411 Fighter Profile: Kazushi Sakuraba
Posted by Randy Harrison on 04.24.2008
The man who is widely considered the greatest Japanese fighter in MMA history goes under the microscope and gets the full profile treatment. For those who are new to the sport, or those who are old fans looking for a trip down memory lane, check out Kazushi Sakuraba's entire career in one easy-to-read column!
Kazushi Sakuraba
Nicknames: "The Gracie Hunter", "The IQ Wrestler", "Saku", "39" Record: 23 Wins, 10 Losses, 1 Draw, 2 No Contests Weight: 183 lbs Height: 6'0 Hometown: Katagami, Atika, Japan Ranking n/a Association: None Organizations: DREAM, K-1 Hero's, PRIDE, UFC, Accomplishments: Wrestling Observer Newsletter Hall of Fame, First man to defeat four Gracies in a career, first man to defeat a Gracie in MMA competition, UFC Ultimate Japan Tournament Winner.
Introduction
Kazushi Sakuraba was one of the leaders of the Mixed Martial Arts movement in Japan and is one of the most influential fighters in the history of MMA. His skill in the ring is only matched by his flair for the dramatic as he popularized choreographed ring entrances in Japan and set the stage for men like Genki Sudo and Akihiro Gono to follow in his footsteps. His fighting spirit and incredible array of skills allowed him to be the only man to defeat four Gracies in an MMA career and also allowed him to be the first man ever to defeat a member of the Gracie family in an MMA competiton when he submitted Royler Gracie with a kimura at PRIDE 8. Sakuraba was able to seamlessly blend his skills at freestyle and catch wrestling and adapt them into the MMA world, using his brain to out-think and out-plan his opponents, most times having them beaten before the bout had even begun. He also introduced some of the wilder moves in Mixed Martial Arts with double hammerfist strikes, cartwheel guard passes and jumping guard passes all being part of his repetoire. He has been voted on by many as the greatest Japanese MMA fighter in history and is widely credited as being one of the biggest draws for the PRIDE organization in their early years of existence.
Early Life
Sakuraba was born on July 14, 1968 in a section of Japan that is now known as Katagami, Atika, but at the time was known as three smaller towns named Tenno, Iitogawa and Showa. He began wrestling in high school, crafting the style that would make him famous in MMA the world over and allowing him to wrestle on a larger level at Chuo University, where he won the East Japan Freshman Wrestling Championship and placed fourth in the All-Japan Collegiate Wrestling Championships during his senior year. After his collegiate career drew to a close, he had the option to stay at Chuo as a coach or enter the professional ranks. Sakuraba chose to become a professional wrestler, emulating his childhood hero, Tiger Mask.
After deciding to become a professional wrestler, Sakuraba was left with a choice between Pancrase, a league which offered a hybrid style of wrestling closer to modern MMA, or UWFi, an organization that was professional wrestling, yet still offered a chance to work on practical techniques in their stiff, worked-shoot, bouts. Sakuraba received instruction from men like Lou Thesz and Billy Robinson, who helped to add the catch wrestling style that would make Sakuraba such a threat in MMA, to his already vast knowledge of freestyle wrestling. After an ill-fated feud with New Japan Pro Wrestling and with fellow UWFi star Yoji Anjoh taking a thrashing behind closed doors at the hands of Rickson Gracie, the UWFi suffered in attendance and eventually folded, leaving Sakuraba with no work to speak of. A short time after he began working for Kingdom Pro Wrestling, another shoot-wrestling organization, and when that organization was looking to establish credibility within Japan, they booked two of their members to compete in the UFC's Ultimate Japan tournament in December of 1997. When one of those fighters was hurt in training, Sakuraba was pressed into service and one of the most famous careers in Mixed Martial Arts began.
MMA Career
Loss, Kimo Leopoldo, Submisson (arm triangle choke), Round 1, 4:20 Shoot-Boxing S-Cup 1996, July 14, 1996
Included for the sake of being a complete record, there are still rumors to this day that the fight was a worked-shoot and is never really considered when Sakuraba's MMA career is discussed.
