@@jasonrick6148 sorry I totally agree with you. In terms of fighting iq and technical ability he was unmatched. If he dieted stopped smoking and fought in a proper weight class he would have had one of the greatest records ever. But it’s because he played the game the way he did that I love him.
As I think now, it really is great that the UFC inducted him into its Hall of Fame, even if his glory days were in Pride before its purchase by Zuffa. All the severe beatings he would take from the hands of world-class fighters as he stubbornly clung to that single leg...
Sakuraba was a different breed, a welterweight and catch wrestler who submitted heavyweights and bjj black belts, chain smoker, destroyed knees, and never was scared or panicking even when losing. All while preforming pro wrestling moves. This man was truly amazing to watch
He took down those cocky Gracies and the “great” Rickson was petrified of Sakuraba . Rogan “ Gracies were a family of assassins” Then sakuraba walked in
Rickson was petrified of him? That is nonsense. Sakuraba was phenomenal, but so was Rickson. The idea that he was afraid of anyone, let alone a fellow grappler, is absolutely absurd. I'm not saying he would have won, but it of all the Gracies he clearly had the best chance of absolutely embarrassing sakuraba. We'll never actually know, but to say that was due to fear is trash.
@@CGoody564 I agree we don't know how the fight would have ended, he was good for his time but Sakuraba DID beat them, by that many base their assumptions of how Rickson would 've been the same.
@Coffee Cool usada? usada already came late in the ufc game bro. A lot are juiced also as juiced as pride from that royce gracie era up until coleman then decreased a little bit through silva or something. Jon jones still uses does not give a fuck. People still thinks he is the goat. Fuck that shit I stop watching ufc because it already turned into carnival and semi wwe. Since they need adapt to retard crowds. Cannot blame them it is just business decisions. Fighting is brutal and great is being fucked in the ass by the system. I am not surprised if some companies require thir fighter to juice up like wwf or what not in the past or present allegedly.
Renzo NEVER beat Sakuraba, just for the record. They had a draw in metamoris, that's all. Also, Ralek fought a 40 year old Saku, and he's significantly bigger as well, not too impressive for me.
Luiz Maia I think you’re a little confused on what you’re asking and I’m not going to type it for you. Mma was bound to evolve with or without the Gracies or the UFC.
They’ve talked about it before. Maybe in Machado podcast. I remember being curious about this “Gracie Hunter” or maybe it was an Eddie Bravo podcast... definitely Eddie now that I think of it
NGL it’s kinda funny how a family tried and failed 4 times to beat one single Japanese guy. Then they did but Royce tested positive and then Ralek beat up a 40 year old lmao.
He didn't care what what weight class his opponent was in, he didn't make excuses for his losses, he didn't demand certain fight or a certain amount of pay, and he didn't take himself too seriously. He grew older and got beat up like every fighter in MMA does if they stick around long enough but he fought all the way until he couldn't. There's no shame in a fighter going out that way. For those who don't know or need a refresher, this is Sakuraba the Gracie killer th-cam.com/video/WlFuoNpT83I/w-d-xo.html Sakuraba is a legend. One of the best fighters in his era. He didn't train for 5-minute fights in fact he fought Royce Gracie for 90-minutes. After beating Royce Gracie he fought Igor Vovchanchyn that same night. MMA will probably never see something like that ever again.
Sakuraba and Dan Henderson are the true P4P GOATs, they fought at the highest level in FOUR different weight classes, it doesnt get more "P4P" than that.
@joah45 nope it was razor close 1st both swept each other but hendo had more time on top 2nd hendo was on top longer as well although not had 3 sub attempts none were close
Renzo never beat Sakuraba in anything. That Metamoris match Zahabi is talking about was a draw, no winner after 20 min of stalemate. And it wasn't even MMA but submission grappling match. Zahabi has selective memory.
He was wrong about Renzo winning, he confused that with another fight of Saku, when he was losing and came back from the dead like he always did. But Metamoris is a frappling event everyone knows that. Anyway Firas is a cool dude, laid back and admires Saku for sure
You are right. Otsuka, Inoue, Shoji, Fujita, Matsui or Sakuraba were good examples of that "never surrender mode". Even when they were facing a stronger opponent, never surrendered.
Sakuraba not only learned Muay Thai, he learned Catch wrestling, shoot wrestling, Jui Jitsu and Lock holds. He also learned how to counter BJJ floor attempts, he also learned how to strike and counter BJJ moves by attacking the legs/jumping over and striking the head, sliding and hitting the head with foot strikes. There is a reason why he is called "Gracie Killer".
