei then stated that he would willingly give Sakuraba a rematch if Sakuraba wanted another match with him.
After sitting out the next Pride to recuperate, Sakuraba found himself across the ring from Quinton Jackson
, a former collegiate wrestler who had compiled a record of 10–1 on the American circuit. At the sound of the bell, Sakuraba immediately took the bigger and more powerful man to the canvas with a low single-leg takedown. However, Jackson's superior size and enormous physical strength allowed him to muscle out of Sakuraba's submission attempts. After locking his legs about Jackson for a triangle choke, Sakuraba found himself hefted into the air and repeatedly powerbombed to the canvas. Later, he attempted an armbar against Jackson, only for the Tennessee native to again lift him up and this time, attempt to drop him from the ring. His expression unchanging through the course of Jackson's assault, Sakuraba continued to flow from one lock to another. Eventually, he took the back of a by-then exhausted Jackson and submitted him with his first rear naked choke
victory. The contest was a launchpad for Jackson's career, leading to a long-term contract with Pride where he eventually became regarded as a top middleweight competitor.
It also re-established Sakuraba's proficiency in dealing with larger opponents and placed him back in line for another shot at Wanderlei Silva in Pride's next event, this time to decide Pride's inaugural 205-pound champion. Usually prone to humorous entrances, it was a somber and focused Sakuraba that came down the aisle for his rematch with Silva. As with Jackson, Sakuraba was able to score an early takedown in the bout, where he then worked from Silva's guard. After several minutes searching for an opening, he finally found one when Silva attempted to escape to his feet. Sakuraba locked on a tight guillotine, but was countered by a slam from Wanderlei which ended up breaking his collar bone. Not willing to let him go on so hampered, his corner threw in the towel between rounds.
Sakuraba took time off to let his shoulder heal, then returned against heavyweight kickboxer Mirko Filipovic. Sakuraba managed to take Filipovic down, but sustained another injury, this time a broken orbital bone done by a powerful punch from the guard . Finally assenting to place him in competition against fighters of his own weight class, Pride management put him against French jiu jitsu champion Gilles Arsene in a bout Sakuraba dominated and then against Rickson Gracie protege, Antonio Schembri. With a win over Schembri, it was speculated that Sakuraba might be then groomed for a championship fight in a new weight division for fighters of his size. Sakuraba dominated Schembri until Schembri stunned Sakuaraba with a flurry of knees to the head, knocking him unconscious.
This seemed to mark a turning point in Sakuraba's career; though he was unbeaten in his first nine Pride bouts, he thereafter split his next six matches before suffering a particularly devastating loss against Ricardo Arona
at Pride's Middleweight Grand Prix event in June 2005, during which his face became severely swollen and bloody due to repeated knee strikes to the head while in the downed position; his corner stopped the fight after the second round. Following the win, Pride president Sakakibara suggested Sakuraba might move down in weight to compete in their newly formed 183-pound division. However, instead of moving down in weight, Sakuraba began training at Chute Boxe Academy
in Brazil
alongside his one-time rival, Wanderlei Silva.
Upon completion of his training, he made his return to the ring to engage in yet another contest at the 205-pound limit, this time against fellow catch wrestler Ken Shamrock
. Three minutes into the bout, Sakuraba struck through Shamrock's guard with a left hand. Shamrock staggered back and ultimately fell into the ropes, his head hanging out of the ring, his back turned to Sakuraba. Sakuraba rushed in to follow up but before any meaningful offense could be launched, the fight was halted by referee Yuji Shimada
. Shamrock sprang to his feet immediately following the KO and protested vigorously. Opinions have been mixed regarding the KO's legitimacy; Ken's adopted brother and rival, Frank, has stated he believed the stoppage was justified, while others have come down on the opposing side.
Prior to Pride's Shockwave 2005 New Year's Eve event, Sakuraba strongly petitioned for a match against Kiyoshi Tamura
, even going so far as to publicly request a bout with Tamura. However, with Tamura refusing to face him, Sakuraba recommended fellow catch-wrestler and professional wrestling proponent, Ikuhisa Minowa
, who refers to himself as a "Real Pro Wrestler." Sakuraba did not request the match due to any grudge against Minowa, but rather because he believed that he and Minowa would put on a fight worthy of the Shockwave event. The bout was a competitive one, with Minowa getting the better of Sakuraba striking-wise and nearly catching him first with a kneebar and then a heel-hook. In the end, Sakuraba managed to outwrestle Minowa on the ground and catch him in a kimura which, although Minowa would not tap to it, would nonetheless prompt the referee to halt the contest. The victory would mark his final bout under the Pride banner; ironically, it also marked one of the few times he was matched against an opponent of his own size from the 183-pound division and his first bout against a Japanese fighter.
Sakuraba was then scheduled to compete in Hero's Light Heavyweight Tournament. His first opponent was the 16–5 Lithuanian Kęstutis Smirnovas. Sakuraba opened the fight striking aggressively and even flooring Smirnovas with a kick. However, as he was coming in to follow up, Smirnovas caught Sakuraba cleanly, knocking him down to his knees and hands. Sakuraba then turned over, sliding beneath the bottom rope, where Smirnovas unleashed repeated blows to his head. Sakuraba seemed at this point unable to defend himself; when the referee stepped between the two fighters, it seemed likely he was moving to put an end to the contest. However, instead of halting the battle, the referee re-positioned the fighters from underneath the bottom rope into the ring and resumed the bout. Though the re-starting of fighters who have found themselves near or outside the ropes is common practice, it was nonetheless controversial.
Following the re-start, Smirnovas picked up where he'd left off, pounding a supine Sakuraba whose only defense seemed to turtle up. Finally, Sakuraba got to his feet and worked for a single-leg on Smirnovas. The attempt was thwarted and again Sakuraba found himself beneath the Lithuanian who this time attempted to work a rear-naked choke. Sakuraba escaped the attempt and returned his feet once again. From this point on, Sakuraba's earlier cobwebs seemed to have cleared and he began to land combinations upon the Lithuanian with greater and greater frequency until Smirnovas finally collapsed from the assault. Sakuraba assumed side-control and swiftly moved into an armbar. Smirnovas fought the technique as long as he could, but was eventually forced to submit to spare his arm which had been fully extended.
Initially there were some doubts as to whether Sakuraba would be able to make it into the next round of the Hero's tournament based on the severity of the damage he endured against Smirnovas. However, Sakuraba reported that a follow-up CAT scan had found no irregularities and was then slated to face one-time Olympic judoka, Yoshihiro Akiyama in the tournament's semi-finals on October 9 in what K-1 hoped would be a high revenue match-up. The winner of that bout was to face the victor between Melvin Manhoef and Shungo Oyama to determine a tournament champion.
However, during a hard sparring session for the upcoming bout Sakuraba began vomiting and fainted. After being rushed to the hospital he was diagnosed with vertebrobasilar damage that restricted blood circulation to the head and neck area. The doctors determined the damage was caused from years of untreated head injuries dating back to his college years.
In spite of this revelation, Sakuraba was—rather than being granted a break to recover and possibly undergo surgery—scheduled to return to action on 31 December 2006 against Yoshihiro Akiyama at K-1 Dynamite!!. The bout ended with Sakuraba struggling to execute a kneebar submission while Akiyama attacked with ground and pound. Words were exchanged between Sakuraba and referee Yoshinori Umeki prior to the stop, which was brought on by the sounding of a bell at the behest of Akira Maeda, the event coordinator, the referee separating the fighters following the bell rather than initiating the stop himself.
Afterwards, the usually soft-spoken Sakuraba surprised many with complaints that Akiyama's body had been greased. The referee in charge subsequently checked Akiyama's body and gave indication to ringside officials that he had not found anything unusual. In the aftermath of the fight the controversy escalated drastically and new accusations of weighed gloves also surfaced. To deal with the growing controversy, K-1 launched an investigation to look into the accusations against Akiyama. Although Akiyama's gloves were found to be regulation, video-tape revealed Akiyama administering a lotion to his skin. Akiyama—who attested he was simply treating his dry skin—was found to have been "negligent" and disqualified. The fight was subsequently declared a no-contest and Akiyama's purse was withheld. A press conference followed, wherein Akiyama—now heavily maligned by the Japanese sports media—offered a public apology.
Although Sakuraba wore a shirt into the ring against Akiyama which read "K Sakuraba: End of Service", his experience against Akiyama apparently changed his plans regarding retirement and at Heros 8 he submitted the winless Yurij Kiseliov by armbar.
Following that win, he would next share the mixed martial arts ring with his fellow catch wrestler and UWFi alum, Kiyoshi Tamura. Once again donning the guise of his childhood hero, Tiger Mask, as he had to signal his exodus from Pride Fighting Championships to Heros, Sakuraba this time wore the mask to mark the occasion of his return to Pride at their final DSE promoted show, Kamikaze. Before the assembled crowd at the Saitama Super Arena—Pride's most frequented venue—Sakuraba and Tamura publicly voiced their willingness to meet in a Pride ring, before shaking hands and embracing. A bout between Tamura and Sakuraba had been one of Pride's most frequently promised match-ups, one that had never been delivered upon in spite of several efforts to put it together.
On 2 June 2007, Sakuraba rematched Royce Gracie in K-1 Dynamite!! USA. The bout itself was fought at a relatively slow pace; Sakuraba knocked Gracie to the canvas in the opening seconds and finished the bout searching for an armbar, having taken the back of Gracie. In the intervening time, Sakuraba scored multiple takedowns while Gracie scored a number of kicks to the legs and face once on bottom. Royce won by unanimous decision. Gracie tested positive for steroids after the bout.
Sakuraba returned to the ring on 17 September 2007 at K-1 Hero's 10 against former NJPW pro wrestler Katsuyori Shibata. Prior to the bout, Shibata's trainer, Masakatsu Funaki had challenged Sakuraba on the basis that he their styles would make for an entertaining contest. Shibata came out striking aggressively, but was soon taken to the canvas by Sakuraba's trademark single leg. Shibata unleashed a torrent of blows off his back, but the more experienced Sakuraba responded with strikes of his own before transitioning into an arm bar and finishing the bout.
and emerged into the world of mixed martial arts on the heels of a career in the UWF
(the direct predecessor of Sakuraba's UWF International
). Both men also held in common a past history of submission wins over world-class opposition and recognition as two of the top Japanese mixed martial artists to date. Appropriately, their bout took place in the main event of K-1's year end Dynamite!!
show, which garners more TV viewers each year than any other televised mixed martial arts event in Japan.
After exchanging professional wrestling-inspired entrances, the submission specialists traded strikes. Funaki's arsenal of punches and kicks appeared to be quicker and more powerful, but Sakuraba was able to sneak in a double-leg take down after Funaki committed heavily to a missed right cross. On the ground, Funaki closed guard around Sakuraba before opening it up to spin for a knee-bar. For a moment, Funaki appeared to secure Sakuraba's leg only to be thwarted by a combination of Sakuraba's submission acumen and their position against the ring ropes, which blocked Funaki from rolling with the hold. Sakuraba then maneuvered to Funaki's back, only for the Pancrase founder to roll back into the guard position. Breaking away from the grappling contest, Sakuraba stood up and began to assault the still-prone Funaki's legs with a series of kicks. Funaki answered with a kick of his own, blackening Sakuraba's eye and cutting his face. Sakuraba returned himself to the ground, where Funaki immediately attempted to sweep him. However, Sakuraba blocked the attempt and secured a double wristlock, eventually forcing Funaki to submit.
. On 29 April 2008, Sakuraba defeated Andrews Nakahara in the main event at Dream 2: Middle Weight Grandprix 2008 1st Round. However, he was knocked out (and thus eliminated from the tournament) by Melvin Manhoef
in the main event of Dream 4: Middle Weight Grandprix 2008 2nd Round. During the match, Sakuraba suffered an ulnar fracture of the left forearm, which was caused by a kick from Manhoef http://blog.thesavagescience.com/2008/06/16/breaking-sakuraba-suffers-likely-broken-arm-in-dream-loss. Sakuraba has twice returned to the Dream promotion, losing to Kiyoshi Tamura
at Dynamite!! 2008
and most recently defeating boxer
turned mixed martial artist Rubin Williams at Dream 11
. Sakuraba then faced Croatian Zelg Galesic
on Dream 12. Sakuraba took Galesic to the ground via single leg takedown and he immediately transitioned to a leg lock. Galesic tried to defend himself against the submission by raining punches on Sakuraba. Sakuraba absorbed the punches and held on to Galesic's leg until he successfully made the Croatian tap out due to a kneebar.
On May 29 he faced Ralek Gracie
, at the Saitama Super Arena
in Dream 14.http://www.sherdog.com/news/news/Sakuraba-Gracie-Rivalry-Continues-at-Dream-14-24375 where he lost by unanimous decision.
On September 25, at Dream 16, Sakuraba lost to Jason "Mayhem" Miller via arm triangle choke.
Sakuraba fought for the Dream
Welterweight Championship against current champion Marius Zaromskis
at Dynamite!! 2010
on December 2010. The fight ended in doctor stoppage, Sakuraba's ear was partially ripped off.
Sakuraba fought against undefeated Brazilian Jiu-Jitsu Black Belt Yan Cabral
at Dream 17
, losing via head arm triangle in a one-sided match with Cabral controlling both the stand up and grappling in the match.
Tokyo Sports Grand Prix
Ultimate Fighting Championship
Wrestling Observer Newsletter awards
| Loss
|align=center| 26–16–1(2)
| Yan Cabral
| Submission (arm-triangle choke)
| Dream 17
|
|align=center| 2
|align=center| 2:42
| Saitama, Saitama
, Japan
|
|-
| Loss
|align=center| 26–15–1(2)
| Marius Žaromskis
| TKO (doctor stoppage)
| Dynamite!! 2010
|
|align=center| 1
|align=center| 2:16
| Saitama, Saitama
, Japan
| For Dream
Welterweight Championship.
|-
| Loss
|align=center| 26–14–1(2)
| Jason Miller
| Submission (arm-triangle choke)
| Dream 16
|
|align=center| 1
|align=center| 2:09
| Nagoya, Aichi
, Japan
|
|-
| Loss
|align=center| 26–13–1(2)
| Ralek Gracie
| Decision (unanimous)
| Dream 14
|
|align=center| 3
|align=center| 5:00
| Saitama, Saitama
, Japan
|
|-
| Win
|align=center| 26–12–1(2)
| Zelg Galesic
| Submission (kneebar)
| Dream 12
|
|align=center| 1
|align=center| 1:40
| Osaka, Osaka, Japan
|
|-
| Win
|align=center| 25–12–1(2)
| Rubin Williams
| Submission (kimura)
| Dream 11
|
|align=center| 1
|align=center| 2:53
| Yokohama, Kanagawa, Japan
|
|-
| Loss
|align=center| 24–12–1(2)
| Kiyoshi Tamura
| Decision (unanimous)
| Dynamite!! 2008
|
|align=center| 2
|align=center| 5:00
| Saitama, Saitama
, Japan
|
|-
| Loss
|align=center| 24–11–1(2)
| Melvin Manhoef
| TKO (punches)
| Dream 4
|
|align=center| 1
|align=center| 1:30
| Yokohama, Kanagawa, Japan
| Dream MWGP Quarter-Final
|-
| Win
|align=center| 24–10–1(2)
| Andrews Nakahara
| Submission (neck crank)
| Dream 2
|
|align=center| 1
|align=center| 8:20
| Saitama, Saitama
, Japan
| Dream MWGP Opening Round
|-
| Win
|align=center| 23–10–1(2)
| Masakatsu Funaki
| Submission (kimura)
| K-1 PREMIUM 2007 Dynamite!!
|
|align=center| 1
|align=center| 6:25
| Osaka, Osaka, Japan
|
|-
| Win
|align=center| 22–10–1(2)
| Katsuyori Shibata
| Submission (armbar)
| Hero's 10: Middleweight Tournament Final
|
|align=center| 1
|align=center| 6:20
| Yokohama, Kanagawa, Japan
|
|-
| Loss
|align=center| 21–10–1(2)
| Royce Gracie
| Decision (unanimous)
| Dynamite!! USA
|
|align=center| 3
|align=center| 5:00
| Los Angeles, California
United States
| Gracie tested positive for steroids after the fight.
