Kazushi Sakuraba
Kazushi Sakuraba | |
---|---|
MMA) 1993- present (Wrestling) | |
Mixed martial arts record | |
Total | 46 |
Wins | 26 |
By knockout | 4 |
By submission | 19 |
By decision | 3 |
Losses | 17 |
By knockout | 10 |
By submission | 3 |
By decision | 4 |
Draws | 1 |
No contests | 2 |
Other information | |
Mixed martial arts record from Sherdog | |
Last updated on: May 18, 2010 |
Kazushi Sakuraba (
Known for his excellent skills in
Early life
Sakuraba became a fan of
Professional wrestling
Background
Having weighed 68 kg (150 lb) for most of his amateur wrestling career, Sakuraba was encouraged by his peers to gain weight, as it would be difficult to compete as a smaller fighter in pro wrestling. After working to gain the weight needed to compete, he never wanted to lose it anymore, something that would be reflected in his MMA career.
Union of Wrestling Forces International (1993–1996)
His time in the UWF-i would prove to be a formative experience for Sakuraba. He received his initial instruction in both grappling and striking under main trainer
In spite of his amateur pedigree, Sakuraba was forced to work his way up from the bottom of the UWFi's rung, as it is traditional in puroresu. Sakuraba lost his debut on August 13, 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 perfectly perform menial chores about the dojo.[18] 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
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 real fighting. In a bid to regain credibility, Yoji Anjo travelled to California to perform a dojo challenge on Rickson Gracie, 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 Anjoh by submission.
Kingdom Pro Wrestling (1997–1998)
Following the close of the UWFi,
New Japan Pro-Wrestling (2012–2016)
On August 12, 2012, Sakuraba, alongside
On October 14, Sakuraba was defeated by Nagata in a singles rematch between the two. Following the match, Sakuraba and Nagata came together to accept a challenge issued by
On April 5 at Invasion Attack 2015, Sakuraba submitted Katsuyori Shibata in a tag team match, where he and Yano defeated Shibata and Hiroshi Tanahashi, igniting a rivalry between the former Laughter7 partners.[41][42] The two faced off on July 5 at Dominion 7.5 in Osaka-jo Hall in a match, where Shibata was victorious.[43]
Pro Wrestling Noah (2019–present)
After wrestling sporadically for independent promotions for a few years, Sakuraba returned to wrestling full-time for
Mixed martial arts
Early career
Though sources[45] often cite Sakuraba's match with Kimo Leopoldo on July 14, 1996, as his first experience with mixed martial arts, there is debate about whether it was a shoot or a worked match. Sakuraba himself has stated that he doesn't remember it.[46] However, his first contact with MMA can be traced to his different style fight at 26 June 1996 against Dutch kickboxer Rene Rooze, which was won by Sakuraba via ankle hold.[47]
Ultimate Fighting Championship
In an attempt to gain attention for the embattled Kingdom Pro Wrestling league,
The match saw the two grapplers exchanging
Silveira opened their second match taking Sakuraba's back, which the Japanese wrestler answered by attempting to apply a
With Nobuhiko Takada having left Kingdom to challenge Rickson Gracie in an event called Pride Fighting Championships, 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.