No Contest, Marcus Silveira, Premature Stoppage, Round 1 UFC Ultimate Japan 1, Yokohama, Japan, December 21, 1997
The fight was stopped prematurely when Sakuraba shot for a single-leg takedown but it was perceived by referee John McCarthy as a knockdown and he called a halt to the fight. After the match, McCarthy saw video evidence to the contrary and deemed the fight a no-contest. When Tank Abbott was hurt later in the evening, Sakuraba found himself back in the tournament and in the finals against a familiar foe.
Win, Marcus Silveira, Submission (armbar), Round 1, 3:44 UFC Ultimate Japan 1, Yokohama, Japan, December 21, 1997
The tournament final, which Sakuraba won, making him the winner of the UFC's first Ultimate Japan tournament. The accomplishment is made greater by the fact that he is one of the last tournament champions in UFC history. Sakuraba was famously quoted after the fight as saying "In fact, professional wrestling is strong."
Win, Vernon White, Submission (armbar), Round 3, 6:53 PRIDE 2, Yokohama, Japan, March 15, 1998
Sakuraba's PRIDE debut, he defeated White in a great grappling bout, despite White having an experience advantage of almost twenty fights and a weight advantage of over 20 pounds.
Win, Carlos Newton, Submission (kneebar), Round 2, 5:19 PRIDE 2, Nippon Budokan, Japan, June 24, 1998
Widely regarded by many MMA purists as the greatest grappling display in MMA history, Newton and Sakuraba went move for move, reversal for reversal until Sakuraba forced Newton into a mistake and locked in a kneebar.
Draw, Allan Goes PRIDE 4, Tokyo Dome, Tokyo, Japan, October 11, 1998
Three hard-fought, ten-minute rounds led to no winner as Goes and Sakuraba fought to a draw in the first of three straight bouts that Sakuraba would fight against Brazilian Jiu-Jitsu black belts.
Win, Vitor Belfort, Decision PRIDE 5, Nagoya Rainbow Hall, Nagoya, Japan, April 29, 1999
Belfort, one of the top light-heavyweight fighters in the world at the time, was no match for Sakuraba who was able to earn a decision win despite being outweighed by well over 20 pounds, a trend that would continue throughout Sakuraba's career.
Win, Ebeneezer Fontes Braga, Submission (armlock) Round 1, 9:23 PRIDE 6, Yokohama, Japan, July 4, 1999
Win, Anthony Macias, Submission (armbar), Round 2, 2:30 PRIDE 7, Yokohama, Japan, September 12, 1999
An armbar win over the former UFC fighter in Macias, leading up to one of the biggest moments in Japanese MMA history.
Win, Royler Gracie, Technical Submission (kimura), Round 2, 13:16 PRIDE 8, Ariake Colosseum, Japan, November 21, 1999
Kazushi Sakuraba becomes the first man to defeat a Gracie in modern MMA competition, though not without controversy. Some felt that the fight was stopped prematurely and that Royler, despite being locked in the hold, could have lasted until the end of the round which would have more than likely left the fight a draw. Either way, it was a huge moment for Sakuraba although it would not be his last run-in with the Gracie family.
Win, Guy Mezger, Forfeit PRIDE Grand Prix 2000 Opening Round, Tokyo Dome, Tokyo Japan, January 30, 2000
Controversy again followed Sakuraba as after a fifteen minute fight which the judges deemed a draw, Ken Shamrock removed Mezger from the ring in protest of an overtime period that had been requested by the judges, as well as their inability to reach a verdict. When Mezger did not answer the bell he was deemed to have forfeited the bout to Sakuraba.
Win, Royce Gracie, TKO (Corner Stoppage) PRIDE Grand Prix Finals, Tokyo Dome, Tokyo, Japan, May 1, 2000
One of the most famous and infamous bouts in MMA history, Sakuraba and Gracie battled for six, fifteen-minute rounds, with neither man able to finish the other. The men traded submission attempts early but the fight soon stalemated into a battle of leg kicks and with Royce battling exhaustion in the corner before the seventh round, Rorion Gracie threw in the towel, giving the victory to Sakuraba.
Loss, Igor Vovchanchyn, TKO (Corner Stoppage) PRIDE Grand Prix Finals, Tokyo Dome, Tokyo, Japan, May 1, 2000
After giving ninety minutes to the Gracie fight and despite giving up almost fifty pounds, Sakuraba came back later in the same night to face off against Igor Vovchanchyn, but after the first round and fifteen minutes more of fighting, Sakuraba had nothing left to give and was forced to surrender before the start of the overtime period that was deemed necessary after the first round was ruled a draw.