|-
| Win
|align=center| 21–9–1(2)
| Yurij Kiselov
| Submission (triangle armbar)
| Hero's 8
|
|align=center| 1
|align=center| 1:26
| Nagoya, Aichi
, Japan
|
|-
| NC
|align=center| 20–9–1(2)
| Yoshihiro Akiyama
| No Contest
| K-1 PREMIUM 2006 Dynamite!!
|
|align=center| 1
|align=center| 5:37
| Osaka, Osaka, Japan
| Original TKO loss; was ruled a no contest after Akiyama confessed to applying lotion before the fight.
|-
| Win
|align=center| 20–9–1(1)
| Kestutis Smirnovas
| Submission (armbar)
| Hero's 6
|
|align=center| 1
|align=center| 6:41
| Tokyo
, Japan
|
|-
| Win
|align=center| 19–9–1(1)
| Ikuhisa Minowa
| Technical submission (kimura)
| Pride Shockwave 2005
|
|align=center| 1
|align=center| 9:59
| Saitama, Saitama
, Japan
|
|-
| Win
|align=center| 18–9–1(1)
| Ken Shamrock
| TKO (punch)
| Pride 30
|
|align=center| 1
|align=center| 2:27
| Saitama, Saitama
, Japan
|
|-
| Loss
|align=center| 17–9–1(1)
| Ricardo Arona
| TKO (corner stoppage)
| Pride Critical Countdown 2005
|
|align=center| 2
|align=center| 5:00
| Saitama, Saitama
, Japan
| Pride 2005 Middleweight GP Quarterfinal
|-
| Win
|align=center| 17–8–1(1)
| Yoon Dong-Sik
| KO (punches)
| Pride Total Elimination 2005
|
|align=center| 1
|align=center| 0:38
| Osaka, Osaka, Japan
| Pride 2005 Middleweight GP Opening Round
|-
| Win
|align=center| 16–8–1(1)
| Nino Schembri
| Decision (unanimous)
| Pride Critical Countdown 2004
|
|align=center| 3
|align=center| 5:00
| Saitama, Saitama
, Japan
|
|-
| Loss
|align=center| 15–8–1(1)
| Antonio Rogerio Nogueira
| Decision (unanimous)
| Pride Shockwave 2003
|
|align=center| 3
|align=center| 5:00
| Saitama, Saitama
, Japan
|
|-
| Win
|align=center| 15–7–1(1)
| Kevin Randleman
| Submission (armbar)
| Pride Final Conflict 2003
|
|align=center| 3
|align=center| 2:36
| Tokyo
, Japan
|
|-
| Loss
|align=center| 14–7–1(1)
| Wanderlei Silva
| KO (punch)
| Pride Total Elimination 2003
|
|align=center| 1
|align=center| 5:01
| Saitama, Saitama
, Japan
| Pride 2003 Middleweight GP Opening Round
|-
| Loss
|align=center| 14–6–1(1)
| Nino Schembri
| TKO (knees)
| Pride 25
|
|align=center| 1
|align=center| 6:15
| Yokohama, Kanagawa, Japan
|
|-
| Win
|align=center| 14–5–1(1)
| Gilles Arsene
| Submission (armbar)
| Pride 23
|
|align=center| 3
|align=center| 2:08
| Tokyo
, Japan
|
|-
| Loss
|align=center| 13–5–1(1)
| Mirko Filipović
| TKO (eye injury)
| Pride Shockwave
|
|align=center| 2
|align=center| 5:00
| Tokyo
, Japan
|
|-
| Loss
|align=center| 13–4–1(1)
| Wanderlei Silva
| TKO (doctor stoppage)
| Pride 17
|
|align=center| 1
|align=center| 10:00
| Tokyo
, Japan
| For Pride Middleweight Championship
|-
| Win
|align=center| 13–3–1(1)
| Quinton Jackson
| Submission (rear-naked choke)
| Pride 15
|
|align=center| 1
|align=center| 5:41
| Saitama, Saitama
, Japan
|
|-
| Loss
|align=center| 12–3–1(1)
| Wanderlei Silva
| TKO (strikes)
| Pride 13
|
|align=center| 1
|align=center| 1:38
| Saitama, Saitama
, Japan
|
|-
| Win
|align=center| 12–2–1(1)
| Ryan Gracie
| Decision (unanimous)
| Pride 12
|
|align=center| 1
|align=center| 10:00
| Saitama, Saitama
, Japan
|
|-
| Win
|align=center| 11–2–1(1)
| Shannon Ritch
| Submission (achilles lock)
| Pride 11
|
|align=center| 1
|align=center| 1:08
| Osaka, Osaka, Japan
|
|-
| Win
|align=center| 10–2–1(1)
| Renzo Gracie
| Technical submission (kimura)
| Pride 10
|
|align=center| 2
|align=center| 9:43
| Tokorozawa, Saitama
, Japan
|
|-
| Loss
|align=center| 9–2–1(1)
| Igor Vovchanchyn
| TKO (corner stoppage)
| Pride Grand Prix 2000 Finals
|
|align=center| 1
|align=center| 15:00
| Tokyo
, Japan
| Pride 2000 Openweight GP Semifinal
|-
| Win
|align=center| 9–1–1(1)
| Royce Gracie
| TKO (corner stoppage)
| Pride Grand Prix 2000 Finals
|
|align=center| 6
|align=center| 15:00
| Tokyo
, Japan
| Pride 2000 Openweight GP Quarterfinal. Rules modified for unlimited rounds/no ref stoppages.
|-
| Win
|align=center| 8–1–1(1)
| Guy Mezger
| TKO (retirement)
| Pride Grand Prix 2000 Opening Round
|
|align=center| 1
|align=center| 15:00
| Tokyo
, Japan
| Pride 2000 Openweight GP Opening Round; Mezger forfeited due to contract dispute.
|-
| Win
|align=center| 7–1–1(1)
| Royler Gracie
| Technical submission (kimura)
| Pride 8
|
|align=center| 2
|align=center| 13:16
| Tokyo
, Japan
|
|-
| Win
|align=center| 6–1–1(1)
| Anthony Macias
| Submission (armbar)
| Pride 7
|
|align=center| 2
|align=center| 2:30
| Yokohama, Kanagawa, Japan
|
|-
| Win
|align=center| 5–1–1(1)
| Ebenezer Fontes Braga
| Submission (armbar)
| Pride 6
|
|align=center| 1
|align=center| 9:23
| Yokohama, Kanagawa, Japan
|
|-
| Win
|align=center| 4–1–1(1)
| Vitor Belfort
| Decision (unanimous)
| Pride 5
|
|align=center| 2
|align=center| 10:00
| Nagoya, Aichi
, Japan
|
|-
| Draw
|align=center| 3–1–1(1)
| Allan Goes
| Draw
| Pride 4
|
|align=center| 3
|align=center| 10:00
| Tokyo
, Japan
|
|-
| Win
|align=center| 3–1(1)
| Carlos Newton
| Submission (kneebar)
| Pride 3
|
|align=center| 2
|align=center| 5:19
| Tokyo
, Japan
|
|-
| Win
|align=center| 2–1(1)
| Vernon White
| Submission (armbar)
| Pride 2
|
|align=center| 3
|align=center| 6:53
| Yokohama, Kanagawa, Japan
|
|-
| Win
|align=center| 1–1(1)
| Marcus Silveira
| Submission (armbar)
| UFC Japan
|
|align=center| 1
|align=center| 3:44
| Yokohama, Kanagawa, Japan
| Won UFC Ultimate Japan Heavyweight Tournament.
|-
| NC
|align=center| 0–1(1)
| Marcus Silveira
| No Contest (early stoppage)
| UFC Japan
|
|align=center| 1
|align=center| 1:51
| Yokohama, Kanagawa, Japan
|Referee John McCarthy stopped the bout while Sakuraba was going in for a takedown
|-
| Loss
|align=center| 0–1
| Kimo Leopoldo
| Submission (arm-triangle choke)
| Shoot Boxing – S-Cup 1996
|
|align=center| 1
|align=center| 4:20
| Tokyo
, Japan
| Openweight bout, Kimo weighed in over 60lbs than Sakuraba.
Mixed martial arts
Mixed Martial Arts is a full contact combat sport that allows the use of both striking and grappling techniques, both standing and on the ground, including boxing, wrestling, Brazilian jiu-jitsu, muay Thai, kickboxing, karate, judo and other styles. The roots of modern mixed martial arts can be...
and former professional wrestler. He has competed in pro-wrestling for New Japan Pro Wrestling
New Japan Pro Wrestling
is a major professional wrestling promotion in Japan, founded by Antonio Inoki in June 1972 and owned by Yuke's since 2005, when Inoki sold the promotion. Naoki Sugabayashi is the current President of the promotion and has held that position from 2007. Owing to its TV program aired on TV Asahi, it...
, UWFi and Kingdom Pro Wrestling
Kingdom (professional wrestling)
Kingdom, was a professional wrestling company in Japan from 1997 to 1998. It was essentially a continuation of UWF International, having most of its former roster: Nobuhiko Takada, Yoji Anjo, Kazushi Sakuraba, Daijiro Matsui, Naoki Sano, Masahito Kakihara, Yoshihiro Takayama, Kenichi Yamamoto and...
. He has fought in MMA competition in the Ultimate Fighting Championship
Ultimate Fighting Championship
The Ultimate Fighting Championship is the largest mixed martial arts promotion company in the world that hosts most of the top-ranked fighters in the sport...
, PRIDE Fighting Championships, K-1 Hero's
HERO'S
Hero's was a Japanese mixed martial arts promotion operated by Fighting and Entertainment Group, the parent entity behind kickboxing organization K-1. Grown from and branched off of K-1's earlier experiments in MMA, including the K-1 Romanex event and various MMA fights on its regular K-1...
and Dream
DREAM (mixed martial arts)
Dream is a mixed martial arts organization promoted by former PRIDE FC executives and K-1 promoter Fighting and Entertainment Group. DREAM replaced FEG's previous-run mixed martial arts fight series, Hero's. The series retains many of the stylistic flourishes and personnel from Pride FC...
. He is known as the "Gracie Hunter" due to his wins over four members of the famed Gracie family
Gracie family
The Gracie family is a prominent sporting family from Brazil known for their founding of Brazilian Jiu-Jitsu . They have been successful in combat sport competitions including mixed martial arts, vale tudo and submission wrestling events...
including Royler Gracie
Royler Gracie
Royler Gracie is a retired Brazilian mixed martial artist and Brazilian jiu-jitsu practitioner. He ran the Gracie Humaitá jiu-jitsu school in Rio de Janeiro, Brazil for many years under his father Helio's direction, but currently resides in San Diego, US.Royler travels around the world teaching...
, Renzo Gracie
Renzo Gracie
Renzo Gracie is a Gracie Barra Brazilian Jiu-Jitsu black belt under Carlos Gracie Jr. and a former mixed martial arts competitor in the Ultimate Fighting Championship . He is member of the Gracie family of Brazil. He is the son of Robson Gracie, grandson of Carlos Gracie, nephew of Carlos...
, Ryan Gracie
Ryan Gracie
Ryan Gracie , was a Brazilian mixed martial artist with a black belt in Brazilian Jiu-Jitsu. He was a member of the Gracie family, and the grandson of Carlos Gracie, one of the founders of Brazilian Jiu-Jitsu...
, and Royce Gracie
Royce Gracie
Royce Gracie is a Brazilian professional mixed martial artist, a UFC Hall of Famer and Brazilian Jiu-Jitsu practitioner. A legend and pioneer in the sport of mixed martial arts, he is widely considered to be the most influential figure in the history of modern MMA.Gracie gained fame for his...
. In particular, Sakuraba is famous for his initial fight with Royce Gracie which lasted ninety minutes. His other notable victories include wins over Ken Shamrock
Ken Shamrock
Kenneth Wayne Shamrock is an American mixed martial arts fighter, UFC Hall of Famer and professional wrestler...
, Minowaman
Ikuhisa Minowa
is a Japanese mixed martial artist and pro wrestler currently competing in Dream as . He was a long time veteran of Pride Fighting Championships and Pancrase and has also competed in other mixed martial arts promotions such as K-1 HERO'S, Cage Rage, UFC, and DEEP. At 5'9" he is notable for taking...
, Kevin Randleman
Kevin Randleman
Kevin Christopher Randleman is a retired American mixed martial arts fighter and a former UFC heavyweight champion. Randleman's background is in Collegiate wrestling. Wrestling at 177 pounds, Randleman was a two time Division I NCAA Champion for The Ohio State University...
, Quinton 'Rampage' Jackson
Quinton Jackson
Quinton Ramone Jackson ;, also known as Rampage Jackson, is an American mixed martial artist and actor. He is a former UFC Light Heavyweight Champion. Jackson rose to prominence in Japan's Pride Fighting Championships where he was noted for his powerful body slams including a knockout victory over...
, Vitor Belfort
Vitor Belfort
Vítor Vieira Belfort is a Brazilian mixed martial artist and former UFC Light Heavyweight Champion. Belfort was born in Rio de Janeiro and studied jiu-jitsu with the Gracie family, namely Carlson Gracie. He received a black belt under Carlson and currently trains with Xtreme Couture, fighting in...
and Carlos Newton
Carlos Newton
Carlos Newton is a Canadian mixed martial artist and former UFC Welterweight Champion. He is considered one of the true pioneers in the sport of Mixed Martial Arts. Known as the "The Ronin", he competed worldwide in the biggest MMA organizations including UFC, Pride FC, IFL, K-1, Shooto and most...
.
Early years
Sakuraba began his career as a wrestler at the age of 15. A high school stand-out, he finished as high as 2nd in the nation before joining the wrestling squad of Chuo UniversityChuo University
Chuo University is a one of the Japanese leading universities. Thus it is competitive in several rankings such as shown below.-General Rankings:The university has been ranked 27th, 25th, 34th during 2008-2010 respectively in the ranking "Truly Strong Universities" by Toyo Keizai.-Research...
, a team which had counted Olympic gold medalists Shozo Sasahara
Shozo Sasahara
is a Japanese wrestler and Olympic champion in Freestyle wrestling.-Olympics:Sasahara competed at the 1956 Summer Olympics in Melbourne where he received a gold medal in Freestyle wrestling, the featherweight class.-References:...
and Osamu Watanabe
Osamu Watanabe
is a Japanese Olympic gold medalist in freestyle wrestling. Born in 1940, he attended Chuo University during a time when they were viewed as one of Japan's dominant collegiate wrestling programs....
amongst its ranks. He won the East Japan Freshman championship in his first year and served as their team captain thereafter. In his senior year, he finished fourth place in the All-Japan tournament. Amongst his notable wins was a defeat of future Olympic bronze medalist Kat Ota.
Professional wrestling
Upon graduating from the university, Sakuraba had initially thought to remain with Chuo UniversityChuo University
Chuo University is a one of the Japanese leading universities. Thus it is competitive in several rankings such as shown below.-General Rankings:The university has been ranked 27th, 25th, 34th during 2008-2010 respectively in the ranking "Truly Strong Universities" by Toyo Keizai.-Research...
as a coach. However, at the last minute he decided to pursue a career as a professional wrestler. According to Sakuraba, the impetus for this stemmed from a childhood dream of one day emulating Tiger Mask
Tiger Mask
is a Japanese manga series written by Ikki Kajiwara and illustrated by Naoki Tsuji. The series was first published in Kodansha's Bokura Magazine from 1968 to 1969 and was later published in Weekly Shōnen Magazine from 1970 to 1971...
, a famous Japanese cartoon hero and real-life professional wrestler.
UWFi years
After considering the mixed martial artsMixed martial arts
Mixed Martial Arts is a full contact combat sport that allows the use of both striking and grappling techniques, both standing and on the ground, including boxing, wrestling, Brazilian jiu-jitsu, muay Thai, kickboxing, karate, judo and other styles. The roots of modern mixed martial arts can be...
organization Pancrase
Pancrase
Pancrase is a mixed martial arts promotion company founded in Japan in 1993 by professional wrestlers Masakatsu Funaki and Minoru Suzuki. Pancrase is taken from Pankration, a sport in the ancient Olympic games. Suzuki and Funaki are particularly skilled in the art of catch wrestling and based the...