Pride Fighting Championships
Pride 2 through 8
Entering the Pride Fighting Championships on the heels of a defeat of stablemate Nobuhiko Takada 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 in Pancrase 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 rounds, but was ultimately submitted by armbar towards the end of the third round.[49]
Next, in Pride 3, Sakuraba was matched against Ultimate Fighting Championship veteran
Eager to capitalize on Sakuraba's
Sakuraba's match against Goes would be an instrumental point in his fighting's style evolution, pitted against an opponent with a strong defensive guard. Through the bout, Sakuraba attempted several moves to bypass the stationary Goes's defense, including leglocks, dives and kicks to the legs, but he also would have to defend, as Goes was relentless in his upkicks and submission counterattacks. Sakuraba was threatened by a rear naked choke several times, and in turn he almost finished Allan as well with an armbar, but none of it came to fruition. Due to the absence of judges in Pride's ruleset at the time, the match was ruled a draw. Sakuraba, always humble, stated "I fight his style, not mine. I think I lost the fight",[51] although Goes, a Carlson Gracie protege, would similarly state in a later interview "I've been training my whole life on the ground, and to me, [Sakuraba] was the best guy I ever faced on the ground".[52]
Belfort would be a different matchup, as his boxing prowess was known aside from his great grappling credentials. However, despite several big flurries by the Brazilian to open the match, Sakuraba went unscathed and took Belfort down, proceeding to land
Unlike the previous two matches, Kazushi faced in Braga a consistently aggressive opponent, with the luta livre practitioner landing effective muay thai knees and kicks until Sakuraba put him down. The Japanese wrestler continued his signature guard assault, but also outstruck Braga in his last standing segment before taking him down again and lock an armbar for the tap out.
"The Gracie Hunter"
After defeating
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 little time 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 technique Sakuraba utilized to beat Royler. That time, the recipient had been Royler's father, Hélio Gracie, who had, like Royler, also refused to submit but likewise lost.
Pride 2000 Grand Prix
While the Japanese fight
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). Gracie opened the fight aggressively, raining punches from Kazushi's back while the Japanese fighter worked an armlock from standing, but Sakuraba kept calm, knowing Royce had no knockout power and expecting him to waste his energy;
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 sixty 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. Sakuraba was actually leading the fight past the 10-minute mark, but near the end Igor was able to reverse a takedown and draw the first round even with ground strikes. After the first round was declared a draw Sakuraba's corner threw in the towel before the beginning of overtime, primarily due to fatigue.
Pride 10 through 15
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
At the time of his bout with Sakuraba, Renzo's only loss in 10 bouts was a closely contested decision to Sakuraba's former
Renzo took the microphone and, before the 35,000 fans assembled at the
The fight between Sakuraba and Ryan was scheduled to happen 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. Despite it, Kazushi later argued in an interview that he believed Ryan would have been faking the entire injury in order to catch him off guard.[60] Nonetheless, the Japanese threw some of his usual antics during the match, at some points delivering chops to Ryan's rear while controlling him.[60]
Following the win against Ryan, Sakuraba was slated to battle
After sitting out the next Pride to recuperate, Sakuraba found himself across the ring from
Title bout with Silva, losing streak
The Jackson bout 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 a leglock, he finally found one when Silva attempted to escape to his feet. Sakuraba started to control the fight, avoiding Silva's strikes and threatening him with clinches and takedown attempts. Halfway through the round, the Japanese locked on a tight guillotine choke, but was countered by a wild slam from Wanderlei which ended up breaking his collar bone. The wrestler managed to end the round with submission attempts from the bottom, but not willing to let him go on so hampered, his corner threw in the towel between rounds.[65][66]
Sakuraba took time off to let his shoulder heal, also briefly training basic
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 Antônio 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 controlled the fight initially, landing plenty of hits and breaking Antônio's nose, but when he was going for one of his trademark Mongolian chops, Schembri stunned him with a series of knee strikes (controversially preceded by an illegal headbutt), winning by TKO.[70]
After the defeat to Schembri, Sakuraba expressed desire to gain weight and move up to the heavyweight division, hoping to fight either Bob Sapp or PRIDE Heavyweight Champion Fedor Emelianenko.[71] However, nothing of this was realized, and instead Sakuraba faced Wanderlei Silva for the third time at Pride Total Elimination. The bout reminisced their first encounter, as Sakuraba flashed again a comical entrance and traded strikes with Silva in his own field of specialty. The Japanese utilized a strategy of faking takedowns and attacking with uppercuts, followed by a real takedown attempt which Silva blocked with knees to the head. Sakuraba escaped and kept trading hits, but despite his best efforts to match his opponent's striking acumen, Wanderlei knocked him out with a jab-cross combination.[72] After the fight, there was talk of Kazushi planning to retire, but nothing came from it.