Win, Renzo Gracie, Technical Submission (kimura), Round 2, 9:43 PRIDE 10: Return of the Warriors, Seibu Dome, Tokyo, Japan, August 27, 2000
Another huge win against a Gracie for Sakuraba in a bout that Gracie has called his greatest acheivement in MMA. Faced with an already broken elbow from the kimura, Gracie refused to tap out, instead needing the referee to step in and stop the bout after Sakuraba locked in the submission. After the bout Gracie paid Sakuraba one of the highest compliments he could statign that Sakuraba was "the Japanese version of the Gracie Family".
Win, Shannon Ritch, Submission (Achilles lock), Round 1, 1:08 PRIDE 11: Battle of the Rising Sun, Osaka Castle Hall, Osaka, Japan, October 31, 2000
Win, Ryan Gracie, Decision PRIDE 12: Cold Fury, Saitama Super Arena, December 9, 2000
Another Gracie, another victory for Sakuraba, a hard-fought ten minute fight, so deemed because Ryan entered the fight with a serious shoulder injury. Not wanting to back away from the challenge he made to Sakuraba, Gracie fought on, losing a decision to Sakuraba who appeared to not try as hard as usual for his arm submissons to avoid causing any further damage to Gracie's arm.
Loss, Wanderlei Silva, TKO (strikes), Round 1, 1:38 PRIDE 13: Collision Course, Saitama Super Arena, March 25, 2001
The bout to decide the first PRIDE Middleweight (205 lbs) Champion, and a bout that had a shocking conclusion. Sakuraba stunned Silva early on but was then knocked down and stopped by Silva soon after. Despite being outweighed, Sakuraba was looked at as the favorite for the fight and it was a huge upset for Silva to have won in the eyes of the Japanese fans. Silva was so impressed with Sakuraba that he stated that he could have a rematch whenever he wanted one.
Win, Quinton Jackson, Submission (rear naked choke), Round 1, 5:41 PRIDE 15: Raging Rumble, Saitama Super Arena, July 29, 2001
About as exciting a fight that could be had in five minutes with Sakuraba trying various submissions and Jackson slamming him all over the place before finally gassing out and ending up succumbing to a rear naked choke from Sakuraba. This fight placed Sakuraba back in line for a title shot at Wanderlei Silva, while springing Jackson towards a career in PRIDE which would be one of the most successful for an American fighter before making his jump to the upstart WFA and then on to the UFC.
Loss, Wanderlei Silva, TKO (Doctor's Stoppage), Round 1, 10:00 PRIDE 17: Championship Chaos, Tokyo Dome, Tokyo, Japan, November 3, 2001
The second fight with Silva which was closer than the first, with Sakuraba scoring a takedown and working from guard before ending up sinking in a guillotine choke. The subsequent slam to escape by Silva led to Sakuraba breaking his collarbone and having to surrender between the first and second rounds. Disappointing for Sakuraba, but a much better showing than his first test against Silva.
Loss, Mirko Filipovic, TKO (eye injury), Round 2, 5:00 PRIDE: Shockwave, National Stadium, Tokyo, Japan, August 28, 2002
The biggest star in the K-1 kickboxing promotion against arguably the biggest star in PRIDE Fighting Championship in a winner-takes-all bout on the co-promoted supercard. Sakuraba did well to take Filipovic down in a somewhat even fight, but suffered another injury, a broken orbital bone, which would force him to forfeit the bout and spend three months rehabilitating before fighting again.
Win, Gilles Arsenne, Submisson (armbar), Round 3, 2:08 PRIDE 23: Championship Chaos II, Tokyo Dome, Tokyo, Japan, November 24, 2002
Sakuraba submits the French brazilian jiu-jitsu champion with an armbar in a fight that saw Sakurba finally fighting someone within his own weight class.
