Fighters Only

Issue 062

May 2010

The typical Japanese MMA crowd is mostly silent. They offer appreciative “oohs” and “aahs” in time with the transitions and reversals on display from the fighters.

There’s one man who never failed to get everyone in the audience on their feet and screaming their lungs out; their jobs, worries and entire lives forgotten for just one moment. That man is Kazushi Sakuraba, known as both ‘The IQ Wrestler’ and ‘The Gracie Hunter’. In simple terms, Sakuraba is a wrestler. He grew up wrestling and was expected to coach at his university when he graduated. Instead, inspired by legendary Japanese professional wrestler Tiger Mask, he followed his dream and began professional wrestling.

Sakuraba joined a promotion called Union of Wrestling Forces International (UWFi), which was famous for its hard style and realistic-looking matches. Times were changing in Japan though, and the image of the Japanese fighter was under attack from abroad.

The UFC came to Japan in 1997 and Japanese fighters signed on for the one-night tournament. One was injured, leaving space for late replacement Kazushi Sakuraba. His first bout of the night ended in a premature stoppage when one of his fast and low single leg takedowns was mistaken for him falling to the canvas unconscious. He was given a second chance to fight, and walked away the winner of UFC Japan.

The legendary Pride FC was the next stop for Sakuraba. He knocked off Vernon White, Carlos Newton, Allen Goes and Ebeneezer Fontes Braga, all powerful foreign fighters with solid pedigrees. The people behind Pride realized they needed an exciting, dynamic, home-grown Japanese fighter. Sakuraba was winning, and submitting people in style.

Sakuraba’s true test would be against a member of the undefeated Gracie family; Pride booked him against Royler. It was barely even a fight. Sakuraba knocked Royler to the canvas at will and drove crushing leg kicks into his flailing limbs before passing his guard and locking in a shoulder-wrenching submission: The kimura, ironically used by judo legend Masahiko Kimura against Royler’s father in their fight four decades earlier.

Sakuraba was next lined up to face Royce, champion of the UFC. Gracie demanded his own special rules for the bout: No referee interventions, no time limits. Everyone except Sakuraba protested at the conditions, but what followed was one of the most incredible and important matches in MMA history. For six 15-minute rounds they fought. Sakuraba played to the crowd and toyed with Royce, tossing him around and raining heavy blows down through his guard. At the end of the sixth round, a bruised and battered Royce watched as members of his family threw in the towel; the Gracies had given up.

Three months later Kazushi Sakuraba battled Renzo Gracie, one of the best all-rounders the family had to offer. The match was relatively close, but ended with sudden finality. Sakuraba clamped on a spinning kimura that ended with Renzo’s arm being bent grotesquely at the elbow. Once again Sakuraba had beaten a Gracie. “Sakuraba was the stone in our shoe,” Renzo now jokes.

He was now officially known as The Gracie Hunter, and was a Japanese hero. Pride thrust him to the front of the promotion and the crafty fighter rarely failed to deliver. He performed extravagant ring entrances, playing up to his pro-wrestling background and whipping fans into a frenzy.

A major stage of his career was a trilogy of fights against the then-godlike Wanderlei Silva, who had earned his nickname ‘The Axe Murderer’ by chopping his way through everyone Pride put in front of him. They wanted so desperately for Sakuraba to beat the Brazilian that they gave him three chances, and each time he fell. Not many fighters would come back for second helpings, let alone thirds, but Sakuraba did.

As his career continued, the poker-faced Japanese fighter suffered as many defeats as he did victories, losing in brutal fashion to Cro Cop, Ricardo Arona and Antonio Rogerio Nogueira among others, yet fans of Sakuraba knew his true worth was not reflected in his win-loss record. While the magic that he possessed at the apex of his talents still shines through occasionally, the legend’s career is definitely winding to a close. He is still active, but is subject to the inscrutable whims of the Japanese fight world, facing off against a doddering retired boxer one minute and a murderous Dutch kickboxer

the next.

There may never be another fighter like Sakuraba. He single-handedly took on and defeated a seemingly-invincible Brazilian fighting dynasty. He consistently fought (and beat) opponents who significantly outweighed him. He was an enigma – the quiet, stone-faced warrior capable of spectacular walk-ins and acrobatic displays of pure physical genius. What ultimately made him special was his ability to hold your attention to such a degree that, for those few moments you watched him perform, nothing else in the world mattered.

Career Snapshot

1997

Official MMA debut, wins UFC Ultimate Japan tournament.

1999

Defeats Royler Gracie at Pride 8, and Royce in a 90-minute match in 2000.

2001

Submits future UFC LHW champion Quinton ‘Rampage’ Jackson at Pride 15.

2002

Fights Mirko Cro Cop as the main event at Pride / K1 super event Dynamite!! in front of 90,000 fans.

2003

Armbars former UFC heavyweight champion Kevin Randleman.

2007