Those defeats 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. He had a notable victory over Kevin Randleman, a former UFC Heavyweight Champion, widely remembered due to his ring entrance as Mario, a pun intended to reflect the Japanese media referring to Randleman as Donkey Kong. In the match itself, Randleman was fast in showing his wrestling accolades at taking down Sakuraba, but the Japanese countered by setting submissions from every available position, until the American made a mistake and was caught in an armbar in the third round.
At Pride Shockwave 2003, Sakuraba would face Antônio Rogério Nogueira, brother to the famous Antônio Rodrigo Nogueira. The Brazilian, having promised to knock out the Japanese, opened the match lunging at him with punches, but Kazushi answered in kind and opened a cut on Nogueira's eye which almost stopped the bout. The action resumed, both men battled for several minutes, with Rogério gaining the upper hand in striking and Sakuraba in wrestling, allowing him to get in Nogueira's guard and inflict significant damage again. During the second round, Nogueira managed to catch Sakuraba in a triangle choke/armbar combo, but the Japanese escaped the hold and sought his own submission, to no effect. Finally, the third round saw Nogueira taking over with punches and knees, exchanging strikes with Sakuraba almost until the last minute, and ultimately winning the decision.[73]
Pride 2005 Middleweight Grand Prix
After a quick TKO victory over decorated judoka
Following the loss, 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. The move had also a symbolic value, as Chute Boxe was at the time in a rivalry with Arona's Brazilian Top Team.
Post Grand Prix
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 shoot 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 and 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 got up following the KO and protested vigorously. Opinions were mixed regarding the KO's legitimacy, though Ken's adopted brother and rival, Frank, stated to believe the stoppage was justified: "He got clocked. He went down. According to the rules, he was no longer defending himself and that's the end of the fight."[75]
Prior to Pride's Shockwave 2005 New Year's Eve event, Sakuraba strongly petitioned for a match against fellow shoot wrestler and professional wrestling proponent, Kiyoshi Tamura, even going so far as to publicly request a bout with Tamura. However, with Tamura refusing to face him, Sakuraba recommended another shoot wrestler, Ikuhisa Minowa, who referred 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 Sakuraba choosing to fight from the bottom and using both men's submission attempts to force scrambles. After long minutes pinned under Sakuraba, Minowa escaped and took his back, but Kazushi applied a Kimura lock which, although Minowa would not tap to it, nonetheless prompted the referee to halt the contest.[76] The victory marked his final bout under the Pride banner; 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
Leaving Pride
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.
Hero's Light Heavyweight 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, even flooring Smirnovas with a kick, but as he was coming in to follow up he was caught and knocked down to his knees and hands. Kazushi then turned over, sliding beneath the bottom rope, and Smirnovas unleashed repeated blows to his head. As 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 restarting of fighters who have found themselves near or outside the ropes is common practice, it was nonetheless controversial.[77] Following the restart, Smirnovas picked up where he'd left off and proceed to pound a turtled Sakuraba, but the Japanese managed to escape to his feet and land a sharp combination, staggering Smirnovas and bloodying his face. Having turned the tide of the match, Sakuraba began dominating the Lithuanian on the striking segments until Smirnovas dropped to the ground to escape the assault. Sakuraba then accomplished an armbar, forcing his opponent to give up.[77]
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
K-1 Dynamite!!!
In spite of this revelation, rather than being granted a break to recover and possibly undergo surgery Sakuraba scheduled to return to action on December 31, 2006, against
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
Following that win, he would next share the mixed martial arts ring with his fellow shoot wrestler and
On 2 June 2007, Sakuraba rematched Royce Gracie in K-1 Dynamite!! USA. While Sakuraba knocked Gracie to the canvas in the opening seconds, the bout itself was fought at a relatively slow pace, with Kazushi scoring multiple takedowns and Gracie scoring a number of flailing kicks to the legs and face from the bottom, as well as standing knee strikes to Kazushi's injured and bandaged knee. The Japanese wrestler also besieged Gracie on the ground, finishing the bout having taken the back of Gracie and searching for an armbar. Royce won by unanimous decision, which many viewers and MMA sites disputed immediately on the feeling that Sakuraba won the fight. Sherdog scored it 29–28 in favor of the Japanese fighter.[79] Moreover, Gracie tested positive for steroids after the bout.[80]
Sakuraba versus Funaki
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 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 armbar and finishing the bout.