Loss, Antonio Schembri, TKO (knees), Round 1, 6:15 PRIDE 25: Body Blow, Yokohama Arena, Yokohama, Japan, March 16, 2003
A huge upset at the time as Schembr was thought to be a level below the popular Sakuraba. Sakuraba dominated the early portion of the fight but was caught with a well-timed knee that staggered and then ultimately stopped Sakuraba, leading to a decline in Sakuraba's record and the first calls for him to possibly begin to phase himself out of PRIDE's upper echelon.
Loss, Wanderlei Silva, KO (punch), Round 1, 5:01 PRIDE: Total Elimination 2003, Saitama Super Arena, August 10, 2003
Another fight with Silva, another loss, this time in the same crushing vein as the first fight. Silva pressed for the entire bout before finally connecting and sending Sakuraba crashing to the canvas for the knockout loss.
Win, Kevin Randleman, Submisison (armbar), Round 3, 2:36 PRIDE: Final Conflict 2003, Tokyo Dome, Tokyo, Japan, November 9, 2003
Loss, Antonio Rogerio Nogueira, Decision PRIDE: Shockwave 2003, Saitama Super Arena, December 31, 2003
After sustaining little damage in his win against Kevin Randleman, Sakuraba saw action again just a month and a half later against one of the talented Nogueira brothers. Rogerio pushed the fight and won the decision in yet another fight where Sakuraba was fighting against an opponent with nearly thirty pounds in weight advantage.
Win, Antonio Schembri, Decision PRIDE: Critical Countdown 2004, Saitama Super Arena, June 20, 2004
Sakuraba avenged his earlier loss to Schembri in a fight marked by Sakuraba's inability to finish, again raising questions as to whether Sakuraba's time in the sport had come and gone. Those questions continue to linger to this day.
Win, Dong Sik Yoon, KO (strikes), Round 1, 0:38 PRIDE: Total Elimination 2005, Osaka Dome, Osaka, Japan, April 23, 2005
The first round of the 2005 Middleweight tournament, and a convincing win for Sakuraba in a fight that served to silence his critics and possibly have them reconsider Sakuraba's place in the sport. Their silence would be short-lived.
Loss, Ricardo Arona, TKO (Corner Stoppage), Round 2, 5:00 PRIDE: Critical Countdown 2005, Saitama Super Arena, June 26, 2005
One of the most devastating losses of Sakuraba's career, Arona grounded and pounded Sakuraba mercilessly, leading to one of the most striking and disturbing visuals in the sport as Sakuraba sat on the mat, both eyes swollen shut and bleeding profusely. It was thought that Arona was using illegal tactics to grind against the cuts and swelling, making them become even worse as the fight wore on, and finally Sakuraba's corner threw in the towel between the second and third rounds. Almost difficult to watch at times as Sakuraba was clearly beaten but his pride would not allow him to relent.
Win, Ken Shamrock, TKO (punch), Round 1, 2:27 PRIDE 30: Fully Loaded, Saitama Super Arena, October 23, 2005
A hotly contested and highly controversial win which saw Sakuraba knock Shamrock backwards through the ropes with a left hand, drawing a stop to the fight. The controversy arose afterwards when Shamrock bounced back to his feet and appeared to be ready to continue fighting. There are differing opinions even to this day as to whether the victory was legitimate or not, but as it stands it is on Sakuraba's record as a win.
Win, Ikuhisa Minowa, Technical Submission (kimura), Round 1, 9:59 PRIDE: Shockwave 2005, Saitama Super Arena, December 31, 2005
The last fight in the PRIDE organization for Sakuraba, as well as his only fight against a Japanese opponent in the promotion. Sakuraba pressed to face longtime nemesis Kiyoshi Tamura, but when Tamura refused the bout, a match with another popular Japanese catch-wrestler in Minowa was made. The fight was stopped with one second left in the round as Minowa refused to submit to the kimura, forcing the referee to step in and halt the bout.
Win, Kestutis Smirnovas, Submission (armbar), Round 1, 6:41 K-1 Hero's 6, Ariake Colosseum, Tokyo, Japan, August 5, 2006
The main event of K-1 Hero's 6 was Sakuraba's first fight for the promotion and the last bout in the opening round of their 205-pound Light Heavyweight tournament. Sakuraba sustained a vicious beating, nearly being stopped in the contest before finally perservering to take the Lithuanian down. Sakuraba applied one of his trademark armbars and the fight was stopped, but this fight would stay with Sakuraba for some time afterwards. Fans were worried about Sakuraba's condition after the beating and those worries would only multiply further when Sakuraba fainted and began vomiting during a hard training session preparing for the next round of the tournament. He was diagnosed with vertebrobasilar damage, a condition that restricts the flow of blood to the head and neck, with the damage being caused by untreated head injuries, dating all the way back to Sakuraba's collegiate wrestling career.