, he ultimately chose the UWFi, a professional wrestling
Professional wrestling
Professional wrestling is a mode of spectacle, combining athletics and theatrical performance.Roland Barthes, "The World of Wrestling", Mythologies, 1957 It takes the form of events, held by touring companies, which mimic a title match combat sport...
league that was nonetheless known for its highly technical and realistic-looking bouts. His time in the UWFI would prove to be a formative experience for Sakuraba; it was there under the tutelage of Billy Robinson
Billy Robinson
Billy Robinson is a British professional wrestler and catch wrestling instructor. Robinson was well known in Japan where he has trained mixed martial arts fighters in catch wrestling...
that he received his initial instruction in catch wrestling
Catch wrestling
Catch wrestling is a style of folk wrestling that was developed and popularised in the late 19th century by the wrestlers of traveling carnivals who incorporated submission holds, or "hooks", into their wrestling to increase their effectiveness against their opponents...
. It is catch wrestling
Catch wrestling
Catch wrestling is a style of folk wrestling that was developed and popularised in the late 19th century by the wrestlers of traveling carnivals who incorporated submission holds, or "hooks", into their wrestling to increase their effectiveness against their opponents...
that would serve as the base of the unorthodox ground-game that would later lead him to success in the Pride Fighting Championships.
In spite of his amateur pedigree, Sakuraba was forced to work his way up from the bottom of the UWFi's rung. Sakuraba lost his debut in 1993 to Steve Nelson and went winless through his rookie year with the league. It is also popularly alleged that under the eye of Kiyoshi Tamura
Kiyoshi Tamura
is a Japanese middleweight professional wrestler and mixed martial artist.Once a student of legendary Pro Wrestler Akira Maeda, Tamura is known for his skill in catch wrestling as well as his ability to deliver exciting and realistic professional wrestling bouts....
, he was made to perform menial chores about the dojo. Still undeterred, Sakuraba steadily built a working knowledge of submission holds upon his freestyle wrestling base until his efforts were at last rewarded with a win over Mark Silver in October 1994.
Though his record remained below .500, Sakuraba continued to edge his way closer to mid-card status through the rest of the year. Then, in 1995, the UWFi began an interpromotional feud with New Japan Pro Wrestling
New Japan Pro Wrestling
is a major professional wrestling promotion in Japan, founded by Antonio Inoki in June 1972 and owned by Yuke's since 2005, when Inoki sold the promotion. Naoki Sugabayashi is the current President of the promotion and has held that position from 2007. Owing to its TV program aired on TV Asahi, it...
. The vast majority of UWFi workers came out on the losing end of the booking to the larger and more mainstream promotion and Sakuraba was no exception. He was defeated in high-profile bouts to Tokimitsu Ishizawa, Koji Kanemoto
Koji Kanemoto
is a professional wrestler. He is of Zainichi Korean descent.-Career:Kanemoto practiced Judo during his high school days and won a few championships as a professional before being recruited by the New Japan Dojo. He debuted in November 1990, wrestling against Michiyoshi Ohara. In March 1992, he...
and Shinjiro Otani, bringing Sakuraba a new level of exposure to the public. The ring psychology and technical prowess he displayed in the bouts also impressed the management of the UWFi enough that he was finally pushed towards main event status.
New Japan's dominance in the feud injured the marketability of the UWFi promotion, which had pressed the perception that their athletes boasted legitimate skill in catch wrestling
Catch wrestling
Catch wrestling is a style of folk wrestling that was developed and popularised in the late 19th century by the wrestlers of traveling carnivals who incorporated submission holds, or "hooks", into their wrestling to increase their effectiveness against their opponents...
and kickboxing
Kickboxing
Kickboxing refers to a group of martial arts and stand-up combat sports based on kicking and punching, historically developed from karate, Muay Thai and western boxing....
. In a bid to regain credibility, Yoji Anjoh travelled to California to challenge Rickson Gracie
Rickson Gracie
Rickson Gracie is a Brazilian 8th degree black and red belt in Brazilian Jiu-Jitsu and a retired mixed martial artist. He is a member of the Gracie family: the son of Hélio Gracie, brother to Rorion and Relson Gracie, and half-brother to Rolker, Royce, Robin and Royler Gracie.-Biography:Rickson...
in the latter's own dojo, only to be swiftly and brutally defeated before the assembled Japanese press that had followed him there. With the UWFi's formerly fearsome reputation in tatters, its attendance numbers swiftly decreased, with the federation closing its doors once and for all in December 1996. In their final show it was Sakuraba who at long last headlined, defeating Yoji Anjoh by submission.
Kingdom Pro Wrestling
Following the close of the UWFi, Nobuhiko TakadaNobuhiko Takada
Nobuhiko Takada is a Japanese mixed martial arts fighter and professional wrestler. He is best known for helping to popularize shoot-style professional wrestling, as one of the biggest stars of the Universal Wrestling Federation and Union of Wrestling Force International in the '80s and '90s. He...
, the most popular of the UWFi workers amongst the mainstream public founded Kingdom Pro Wrestling
Kingdom (professional wrestling)
Kingdom, was a professional wrestling company in Japan from 1997 to 1998. It was essentially a continuation of UWF International, having most of its former roster: Nobuhiko Takada, Yoji Anjo, Kazushi Sakuraba, Daijiro Matsui, Naoki Sano, Masahito Kakihara, Yoshihiro Takayama, Kenichi Yamamoto and...
, taking in Sakuraba and the majority of his fellow UWFi alumni. In the vein of its predecessor, Kingdom was primarily a league devoted to realistic-looking works. Having by now established his ability, Sakuraba was this time booked as a main-eventer from the outset. However, unlike the UWFi, Kingdom struggled from the beginning to draw substantial crowds. Mixed martial arts
Mixed martial arts
Mixed Martial Arts is a full contact combat sport that allows the use of both striking and grappling techniques, both standing and on the ground, including boxing, wrestling, Brazilian jiu-jitsu, muay Thai, kickboxing, karate, judo and other styles. The roots of modern mixed martial arts can be...
was growing in popularity, and the dominance of the Gracie family
Gracie family
The Gracie family is a prominent sporting family from Brazil known for their founding of Brazilian Jiu-Jitsu . They have been successful in combat sport competitions including mixed martial arts, vale tudo and submission wrestling events...
and their fellow Brazilian Jiu Jitsu practitioners over the field and more specifically over professional wrestlers, left the Japanese public ever more unconvinced as to the fighting ability of Kingdom's stable of athletes.
Ultimate Fighting Championship
In an attempt to gain attention for the embattled Kingdom Pro Wrestling league, Hiromitsu KaneharaHiromitsu Kanehara
is a Japanese mixed martial artist who competes in the light heavyweight division.Although starting as a professional wrestler in 1991, Kanehara did not have much success as such, and eventually abandoned professional wrestling when his then-home circuit, Fighting Network RINGS, abandoned the...
and Yoji Anjoh signed on to compete in the Ultimate Fighting Championship
Ultimate Fighting Championship
The Ultimate Fighting Championship is the largest mixed martial arts promotion company in the world that hosts most of the top-ranked fighters in the sport...
's Ultimate Japan tournament. Kanehara was injured in his training for the tournament, and Sakuraba wound up as his late-hour substitute. The tournament was intended for heavyweights, and Sakuraba, at 183 pounds, was nearly twenty pounds beneath the UFC's 200 pound designation for the weight class. Purposely reporting himself as 203 pounds in order to gain entry, Sakuraba was paired off against the 243 pound Brazilian Jiu Jitsu blackbelt and former Extreme Fighting champion, Marcus Silveira
Marcus Silveira
Marcus "Conan" Silveira is a Brazilian mixed martial artist. He competes in the Heavyweight division. He won his last fight at PFL - Genesis against Johnathan Ivey on March 31, 2007. He is the co-founder of American Top Team.-Arrest:...
.
Following a barrage of light blows by Silveira, Sakuraba dropped for a low single leg takedown but referee John McCarthy stopped the fight prematurely before Sakuraba could complete the takedown. A loud protest followed from the crowd and an angry Sakuraba attempted unsuccessfully to take the microphone and address the Japanese audience. However, after reviewing tape, McCarthy changed his decision to a no-contest. Tank Abbott
Tank Abbott
David Lee Abbott is an American mixed martial arts fighter and former professional wrestler. He has described his fighting style, which he developed brawling in the bars and streets of Huntington Beach, California, as "street fighting"...
, who had earlier defeated Yoji Anjoh, dropped from the tournament due to an injured hand, leaving Sakuraba and Silveira to face off once more that night in what would be the championship bout of the tournament. This time, Sakuraba claimed the victory, submitting Silveira with an armbar. Afterwards, Sakuraba famously stated, "In fact, professional wrestling is strong". With the victory Sakuraba remains one of the last UFC tournament champions to date.
With Nobuhiko Takada
Nobuhiko Takada
Nobuhiko Takada is a Japanese mixed martial arts fighter and professional wrestler. He is best known for helping to popularize shoot-style professional wrestling, as one of the biggest stars of the Universal Wrestling Federation and Union of Wrestling Force International in the '80s and '90s. He...
having left Kingdom to challenge Rickson Gracie
Rickson Gracie
Rickson Gracie is a Brazilian 8th degree black and red belt in Brazilian Jiu-Jitsu and a retired mixed martial artist. He is a member of the Gracie family: the son of Hélio Gracie, brother to Rorion and Relson Gracie, and half-brother to Rolker, Royce, Robin and Royler Gracie.-Biography:Rickson...
in a KRS
KRS
KRS is an abbreviation that can mean:*KRS-One , one of several pseudonyms for Lawrence Krisna Parker, an American hip-hop musician*Kill Rock Stars, an American record label...
promoted event called Pride, the still struggling promotion capitalized on Sakuraba's newly found popularity establishing him as Kingdom's top talent. He embarked on a winning streak against several foreign mixed martial arts competitors including Paul Herrera, Rene Rooze
Rene Rooze
Rene Rooze is a Dutch former kickboxer and mixed martial artist.-Biography and career:As a member of Team Aerts, he was an active fighter competing in mainly European events and accumulating a kickboxing record of 32-7-1 with 4 KOs...
, Mark Hall and Orlando Weit. However, Kingdom continued to flounder and finally folded in March 1998.
Pride Fighting Championships
Entering the Pride Fighting Championships on the heels of a defeat of stablemate Nobuhiko TakadaNobuhiko Takada
Nobuhiko Takada is a Japanese mixed martial arts fighter and professional wrestler. He is best known for helping to popularize shoot-style professional wrestling, as one of the biggest stars of the Universal Wrestling Federation and Union of Wrestling Force International in the '80s and '90s. He...
at the hands of Rickson Gracie
Rickson Gracie
Rickson Gracie is a Brazilian 8th degree black and red belt in Brazilian Jiu-Jitsu and a retired mixed martial artist. He is a member of the Gracie family: the son of Hélio Gracie, brother to Rorion and Relson Gracie, and half-brother to Rolker, Royce, Robin and Royler Gracie.-Biography:Rickson...
in the organization's initial event, Sakuraba was paired off against Vernon White
Vernon White
Vernon Verdell White is a professional mixed martial arts fighter who has fought for the Ultimate Fighting Championship , Pride Fighting Championships, Strikeforce, King of the Cage, Pancrase, and the International Fight League . He lives in California, and belongs to the fighting team The Lion's...
, then a veteran of 32 bouts who also boasted a 20-pound weight advantage. Showcasing a balance of wrestling and submission prowess, Sakuraba came after White with constant takedowns and unceasing submission attempts. White held Sakuraba off for the first two sessions, but was ultimately armbarred towards the end of the third round.
Next, Sakuraba was matched against Ultimate Fighting Championship
Ultimate Fighting Championship
The Ultimate Fighting Championship is the largest mixed martial arts promotion company in the world that hosts most of the top-ranked fighters in the sport...
veteran Carlos Newton
Carlos Newton
Carlos Newton is a Canadian mixed martial artist and former UFC Welterweight Champion. He is considered one of the true pioneers in the sport of Mixed Martial Arts. Known as the "The Ronin", he competed worldwide in the biggest MMA organizations including UFC, Pride FC, IFL, K-1, Shooto and most...
. Though relatively new to mixed martial arts
Mixed martial arts
Mixed Martial Arts is a full contact combat sport that allows the use of both striking and grappling techniques, both standing and on the ground, including boxing, wrestling, Brazilian jiu-jitsu, muay Thai, kickboxing, karate, judo and other styles. The roots of modern mixed martial arts can be...
, Newton had recently disposed of the reigning Shooto
Shooto
Shooto is a mixed martial arts organization that is governed by the Shooto Association and the International Shooto Commission. Shooto was originally formed in 1985, as an organization and as a particular fighting system derived from shoot wrestling. Practitioners are referred to as shooters,...
light heavyweight champion Erik Paulson with a swift armbar victory and already developed a reputation as a talented grappler. Sakuraba finished the match in the second round, this time with a rolling kneebar. Throughout the bout, both men displayed a high-level of grappling acumen, leading many fans and pundits of mixed martial arts to label it as the definitive grappling match in the history of the sport.
Eager to capitalize on Sakuraba's catch wrestling
Catch wrestling
Catch wrestling is a style of folk wrestling that was developed and popularised in the late 19th century by the wrestlers of traveling carnivals who incorporated submission holds, or "hooks", into their wrestling to increase their effectiveness against their opponents...
prowess to reverse the perception that Japanese professional wrestlers were inferior to Brazilian combatants (in part perpetuated by his teammates' own defeats), Sakuraba's next three bouts were scheduled against Brazilian jiu jitsu blackbelts Vitor Belfort
Vitor Belfort
Vítor Vieira Belfort is a Brazilian mixed martial artist and former UFC Light Heavyweight Champion. Belfort was born in Rio de Janeiro and studied jiu-jitsu with the Gracie family, namely Carlson Gracie. He received a black belt under Carlson and currently trains with Xtreme Couture, fighting in...
, Allan Goes
Allan Goes
Allan Goes is a Brazilian mixed martial artist. He last fought for the Seattle Tiger Sharks of the International Fight League.-Biography:...
and Luta Livre blackbelt Ebenezer Fontes Braga
Ebenezer Fontes Braga
Ebenezer "Pitbull" Fontes Braga is a Brazilian retired mixed martial artist. He competed in the Light Heavyweight division...
. Sakuraba, after enduring an early flurry, defeated Belfort by unanimous decision, drew with Goes and submitted Braga via armbar. In a trend that would continue through Sakuraba's Pride career, each opponent occupied a spot near the top of the 205-pound class at the time of their meeting with him and held a weight advantage of around 20 pounds.
"The Gracie Hunter"
After defeating Anthony MaciasAnthony Macias
Anthony "Mad Dog" Macias is an American mixed martial artist who currently competes in the middleweight division. Anthony was introduced to the world of MMA in a fight against the legend Dan Severn at UFC 4. Anthony would go on to lose to Severn by submission. His most recent victory came against...
, Sakuraba was matched against Royler Gracie
Royler Gracie
Royler Gracie is a retired Brazilian mixed martial artist and Brazilian jiu-jitsu practitioner. He ran the Gracie Humaitá jiu-jitsu school in Rio de Janeiro, Brazil for many years under his father Helio's direction, but currently resides in San Diego, US.Royler travels around the world teaching...
, who had previously conquered Sakuraba's stablemate Yuhi Sano
Naoki Sano
is a Japanese professional wrestler and former mixed martial artist. He currently goes by the name Takuma Sano.-New Japan Pro Wrestling :...
. It marked the largest weight advantage Sakuraba has enjoyed in his career to date (being around 30 pounds heavier than Royler). Royler, unable to score a takedown or strike effectively from a standing position, remained on the ground in an effort to bait Sakuraba into a grappling-oriented contest, while Sakuraba, standing, landed punishing kicks to Royler's legs, thighs and head. Eventually, with less than two minutes remaining, Sakuraba finally engaged Royler on the ground, soon catching him in an elbow lock know as a Kimura lock and or Double-top wristlock. As Sakuraba wrenched on the submission, the referee intervened with 1 minute and 44 seconds remaining on the clock, ending the contest and awarding Sakuraba the win by TKO. Sakuraba's victory over Royler constituted the first loss by a Gracie in professional fighting in several decades and as such, sent ripples of shock and controversy through the mixed martial arts community. Some protested that the victory was tainted due to the fact that Royler (although placed in a debilitating submission hold) never conceded defeat and was mere seconds away from the final bell when the bout was stopped. It is worth noting that the last Japanese athlete to defeat a Gracie prior to Sakuraba's win against Royler, legendary judoka Masahiko Kimura
Masahiko Kimura
was a Japanese judoka who is widely considered one of the greatest judoka of all time. Kimura was born on September 10, 1917 in Kumamoto, Japan...