Following his victory, Sakuraba praised the fighting spirit of Shibata[81] and accepted Funaki's challenge. Much like Sakuraba, Funaki was trained in shoot wrestling 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. The two fighters exchanged colourful entrances at the arena, Sakuraba's featuring him and baseball player Tsuyoshi Shimoyanagi dressed in identical fighting gears and Ultraman masks.
Once in the match, Sakuraba was able to sneak in a double leg takedown after Funaki committed heavily to a missed right cross. Funaki closed guard around Sakuraba before opening it up to spin for a kneebar, and for a moment Funaki appeared to secure Sakuraba's leg, but he was thwarted by a combination of Sakuraba's submission acumen and their position against the ring ropes. Sakuraba then maneuvered to Funaki's back, only for the Pancrase founder to roll back into the guard position. Breaking away momentarily from the grappling contest, Sakuraba stood up and began to assault Funaki's legs with a series of kicks, which Funaki answered with an upkick of his own, cutting Sakuraba's eye. Kazushi then returned himself to the ground, where Funaki immediately attempted to sweep him, but Sakuraba blocked the attempt and secured a Kimura lock or double wristlock, eventually forcing Funaki to submit.[82]
After the match, event producer Sadaharu Tanikawa spoke about a possible matchup between Sakuraba and Rickson Gracie the next year, which the former approved.[83] However, nothing came from it.
Dream
In 2008, it was announced that Kazushi Sakuraba would compete in the Middleweight Grand Prix of the new MMA promotion, Dream. 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.[84]
Finally it was announced that
After his return to Dream, Sakuraba defeated
On May 29 he faced
It would be the sixth time Sakuraba faced a Gracie, albeit this time with a deep age difference, given the Japanese (41) and the Brazilian (24)'s respective ages. During the match, the wrestler performed significantly against the young Gracie, but the latter kept dominating, evidencing a training specialized to counter Sakuraba's style. There was controversy towards the end of the fight, as Sakuraba seemed to have secured a kimura, only to the referee to pause the match to pull up Ralek's pants. The pause allowed the Brazilian to come back with an armbar, which Kazushi escaped to meet a unanimous decision win for Gracie.On September 25, at Dream 16, Sakuraba lost to Jason "Mayhem" Miller via arm triangle choke.[45]
Sakuraba fought for the
Sakuraba fought against undefeated Brazilian jiu-jitsu Black Belt Yan Cabral at Dream 17, losing via head arm triangle. This was Sakuraba's 6th loss in his last 8 fights.
Rizin Fighting Federation
On October 8, 2015, new Japanese mixed martial arts promotion Rizin Fighting Federation announced at a press conference that Sakuraba would face fellow Japanese fighter and grappler Shinya Aoki on the December 29, 2015.[88] This was Sakuraba's first fight after taking four years away from the sport. Sakuraba lost the fight via TKO at 5:56 in the first round, after being taken down and receiving ground and pound.
Submission grappling
Metamoris
On November 22, 2014, Sakuraba fought Renzo Gracie in a grappling match in Metamoris V. Renzo played defensive closed guard earlier in the match, with the two exchanging guillotine choke attempts, but he eventually flipped Sakuraba over and pinned him. However, Sakuraba resisted all of his submission attempts, and with 90 seconds left he scrambled and tried to lock a Kimura, which was unsuccessful. The fight ended in a draw.[89][90]
Rizin
On October 15, 2017, Sakuraba fought former UFC champion Frank Shamrock at RIZIN fighting world grand Prix 2017 Autumn: Aki Jin event in Fukuoka, Japan for a grappling exhibition march at 84 kg division. The match ended with a draw decision.[91]
Quintet
In April 2018, Sakuraba announced the formation of a submission wrestling promotion named Quintet (grappling). Based on five-man teams, it is fought under a kachi-nuki-shiai tournament format similar to Nanatei Judo.[92] He competed in the inaugural event, but his team was eliminated in the semi-final round.