I was there in person. Ufc japan. Yokohama. Could not believe sakuraba beat conan. At the time, I never even heard of him. I remember telling my wife this dork has no chance.
@@tmerchead1 That wasn't prime Sakuraba yet. That was Sakuraba in his pro-wrestling days looking unassuming like a Ramen chef assistant. Prime Sakuraba was 98-06, playing with the Gracies like they were nothing, armbaring UFC champions and subbing people left and right, all while partying like crazy. Truly a once in a generation fighter.
Looks like I was right he weighed in at 203, and it was a heavyweight 4 man tournament. So I was completely right. Also fun fact under the unified rules welterweight is 170. Yes Pride had different weight classes weighing in kilograms but that came to 183. Conan Silveira weighed in at 240 as well. Thanks for coming out
One of the best Sakuraba moves for me was in one of those Gracie fights where he pulls off the WWE style cartwheel stomp type thing when the Gracie was on his back. lol. The guy was using "Wrastling" moves on opponents, and they were working. That's pretty much ridiculous.
One of the things special about Sakuraba was that he was creative in the ring. He could literally invent new moves on the fly to deal with the current situation instead of having to develop them in training. They didn't always work out for him, but he had the balls to try them anyway.
People on here never heard of Sakuraba? He was called the "gracie killer". The gracies are notorious cheaters who demand rule changes minutes before a fight. He was old school wrestling and most of his loses come when he is OLD.
The fact that the guy beats the (very full of themselves) four Gracie's who stacked the fights and rules in their favour while drinking and ripping darts just makes him more of a legend.
Don't forget about the fact Rickson Gracie said Sakuraba doesn't have the soul of a warrior so I won't fight him... he would've been gracie nr 5 for Sakuraba
There was a catch wrestling teacher in Brazil when the Gracie's were starting out. I can't remember his name right now, but some of the Gracie's wouldn't fight him without all these special conditions and rules, just like with the first UFC matches. The Gracies finally had a match with the guy, and the wrestler beat them. A few of the Gracies then later attacked the guy with pipes and fucked him up real bad, causing permanent injuries. They couldn't stand that they got whipped in a "fair" fight, so they assaulted and battered the guy in the street 3 against 1. Sakuraba was catch wrestling's revenge on the Gracies.
So happy to see people showing out for Sakuraba. He was my first 'favorite' MMA guy. My dad was a boxer, made me box, loved all the great HW's and was no MMA fan. I showed him a couple of Sakuraba fights. He finally got it.
I think u forgot to mention that Royce Gracie challenged Sakuraba to fight with different rules because “Sakuraba was too scared to fight on the ground.” Then Sakuraba goes and beats him for an hour and a half until Royce gives up. One of the greatest fights of all time for sure.
Sakuraba caught my attention by using a one handles cartwheel to bypass the Gracie guard. When BBJ was still inscrutable to many fighters lying on their backs waiting fb for an attack Sakabura not only figured out way to pass it but with flair.
Sakuraba could take a literal beating and still find a way to gain momentum. He always went the distance and even fought when rules were totally in favor of his opponent. Probably one of the greatest wrestlers to ever grace the sport.
@@italianstalian331 you mean like brock lesnar and jones being allowed to fight while juiced? Or Anderson Silva ko'ing Forrest with a slap? Yeah that's not suspicious at all
@@coachmikesfilmroom3111 ok that's a select few ... Pride every single fighter was b they all looked the park .. all came In sweaty n gross as fuck ... I mean yeah Jones n Silva may have been busted but come on u can't even compare them to the pride bums 😂😂
Sakuraba really opened eyes in the MMA world. Showed a lot tricks that made people rethink submission. It was amazing when people would get Sakus back but let go because he was so dangerous in that position.
I'm proud to have witnessed the true golden age of MMA and saw guys like Sakuraba, Vovchanchyn, Gomi, Wanderlei, and Fedor in PrideFC in their primes. Very lucky. I still miss the Gran Prix events.
Royce and Rickson got me started in BJJ 15 years ago but Sakuraba was one of my favorite fighters to watch in pride. True warrior. Unbelievable killer instinct and submissions. Especially leg locks.
I've waited years to hear Joe talk about Sakuraba in length. He never mentioned him in his "Mount Rushmore of MMA" and yet they mentioned BJ Penn. He's my hero, and am glad his name is getting out there.
@@cakexpie I'm no fighter, but that seems simplistic and unfair in not giving credit to the catch wrestling that seems to principally define Sakuraba's style.