, had used the very same maneuver Sakuraba utilized to beat Royler. That time, the recipient had been Royler's father, Helio Gracie
Hélio Gracie
Hélio Gracie was a Brazilian martial artist who, together with his brother Carlos Gracie, founded the martial art of Gracie Jiu-Jitsu, known internationally as Brazilian Jiu-Jitsu...
, who had, like Royler, also refused to submit.
While the Japanese fight media rejoiced and elevated Sakuraba to superstar status, the Gracie family took great umbrage over the incident, feeling that they had been cheated by Pride. Compelled to set the record straight and re-assert the dominance of his family, Royler's younger brother and former UFC champion Royce Gracie
Royce Gracie
Royce Gracie is a Brazilian professional mixed martial artist, a UFC Hall of Famer and Brazilian Jiu-Jitsu practitioner. A legend and pioneer in the sport of mixed martial arts, he is widely considered to be the most influential figure in the history of modern MMA.Gracie gained fame for his...
returned to the sport of mixed martial arts in 2000 and entered the 16-Man Pride Grand Prix alongside Sakuraba and several other top fighters of the era. Placed on the same side of the bracket, a special set of rules were requested by the Gracies in the event of a Sakuraba-Royce match, including no referee stoppages and no time-limits, the fight ending only in the event of a submission or knock-out. In his first fight of the 2000 Pride tournament Sakuraba once again found himself matched up against a heavier opponent, this time the well-regarded 205-pound fighter, former King of Pancrase Guy Mezger
Guy Mezger
Guy Mezger is a retired American martial artist who competed in professional combat sports ranging from full contact karate, kickboxing, and boxing, but is most recognized as a mixed martial arts fighter . He is associated with Lion's Den Dallas...
. After a closely fought 15 minutes the judges requested an overtime round, and the fight ended in controversy when Mezger's coach Ken Shamrock
Ken Shamrock
Kenneth Wayne Shamrock is an American mixed martial arts fighter, UFC Hall of Famer and professional wrestler...
forced his fighter back to the locker room claiming that no additional rounds were agreed upon in the contract. Sakuraba ended up winning the match by forfeit. Meanwhile, Royce defeated Nobuhiko Takada by unanimous decision and thus set the stage for their much anticipated showdown.
In the tournament quarterfinals Royce and Sakuraba battled for an hour and a half (six 15 minute rounds). Sakuraba nearly ended the match with a knee-bar towards the end of the first round. Later on, Royce returned the favor with a guillotine choke which Sakuraba lingered in, but eventually escaped from. As the confrontation stretched on, the Gracie's own no time-limit rules began to work against Royce as Sakuraba's wrestling skills and balance nullified Royce's ability to score a takedown and—in some instances—even pull guard. Even Royce's ever-present jiu-jitsu gi
Keikogi
or dōgi is a uniform for training, used in martial arts derived from Japan, or budō. . The prototype for the modern keikogi emerged in the late 19th century. The keikogi was developed by judo founder Kano Jigoro...
became a weapon for the wrestler to use against him as Sakuraba used it to help him control Gracie on the instances the fight did come to the ground. However, with Sakuraba's control of the takedown, these instances of ground warfare became increasingly sporadic. After the 90 minute battle of punishing leg kicks, Royce's brother, Rorion threw in the towel. Sakuraba would lose a rematch with Royce in 2007. Royce tested positive for illegal steroids after the fight and was suspended for six months.
Prior to the bout, there was speculation that the fight was largely personal, with Royce looking to avenge his brother and Sakuraba looking to atone for his stablemate's defeats and vindicate professional wrestling
Professional wrestling
Professional wrestling is a mode of spectacle, combining athletics and theatrical performance.Roland Barthes, "The World of Wrestling", Mythologies, 1957 It takes the form of events, held by touring companies, which mimic a title match combat sport...
and the UWFi once and for all. However, following the stoppage, Royce and Sakuraba embraced in the ring. Gracious in victory, Sakuraba flatteringly pointed to Royce as the superior ground-technician when questioned as to why he didn't engage him on the ground more frequently. Exhausted from his battle with Royce, Sakuraba surprised many when he emerged from the locker room for the tournament semi-finals. His opponent, Igor Vovchanchyn
Igor Vovchanchyn
Igor Yaroslavovich "Ice Cold" Vovchanchyn is a retired Ukrainian mixed martial artist and kickboxer. He won seven mixed martial arts tournaments, as well as acquiring a 37 fight unbeaten streak, and reaching the final of the Pride Grand Prix 2000....
, outweighed him by close to fifty pounds (Sakuraba had come into the bout with Royce lighter than usual, at 176 pounds) and was considered to be the top heavyweight striker of the day. Sakuraba surprised many by taking Vovchanchyn down and nearly finishing him with an armbar. However, fatigue and size both had worn on Sakuraba by now his corner opted to throw in the towel.
Following the Grand Prix, Sakuraba was christened the "Gracie Hunter" by the Japanese sports media. Keeping in tow with his new nickname, Sakuraba sandwiched a swift victory via achilles lock against Shannon Ritch between fights against brothers Renzo Gracie
Renzo Gracie
Renzo Gracie is a Gracie Barra Brazilian Jiu-Jitsu black belt under Carlos Gracie Jr. and a former mixed martial arts competitor in the Ultimate Fighting Championship . He is member of the Gracie family of Brazil. He is the son of Robson Gracie, grandson of Carlos Gracie, nephew of Carlos...
and Ryan Gracie
Ryan Gracie
Ryan Gracie , was a Brazilian mixed martial artist with a black belt in Brazilian Jiu-Jitsu. He was a member of the Gracie family, and the grandson of Carlos Gracie, one of the founders of Brazilian Jiu-Jitsu...
. In contrast to Royler and Royce, Renzo and Ryan were products of Carlson Gracie's approach to jiu-jitsu, which placed a stronger emphasis on combat-ready skills and training without a gi.
At the time of his bout with Sakuraba, Renzo's only loss in 10 bouts was a closely contested decision to Sakuraba's former UWFi stablemate and rival, Kiyoshi Tamura
Kiyoshi Tamura
is a Japanese middleweight professional wrestler and mixed martial artist.Once a student of legendary Pro Wrestler Akira Maeda, Tamura is known for his skill in catch wrestling as well as his ability to deliver exciting and realistic professional wrestling bouts....
while Maurice Smith, Oleg Taktarov
Oleg Taktarov
Oleg Nikolaevich Taktarov is a retired Russian mixed martial artist and actor. He is a practitioner of Sambo and Judo and has competed in the Ultimate Fighting Championship and Pride Fighting Championships. Taktarov was the UFC 6 tournament champion and holds notable wins over Marco Ruas and David...
and Abu Dhabi champion Sanae Kikuta
Sanae Kikuta
Sanae Kikuta is a Japanese mixed martial artist who rose to popularity fighting in the Pancrase organization, and currently fights for World Victory Road...
numbered amongst his victims. Renzo's stylistic differences from his cousins were in evidence from the outset of his contest against Sakuraba, as he pressed the pace of the bout with a variety of kicks and punches, although few connected. Sakuraba responded in kind, and the striking seemed to stalemate. Throwing his wrestling into the equation, Sakuraba timed a number of double and single leg takedowns against Renzo's flurries from where he alternately attempted to cartwheel past Gracie's guard, malign his legs with kicks from the standing position and even attack with a low dropkick
Dropkick
A dropkick is an attacking maneuver in professional wrestling. It is defined as an attack where the wrestler jumps up and kicks the opponent with the soles of both feet; this sees the wrestler twist as he or she jumps so that when the feet connect with the opponent one foot is raised higher than...
. However, Renzo's defensive skills from bottom nullified the entire gamut of Sakuraba's offensive attempts until mere seconds remained in the battle and the contestants found themselves pressed against the turnbuckle. Sakuraba locked in a kimura and spun around, flipping Renzo to the canvas even as he wrenched his arm behind his back. Like Royler and Helio before him, Renzo
Renzo Gracie
Renzo Gracie is a Gracie Barra Brazilian Jiu-Jitsu black belt under Carlos Gracie Jr. and a former mixed martial arts competitor in the Ultimate Fighting Championship . He is member of the Gracie family of Brazil. He is the son of Robson Gracie, grandson of Carlos Gracie, nephew of Carlos...
refused to submit to the hold despite his elbow being snapped prior to hitting the ground and, even as the referee waved off the contest due to the injury. His arm in a sling, Renzo took the microphone and, before the 35,000 fans assembled at the Seibu Dome
Seibu Dome
is the home field of the Saitama Seibu Lions professional baseball team located in Tokorozawa, Saitama, Japan.The stadium has a roof over the field and the stands, like other indoor ballparks. However, it lacks a wall behind the stands so that natural air comes into the field. This makes it...
, stated that Sakuraba was "the Japanese version of the Gracie family". Renzo has since referred to the bout as his proudest moment in mixed martial arts, due to his refusal to submit in the face of injury.
Ryan Gracie, who had fought on the same card and emerged victorious, issued a challenge to Sakuraba and the two were subsequently scheduled to meet at Pride 12
PRIDE 12
Pride 12: Cold Fury was a mixed martial arts event held by the Pride Fighting Championships. It took place at the Saitama Super Arena in Saitama, Japan on December 9, 2000.-Results:...
. Due to a shoulder injury, the fight was limited to a single 10-minute round, where Ryan's spirited efforts were generally stymied and controlled by Sakuraba, who noticeably avoided attacks on his younger opponent's injured arm.
MMA and BJJ instructor Gene Simco made some unsupported claims that "some sources" stated that Sergio Penha
Sergio Penha
Sergio Luiz da Penha is a world renowned Brazilian jiu-jitsu practitioner and instructor. He is most known for an epic fight against Rickson Gracie in the 1980s. Sergio currently is a coach for well known MMA fighters in Las Vegas such as Stephan Bonnar, Steve Cantwell, Anthony Njokuani among others...
, a Brazilian Jiu-Jitsu instructor, may have been training Sakuraba in Brazilian Jiu-Jitsu during his course of victories over Gracie family.
Decline and comeback
Following the win against Ryan, Sakuraba battled Wanderlei SilvaWanderlei Silva
Wanderlei César da Silva , nicknamed "The Axe Murderer", is a Brazilian mixed martial artist, who has competed in Japan's Pride Fighting Championships and the American based Ultimate Fighting Championship . Silva is known for his aggressive fighting style with the majority of his fights ending in...
. Sakuraba knocked Wanderlei down, but the Brazilian Muay Thai
Muay Thai
Muay Thai is a combat sport from Thailand that uses stand-up striking along with various clinching techniques. It is similar to other Indochinese kickboxing systems, namely pradal serey from Cambodia, tomoi from Malaysia, lethwei from Myanmar and muay Lao from Laos...
specialist recovered to TKO Sakuraba via knees to the head on the ground in the initial minutes of the first round. It marked Sakuraba's second defeat in mixed martial arts and his first loss in the 205-pound division. In spite of his weight disadvantage, Sakuraba had been a heavy favorite to win. Sakuraba then shocked the audience by giving Silva his belt entitled SAKU on it. Wanderlei then stated that he would willingly give Sakuraba a rematch if Sakuraba wanted another match with him.
After sitting out the next Pride to recuperate, Sakuraba found himself across the ring from Quinton Jackson
Quinton Jackson
Quinton Ramone Jackson ;, also known as Rampage Jackson, is an American mixed martial artist and actor. He is a former UFC Light Heavyweight Champion. Jackson rose to prominence in Japan's Pride Fighting Championships where he was noted for his powerful body slams including a knockout victory over...
, a former collegiate wrestler who had compiled a record of 10–1 on the American circuit. At the sound of the bell, Sakuraba immediately took the bigger and more powerful man to the canvas with a low single-leg takedown. However, Jackson's superior size and enormous physical strength allowed him to muscle out of Sakuraba's submission attempts. After locking his legs about Jackson for a triangle choke, Sakuraba found himself hefted into the air and repeatedly powerbombed to the canvas. Later, he attempted an armbar against Jackson, only for the Tennessee native to again lift him up and this time, attempt to drop him from the ring. His expression unchanging through the course of Jackson's assault, Sakuraba continued to flow from one lock to another. Eventually, he took the back of a by-then exhausted Jackson and submitted him with his first rear naked choke
Rear naked choke
The Rear naked choke is a chokehold in martial arts applied from an opponent's back. Depending on the context, the term may refer to one of two variations of the technique, either arm can be used to apply the choke in both cases...
victory. The contest was a launchpad for Jackson's career, leading to a long-term contract with Pride where he eventually became regarded as a top middleweight competitor.
It also re-established Sakuraba's proficiency in dealing with larger opponents and placed him back in line for another shot at Wanderlei Silva in Pride's next event, this time to decide Pride's inaugural 205-pound champion. Usually prone to humorous entrances, it was a somber and focused Sakuraba that came down the aisle for his rematch with Silva. As with Jackson, Sakuraba was able to score an early takedown in the bout, where he then worked from Silva's guard. After several minutes searching for an opening, he finally found one when Silva attempted to escape to his feet. Sakuraba locked on a tight guillotine, but was countered by a slam from Wanderlei which ended up breaking his collar bone. Not willing to let him go on so hampered, his corner threw in the towel between rounds.
Sakuraba took time off to let his shoulder heal, then returned against heavyweight kickboxer Mirko Filipovic. Sakuraba managed to take Filipovic down, but sustained another injury, this time a broken orbital bone done by a powerful punch from the guard . Finally assenting to place him in competition against fighters of his own weight class, Pride management put him against French jiu jitsu champion Gilles Arsene in a bout Sakuraba dominated and then against Rickson Gracie protege, Antonio Schembri. With a win over Schembri, it was speculated that Sakuraba might be then groomed for a championship fight in a new weight division for fighters of his size. Sakuraba dominated Schembri until Schembri stunned Sakuaraba with a flurry of knees to the head, knocking him unconscious.
This seemed to mark a turning point in Sakuraba's career; though he was unbeaten in his first nine Pride bouts, he thereafter split his next six matches before suffering a particularly devastating loss against Ricardo Arona
Ricardo Arona
Ricardo Arona is a Brazilian mixed martial artist and PRIDE FC Middleweight Grand Prix finalist. He has competed in PRIDE Fighting Championships and RINGS in his mixed martial arts career, and is a member of Brazilian Top Team.-Abu Dhabi and RINGS:...
at Pride's Middleweight Grand Prix event in June 2005, during which his face became severely swollen and bloody due to repeated knee strikes to the head while in the downed position; his corner stopped the fight after the second round. Following the win, Pride president Sakakibara suggested Sakuraba might move down in weight to compete in their newly formed 183-pound division. However, instead of moving down in weight, Sakuraba began training at Chute Boxe Academy
Chute Boxe Academy
The Chute Boxe Academy opened as a Muay Thai academy in 1978 in Curitiba, Brazil. Head trainer Rudimar Fedrigo later expanded the program in 1991 to include Brazilian Jiu-Jitsu and other aspects of modern mixed martial arts. By 1995, the Chute Boxe team was considered a prime training ground for...
in Brazil
Brazil
Brazil , officially the Federative Republic of Brazil , is the largest country in South America. It is the world's fifth largest country, both by geographical area and by population with over 192 million people...
alongside his one-time rival, Wanderlei Silva.
Upon completion of his training, he made his return to the ring to engage in yet another contest at the 205-pound limit, this time against fellow catch wrestler Ken Shamrock
Ken Shamrock
Kenneth Wayne Shamrock is an American mixed martial arts fighter, UFC Hall of Famer and professional wrestler...
. Three minutes into the bout, Sakuraba struck through Shamrock's guard with a left hand. Shamrock staggered back and ultimately fell into the ropes, his head hanging out of the ring, his back turned to Sakuraba. Sakuraba rushed in to follow up but before any meaningful offense could be launched, the fight was halted by referee Yuji Shimada
Yuji Shimada
Yuji Shimada is a Japanese mixed martial arts referee. He has refereed more than 150 contests in major MMA promotions including Pride Fighting Championships, M-1 Global, Dream and Fields Dynamite!!. He was formerly the head referee for ICON Sport, where we was also the head of the rules committee...
. Shamrock sprang to his feet immediately following the KO and protested vigorously. Opinions have been mixed regarding the KO's legitimacy; Ken's adopted brother and rival, Frank, has stated he believed the stoppage was justified, while others have come down on the opposing side.