Sakuraba competed at Quintet 4 on September 10, 2023 where he would captain his own team, Team Sakuraba.[93] Sakuraba drew his only match and his team went out in the opening round.[94]
Fighting style
Sakuraba became known for a unique, unorthodox fighting style which has been described as creative
Personal life
Sakuraba is married and has a son.
He has never cared much about diet and admits to drinking alcohol and being a smoker.[55][60] Regarding the notable differences in weight between himself and his opponents throughout his career, as well as the banning of
About his proneness to fight outside his weight class, Sakuraba declared "the more impossible the fights got, the more willing to accept them I became". Although he once desired to fight him,[71] he later cited Fedor Emelianenko as the only fighter he ever refused to fight.[99]
In June 2021, Sakuraba was a torch bearer for the 2020 Summer Olympics.[100][101]
Championships and accomplishments
Amateur wrestling
- National championship runner-up (high school)
- East Japan freshman championship
- All Japan university wrestling championships (fourth place)
Mixed martial arts
- Pride Fighting Championships
- 2000 Pride Openweight Grand Prix semi-finalist
- Longest fight in Pride FC history – Pride Grand Prix 2000 Finals(90:00)
- Tied with Antônio Rodrigo Nogueira for the most submission wins (11) in Pride FC history
- Ultimate Fighting Championship
- UFC Hall of Fame (Pioneer wing, class of 2017)
- UFC Japan Heavyweight Tournament winner
- First Japanese champion in UFC history
- Sherdog
- Mixed Martial Arts Hall of Fame[102]
- Wrestling Observer Newsletter
- Wrestling Observer Newsletter Hall of Fame (Class of 2004)
- 2001 Best Box Office Draw
- 2001 Feud of the Year (vs. Wanderlei Silva)
- 2000 Best Shootfighter
- 2000 Best Shoot Match (vs. Royce Gracie)
- Tokyo Sports
- Most Valuable Player (2000)[103]
- Outstanding Performance (1999)[103]
Professional wrestling
- Kingdom
- Kingdom One Million Yen Tournament (1997)[104]
- Nikkan Sports
- Pro Wrestling Illustrated
- Ranked No. 238 of the top 500 singles wrestlers in the PWI 500 in 2017[107]
- Ranked No. 238 of the top 500 singles wrestlers in the
- Pro Wrestling Noah
- Tokyo Sports
- Best Tag Team Award (2020) – with Takashi Sugiura[108]
Mixed martial arts record
46 matches | 26 wins | 17 losses |
By knockout | 4 | 10 |
By submission | 19 | 3 |
By decision | 3 | 4 |
Draws | 1 | |
No contests | 2 |
Res. | Record | Opponent | Method | Event | Date | Round | Time | Location | Notes |
---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|
Loss | 26–17–1 (2) | Shinya Aoki | TKO (corner stoppage) | Rizin FF SARABA | December 29, 2015 | 1 | 5:56 | Saitama, Japan
|
Welterweight bout. |
Loss | 26–16–1 (2) | Yan Cabral | Submission (arm-triangle choke) | Dream 17 | September 24, 2011 | 2 | 2:42 | Saitama, Saitama , Japan
|
|
Loss | 26–15–1 (2) | Marius Žaromskis | TKO (doctor stoppage) | Dynamite!! 2010 | December 31, 2010 | 1 | 2:16 | Saitama, Saitama , Japan