The only other combat fighter I've seen with my own eyes that had this level of creativity, speed, intelligence, and innovation is Muhammad Ali. Also, Sakuraba fought MONSTERS.
Billy Robinson was one of his professional wrestling trainers for NJPW. Robinson was one of the last professional wrestlers who wasn't just a "sports entertainer", but a catch wrestler.
@John Doe every single person you named did not practice catch wrestling in any real capacity besides training except for Iron Shiek... being trained in catch wrestling is not the same thing as practicing it by any means.
Sakuraba had one fight against Royce Gracie - fifteen minute rounds, no limit on the number of rounds. Those two guys fought for an hour and a half before Sakuraba won. Then he had another fight on the SAME DAY that he lost.
Exactly. BJJ gets hyped a lot, but catch wrestling is a forgotten art in MMA. It was equally as good, if not more suited for MMA. It was more savage than BJJ.
@John Doe I started training in Catch back in 91-92 under Larry Hartsell and I will keep this short: you don't know or understand what you're talking about so I'm not gonna bother explaining things to you.
Saku's best fight was with Royce Gracie, no doubt. I love the fact that Saku would challenge Royce any way Royce wanted, which was no round limits. Saku gained respect in front of the Gracie family, especially Royce's father.
The fight against Mayhem at the Dream was one of Sakuraba's last fights. Sakuraba had not been in his prime for a very, very long time (almost 10 years).
I’ve been saying Sakuraba is one of the best fighters in MMA history. Glad y’all are talking about him and giving him his due. Y’all should have been listed as one of the best MMA fighters awhile back when y’all were discussing it.
And Karl Gotch. I'm pretty sure catch wrestling was far more popular in Japan than their countries of origin. Gotch and Robinson used to be well-known in the Japanese martial arts community. Idk about nowadays, but I'd imagine a bunch of old-timers are still kicking around telling their tales
I love the fact that Sakuraba was only trained as a professional wrestler. As many know, there was a line of professional wrestlers that were called "shooters" who learned "catch wrestling" as the base of their profession. The keylock is a mainstay of catch wrestling. Its variant was used on the Helio Gracie by Masahiko Kimura. It is due to that submission we we get the name. So the fact he beat multiple Gracies with that move is even more awesome.
Catch had a big influence on judo and MMA in Japan, inspiring the Shoot wrestling schools that were popular in the Pride days. And it goes way back to events like the matches between the judoka Ito and the catch wrestler Santel in 1914. They split wins between them, but Santel was the only non-Westerner to ever beat Ito, and that would have a profound influence on judo in the early days
@@itiswhatitis8362 I stand corrected, I had heard that in a video about Billy Robinson who trained him in catch, but I do see that he was a collegiate wrestler in Japan.
Sakuraba was one of main reasons i got interested in Pride along with its magnificent show of fighters and entrances compared to UFC. Greatest mma show ever hit this planet
Sakuraba was tough as nails, extremely intelligent, and a very humble fighter. Probably one of the most intelligent fighters in MMA. Glad Rogan is a fan of him.
NOOBRIDERR joes a fan but low key has envy or hating on saku you can just tell I think bc he was able to beat bjj guys, was a small fighter and such a stoic killer in the ring. I think he’s kind of jealous of saku. I too was a hater of saku bc he kept beating the gracies and I wanted him to lose but in the end I was like man this guy is a bad mofo and one the greatest of all time
@Conald Deronne maybe. Mayhem's hitting a little harder than ND. If he rocks ND in the first round, combos, it's over quickly.If ND doesn't get cut, and the fight goes the distance, his chances of winning improve vs MM .
Sakuraba was the guy that reminded the Gracies their heads were up their asses the whole time they thought they're unstoppable. Renzo Gracie is lucky his family had the clout when everyone knows he lost TWICE.
What was not mentioned was that Sakuraba had just fought a Gracie for 1.5 hours prior to that fight with the huge Lithuanian (or was it Ukranian?). Yes, Sakuraba was that good.
Sakuraba also fought roided-out monsters as a glorified welterweight.
True skill.
I really hate Vanderoid.
And joe always praises these steriod cheats.mabey because he is rioded out as well trt
Prime Sakuraba would’ve beaten a prime GSP at 170, I’m here to argue.
@@jasonrick6148 sorry I totally agree with you. In terms of fighting iq and technical ability he was unmatched. If he dieted stopped smoking and fought in a proper weight class he would have had one of the greatest records ever. But it’s because he played the game the way he did that I love him.
Sakuraba sounds the like the protagonist in an MMA anime.
mcfry13 How dare you speak of the Gracie Hunter like that.....
or the antagonist
Watch his fights he basically is
Yes exactly!