Prior to Pride's Shockwave 2005 New Year's Eve event, Sakuraba strongly petitioned for a match against Kiyoshi Tamura
Kiyoshi Tamura
is a Japanese middleweight professional wrestler and mixed martial artist.Once a student of legendary Pro Wrestler Akira Maeda, Tamura is known for his skill in catch wrestling as well as his ability to deliver exciting and realistic professional wrestling bouts....
, even going so far as to publicly request a bout with Tamura. However, with Tamura refusing to face him, Sakuraba recommended fellow catch-wrestler and professional wrestling proponent, Ikuhisa Minowa
Ikuhisa Minowa
is a Japanese mixed martial artist and pro wrestler currently competing in Dream as . He was a long time veteran of Pride Fighting Championships and Pancrase and has also competed in other mixed martial arts promotions such as K-1 HERO'S, Cage Rage, UFC, and DEEP. At 5'9" he is notable for taking...
, who refers to himself as a "Real Pro Wrestler." Sakuraba did not request the match due to any grudge against Minowa, but rather because he believed that he and Minowa would put on a fight worthy of the Shockwave event. The bout was a competitive one, with Minowa getting the better of Sakuraba striking-wise and nearly catching him first with a kneebar and then a heel-hook. In the end, Sakuraba managed to outwrestle Minowa on the ground and catch him in a kimura which, although Minowa would not tap to it, would nonetheless prompt the referee to halt the contest. The victory would mark his final bout under the Pride banner; ironically, it also marked one of the few times he was matched against an opponent of his own size from the 183-pound division and his first bout against a Japanese fighter.
Hero's
On 3 May 2006, Sakuraba surprisingly appeared with Hero's head Akira Maeda at a Hero's event wearing his street clothes (yellow shirt and blue jeans) and a pro wrestling mask in the style of one of his childhood heroes, Tiger Mask. He did not reveal himself, but it was apparent that it was a masked Sakuraba and that he signed with K-1 and FEG. A day later, Sakuraba appeared at a FEG press conference to announce he would fight in Hero's. His defection to Hero's was a culmination of several signs that suggested he was leaving Pride. It was reported that Sakuraba left Takada Dojo (run by Pride's general manager, Nobuhiko Takada), and conspicuously was not entered into Pride's 2006 Open Weight Grand Prix Tournament.Sakuraba was then scheduled to compete in Hero's Light Heavyweight Tournament. His first opponent was the 16–5 Lithuanian Kęstutis Smirnovas. Sakuraba opened the fight striking aggressively and even flooring Smirnovas with a kick. However, as he was coming in to follow up, Smirnovas caught Sakuraba cleanly, knocking him down to his knees and hands. Sakuraba then turned over, sliding beneath the bottom rope, where Smirnovas unleashed repeated blows to his head. Sakuraba seemed at this point unable to defend himself; when the referee stepped between the two fighters, it seemed likely he was moving to put an end to the contest. However, instead of halting the battle, the referee re-positioned the fighters from underneath the bottom rope into the ring and resumed the bout. Though the re-starting of fighters who have found themselves near or outside the ropes is common practice, it was nonetheless controversial.
Following the re-start, Smirnovas picked up where he'd left off, pounding a supine Sakuraba whose only defense seemed to turtle up. Finally, Sakuraba got to his feet and worked for a single-leg on Smirnovas. The attempt was thwarted and again Sakuraba found himself beneath the Lithuanian who this time attempted to work a rear-naked choke. Sakuraba escaped the attempt and returned his feet once again. From this point on, Sakuraba's earlier cobwebs seemed to have cleared and he began to land combinations upon the Lithuanian with greater and greater frequency until Smirnovas finally collapsed from the assault. Sakuraba assumed side-control and swiftly moved into an armbar. Smirnovas fought the technique as long as he could, but was eventually forced to submit to spare his arm which had been fully extended.
Initially there were some doubts as to whether Sakuraba would be able to make it into the next round of the Hero's tournament based on the severity of the damage he endured against Smirnovas. However, Sakuraba reported that a follow-up CAT scan had found no irregularities and was then slated to face one-time Olympic judoka, Yoshihiro Akiyama in the tournament's semi-finals on October 9 in what K-1 hoped would be a high revenue match-up. The winner of that bout was to face the victor between Melvin Manhoef and Shungo Oyama to determine a tournament champion.
However, during a hard sparring session for the upcoming bout Sakuraba began vomiting and fainted. After being rushed to the hospital he was diagnosed with vertebrobasilar damage that restricted blood circulation to the head and neck area. The doctors determined the damage was caused from years of untreated head injuries dating back to his college years.
In spite of this revelation, Sakuraba was—rather than being granted a break to recover and possibly undergo surgery—scheduled to return to action on 31 December 2006 against Yoshihiro Akiyama at K-1 Dynamite!!. The bout ended with Sakuraba struggling to execute a kneebar submission while Akiyama attacked with ground and pound. Words were exchanged between Sakuraba and referee Yoshinori Umeki prior to the stop, which was brought on by the sounding of a bell at the behest of Akira Maeda, the event coordinator, the referee separating the fighters following the bell rather than initiating the stop himself.
Afterwards, the usually soft-spoken Sakuraba surprised many with complaints that Akiyama's body had been greased. The referee in charge subsequently checked Akiyama's body and gave indication to ringside officials that he had not found anything unusual. In the aftermath of the fight the controversy escalated drastically and new accusations of weighed gloves also surfaced. To deal with the growing controversy, K-1 launched an investigation to look into the accusations against Akiyama. Although Akiyama's gloves were found to be regulation, video-tape revealed Akiyama administering a lotion to his skin. Akiyama—who attested he was simply treating his dry skin—was found to have been "negligent" and disqualified. The fight was subsequently declared a no-contest and Akiyama's purse was withheld. A press conference followed, wherein Akiyama—now heavily maligned by the Japanese sports media—offered a public apology.
Although Sakuraba wore a shirt into the ring against Akiyama which read "K Sakuraba: End of Service", his experience against Akiyama apparently changed his plans regarding retirement and at Heros 8 he submitted the winless Yurij Kiseliov by armbar.
Following that win, he would next share the mixed martial arts ring with his fellow catch wrestler and UWFi alum, Kiyoshi Tamura. Once again donning the guise of his childhood hero, Tiger Mask, as he had to signal his exodus from Pride Fighting Championships to Heros, Sakuraba this time wore the mask to mark the occasion of his return to Pride at their final DSE promoted show, Kamikaze. Before the assembled crowd at the Saitama Super Arena—Pride's most frequented venue—Sakuraba and Tamura publicly voiced their willingness to meet in a Pride ring, before shaking hands and embracing. A bout between Tamura and Sakuraba had been one of Pride's most frequently promised match-ups, one that had never been delivered upon in spite of several efforts to put it together.
On 2 June 2007, Sakuraba rematched Royce Gracie in K-1 Dynamite!! USA. The bout itself was fought at a relatively slow pace; Sakuraba knocked Gracie to the canvas in the opening seconds and finished the bout searching for an armbar, having taken the back of Gracie. In the intervening time, Sakuraba scored multiple takedowns while Gracie scored a number of kicks to the legs and face once on bottom. Royce won by unanimous decision. Gracie tested positive for steroids after the bout.
Sakuraba returned to the ring on 17 September 2007 at K-1 Hero's 10 against former NJPW pro wrestler Katsuyori Shibata. Prior to the bout, Shibata's trainer, Masakatsu Funaki had challenged Sakuraba on the basis that he their styles would make for an entertaining contest. Shibata came out striking aggressively, but was soon taken to the canvas by Sakuraba's trademark single leg. Shibata unleashed a torrent of blows off his back, but the more experienced Sakuraba responded with strikes of his own before transitioning into an arm bar and finishing the bout.
Sakuraba versus Funaki
Following his victory, Sakuraba praised the fighting spirit of Shibata and accepted Funaki's challenge. Much like Sakuraba, Funaki was trained in catch wrestlingCatch wrestling
Catch wrestling is a style of folk wrestling that was developed and popularised in the late 19th century by the wrestlers of traveling carnivals who incorporated submission holds, or "hooks", into their wrestling to increase their effectiveness against their opponents...
and emerged into the world of mixed martial arts on the heels of a career in the UWF
Universal Wrestling Federation (Japan)
The original Japanese-based Universal Wrestling Federation was a Japanese professional wrestling promotion from 1984 to 1986, formed by wrestlers who had left New Japan Pro Wrestling. It was a pioneer in the shoot-style of pro-wrestling, which emphasized realistic moves. It was revived as the...
(the direct predecessor of Sakuraba's UWF International
UWF International
Union of Wrestling Forces International, better known as UWF International, U-Inter, or simply UWFi, was a shoot style professional wrestling promotion in Japan from 1991 to 1996. Although the matches were worked , the UWF-i was very convincing for its time, promoting a more hard-hitting, realistic...
). Both men also held in common a past history of submission wins over world-class opposition and recognition as two of the top Japanese mixed martial artists to date. Appropriately, their bout took place in the main event of K-1's year end Dynamite!!
K-1 PREMIUM 2007 Dynamite!!
K-1 PREMIUM 2007 Dynamite!! was an annual kickboxing and mixed martial arts event held by K-1 and Hero's on New Year's Eve, Monday December 31, 2007 at the Kyocera Dome Osaka in Osaka, Japan...
show, which garners more TV viewers each year than any other televised mixed martial arts event in Japan.
After exchanging professional wrestling-inspired entrances, the submission specialists traded strikes. Funaki's arsenal of punches and kicks appeared to be quicker and more powerful, but Sakuraba was able to sneak in a double-leg take down after Funaki committed heavily to a missed right cross. On the ground, Funaki closed guard around Sakuraba before opening it up to spin for a knee-bar. For a moment, Funaki appeared to secure Sakuraba's leg only to be thwarted by a combination of Sakuraba's submission acumen and their position against the ring ropes, which blocked Funaki from rolling with the hold. Sakuraba then maneuvered to Funaki's back, only for the Pancrase founder to roll back into the guard position. Breaking away from the grappling contest, Sakuraba stood up and began to assault the still-prone Funaki's legs with a series of kicks. Funaki answered with a kick of his own, blackening Sakuraba's eye and cutting his face. Sakuraba returned himself to the ground, where Funaki immediately attempted to sweep him. However, Sakuraba blocked the attempt and secured a double wristlock, eventually forcing Funaki to submit.
Dream
In 2008, it was announced that Kazushi Sakuraba would compete in the Middleweight Grand Prix of the new MMA promotion, DreamDREAM (mixed martial arts)
Dream is a mixed martial arts organization promoted by former PRIDE FC executives and K-1 promoter Fighting and Entertainment Group. DREAM replaced FEG's previous-run mixed martial arts fight series, Hero's. The series retains many of the stylistic flourishes and personnel from Pride FC...
. On 29 April 2008, Sakuraba defeated Andrews Nakahara in the main event at Dream 2: Middle Weight Grandprix 2008 1st Round. However, he was knocked out (and thus eliminated from the tournament) by Melvin Manhoef
Melvin Manhoef
Melvin Manhoef is a Dutch-Surinamese Muay Thai kickboxer and mixed martial artist, trained by Mike Passenier and fighting out of Mike's Gym in Amsterdam, Netherlands. In kickboxing, he is the current It's Showtime 85MAX World Champion, and in MMA he was the Cage Rage Light Heavyweight World champion...
in the main event of Dream 4: Middle Weight Grandprix 2008 2nd Round. During the match, Sakuraba suffered an ulnar fracture of the left forearm, which was caused by a kick from Manhoef http://blog.thesavagescience.com/2008/06/16/breaking-sakuraba-suffers-likely-broken-arm-in-dream-loss. Sakuraba has twice returned to the Dream promotion, losing to Kiyoshi Tamura
Kiyoshi Tamura
is a Japanese middleweight professional wrestler and mixed martial artist.Once a student of legendary Pro Wrestler Akira Maeda, Tamura is known for his skill in catch wrestling as well as his ability to deliver exciting and realistic professional wrestling bouts....
at Dynamite!! 2008
Dynamite!! 2008
Dynamite!! 2008 was the annual kickboxing and mixed martial arts event held by K-1 & DREAM on New Year's Eve, Wednesday, December 31, 2008, at the Saitama Super Arena in Saitama, Japan...
and most recently defeating boxer
Boxing
Boxing, also called pugilism, is a combat sport in which two people fight each other using their fists. Boxing is supervised by a referee over a series of between one to three minute intervals called rounds...
turned mixed martial artist Rubin Williams at Dream 11
Dream 11
Dream 11: Feather Weight Grand Prix 2009 Final Round was a mixed martial arts event promoted by Fighting and Entertainment Group's mixed martial arts promotion Dream held on October 6, 2009....
. Sakuraba then faced Croatian Zelg Galesic
Zelg Galesic
Zelg Galešić is a Croatian mixed martial artist, currently fighting in Bellator Fighting Championships. He has previously fought in Cage Rage, PRIDE, DREAM, and Hero's...
on Dream 12. Sakuraba took Galesic to the ground via single leg takedown and he immediately transitioned to a leg lock. Galesic tried to defend himself against the submission by raining punches on Sakuraba. Sakuraba absorbed the punches and held on to Galesic's leg until he successfully made the Croatian tap out due to a kneebar.
On May 29 he faced Ralek Gracie
Ralek Gracie
Ralek Gracie is a Brazilian Jiu-Jitsu practitioner and mixed martial artist. He is the son of Rorion Gracie and a member of the legendary Gracie family, and is the nephew of former UFC Champion Royce Gracie and Rickson Gracie. He has a black belt in Brazilian Jiu-Jitsu under his father Rorion,...
, at the Saitama Super Arena
Saitama Super Arena
is a multi-purpose indoor arena located in Chūō-ku, Saitama City, Saitama, Japan. Its spectator capacity is 37,000 at maximum settings.This main arena capacity is between 19,000-22,500 when events such as basketball, volleyball, tennis, ice hockey, gymnastics, boxing, mixed martial arts and...
in Dream 14.http://www.sherdog.com/news/news/Sakuraba-Gracie-Rivalry-Continues-at-Dream-14-24375 where he lost by unanimous decision.
On September 25, at Dream 16, Sakuraba lost to Jason "Mayhem" Miller via arm triangle choke.
Sakuraba fought for the Dream
DREAM (mixed martial arts)
Dream is a mixed martial arts organization promoted by former PRIDE FC executives and K-1 promoter Fighting and Entertainment Group. DREAM replaced FEG's previous-run mixed martial arts fight series, Hero's. The series retains many of the stylistic flourishes and personnel from Pride FC...
Welterweight Championship against current champion Marius Zaromskis
Marius Žaromskis
Marius Žaromskis is a Lithuanian welterweight mixed martial artist. After fighting the majority of his career for British promotion Cage Rage, he signed with DREAM in 2009 and then, later that year, with Strikeforce. With DREAM, Žaromskis won their 2009 Welterweight Grand Prix and became their...
at Dynamite!! 2010
Dynamite!! 2010
Dynamite!! 2010 was a mixed martial arts and kickboxing event and the latest in the annual New Year's Eve event promoted by Fighting and Entertainment Group that took place on December 31, 2010 at the Saitama Super Arena in Saitama, Japan. The event included bouts that encompass the DREAM, K-1 and...
on December 2010. The fight ended in doctor stoppage, Sakuraba's ear was partially ripped off.
Sakuraba fought against undefeated Brazilian Jiu-Jitsu Black Belt Yan Cabral
Yan Cabral
Yan Cabral is a Brazilian professional mixed martial artist who competes in the welterweight division. A professional MMA competitor since 2007, Cabral has fought all over the world including Austria, Spain, Switzerland and his native Brazil.-Background and early career:Cabral currently trains...
at Dream 17
Dream 17
Dream 17 was a mixed martial arts event held by Fighting and Entertainment Group's mixed martial arts promotion Dream. The event took place on September 24, 2011 at the Saitama Super Arena in Saitama, Japan.-Background:...
, losing via head arm triangle in a one-sided match with Cabral controlling both the stand up and grappling in the match.
Mixed martial arts
PRIDE Fighting Championships- 2000 PRIDE Openweight Grand Prix Semi-FinalistPRIDE Grand Prix 2000 FinalsThe Pride Grand Prix 2000 Finals was a mixed martial arts event held by the Pride Fighting Championships. It took place at the Tokyo Dome in Tokyo, Japan on May 1, 2000. The event concluded the Pride open-weight tournament of 2000. It is famous for containing one of the most anticipated matches...