|
For the Dream Welterweight Championship. |
Loss | 26–14–1 (2) | Jason Miller | Submission (arm-triangle choke) | Dream 16 | September 25, 2010 | 1 | 2:09 | Nagoya, Aichi , Japan
|
|
Loss | 26–13–1 (2) | Ralek Gracie
|
Decision (unanimous) | Dream 14 | May 29, 2010 | 3 | 5:00 | Saitama, Saitama , Japan
|
|
Win | 26–12–1 (2) | Zelg Galešić | Submission (kneebar) | Dream 12 | October 25, 2009 | 1 | 1:40 | Osaka, Osaka , Japan
|
|
Win | 25–12–1 (2) | Rubin Williams
|
Submission (kimura) | Dream 11 | October 6, 2009 | 1 | 2:53 | Yokohama, Kanagawa , Japan
|
|
Loss | 24–12–1 (2) | Kiyoshi Tamura | Decision (unanimous) | Fields Dynamite!! 2008 | December 31, 2008 | 2 | 5:00 | Saitama, Saitama , Japan
|
|
Loss | 24–11–1 (2) | Melvin Manhoef | KO (punches) | Dream 4: Middleweight Grand Prix 2008 Second Round | June 15, 2008 | 1 | 1:30 | Yokohama, Kanagawa , Japan
|
Dream Middleweight GP Quarterfinals. |
Win | 24–10–1 (2) | Andrews Nakahara | Submission (neck crank) | Dream 2: Middleweight Grand Prix 2008 First Round | April 29, 2008 | 1 | 8:20 | Saitama, Saitama , Japan
|
Dream Middleweight GP Opening Round. |
Win | 23–10–1 (2) | Masakatsu Funaki | Submission (kimura) | K-1 PREMIUM 2007 Dynamite!! | December 31, 2007 | 1 | 6:25 | Osaka, Osaka , Japan
|
|
Win | 22–10–1 (2) | Katsuyori Shibata | Submission (armbar) | Hero's 10 | September 17, 2007 | 1 | 6:20 | Yokohama, Kanagawa , Japan
|
|
Loss | 21–10–1 (2) | Royce Gracie | Decision (unanimous) | Dynamite!! USA | June 2, 2007 | 3 | 5:00 | Los Angeles, California United States
|
Gracie tested positive for anabolic steroids after match. The judges' original decision was not overturned.[109]
|
Win | 21–9–1 (2) | Yurij Kiselov | Submission (triangle armbar) | Hero's 8 | March 12, 2007 | 1 | 1:26 | Nagoya, Aichi , Japan
|
|
NC | 20–9–1 (2) | Yoshihiro Akiyama | NC (overturned) | K-1 PREMIUM 2006 Dynamite!! | December 31, 2006 | 1 | 5:37 | Osaka, Osaka , Japan
|
Originally a TKO loss; was later overturned to a no contest after Akiyama confessed to applying lotion before the fight. |
Win | 20–9–1 (1) | Kestutis Smirnovas
|
Submission (armbar) | Hero's 6 | August 5, 2006 | 1 | 6:41 | Tokyo, Japan | Hero's 2006 Light Heavyweight Grand Prix Quarterfinals; unable to continue in tournament due to medical reasons. |
Win | 19–9–1 (1) | Ikuhisa Minowa | Technical Submission (kimura) | Pride Shockwave 2005
|
December 31, 2005 | 1 | 9:59 | Saitama, Saitama , Japan
|
|
Win | 18–9–1 (1) | Ken Shamrock | TKO (punch) | Pride 30
|
October 23, 2005 | 1 | 2:27 | Saitama, Saitama , Japan
|
|
Loss | 17–9–1 (1) | Ricardo Arona | TKO (corner stoppage) | Pride Critical Countdown 2005
|
June 26, 2005 | 2 | 5:00 | Saitama, Saitama , Japan
|
Pride 2005 Middleweight GP Quarterfinals. |
Win | 17–8–1 (1) | Yoon Dong-Sik
|
KO (punches) | Pride Total Elimination 2005
|
April 23, 2005 | 1 | 0:38 | Osaka, Osaka , Japan
|
Pride 2005 Middleweight GP Opening Round. |
Win | 16–8–1 (1) | Nino Schembri | Decision (unanimous) | Pride Critical Countdown 2004