The closest you can get to one. He was amazing.
Sakuraba is a mma legend.
THE legend
As I think now, it really is great that the UFC inducted him into its Hall of Fame, even if his glory days were in Pride before its purchase by Zuffa. All the severe beatings he would take from the hands of world-class fighters as he stubbornly clung to that single leg...
Yep, that's exactly what I commented here also.
Sakuraba is the 🐐
He is pro wrestling legend as well
Sakuraba was a different breed, a welterweight and catch wrestler who submitted heavyweights and bjj black belts, chain smoker, destroyed knees, and never was scared or panicking even when losing. All while preforming pro wrestling moves. This man was truly amazing to watch
Everyone: GRACIE this. GRACIE that.
Sakuraba: (lights cigarette) Hold my beer
Actually don't I'll drink it while kicking his ass
And turns his back on Gracies.
Sake*
Lol 😂
Beer was empty
Japan abused sakuraba. Imagine him fighting in his weight class!
Thank you. I remember thinking if sakuraba fought in the 155 he would have been unbeatable.
Stay at Middle weight not light heavyweight nor heavyweight.
If he fought today he wouldve never fought above 185lb....
Japanese promoters gonna Japanese promote.
Remember that time, there was no lighter divsions back then
But i agree, he got abused by promoters
He took down those cocky Gracies and the “great” Rickson was petrified of Sakuraba .
Rogan “ Gracies were a family of assassins”
Then sakuraba walked in
Rickson was petrified of him? That is nonsense.
Sakuraba was phenomenal, but so was Rickson. The idea that he was afraid of anyone, let alone a fellow grappler, is absolutely absurd.
I'm not saying he would have won, but it of all the Gracies he clearly had the best chance of absolutely embarrassing sakuraba. We'll never actually know, but to say that was due to fear is trash.
Rickson ducked a lot of people. He ducked ufc.
@@CGoody564 I agree we don't know how the fight would have ended, he was good for his time but Sakuraba DID beat them, by that many base their assumptions of how Rickson would 've been the same.
Cory Goodman: If I recall correctly, the fight between Rickson and Sakuraba never materialized because of the tragic death of Rickson’s son, Rockson.
@Coffee Cool usada? usada already came late in the ufc game bro. A lot are juiced also as juiced as pride from that royce gracie era up until coleman then decreased a little bit through silva or something. Jon jones still uses does not give a fuck. People still thinks he is the goat. Fuck that shit I stop watching ufc because it already turned into carnival and semi wwe. Since they need adapt to retard crowds. Cannot blame them it is just business decisions. Fighting is brutal and great is being fucked in the ass by the system. I am not surprised if some companies require thir fighter to juice up like wwf or what not in the past or present allegedly.
Renzo NEVER beat Sakuraba, just for the record. They had a draw in metamoris, that's all. Also, Ralek fought a 40 year old Saku, and he's significantly bigger as well, not too impressive for me.
Thank you
They had a bout in metamoris, wich is kinda designed with Bjj-like rules and thei went into a draw. It's insane how good Saku was.
I remember when saku kicked the shit out of belforts legs.
@mma 209 ahh found the BJJ practitioner
RENZO? Royce Gracie lost to him in his prime TWICE
To be fair to Sakuraba, those losses mentioned (Miller, Ralek, and Manhoef) were by senior citizen Saku and not prime one.
many would have beaten sak at that point
@@scarred10 exactly he wasn’t in his prime anymore
And need to pouint that saku always fought with injuries
Drives me nuts when they’re talking about a video and it’s not onscreen
th-cam.com/video/QNlQQ-SX3X4/w-d-xo.html
When they are like LOOK AT THAT, OH MY GOD. I'm yelling pull your finger out Jamie and sort it. lol
Word
Looks like Sakuraba told The world where Jiu Jitsu was from.
And I'm sure he knows about JJ.
Cmon man, if the gracies didnt exist, modern mma(ufc) wouldnt exist
Luiz Maia You took it to far there.
@@sopitaramenconapio2285 why? Who created ufc?
Luiz Maia I think you’re a little confused on what you’re asking and I’m not going to type it for you. Mma was bound to evolve with or without the Gracies or the UFC.
@@sopitaramenconapio2285 no man, If BJJ and UFC didnt exist, I'm PRETTY sure that MMA would be a lot different
Been waiting for Joe to talk about Saku for so long. Finally its here.