Tokyo Sports Grand Prix
- Most Valuable Player (2000)
- Outstanding Performance (1999)
Ultimate Fighting Championship
Ultimate Fighting Championship
The Ultimate Fighting Championship is the largest mixed martial arts promotion company in the world that hosts most of the top-ranked fighters in the sport...
- UFC Japan Heavyweight Tournament Winner
Wrestling Observer Newsletter awards
- Wrestling Observer Newsletter Hall of FameWrestling Observer Newsletter Hall of FameThe Wrestling Observer Newsletter Hall of Fame is a professional wrestling hall of fame that recognizes people who make significant contributions to the sport. It was founded in 1996 by Dave Meltzer, editor of the Wrestling Observer Newsletter. The Wrestling Observer Newsletter Hall of Fame is not...
(Class of 2004) - 2001 Best Box Office Draw
- 2001 Feud of the Year (vs. Wanderlei SilvaWanderlei SilvaWanderlei César da Silva , nicknamed "The Axe Murderer", is a Brazilian mixed martial artist, who has competed in Japan's Pride Fighting Championships and the American based Ultimate Fighting Championship . Silva is known for his aggressive fighting style with the majority of his fights ending in...
) - 2000 Best Shootfighter
- 2000 Best Shoot Match (vs. Royce GracieRoyce GracieRoyce Gracie is a Brazilian professional mixed martial artist, a UFC Hall of Famer and Brazilian Jiu-Jitsu practitioner. A legend and pioneer in the sport of mixed martial arts, he is widely considered to be the most influential figure in the history of modern MMA.Gracie gained fame for his...
)
Amateur wrestling
- National championship runner-up (high school)
- East Japan Freshman championship
- All Japan collegiate wrestling championships (4th place)
Mixed martial arts record
|-| Loss
|align=center| 26–16–1(2)
| Yan Cabral
Yan Cabral
Yan Cabral is a Brazilian professional mixed martial artist who competes in the welterweight division. A professional MMA competitor since 2007, Cabral has fought all over the world including Austria, Spain, Switzerland and his native Brazil.-Background and early career:Cabral currently trains...
| Submission (arm-triangle choke)
| Dream 17
Dream 17
Dream 17 was a mixed martial arts event held by Fighting and Entertainment Group's mixed martial arts promotion Dream. The event took place on September 24, 2011 at the Saitama Super Arena in Saitama, Japan.-Background:...
|
|align=center| 2
|align=center| 2:42
| Saitama, Saitama
Saitama, Saitama
' is the capital and the most populous city of Saitama Prefecture in Japan, situated in the south-east of the prefecture. Its area incorporates the former cities of Urawa, Ōmiya, Yono and Iwatsuki. It is a city designated by government ordinance...
, Japan
|
|-
| Loss
|align=center| 26–15–1(2)
| Marius Žaromskis
Marius Žaromskis
Marius Žaromskis is a Lithuanian welterweight mixed martial artist. After fighting the majority of his career for British promotion Cage Rage, he signed with DREAM in 2009 and then, later that year, with Strikeforce. With DREAM, Žaromskis won their 2009 Welterweight Grand Prix and became their...
| TKO (doctor stoppage)
| Dynamite!! 2010
Dynamite!! 2010
Dynamite!! 2010 was a mixed martial arts and kickboxing event and the latest in the annual New Year's Eve event promoted by Fighting and Entertainment Group that took place on December 31, 2010 at the Saitama Super Arena in Saitama, Japan. The event included bouts that encompass the DREAM, K-1 and...
|
|align=center| 1
|align=center| 2:16
| Saitama, Saitama
Saitama, Saitama
' is the capital and the most populous city of Saitama Prefecture in Japan, situated in the south-east of the prefecture. Its area incorporates the former cities of Urawa, Ōmiya, Yono and Iwatsuki. It is a city designated by government ordinance...
, Japan
| For Dream
DREAM (mixed martial arts)
Dream is a mixed martial arts organization promoted by former PRIDE FC executives and K-1 promoter Fighting and Entertainment Group. DREAM replaced FEG's previous-run mixed martial arts fight series, Hero's. The series retains many of the stylistic flourishes and personnel from Pride FC...
Welterweight Championship.
|-
| Loss
|align=center| 26–14–1(2)
| Jason Miller
| Submission (arm-triangle choke)
| Dream 16
|
|align=center| 1
|align=center| 2:09
| Nagoya, Aichi
Nagoya, Aichi
is the third-largest incorporated city and the fourth most populous urban area in Japan.Located on the Pacific coast in the Chūbu region on central Honshu, it is the capital of Aichi Prefecture and is one of Japan's major ports along with those of Tokyo, Osaka, Kobe, Yokohama, Chiba, and Moji...
, Japan
|
|-
| Loss
|align=center| 26–13–1(2)
| Ralek Gracie
Ralek Gracie
Ralek Gracie is a Brazilian Jiu-Jitsu practitioner and mixed martial artist. He is the son of Rorion Gracie and a member of the legendary Gracie family, and is the nephew of former UFC Champion Royce Gracie and Rickson Gracie. He has a black belt in Brazilian Jiu-Jitsu under his father Rorion,...
| Decision (unanimous)
| Dream 14
|
|align=center| 3
|align=center| 5:00
| Saitama, Saitama
Saitama, Saitama
' is the capital and the most populous city of Saitama Prefecture in Japan, situated in the south-east of the prefecture. Its area incorporates the former cities of Urawa, Ōmiya, Yono and Iwatsuki. It is a city designated by government ordinance...
, Japan
|
|-
| Win
|align=center| 26–12–1(2)
| Zelg Galesic
Zelg Galesic
Zelg Galešić is a Croatian mixed martial artist, currently fighting in Bellator Fighting Championships. He has previously fought in Cage Rage, PRIDE, DREAM, and Hero's...
| Submission (kneebar)
| Dream 12
|
|align=center| 1
|align=center| 1:40
| Osaka, Osaka, Japan
|
|-
| Win
|align=center| 25–12–1(2)
| Rubin Williams
| Submission (kimura)
| Dream 11
Dream 11
Dream 11: Feather Weight Grand Prix 2009 Final Round was a mixed martial arts event promoted by Fighting and Entertainment Group's mixed martial arts promotion Dream held on October 6, 2009....
|
|align=center| 1
|align=center| 2:53
| Yokohama, Kanagawa, Japan
|
|-
| Loss
|align=center| 24–12–1(2)
| Kiyoshi Tamura
Kiyoshi Tamura
is a Japanese middleweight professional wrestler and mixed martial artist.Once a student of legendary Pro Wrestler Akira Maeda, Tamura is known for his skill in catch wrestling as well as his ability to deliver exciting and realistic professional wrestling bouts....
| Decision (unanimous)
| Dynamite!! 2008
Dynamite!! 2008
Dynamite!! 2008 was the annual kickboxing and mixed martial arts event held by K-1 & DREAM on New Year's Eve, Wednesday, December 31, 2008, at the Saitama Super Arena in Saitama, Japan...
|
|align=center| 2
|align=center| 5:00
| Saitama, Saitama
Saitama, Saitama
' is the capital and the most populous city of Saitama Prefecture in Japan, situated in the south-east of the prefecture. Its area incorporates the former cities of Urawa, Ōmiya, Yono and Iwatsuki. It is a city designated by government ordinance...
, Japan
|
|-
| Loss
|align=center| 24–11–1(2)
| Melvin Manhoef
Melvin Manhoef
Melvin Manhoef is a Dutch-Surinamese Muay Thai kickboxer and mixed martial artist, trained by Mike Passenier and fighting out of Mike's Gym in Amsterdam, Netherlands. In kickboxing, he is the current It's Showtime 85MAX World Champion, and in MMA he was the Cage Rage Light Heavyweight World champion...
| TKO (punches)
| Dream 4
|
|align=center| 1
|align=center| 1:30
| Yokohama, Kanagawa, Japan
| Dream MWGP Quarter-Final
|-
| Win
|align=center| 24–10–1(2)
| Andrews Nakahara
Andrews Nakahara
Andrews Nakahara is a Japanese-Brazilian professional mixed martial artist and kyokushin karateka. He made his MMA pro debut against Kazushi Sakuraba at DREAM.2...
| Submission (neck crank)
| Dream 2
|
|align=center| 1
|align=center| 8:20
| Saitama, Saitama
Saitama, Saitama
' is the capital and the most populous city of Saitama Prefecture in Japan, situated in the south-east of the prefecture. Its area incorporates the former cities of Urawa, Ōmiya, Yono and Iwatsuki. It is a city designated by government ordinance...
, Japan
| Dream MWGP Opening Round
|-
| Win
|align=center| 23–10–1(2)
| Masakatsu Funaki
Masakatsu Funaki
, is a Japanese mixed martial artist and professional wrestler who wrestled in New Japan Pro Wrestling, PWFG, as well as the UWF. He is currently performing at All Japan Pro Wrestling, where he is one half of the AJPW Unified World Tag Team Champions, along with Keiji Mutoh...
| Submission (kimura)
| K-1 PREMIUM 2007 Dynamite!!
K-1 PREMIUM 2007 Dynamite!!
K-1 PREMIUM 2007 Dynamite!! was an annual kickboxing and mixed martial arts event held by K-1 and Hero's on New Year's Eve, Monday December 31, 2007 at the Kyocera Dome Osaka in Osaka, Japan...
|
|align=center| 1
|align=center| 6:25
| Osaka, Osaka, Japan
|
|-
| Win
|align=center| 22–10–1(2)
| Katsuyori Shibata
Katsuyori Shibata
is a Japanese professional wrestler and mixed martial artist. In professional wrestling, he is known for his hard hitting offense and his realistic bouts.-New Japan Pro Wrestling :...
| Submission (armbar)
| Hero's 10: Middleweight Tournament Final
|
|align=center| 1
|align=center| 6:20
| Yokohama, Kanagawa, Japan
|
|-
| Loss
|align=center| 21–10–1(2)
| Royce Gracie
Royce Gracie
Royce Gracie is a Brazilian professional mixed martial artist, a UFC Hall of Famer and Brazilian Jiu-Jitsu practitioner. A legend and pioneer in the sport of mixed martial arts, he is widely considered to be the most influential figure in the history of modern MMA.Gracie gained fame for his...
| Decision (unanimous)
| Dynamite!! USA
Dynamite!! USA
SoftBank presents Dynamite!! USA was a mixed martial arts event co-promoted by FEG, the promoters of K-1 kickboxing and Hero's MMA events, and EliteXC...
|
|align=center| 3
|align=center| 5:00
| Los Angeles, California
Los Angeles, California
Los Angeles , with a population at the 2010 United States Census of 3,792,621, is the most populous city in California, USA and the second most populous in the United States, after New York City. It has an area of , and is located in Southern California...
United States
| Gracie tested positive for steroids after the fight.
|-
| Win
|align=center| 21–9–1(2)
| Yurij Kiselov
| Submission (triangle armbar)
| Hero's 8
Hero's 8
Hero's 8 was a mixed martial arts event held by the Hero's promotion on March 12, 2007 at the Nagoya Rainbow Hall in Nagoya, Japan.-Results:...
|
|align=center| 1
|align=center| 1:26
| Nagoya, Aichi
Nagoya, Aichi
is the third-largest incorporated city and the fourth most populous urban area in Japan.Located on the Pacific coast in the Chūbu region on central Honshu, it is the capital of Aichi Prefecture and is one of Japan's major ports along with those of Tokyo, Osaka, Kobe, Yokohama, Chiba, and Moji...
, Japan
|
|-
| NC
|align=center| 20–9–1(2)
| Yoshihiro Akiyama
Yoshihiro Akiyama
, born Choo Sung-hoon , is a Japanese mixed martial artist and judoka. He is a fourth-generation Japanese of Korean descent and acquired Japanese nationality in 2001....
| No Contest
| K-1 PREMIUM 2006 Dynamite!!
K-1 PREMIUM 2006 Dynamite!!
K-1 PREMIUM 2006 Dynamite!! was an annual kickboxing and mixed martial arts event held by K-1 and Hero's on New Year's Eve, Sunday, December 31, 2006 at the Kyocera Dome Osaka in Osaka, Japan...
|
|align=center| 1
|align=center| 5:37
| Osaka, Osaka, Japan
| Original TKO loss; was ruled a no contest after Akiyama confessed to applying lotion before the fight.
|-
| Win
|align=center| 20–9–1(1)
| Kestutis Smirnovas
| Submission (armbar)
| Hero's 6
Hero's 6
Hero's 6 was a mixed martial arts event held by the Hero's promotion on August 5, 2006 at the Ariake Coliseum in Tokyo, Japan.The quarter-finals of the 2006 Lightweight Grand Prix was held at the event. The opening round had took place at the previous event...
|
|align=center| 1
|align=center| 6:41
| Tokyo
Tokyo
, ; officially , is one of the 47 prefectures of Japan. Tokyo is the capital of Japan, the center of the Greater Tokyo Area, and the largest metropolitan area of Japan. It is the seat of the Japanese government and the Imperial Palace, and the home of the Japanese Imperial Family...
, Japan
|
|-
| Win
|align=center| 19–9–1(1)
| Ikuhisa Minowa
Ikuhisa Minowa
is a Japanese mixed martial artist and pro wrestler currently competing in Dream as . He was a long time veteran of Pride Fighting Championships and Pancrase and has also competed in other mixed martial arts promotions such as K-1 HERO'S, Cage Rage, UFC, and DEEP. At 5'9" he is notable for taking...
| Technical submission (kimura)
| Pride Shockwave 2005
PRIDE Shockwave 2005
Pride Shockwave 2005 was a mixed martial arts event held by the Pride Fighting Championships at the Saitama Super Arena in Saitama, Japan on December 31, 2005. In Japan, the event was called "Otoko Matsuri 2005 – Itadaki"...
|
|align=center| 1
|align=center| 9:59
| Saitama, Saitama
Saitama, Saitama
' is the capital and the most populous city of Saitama Prefecture in Japan, situated in the south-east of the prefecture. Its area incorporates the former cities of Urawa, Ōmiya, Yono and Iwatsuki. It is a city designated by government ordinance...
, Japan
|
|-
| Win
|align=center| 18–9–1(1)
| Ken Shamrock
Ken Shamrock
Kenneth Wayne Shamrock is an American mixed martial arts fighter, UFC Hall of Famer and professional wrestler...
| TKO (punch)
| Pride 30
PRIDE 30
Pride 30: Starting Over was a mixed martial arts event held by Pride Fighting Championships on October 23, 2005 at the Saitama Super Arena in Saitama, Japan.- Henry "Sentoryu" Miller vs Zuluzinho:...
|
|align=center| 1
|align=center| 2:27
| Saitama, Saitama
Saitama, Saitama
' is the capital and the most populous city of Saitama Prefecture in Japan, situated in the south-east of the prefecture. Its area incorporates the former cities of Urawa, Ōmiya, Yono and Iwatsuki. It is a city designated by government ordinance...
, Japan
|
|-
| Loss
|align=center| 17–9–1(1)
| Ricardo Arona
Ricardo Arona
Ricardo Arona is a Brazilian mixed martial artist and PRIDE FC Middleweight Grand Prix finalist. He has competed in PRIDE Fighting Championships and RINGS in his mixed martial arts career, and is a member of Brazilian Top Team.-Abu Dhabi and RINGS:...
| TKO (corner stoppage)
| Pride Critical Countdown 2005
PRIDE Critical Countdown 2005
Pride Critical Countdown 2005 was a mixed martial arts event held by the Pride Fighting Championships. It took place at the Saitama Super Arena in Saitama, Japan, on June 26th, 2005.-Background:...
|
|align=center| 2
|align=center| 5:00
| Saitama, Saitama
Saitama, Saitama
' is the capital and the most populous city of Saitama Prefecture in Japan, situated in the south-east of the prefecture. Its area incorporates the former cities of Urawa, Ōmiya, Yono and Iwatsuki. It is a city designated by government ordinance...