|
June 20, 2004 | 3 | 5:00 | Saitama, Saitama , Japan
|
|
Loss | 15–8–1 (1) | Antônio Rogério Nogueira | Decision (unanimous) | Pride Shockwave 2003
|
December 31, 2003 | 3 | 5:00 | Saitama, Saitama , Japan
|
|
Win | 15–7–1 (1) | Kevin Randleman | Submission (armbar) | Pride Final Conflict 2003
|
November 9, 2003 | 3 | 2:36 | Tokyo, Japan | |
Loss | 14–7–1 (1) | Wanderlei Silva | KO (punch) | Pride Total Elimination 2003 | August 10, 2003 | 1 | 5:01 | Saitama, Saitama , Japan
|
Pride 2003 Middleweight GP Opening Round. |
Loss | 14–6–1 (1) | Nino Schembri | TKO (knees) | Pride 25
|
March 16, 2003 | 1 | 6:15 | Yokohama, Kanagawa , Japan
|
|
Win | 14–5–1 (1) | Gilles Arsene | Submission (armbar) | Pride 23
|
November 24, 2002 | 3 | 2:08 | Tokyo, Japan | |
Loss | 13–5–1 (1) | Mirko Cro Cop | TKO (doctor stoppage) | Pride Shockwave | August 28, 2002 | 2 | 5:00 | Tokyo, Japan | |
Loss | 13–4–1 (1) | Wanderlei Silva | TKO (doctor stoppage) | Pride 17
|
November 3, 2001 | 1 | 10:00 | Tokyo, Japan | For the Pride Middleweight Championship .
|
Win | 13–3–1 (1) | Quinton Jackson | Submission (rear-naked choke) | Pride 15
|
July 29, 2001 | 1 | 5:41 | Saitama, Saitama , Japan
|
|
Loss | 12–3–1 (1) | Wanderlei Silva | TKO (knees and soccer kicks) | Pride 13 – Collision Course | March 25, 2001 | 1 | 1:38 | Saitama, Saitama , Japan
|
|
Win | 12–2–1 (1) | Ryan Gracie | Decision (unanimous) | Pride 12 – Cold Fury | December 23, 2000 | 1 | 10:00 | Saitama, Saitama , Japan
|
|
Win | 11–2–1 (1) | Shannon Ritch | Submission (achilles lock) | Pride 11 – Battle of the Rising Sun | October 31, 2000 | 1 | 1:08 | Osaka, Osaka , Japan
|
|
Win | 10–2–1 (1) | Renzo Gracie | Technical Submission (kimura) | Pride 10 – Return of the Warriors | August 27, 2000 | 2 | 9:43 | Tokorozawa, Saitama, Japan | |
Loss | 9–2–1 (1) | Igor Vovchanchyn | TKO (corner stoppage) | Pride Grand Prix 2000 Finals
|
May 1, 2000 | 1 | 15:00 | Tokyo, Japan | Pride 2000 Openweight GP Semifinals. Decision went to overtime, withdrew due to exhaustion. |
Win | 9–1–1 (1) | Royce Gracie | TKO (corner stoppage) | 3 (6) | 15:00 | Pride 2000 Openweight GP Quarterfinals. Rules modified for unlimited rounds/no ref stoppages. Fight of the Year (2000). After 90 minutes the fight was ended after six 15 minute rounds, three of them being overtime rounds. | |||
Win | 8–1–1 (1) | Guy Mezger | TKO (retirement) | Pride Grand Prix 2000 Opening Round
|
January 30, 2000 | 1 | 15:00 | Tokyo, Japan | Pride 2000 Openweight GP Opening Round; Mezger forfeited due to contract dispute. |
Win | 7–1–1 (1) | Royler Gracie | Technical Submission (kimura) | Pride 8 | November 21, 1999 | 2 | 13:16 | Tokyo, Japan | |
Win | 6–1–1 (1) | Anthony Macias | Submission (armbar) | Pride 7 | September 12, 1999 | 2 | 2:30 | Yokohama, Kanagawa , Japan
|
|
Win | 5–1–1 (1) | Ebenezer Fontes Braga | Submission (armbar) | Pride 6 | July 4, 1999 | 1 | 9:23 | Yokohama, Kanagawa , Japan
|
|