They’ve talked about it before. Maybe in Machado podcast. I remember being curious about this “Gracie Hunter” or maybe it was an Eddie Bravo podcast... definitely Eddie now that I think of it
Same same.....the best catch
Now I just want him to talk about Minoru Suzuki
....He talks about Sakuraba all the time....
Kenny Smith I’m no JRE historian but he’s definitely spoke about him before with either Eddie or in some of the MMA episodes
NGL it’s kinda funny how a family tried and failed 4 times to beat one single Japanese guy. Then they did but Royce tested positive and then Ralek beat up a 40 year old lmao.
And fought royce according to his rules and best him
Sakuraba lost to Ralek Gracie
@@numerrita yeah who was like 20 years younger than him. Big accomplishment.
@@KhamStronk if you want to talk about difference, Sakuraba was way heavier than the Gracies.
@@numerrita and bjj is supposed to be effective against bigger opponents right? What's your next excuse lol
He didn't care what what weight class his opponent was in, he didn't make excuses for his losses, he didn't demand certain fight or a certain amount of pay, and he didn't take himself too seriously. He grew older and got beat up like every fighter in MMA does if they stick around long enough but he fought all the way until he couldn't. There's no shame in a fighter going out that way. For those who don't know or need a refresher, this is Sakuraba the Gracie killer th-cam.com/video/WlFuoNpT83I/w-d-xo.html Sakuraba is a legend. One of the best fighters in his era. He didn't train for 5-minute fights in fact he fought Royce Gracie for 90-minutes. After beating Royce Gracie he fought Igor Vovchanchyn that same night. MMA will probably never see something like that ever again.
Against Igor that same night? GEEZ! That shiet is crazy! There is nothing like old school Pride.
And he was an awesome guy by all accounts. Nothing like the up their ass gracies
He was both he took put the 4 highest level gracies
When Gracies want to scare their kids they told them that if they dont listen Sakuraba will come for them
🧟
Jaja that was great.
Sakuraba and Dan Henderson are the true P4P GOATs, they fought at the highest level in FOUR different weight classes, it doesnt get more "P4P" than that.
Nah man Royce in his prime, Jon Jones, Fedor, Wanderlei, Rampage, GSP, Matt Hughes etc those two were great fighters though
@@williamwebster8367 dan Henderson beat 2 top 5 heavyweights fedor and big nog weighing less then 205lbs
@joah45 nope it was razor close 1st both swept each other but hendo had more time on top
2nd hendo was on top longer as well although not had 3 sub attempts none were close
Nog won the 3rd round
@joah45 I just rewatched it could have gone either way
Renzo never beat Sakuraba in anything. That Metamoris match Zahabi is talking about was a draw, no winner after 20 min of stalemate. And it wasn't even MMA but submission grappling match. Zahabi has selective memory.
He was wrong about Renzo winning, he confused that with another fight of Saku, when he was losing and came back from the dead like he always did. But Metamoris is a frappling event everyone knows that.
Anyway Firas is a cool dude, laid back and admires Saku for sure
Dimitris SRV Firas is confidently wrong...many times.
Might be wrong, but Firas is still a super cool dude. I like him.
A lot of Japanese fighters would never give up, they're ready to die in the ring. Hard to watch, but so much heart, it's incredible.
Death before dishonor
True but when will they work on pace and stamina? #The tortus won the race.
You are right. Otsuka, Inoue, Shoji, Fujita, Matsui or Sakuraba were good examples of that "never surrender mode". Even when they were facing a stronger opponent, never surrendered.
@@raistlin906 kanehara
@@jameskaval8137 that’s dumb as fuck
Renzo was definitively not winning that fight.
0xHAZ3x0 , no he wasn’t.
@0xHAZ3x0 nah
The Scoring system was very fucked up, it was later shown that Renzo was actually ahead on points...lol
@nightwolf6x try one punctuation. just one.
@nightwolf6x it really dissolves into the later parts of the text
Sakuraba not only learned Muay Thai, he learned Catch wrestling, shoot wrestling, Jui Jitsu and Lock holds. He also learned how to counter BJJ floor attempts, he also learned how to strike and counter BJJ moves by attacking the legs/jumping over and striking the head, sliding and hitting the head with foot strikes. There is a reason why he is called "Gracie Killer".
Hunter, not killer. Saku is the true OG
After Wanderlei beat him in Pride, he trained with him at Chute Boxe.
He didn't just beat the Gracies, he used to troll them during the matches. Sakuraba one of the greatest.
Sakuraba was the GREATEST of his era.
I was there in person. Ufc japan. Yokohama. Could not believe sakuraba beat conan. At the time, I never even heard of him. I remember telling my wife this dork has no chance.