, Japan
| Pride 2005 Middleweight GP Quarterfinal
|-
| Win
|align=center| 17–8–1(1)
| Yoon Dong-Sik
Yoon Dong-Sik
*1992 World Youth Championships - 2nd place*1992 Italian Open - gold medal*1993 Asian Championships - 3rd place*1993 German Open - gold medal*1993 Paris Open - 2nd place*1993 Austrian Open - gold medal*1994 Austrian Open - gold medal...
| KO (punches)
| Pride Total Elimination 2005
PRIDE Total Elimination 2005
Pride Total Elimination 2005 was a mixed martial arts event held by Pride Fighting Championships. This event marked the first round of the Middleweight tournament...
|
|align=center| 1
|align=center| 0:38
| Osaka, Osaka, Japan
| Pride 2005 Middleweight GP Opening Round
|-
| Win
|align=center| 16–8–1(1)
| Nino Schembri
Nino Schembri
Antonio "Nino" Schembri is a Brazilian mixed martial artist. He is a former member of the Chute Boxe Academy and currently trains with the Black House Team. He is called "Elvis" because of his long, chop-like sideburns. The highlight of his career came with his upset victory over Kazushi Sakuraba...
| Decision (unanimous)
| Pride Critical Countdown 2004
PRIDE Critical Countdown 2004
Pride Critical Countdown 2004 was a mixed martial arts event held by Pride Fighting Championships. It took place on June 20th, 2004, at the Saitama Super Arena in Saitama, Japan.-Background:...
|
|align=center| 3
|align=center| 5:00
| Saitama, Saitama
Saitama, Saitama
' is the capital and the most populous city of Saitama Prefecture in Japan, situated in the south-east of the prefecture. Its area incorporates the former cities of Urawa, Ōmiya, Yono and Iwatsuki. It is a city designated by government ordinance...
, Japan
|
|-
| Loss
|align=center| 15–8–1(1)
| Antonio Rogerio Nogueira
Antonio Rogerio Nogueira
Antônio Rogério Nogueira is a Brazilian professional mixed martial artist currently signed with the UFC. He is the twin brother of Antônio Rodrigo Nogueira. A proficient amateur boxer, he was the 2006 and 2007 Brazilian Super Heavyweight Champion. He also won a bronze medal in the 2007 Pan...
| Decision (unanimous)
| Pride Shockwave 2003
PRIDE Shockwave 2003
Pride Shockwave 2003 was a mixed martial arts event held by the Pride Fighting Championships. Gary Goodridge announced he would retire from Pride. It took place at the Saitama Super Arena in Saitama, Japan on December 31, 2003.- Quinton Jackson vs. Ikuhisa Minowa:Jackson defeated Minowa by TKO ...
|
|align=center| 3
|align=center| 5:00
| Saitama, Saitama
Saitama, Saitama
' is the capital and the most populous city of Saitama Prefecture in Japan, situated in the south-east of the prefecture. Its area incorporates the former cities of Urawa, Ōmiya, Yono and Iwatsuki. It is a city designated by government ordinance...
, Japan
|
|-
| Win
|align=center| 15–7–1(1)
| Kevin Randleman
Kevin Randleman
Kevin Christopher Randleman is a retired American mixed martial arts fighter and a former UFC heavyweight champion. Randleman's background is in Collegiate wrestling. Wrestling at 177 pounds, Randleman was a two time Division I NCAA Champion for The Ohio State University...
| Submission (armbar)
| Pride Final Conflict 2003
PRIDE Final Conflict 2003
Pride Final Conflict 2003 was a mixed martial arts event held by Pride Fighting Championships. It took place at the Tokyo Dome in Tokyo, Japan on November 9, 2003 and had over 67,450 people in the audience. This event was host to the semi-finals and finals of the 2003 Pride Middleweight Grand...
|
|align=center| 3
|align=center| 2:36
| Tokyo
Tokyo
, ; officially , is one of the 47 prefectures of Japan. Tokyo is the capital of Japan, the center of the Greater Tokyo Area, and the largest metropolitan area of Japan. It is the seat of the Japanese government and the Imperial Palace, and the home of the Japanese Imperial Family...
, Japan
|
|-
| Loss
|align=center| 14–7–1(1)
| Wanderlei Silva
Wanderlei Silva
Wanderlei César da Silva , nicknamed "The Axe Murderer", is a Brazilian mixed martial artist, who has competed in Japan's Pride Fighting Championships and the American based Ultimate Fighting Championship . Silva is known for his aggressive fighting style with the majority of his fights ending in...
| KO (punch)
| Pride Total Elimination 2003
PRIDE Total Elimination 2003
PRIDE Total Elimination 2003 was a mixed martial arts event held by PRIDE Fighting Championships. It took place at the Saitama Super Arena in Saitama, Japan on August 10, 2003. This event was host to the quarterfinals of the 2003 PRIDE Middleweight Grand Prix tournament...
|
|align=center| 1
|align=center| 5:01
| Saitama, Saitama
Saitama, Saitama
' is the capital and the most populous city of Saitama Prefecture in Japan, situated in the south-east of the prefecture. Its area incorporates the former cities of Urawa, Ōmiya, Yono and Iwatsuki. It is a city designated by government ordinance...
, Japan
| Pride 2003 Middleweight GP Opening Round
|-
| Loss
|align=center| 14–6–1(1)
| Nino Schembri
Nino Schembri
Antonio "Nino" Schembri is a Brazilian mixed martial artist. He is a former member of the Chute Boxe Academy and currently trains with the Black House Team. He is called "Elvis" because of his long, chop-like sideburns. The highlight of his career came with his upset victory over Kazushi Sakuraba...
| TKO (knees)
| Pride 25
PRIDE 25
Pride 25: Body Blow was a mixed martial arts event held by Pride Fighting Championships. It took place at the Yokohama Arena in Yokohama, Japan on March 16, 2003.- Kazuhiro Nakamura vs. Antonio Rogerio Nogueira:...
|
|align=center| 1
|align=center| 6:15
| Yokohama, Kanagawa, Japan
|
|-
| Win
|align=center| 14–5–1(1)
| Gilles Arsene
| Submission (armbar)
| Pride 23
PRIDE 23
Pride 23: Championship Chaos 2 was a mixed martial arts event held by Pride Fighting Championships. It took place at the Tokyo Dome in Tokyo, Japan on November 24, 2002.- Jerrel Venetiaan vs. Hirotaka Yokoi:...
|
|align=center| 3
|align=center| 2:08
| Tokyo
Tokyo
, ; officially , is one of the 47 prefectures of Japan. Tokyo is the capital of Japan, the center of the Greater Tokyo Area, and the largest metropolitan area of Japan. It is the seat of the Japanese government and the Imperial Palace, and the home of the Japanese Imperial Family...
, Japan
|
|-
| Loss
|align=center| 13–5–1(1)
| Mirko Filipović
Mirko Filipovic
Mirko Filipović is a former Croatian heavyweight kickboxer, mixed martial artist, politician, and law enforcement officer. Filipović was a member of the Croatian Parliament from 2003 through 2007...
| TKO (eye injury)
| Pride Shockwave
PRIDE Shockwave
PRIDE Shockwave was a mixed martial arts and kickboxing event co-promoted by the PRIDE Fighting Championships and K-1 promotions on August 28, 2002. It was held at the Tokyo National Stadium in Tokyo, Japan. This event holds the Pride FC attendance record with 91,107 spectators...
|
|align=center| 2
|align=center| 5:00
| Tokyo
Tokyo
, ; officially , is one of the 47 prefectures of Japan. Tokyo is the capital of Japan, the center of the Greater Tokyo Area, and the largest metropolitan area of Japan. It is the seat of the Japanese government and the Imperial Palace, and the home of the Japanese Imperial Family...
, Japan
|
|-
| Loss
|align=center| 13–4–1(1)
| Wanderlei Silva
Wanderlei Silva
Wanderlei César da Silva , nicknamed "The Axe Murderer", is a Brazilian mixed martial artist, who has competed in Japan's Pride Fighting Championships and the American based Ultimate Fighting Championship . Silva is known for his aggressive fighting style with the majority of his fights ending in...
| TKO (doctor stoppage)
| Pride 17
PRIDE 17
Pride 17: Championship Chaos was a mixed martial arts event held by the Pride Fighting Championships. It took place at the Tokyo Dome in Tokyo, Japan on November 3, 2001. This event also saw the crowning of the first Pride FC Heavyweight and Middleweight champions.-Results: Renzo Gracie vs. ...
|
|align=center| 1
|align=center| 10:00
| Tokyo
Tokyo
, ; officially , is one of the 47 prefectures of Japan. Tokyo is the capital of Japan, the center of the Greater Tokyo Area, and the largest metropolitan area of Japan. It is the seat of the Japanese government and the Imperial Palace, and the home of the Japanese Imperial Family...
, Japan
| For Pride Middleweight Championship
|-
| Win
|align=center| 13–3–1(1)
| Quinton Jackson
Quinton Jackson
Quinton Ramone Jackson ;, also known as Rampage Jackson, is an American mixed martial artist and actor. He is a former UFC Light Heavyweight Champion. Jackson rose to prominence in Japan's Pride Fighting Championships where he was noted for his powerful body slams including a knockout victory over...
| Submission (rear-naked choke)
| Pride 15
PRIDE 15
Pride 15: Raging Rumble was a mixed martial arts event held by the Pride Fighting Championships. It took place at the Saitama Super Arena in Saitama, Japan on July 29, 2001.-Results:...
|
|align=center| 1
|align=center| 5:41
| Saitama, Saitama
Saitama, Saitama
' is the capital and the most populous city of Saitama Prefecture in Japan, situated in the south-east of the prefecture. Its area incorporates the former cities of Urawa, Ōmiya, Yono and Iwatsuki. It is a city designated by government ordinance...
, Japan
|
|-
| Loss
|align=center| 12–3–1(1)
| Wanderlei Silva
Wanderlei Silva
Wanderlei César da Silva , nicknamed "The Axe Murderer", is a Brazilian mixed martial artist, who has competed in Japan's Pride Fighting Championships and the American based Ultimate Fighting Championship . Silva is known for his aggressive fighting style with the majority of his fights ending in...
| TKO (strikes)
| Pride 13
PRIDE 13
Pride 13: Collision Course was a mixed martial arts event held by the Pride Fighting Championships. This was the first Pride event allowing knee strikes to the head of someone in the "four-points" position . It took place at the Saitama Super Arena in Saitama, Japan on March 25, 2001...
|
|align=center| 1
|align=center| 1:38
| Saitama, Saitama
Saitama, Saitama
' is the capital and the most populous city of Saitama Prefecture in Japan, situated in the south-east of the prefecture. Its area incorporates the former cities of Urawa, Ōmiya, Yono and Iwatsuki. It is a city designated by government ordinance...
, Japan
|
|-
| Win
|align=center| 12–2–1(1)
| Ryan Gracie
Ryan Gracie
Ryan Gracie , was a Brazilian mixed martial artist with a black belt in Brazilian Jiu-Jitsu. He was a member of the Gracie family, and the grandson of Carlos Gracie, one of the founders of Brazilian Jiu-Jitsu...
| Decision (unanimous)
| Pride 12
PRIDE 12
Pride 12: Cold Fury was a mixed martial arts event held by the Pride Fighting Championships. It took place at the Saitama Super Arena in Saitama, Japan on December 9, 2000.-Results:...
|
|align=center| 1
|align=center| 10:00
| Saitama, Saitama
Saitama, Saitama
' is the capital and the most populous city of Saitama Prefecture in Japan, situated in the south-east of the prefecture. Its area incorporates the former cities of Urawa, Ōmiya, Yono and Iwatsuki. It is a city designated by government ordinance...
, Japan
|
|-
| Win
|align=center| 11–2–1(1)
| Shannon Ritch
Shannon Ritch
Shannon Ritch is an American professional mixed martial arts fighter who currently competes in the welterweight division. As of June 2011 he has competed in 126 professional fights with 47 wins and 75 losses and 4 no contests. Ritch is one of the most known and experienced journeyman of mixed...
| Submission (achilles lock)
| Pride 11
PRIDE 11
Pride 11: Battle of the Rising Sun was a mixed martial arts event held by the Pride Fighting Championships. It took place at the Osaka Castle Hall in Osaka, Japan on October 31, 2000.-Results:...
|
|align=center| 1
|align=center| 1:08
| Osaka, Osaka, Japan
|
|-
| Win
|align=center| 10–2–1(1)
| Renzo Gracie
Renzo Gracie
Renzo Gracie is a Gracie Barra Brazilian Jiu-Jitsu black belt under Carlos Gracie Jr. and a former mixed martial arts competitor in the Ultimate Fighting Championship . He is member of the Gracie family of Brazil. He is the son of Robson Gracie, grandson of Carlos Gracie, nephew of Carlos...
| Technical submission (kimura)
| Pride 10
PRIDE 10
Pride 10: Return of the Warriors was a mixed martial arts event held by the Pride Fighting Championships. It took place at Seibu Dome in Tokorozawa, Saitama, Japan, on August 27, 2000...
|
|align=center| 2
|align=center| 9:43
| Tokorozawa, Saitama
Tokorozawa, Saitama
is a city in Saitama, Japan. It is located in the central part of the Musashino plain, about 30 km west of downtown Tokyo. Tokorozawa can be considered part of the greater Tokyo area; its proximity to the latter and lower housing costs make it a popular bedroom community.-Location:Tokorozawa...
, Japan
|
|-
| Loss
|align=center| 9–2–1(1)
| Igor Vovchanchyn
Igor Vovchanchyn
Igor Yaroslavovich "Ice Cold" Vovchanchyn is a retired Ukrainian mixed martial artist and kickboxer. He won seven mixed martial arts tournaments, as well as acquiring a 37 fight unbeaten streak, and reaching the final of the Pride Grand Prix 2000....
| TKO (corner stoppage)
| Pride Grand Prix 2000 Finals
PRIDE Grand Prix 2000 Finals
The Pride Grand Prix 2000 Finals was a mixed martial arts event held by the Pride Fighting Championships. It took place at the Tokyo Dome in Tokyo, Japan on May 1, 2000. The event concluded the Pride open-weight tournament of 2000. It is famous for containing one of the most anticipated matches...
|
|align=center| 1
|align=center| 15:00
| Tokyo
Tokyo
, ; officially , is one of the 47 prefectures of Japan. Tokyo is the capital of Japan, the center of the Greater Tokyo Area, and the largest metropolitan area of Japan. It is the seat of the Japanese government and the Imperial Palace, and the home of the Japanese Imperial Family...
, Japan
| Pride 2000 Openweight GP Semifinal
|-
| Win
|align=center| 9–1–1(1)
| Royce Gracie
Royce Gracie
Royce Gracie is a Brazilian professional mixed martial artist, a UFC Hall of Famer and Brazilian Jiu-Jitsu practitioner. A legend and pioneer in the sport of mixed martial arts, he is widely considered to be the most influential figure in the history of modern MMA.Gracie gained fame for his...
| TKO (corner stoppage)
| Pride Grand Prix 2000 Finals
PRIDE Grand Prix 2000 Finals
The Pride Grand Prix 2000 Finals was a mixed martial arts event held by the Pride Fighting Championships. It took place at the Tokyo Dome in Tokyo, Japan on May 1, 2000. The event concluded the Pride open-weight tournament of 2000. It is famous for containing one of the most anticipated matches...
|
|align=center| 6
|align=center| 15:00
| Tokyo
Tokyo
, ; officially , is one of the 47 prefectures of Japan. Tokyo is the capital of Japan, the center of the Greater Tokyo Area, and the largest metropolitan area of Japan. It is the seat of the Japanese government and the Imperial Palace, and the home of the Japanese Imperial Family...
, Japan
| Pride 2000 Openweight GP Quarterfinal. Rules modified for unlimited rounds/no ref stoppages.
|-
| Win
|align=center| 8–1–1(1)
| Guy Mezger
Guy Mezger
Guy Mezger is a retired American martial artist who competed in professional combat sports ranging from full contact karate, kickboxing, and boxing, but is most recognized as a mixed martial arts fighter . He is associated with Lion's Den Dallas...
| TKO (retirement)
| Pride Grand Prix 2000 Opening Round
PRIDE Grand Prix 2000 Opening Round
The Pride Grand Prix 2000 Opening Round was a mixed martial arts event held by the Pride Fighting Championships. It took place at the Tokyo Dome in Tokyo, Japan on January 30, 2000. The event began the Pride Openweight tournament of 2000.-Results:...
|
|align=center| 1
|align=center| 15:00
| Tokyo
Tokyo
, ; officially , is one of the 47 prefectures of Japan. Tokyo is the capital of Japan, the center of the Greater Tokyo Area, and the largest metropolitan area of Japan. It is the seat of the Japanese government and the Imperial Palace, and the home of the Japanese Imperial Family...