Win | 4–1–1 (1) | Vitor Belfort | Decision (unanimous) | Pride 5 | April 29, 1999 | 2 | 10:00 | Nagoya, Aichi , Japan
|
|
Draw | 3–1–1 (1) | Allan Goes
|
Draw | Pride 4 | October 11, 1998 | 3 | 10:00 | Tokyo, Japan | |
Win | 3–1 (1) | Carlos Newton | Submission (kneebar) | Pride 3
|
June 24, 1998 | 2 | 5:19 | Tokyo, Japan | |
Win | 2–1 (1) | Vernon White | Submission (armbar) | Pride 2
|
March 15, 1998 | 3 | 6:53 | Yokohama, Kanagawa , Japan
|
|
Win | 1–1 (1) | Marcus Silveira | Submission (armbar) | UFC Japan
|
December 21, 1997 | 1 | 3:44 | Yokohama, Kanagawa , Japan
|
Won the UFC Ultimate Japan Heavyweight Tournament. |
NC | 0–1 (1) | Marcus Silveira | NC (early stoppage) | 1 | 1:51 | Referee John McCarthy stopped the bout while Sakuraba was going in for a takedown. | |||
Loss | 0–1 | Kimo Leopoldo | Submission (arm-triangle choke) | Shoot Boxing – S-Cup 1996 | July 14, 1996 | 1 | 4:20 | Tokyo, Japan | Openweight bout. |
Mixed rules
1 match | 1 win | 0 losses |
By submission | 1 | 0 |
Res. | Record | Opponent | Method | Event | Date | Round | Time | Location | Notes |
---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|
Win | 1–0 | Rene Rooze | Submission (toe hold) | UWF-i Scramble Wars | June 26, 1996 | 1 | 19:44 | Nagoya, Aichi , Japan
|
Submission grappling record
8 matches | 1 win | 2 losses |
By submission | 0 | 1 |
By decision | 1 | 1 |
Draws | 5 |
Filmography
Year | Title | Role | Notes |
---|---|---|---|
2005 | Nagurimono | Ginkaku | |
2009 | Baton | Unknown | Voice |
2018 | Mutafukaz | El Diablo[110] | Voice; Japanese dubbing version |
See also
- List of male mixed martial artists
- List of professional wrestlers by MMA record
References
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- Tokyo2020.org [@tokyo2020seika] (June 9, 2021). "🏃♀️ #秋田県 2日目 🏃♂️ 今日の #聖火ランナー の皆さん、お疲れ様でした✨ #みんなの聖火リレー #聖火リレー #HopeLightsOurWay #TorchRelay #オリンピック #Tokyo2020" [#Akita Prefecture Day 2 🏃♂️. Great job to today's #TorchRunners✨! #TorchRelay #HopeLightsOurWay #TorchRelay #Olympics #Tokyo2020] (Tweet) (in Japanese). Retrieved 2021-06-09 – via Twitter.)
{{cite web}}
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Additional sources
- Yu, Al (August 2, 2006). "Sakuraba and the Changing of the Guard". MMAWeekly.com. Archived from the original on September 29, 2007. Retrieved June 29, 2007.
- Yu, Al (September 1, 2006). "Sakuraba Medically Cleared to Fight". MMAWeekly.com. Archived from the original on May 17, 2007. Retrieved June 29, 2007.
- Yu, Al (January 2, 2007). "A Word from the Asian Sensation..." MMAWeekly.com. Archived from the original on May 14, 2007. Retrieved June 29, 2007.
- Yu, Al (January 2, 2007). "Royce Gracie's Fine, Suspension Upheld by CSAC". MMAJunkie.com. Archived from the original on June 26, 2009. Retrieved August 2, 2007.
External links
- Official website
- Kazushi Sakuraba's New Japan Pro-Wrestling profile
- Pride FC profile Archived 2008-01-03 at the Wayback Machine
- Dream profile
- Kazushi Sakuraba at UFC
- Professional MMA record for Kazushi Sakuraba from Sherdog