Prime Sakuraba a dork ? 🤣🤣🤣🤣🤣
@@tmerchead1 That wasn't prime Sakuraba yet. That was Sakuraba in his pro-wrestling days looking unassuming like a Ramen chef assistant. Prime Sakuraba was 98-06, playing with the Gracies like they were nothing, armbaring UFC champions and subbing people left and right, all while partying like crazy. Truly a once in a generation fighter.
Sakuraba was much bigger than 185 in that 4 man Tourny. It was at either a light heavyweight or heavyweight
@Guilty Pleasure Ok I will go check his weight in that fight right now
Looks like I was right he weighed in at 203, and it was a heavyweight 4 man tournament. So I was completely right. Also fun fact under the unified rules welterweight is 170. Yes Pride had different weight classes weighing in kilograms but that came to 183. Conan Silveira weighed in at 240 as well. Thanks for coming out
One of the best Sakuraba moves for me was in one of those Gracie fights where he pulls off the WWE style cartwheel stomp type thing when the Gracie was on his back. lol. The guy was using "Wrastling" moves on opponents, and they were working. That's pretty much ridiculous.
Doesn't surprise me, Sakuraba also competed in pro wrestling in Japan.
@@ClayF403 He's a Legend in MMA & Pro Wrestling, as Well as a LEGIT Mainstream Celebrity, in Japan
@@frankbonini9128 No kidding, didn't know about his mainstream appeal. Cool fact!
@@ClayF403 not pro wrestling, shoot wrestling.
New Japan and Pro Wresting Noah????
One of the things special about Sakuraba was that he was creative in the ring. He could literally invent new moves on the fly to deal with the current situation instead of having to develop them in training. They didn't always work out for him, but he had the balls to try them anyway.
Yeah, the flying stomp, the mongolian chop, etc. Really entertaining fighter.
well written
UFC should just bring back Pride. Same rules. No usada. Live from Japan. Jon Jones could be their ace.
YES
Vitor Belfort comeback
Jones is already the 🐐
That would be fucking amazing.
@@PimpingAintEasy1 yea but imagine the return of cokehead jon
Daaaaaaamnnn was hoping so long for Joe to speak about the Gracie Hunter...
Bruh wtf is up with that username lmao
grungey musicnerd lol
People on here never heard of Sakuraba? He was called the "gracie killer". The gracies are notorious cheaters who demand rule changes minutes before a fight.
He was old school wrestling and most of his loses come when he is OLD.
The fact that the guy beats the (very full of themselves) four Gracie's who stacked the fights and rules in their favour while drinking and ripping darts just makes him more of a legend.
Saku vs Mayhem was in Dream, LONG after Saku’s prime.
Right? Lol rogan made it sound like it was prime vs prime and not 43yo sakuraba fighting
Mayhem would have had a time with saku in his prime
If you fight until you’re in your mid 40s you’ll eventually lose
Don't forget about the fact Rickson Gracie said Sakuraba doesn't have the soul of a warrior so I won't fight him... he would've been gracie nr 5 for Sakuraba
Renzo Gracies BrokenArm , actually the fight would happen but his son died in young age.
@@aluisiofsjr why tell that bs about the guy as a reason not to fight Sakuraba though
Rickson would’ve been clowned on if he fought saku, same reason rickson talked a lot of shit in the 90s but never fought bas and shamrock
Renzo Gracies BrokenArm , your children dying is not a good reason to not fight?
@@aluisiofsjr IT IS A GOOD ANSWER. IT IS BETTER THEN SAYING MY OPPONENT DOESN'T HAVE THE SOUL OF A WARRIOR !!!
BUT WHYYYYY DID RICKSON SAY THAT???
Fool. Renzo was getting manhandled that entire 1st fight
@John Doe
Renzo was on his back getting soccer kicked lmao
There was a catch wrestling teacher in Brazil when the Gracie's were starting out. I can't remember his name right now, but some of the Gracie's wouldn't fight him without all these special conditions and rules, just like with the first UFC matches. The Gracies finally had a match with the guy, and the wrestler beat them. A few of the Gracies then later attacked the guy with pipes and fucked him up real bad, causing permanent injuries. They couldn't stand that they got whipped in a "fair" fight, so they assaulted and battered the guy in the street 3 against 1. Sakuraba was catch wrestling's revenge on the Gracies.
Euclades Tatu
Luta Livre
Rufino Dos Santos?
@@tcwentertainment Yes.
So happy to see people showing out for Sakuraba. He was my first 'favorite' MMA guy. My dad was a boxer, made me box, loved all the great HW's and was no MMA fan. I showed him a couple of Sakuraba fights. He finally got it.