No Contest, Yoshihiro Akiyama, Round 1, 5:37 K-1 Premium 2006 Dynamite!!, Osaka Dome, Osaka, Japan, December 31, 2006
Concerns that Sakuraba's career was over were soon quelled as he stepped into the ring to face Akiyama at K-1 Hero's year-end spectacular. The fight ended in controversy as Sakuraba complained to the official in charge and the event coordinator Akira Maeda called for the bell, with Sakuraba claiming that Akiyama's body had been greased. The referee found nothing out of the ordinary, but in the weeks after the fight, K-1 launched an investigation and found video evidence of Akiyama applying a lotion to his skin before the bout. Akiyama claimed dry skin, but there was no saving himself and he was disqualified with his fight purse held as a result. It was thought that the Akiyama bout was to be Sakuraba's last, but he continued on after the disappointing result.
Credit to fight2live.net
Win, Yurij Kiseliov, Submission (triangle choke/armbar), Round 1, 1:26 K-1 Hero's 8, Nagoya Rainbow Hall, Nagoya, Japan, March 12, 2007
A quick win over a somewhat overmatched opponent in a fight that was to signal a return to prominence for Sakuraba. This was followed by the final PRIDE show, where Sakuraba made an appearance, stating his desire again to fight Kiyoshi Tamura and meeting with him in the ring to agree on a bout that sadly would never take place after the buy-out of PRIDE.
Credit to fight2live.net
Loss, Royce Gracie, Decision K-1 Hero's Dynamite USA!!, Los Angeles Memorial Coliseum, Los Angeles, California, June 2, 2007
A loss that shouldn't be as first Sakuraba was widely agreed upon by most fight pundits as having won a decision in a bout that he controlled throughout. Gracie got the nod in a bit of a surprise and an upset. After the fight though, Gracie tested positive for massive amounts of the steroid Nandrolone, and was suspended by the CSAC and stripped of $2,500 of his fight purse. Sadly, there are no rules in effect in California to overturn a decision based on a positive drug test, so this stands as a loss for Sakuraba, despite it being decidedly undeserved.
Win, Katsuyori Shibata, Submission (armbar), Round 1, 6:20 K-1 Hero's - Tournament Final, Yokohama Arena, Yokohama, Japan, September 17, 2007
Prior to this fight, Shibata's trainer, Masakatsu Funaki, challenged Sakuraba to a bout, thinking that their styles would lead to an entertaining fight. First though Sakuraba had to withstand an early barrage of punches from Shibata, finally scoring the takedown and securing another of his patented armbars to emerge victorious.
Credit to fight2live.net
Win, Masakatsu Funaki, Submission (kimura), Round 1, 6:25 K-1 Premium 2007 Dynamite!!, Kyocera Dome, Osaka, Japan, December 31, 2007
Sakuraba's latest fight, and one of his toughest victories as it came against an opponent some viewed as a mirror image of Sakuraba. Sakuraba came out on top with an armbar submission win in what is expected to be his last fight for K-1 Hero's before moving on to the new DREAM promotion, founded by FEG, owners of K-1 Hero's and former employees of DSE, the producers behind Sakuraba's old promotion PRIDE.
Credit to fight2live.net
The Future
Sakuraba is still continuing to fight, despite numerous conjectures that he is perhaps past his prime, or suffering the effects of too many fights and beatings and should retire. He is slated to fight in the DREAM Middleweight Grand Prix's opening round next weekend against Andrews Nakahara. He appears to be in no mood to slow down, and is being looked at as one of the bigger name Japanese stars in the new promotion. Despite his recent losses and advanced age, no one can deny that Sakuraba still has the imaginations of the Japanese people in the palm of his hand and that he will continue to draw crowds to see him fight for as long as he wishes to do so. As long as there is no risk of serious injury, I would love to continue seeing Sakuraba fight for a long time to come.