, Japan
| Pride 2000 Openweight GP Opening Round; Mezger forfeited due to contract dispute.
|-
| Win
|align=center| 7–1–1(1)
| Royler Gracie
Royler Gracie
Royler Gracie is a retired Brazilian mixed martial artist and Brazilian jiu-jitsu practitioner. He ran the Gracie Humaitá jiu-jitsu school in Rio de Janeiro, Brazil for many years under his father Helio's direction, but currently resides in San Diego, US.Royler travels around the world teaching...
| Technical submission (kimura)
| Pride 8
PRIDE 8
Pride 8 was a mixed martial arts event held by the Pride Fighting Championships. It took place on November 21, 1999, at Ariake Coliseum in Tokyo, Japan.-Results:...
|
|align=center| 2
|align=center| 13:16
| Tokyo
Tokyo
, ; officially , is one of the 47 prefectures of Japan. Tokyo is the capital of Japan, the center of the Greater Tokyo Area, and the largest metropolitan area of Japan. It is the seat of the Japanese government and the Imperial Palace, and the home of the Japanese Imperial Family...
, Japan
|
|-
| Win
|align=center| 6–1–1(1)
| Anthony Macias
Anthony Macias
Anthony "Mad Dog" Macias is an American mixed martial artist who currently competes in the middleweight division. Anthony was introduced to the world of MMA in a fight against the legend Dan Severn at UFC 4. Anthony would go on to lose to Severn by submission. His most recent victory came against...
| Submission (armbar)
| Pride 7
PRIDE 7
Pride 7 was a mixed martial arts event held by the Pride Fighting Championships. It took place on September 12, 1999, at Yokohama Arena in Yokohama, Japan...
|
|align=center| 2
|align=center| 2:30
| Yokohama, Kanagawa, Japan
|
|-
| Win
|align=center| 5–1–1(1)
| Ebenezer Fontes Braga
Ebenezer Fontes Braga
Ebenezer "Pitbull" Fontes Braga is a Brazilian retired mixed martial artist. He competed in the Light Heavyweight division...
| Submission (armbar)
| Pride 6
PRIDE 6
Pride 6 was a mixed martial arts event held by the Pride Fighting Championships. It took place at Yokohama Arena in Yokohama, Japan, on July 4, 1999. The first four matches were all won by judges decision. The event also featured a karate match between Hiroki Kurosawa and Nobuaki Kakuda...
|
|align=center| 1
|align=center| 9:23
| Yokohama, Kanagawa, Japan
|
|-
| Win
|align=center| 4–1–1(1)
| Vitor Belfort
Vitor Belfort
Vítor Vieira Belfort is a Brazilian mixed martial artist and former UFC Light Heavyweight Champion. Belfort was born in Rio de Janeiro and studied jiu-jitsu with the Gracie family, namely Carlson Gracie. He received a black belt under Carlson and currently trains with Xtreme Couture, fighting in...
| Decision (unanimous)
| Pride 5
PRIDE 5
Pride 5 was a mixed martial arts event held by the Pride Fighting Championships. This was the first Pride event to be promoted by Dream Stage Entertainment, which took over from Kakutougi Revolution Spirits. The event took place at the Nagoya Rainbow Hall in Nagoya, Japan, on April 29, 1999. This...
|
|align=center| 2
|align=center| 10:00
| Nagoya, Aichi
Nagoya, Aichi
is the third-largest incorporated city and the fourth most populous urban area in Japan.Located on the Pacific coast in the Chūbu region on central Honshu, it is the capital of Aichi Prefecture and is one of Japan's major ports along with those of Tokyo, Osaka, Kobe, Yokohama, Chiba, and Moji...
, Japan
|
|-
| Draw
|align=center| 3–1–1(1)
| Allan Goes
Allan Goes
Allan Goes is a Brazilian mixed martial artist. He last fought for the Seattle Tiger Sharks of the International Fight League.-Biography:...
| Draw
| Pride 4
PRIDE 4
Pride 4 was a mixed martial arts event held by KRS-Pride . It took place at the Tokyo Dome in Tokyo, Japan, on October 11, 1998...
|
|align=center| 3
|align=center| 10:00
| Tokyo
Tokyo
, ; officially , is one of the 47 prefectures of Japan. Tokyo is the capital of Japan, the center of the Greater Tokyo Area, and the largest metropolitan area of Japan. It is the seat of the Japanese government and the Imperial Palace, and the home of the Japanese Imperial Family...
, Japan
|
|-
| Win
|align=center| 3–1(1)
| Carlos Newton
Carlos Newton
Carlos Newton is a Canadian mixed martial artist and former UFC Welterweight Champion. He is considered one of the true pioneers in the sport of Mixed Martial Arts. Known as the "The Ronin", he competed worldwide in the biggest MMA organizations including UFC, Pride FC, IFL, K-1, Shooto and most...
| Submission (kneebar)
| Pride 3
PRIDE 3
Pride 3 was a mixed martial arts event held by KRS-Pride on June 24, 1998 at the Nippon Budokan in Tokyo, Japan. The English language commentary for this event was provided by Stephen Quadros and Bas Rutten....
|
|align=center| 2
|align=center| 5:19
| Tokyo
Tokyo
, ; officially , is one of the 47 prefectures of Japan. Tokyo is the capital of Japan, the center of the Greater Tokyo Area, and the largest metropolitan area of Japan. It is the seat of the Japanese government and the Imperial Palace, and the home of the Japanese Imperial Family...
, Japan
|
|-
| Win
|align=center| 2–1(1)
| Vernon White
Vernon White
Vernon Verdell White is a professional mixed martial arts fighter who has fought for the Ultimate Fighting Championship , Pride Fighting Championships, Strikeforce, King of the Cage, Pancrase, and the International Fight League . He lives in California, and belongs to the fighting team The Lion's...
| Submission (armbar)
| Pride 2
PRIDE 2
Pride 2 was a mixed martial arts event held by KRS-Pride . It took place at Yokohama Arena in Yokohama, Japan on March 15, 1998. Kazushi Sakuraba, Mark Kerr, Vernon White, and Marco Ruas all made their Pride debuts at this event. In addition to the MMA events, there were also two kickboxing events...
|
|align=center| 3
|align=center| 6:53
| Yokohama, Kanagawa, Japan
|
|-
| Win
|align=center| 1–1(1)
| Marcus Silveira
Marcus Silveira
Marcus "Conan" Silveira is a Brazilian mixed martial artist. He competes in the Heavyweight division. He won his last fight at PFL - Genesis against Johnathan Ivey on March 31, 2007. He is the co-founder of American Top Team.-Arrest:...
| Submission (armbar)
| UFC Japan
UFC Japan
UFC Japan: Ultimate Japan was a mixed martial arts event held by the Ultimate Fighting Championship on December 21, 1997, in Yokohama, Japan...
|
|align=center| 1
|align=center| 3:44
| Yokohama, Kanagawa, Japan
| Won UFC Ultimate Japan Heavyweight Tournament.
|-
| NC
|align=center| 0–1(1)
| Marcus Silveira
Marcus Silveira
Marcus "Conan" Silveira is a Brazilian mixed martial artist. He competes in the Heavyweight division. He won his last fight at PFL - Genesis against Johnathan Ivey on March 31, 2007. He is the co-founder of American Top Team.-Arrest:...
| No Contest (early stoppage)
| UFC Japan
UFC Japan
UFC Japan: Ultimate Japan was a mixed martial arts event held by the Ultimate Fighting Championship on December 21, 1997, in Yokohama, Japan...
|
|align=center| 1
|align=center| 1:51
| Yokohama, Kanagawa, Japan
|Referee John McCarthy stopped the bout while Sakuraba was going in for a takedown
|-
| Loss
|align=center| 0–1
| Kimo Leopoldo
Kimo Leopoldo
Kimo Leopoldo , or simply Kimo, is an American mixed martial artist. He made his MMA debut at UFC 3 in 1994 losing to Royce Gracie by submission. Kimo's fighting style has been described as freestyle, with a mixture of striking and grappling techniques.He was credited with a black belt in Taekwondo...
| Submission (arm-triangle choke)
| Shoot Boxing – S-Cup 1996
|
|align=center| 1
|align=center| 4:20
| Tokyo
Tokyo
, ; officially , is one of the 47 prefectures of Japan. Tokyo is the capital of Japan, the center of the Greater Tokyo Area, and the largest metropolitan area of Japan. It is the seat of the Japanese government and the Imperial Palace, and the home of the Japanese Imperial Family...
, Japan
| Openweight bout, Kimo weighed in over 60lbs than Sakuraba.
Professional wrestling record
| Result | Record | Opponent | Method | Event | Date | Round | Time | Location | Notes |
| align="center" Win |  Larry ParkerLarry Parker Kenneth James Grandberry is a former American football wide receiver in the National Football League. He was drafted by the Kansas City Chiefs in the fourth round of the 1999 NFL Draft. He played college football at USC.- References :... |
Submission (Kimura) | Kingdom | January 28, 1998 | 1 | 5:48 |  Tokyo, Japan |
||
| align="center" Win | Paul Herrera |
Submission (Toe Hold) | Kingdom - Ambition | December 14, 1997 | 1 | 1:48 | Tokyo, Japan |
||
| align="center" Loss | Hiromitsu Kanehara Hiromitsu Kanehara is a Japanese mixed martial artist who competes in the light heavyweight division.Although starting as a professional wrestler in 1991, Kanehara did not have much success as such, and eventually abandoned professional wrestling when his then-home circuit, Fighting Network RINGS, abandoned the... |
KO (Left High Kick) | Kingdom | December 8, 1997 | 1 | 7:18 | Kagoshima, Japan Japan Japan is an island nation in East Asia. Located in the Pacific Ocean, it lies to the east of the Sea of Japan, China, North Korea, South Korea and Russia, stretching from the Sea of Okhotsk in the north to the East China Sea and Taiwan in the south... |
||
| align="center" Win | Hiromitsu Kanehara Hiromitsu Kanehara is a Japanese mixed martial artist who competes in the light heavyweight division.Although starting as a professional wrestler in 1991, Kanehara did not have much success as such, and eventually abandoned professional wrestling when his then-home circuit, Fighting Network RINGS, abandoned the... |
Submission (Armbar) | Kingdom | December 2, 1997 | 1 | 11.41 | Fukuoka, Japan |
||
| align="center" Win | Kenichi Yamamoto Kenichi Yamamoto was a Japanese cross country skier who competed in the 1950s. He finished 22nd in the 18 km event at the 1952 Winter Olympics in Oslo.-References:... |
Submission | Kingdom | November 19, 1997 | 1 | 5:52 | Sapporo, Japan |
||
| align="center" Win | Greg Douglas |
Submission (Toe Hold) | Kingdom | November 3, 1997 | 1 | 1:18 | Tokyo, Japan |
||
| align="center" Win | Kenichi Yamamoto Kenichi Yamamoto was a Japanese cross country skier who competed in the 1950s. He finished 22nd in the 18 km event at the 1952 Winter Olympics in Oslo.-References:... |
Submission (Armbar) | Kingdom - Million Yen Tournament 2 | September 20, 1997 | 1 | 7:18 | Beppu, Japan |
Wins Million Yen Tournament 2. | |
| align="center" Win | Hiromitsu Kanehara Hiromitsu Kanehara is a Japanese mixed martial artist who competes in the light heavyweight division.Although starting as a professional wrestler in 1991, Kanehara did not have much success as such, and eventually abandoned professional wrestling when his then-home circuit, Fighting Network RINGS, abandoned the... |
Submission | Kingdom - Million Yen Tournament 2 | September 20, 1997 | 1 | Beppu, Japan |
|||
| align="center" Win | Dajiro Matsui |
Submission | Kingdom - Million Yen Tournament 2 | September 20, 1997 | 1 | Beppu, Japan |
|||
| align="center" Win |  Moti HorensteinMoti Horenstein Moti Horenstein is an Israeli-American martial artist.-Early Training and Fight History:Beginning his training at the age of five, Horenstein captured three Junior Champion of Israel titles before induction in the army in 1983. Serving his required service but in no special capacity in the army,... |
Submission (Armbar) | Kingdom - Prelude for the World | September 3, 1997 | 1 | 11:18 | Tokyo, Japan |
||
| align="center" Loss | Yuhi Sano |
Submission (Toe Hold) | Kingdom - Million Yen Tournament 1 | August 22, 1997 | 1 | 5:27 | Niigata, Japan Japan Japan is an island nation in East Asia. Located in the Pacific Ocean, it lies to the east of the Sea of Japan, China, North Korea, South Korea and Russia, stretching from the Sea of Okhotsk in the north to the East China Sea and Taiwan in the south... |
||
| align="center" Win | Yoji Anjoh |
Submission | Kingdom - Million Yen Tournament 1 | August 22, 1997 | 1 | Niigata, Japan Japan Japan is an island nation in East Asia. Located in the Pacific Ocean, it lies to the east of the Sea of Japan, China, North Korea, South Korea and Russia, stretching from the Sea of Okhotsk in the north to the East China Sea and Taiwan in the south... |
|||
| align="center" Win |  Orlando Wiet |
Submission (Rear Naked Choke) | Kingdom - Birth Step 3 | July 29, 1997 | 1 | 6:01 | Tokyo, Japan |
||
| align="center" Loss | Yoji Anjoh |
Submission (Kneebar) | Kingdom - Birth Step 2 | July 20, 1997 | 1 | 11:17 | Tokyo Tokyo , ; officially , is one of the 47 prefectures of Japan. Tokyo is the capital of Japan, the center of the Greater Tokyo Area, and the largest metropolitan area of Japan. It is the seat of the Japanese government and the Imperial Palace, and the home of the Japanese Imperial Family... , Japan Japan Japan is an island nation in East Asia. Located in the Pacific Ocean, it lies to the east of the Sea of Japan, China, North Korea, South Korea and Russia, stretching from the Sea of Okhotsk in the north to the East China Sea and Taiwan in the south... |
||
| align="center" Win | Yuhi Sano |
Submission (Heel Hold) | Kingdom - Birth Step 1 | May 4, 1997 | 1 | 7:53 | Tokyo, Japan |
||
| align="center" Loss | Mark Silver |
Submission (Rear Naked Choke) | UWFI - The Fight of Champions: Japan-USA-Russia Final | October 4, 1993 | 1 | 7:14 | Tokyo Tokyo , ; officially , is one of the 47 prefectures of Japan. Tokyo is the capital of Japan, the center of the Greater Tokyo Area, and the largest metropolitan area of Japan. It is the seat of the Japanese government and the Imperial Palace, and the home of the Japanese Imperial Family... , Japan Japan Japan is an island nation in East Asia. Located in the Pacific Ocean, it lies to the east of the Sea of Japan, China, North Korea, South Korea and Russia, stretching from the Sea of Okhotsk in the north to the East China Sea and Taiwan in the south... |
||
| align="center" Loss | Mark Silver |
Submission | UWFI - ISKA World Light Welterweight Final | September 5, 1993 | 1 | Tokyo Tokyo , ; officially , is one of the 47 prefectures of Japan. Tokyo is the capital of Japan, the center of the Greater Tokyo Area, and the largest metropolitan area of Japan. It is the seat of the Japanese government and the Imperial Palace, and the home of the Japanese Imperial Family... , Japan Japan Japan is an island nation in East Asia. Located in the Pacific Ocean, it lies to the east of the Sea of Japan, China, North Korea, South Korea and Russia, stretching from the Sea of Okhotsk in the north to the East China Sea and Taiwan in the south... |
|||
| align="center" Loss | Steve Nelson Steve Nelson Steve Nelson may refer to:* Steve Nelson , New England Patriots football player* Steve Nelson , American musician* Steve Nelson , Communist Party member, Spanish Civil War veteran and U.S... |
Submission | UWFI - The Fight of Champions III | August 13, 1993 | 1 | 6.09 | Tokyo Tokyo , ; officially , is one of the 47 prefectures of Japan. Tokyo is the capital of Japan, the center of the Greater Tokyo Area, and the largest metropolitan area of Japan. It is the seat of the Japanese government and the Imperial Palace, and the home of the Japanese Imperial Family... , Japan Japan Japan is an island nation in East Asia. Located in the Pacific Ocean, it lies to the east of the Sea of Japan, China, North Korea, South Korea and Russia, stretching from the Sea of Okhotsk in the north to the East China Sea and Taiwan in the south... |
||