The most interesting thing about Kazushi Sakuraba is that he trained in catch wrestling at "Snake Pit" in Wigan England, under Billy Robinson.
I think u forgot to mention that Royce Gracie challenged Sakuraba to fight with different rules because “Sakuraba was too scared to fight on the ground.” Then Sakuraba goes and beats him for an hour and a half until Royce gives up. One of the greatest fights of all time for sure.
Sakuraba dominated the Gracies in their prime. He definitely demystified the 'undefeatable' aura of Gracie JJ.
Sakuraba caught my attention by using a one handles cartwheel to bypass the Gracie guard. When BBJ was still inscrutable to many fighters lying on their backs waiting fb for an attack Sakabura not only figured out way to pass it but with flair.
He exposed the gracies they used time extentions banned boots and uses a gee on shamorock
Sakuraba could take a literal beating and still find a way to gain momentum. He always went the distance and even fought when rules were totally in favor of his opponent. Probably one of the greatest wrestlers to ever grace the sport.
I've never seen Joe's 'Eye's' light up like when he's talking Pride Fighters....
He knows Pride was the best. Crazy atmosphere in Japan, great fighters, soccer punting heads.
Who doesn't
@@shaunr5450 dont forget the roids and the freak mismatches and the rigged fights ... Iol pride was absolute trash
@@italianstalian331 you mean like brock lesnar and jones being allowed to fight while juiced? Or Anderson Silva ko'ing Forrest with a slap? Yeah that's not suspicious at all
@@coachmikesfilmroom3111 ok that's a select few ... Pride every single fighter was b they all looked the park .. all came In sweaty n gross as fuck ... I mean yeah Jones n Silva may have been busted but come on u can't even compare them to the pride bums 😂😂
Sakuraba really opened eyes in the MMA world. Showed a lot tricks that made people rethink submission. It was amazing when people would get Sakus back but let go because he was so dangerous in that position.
I'm proud to have witnessed the true golden age of MMA and saw guys like Sakuraba, Vovchanchyn, Gomi, Wanderlei, and Fedor in PrideFC in their primes. Very lucky. I still miss the Gran Prix events.
You have them to rewatch ;)
Royce and Rickson got me started in BJJ 15 years ago but Sakuraba was one of my favorite fighters to watch in pride. True warrior. Unbelievable killer instinct and submissions. Especially leg locks.
One of my all time faves in MMA. And no one knows who I am talking about when I say it. That’s sad. Dude is a legend in the sport.
Sakuraba was a legit elite samurai in that Pride ring. What a legend!
That is a legendary Nick Name.
"The Gracie Hunter"
Alot of fighters have Great nicknames, but his is legendary💯
Sakuraba, a true legend, is going to have some serious pain in his elder life. Head trauma, legs, body... poor guy. A true legend. 👏🏼
Yes finally! I’ve been wondering when you were gonna have a full talk about Sakuraba
Everyone: **doing roids to enhance their athletic abilities**
Sakuraba: **drinks and smokes before every fight**
I've waited years to hear Joe talk about Sakuraba in length. He never mentioned him in his "Mount Rushmore of MMA" and yet they mentioned BJ Penn.
He's my hero, and am glad his name is getting out there.
Barnett mentions Saku when he's on the show
Sakurabas ability to out grapple the Gracie's always amazed me. I'd love for a breakdown on why.
mitchsn
Go onto Lawrence Kenshin site on TH-cam. He does a whole episode with breakdowns on it.
Well jiu jitsu is from japan .
@@cakexpie I'm no fighter, but that seems simplistic and unfair in not giving credit to the catch wrestling that seems to principally define Sakuraba's style.
A breakdown on why you find Saku's ability to grapple the Gracies amazing? Odd request...
Catch wrestling is how he did it...
The only other combat fighter I've seen with my own eyes that had this level of creativity, speed, intelligence, and innovation is Muhammad Ali. Also, Sakuraba fought MONSTERS.
Saku is still my favourite fighter of all time! So cool to see him getting some love
same. glad I got to watch pride and saku in his prime.
does no one ever mention how the videos are never on the screen at the crucial moments. Its aggravating lol
©
Zahabi the best guest. Both episodes with him are delightful and entertainment at its best
Lol Sakuraba gave the Gracies' the same nightmare Kimura did to their founder 🤣🤣🤣
It's so weird to hear them talking about Sakuraba for me. I know him from his stints in NJPW, and then I learned about the Gracie thing.
Billy Robinson was one of his professional wrestling trainers for NJPW. Robinson was one of the last professional wrestlers who wasn't just a "sports entertainer", but a catch wrestler.
@John Doe every single person you named did not practice catch wrestling in any real capacity besides training except for Iron Shiek... being trained in catch wrestling is not the same thing as practicing it by any means.
Saku and Rezo was a draw not a victory for Rezo. When they rolled years later .
Sakuraba had one fight against Royce Gracie - fifteen minute rounds, no limit on the number of rounds. Those two guys fought for an hour and a half before Sakuraba won. Then he had another fight on the SAME DAY that he lost.
Catch wrestling isn't for the meek
Hes got hella freestyle leg locks
Exactly. BJJ gets hyped a lot, but catch wrestling is a forgotten art in MMA. It was equally as good, if not more suited for MMA. It was more savage than BJJ.
@John Doe he used a lot catch wrestling transitions and escapes. It appears to me that you know next to nothing about catch wrestling.
John Doe dude freestyle wrestling is basically catch wrestling lol.
@John Doe I started training in Catch back in 91-92 under Larry Hartsell and I will keep this short: you don't know or understand what you're talking about so I'm not gonna bother explaining things to you.
Saku's best fight was with Royce Gracie, no doubt. I love the fact that Saku would challenge Royce any way Royce wanted, which was no round limits. Saku gained respect in front of the Gracie family, especially Royce's father.
Sakuraba killed the whole Gracie family rickson feared him
The fight against Mayhem at the Dream was one of Sakuraba's last fights.
Sakuraba had not been in his prime for a very, very long time (almost 10 years).
Loved Sakuraba, however he paid a price when he entered Pride FC open weight tournament and fought CroCop.
Yeah, Cro Cop was literally giving career speeedups back than.
I love Kazushi Sakuraba. Legend.
The comeback fight Firas was referring to was against Zelg Galesic.
Finally SaKu gettin some
Love.
Joe " RONDA DROWSY can SUBMIT sakuraba in his prime" Rogan
Lol he think she can do that to sakuraba? Thats a complete bullshit
Froggy Frag He’s being sarcastic. He’s poking fun at Joe Rogan for making claims in the past that Ronda Rousey could beat male fighters.
@@healthywiseandfit she would be knocked faster than amanda nunes did
Finally, the Gracie Hunter in action
Sakuraba is a legend!
Sakuraba is my all time greatest fighter
I’ve been saying Sakuraba is one of the best fighters in MMA history. Glad y’all are talking about him and giving him his due. Y’all should have been listed as one of the best MMA fighters awhile back when y’all were discussing it.
Sakuraba learned a lot from Billy Robinson.
And Karl Gotch. I'm pretty sure catch wrestling was far more popular in Japan than their countries of origin. Gotch and Robinson used to be well-known in the Japanese martial arts community. Idk about nowadays, but I'd imagine a bunch of old-timers are still kicking around telling their tales
Sakuraba is one of my favorites
I love the fact that Sakuraba was only trained as a professional wrestler. As many know, there was a line of professional wrestlers that were called "shooters" who learned "catch wrestling" as the base of their profession. The keylock is a mainstay of catch wrestling. Its variant was used on the Helio Gracie by Masahiko Kimura. It is due to that submission we we get the name. So the fact he beat multiple Gracies with that move is even more awesome.
No! He was a amateur wrestler and had won against an Olympic bronze medalist in freestyle
Catch had a big influence on judo and MMA in Japan, inspiring the Shoot wrestling schools that were popular in the Pride days. And it goes way back to events like the matches between the judoka Ito and the catch wrestler Santel in 1914. They split wins between them, but Santel was the only non-Westerner to ever beat Ito, and that would have a profound influence on judo in the early days
@@itiswhatitis8362 I stand corrected, I had heard that in a video about Billy Robinson who trained him in catch, but I do see that he was a collegiate wrestler in Japan.
The Gracie Hunter... that's one of the most fucking badass nicknames of all time
Saku vs Galesic was an epic comeback later in his career.
Excellent podcast, love listening to Firas!
Sakuraba showed the disgraces that mordern mma > bjj
mma 209 Ridiculous comment. No-one can say who will beat who on the street, where biting and gouging come into play.
he was mma but beated w catch wrestling!
Bully Bestdown with Mayhem Miller is one of the best shows of all time.
Give us your bullies and we'll beat em down
Joe “click there” Rogan.
Sakuraba was one of main reasons i got interested in Pride along with its magnificent show of fighters and entrances compared to UFC. Greatest mma show ever hit this planet
"In fact, professional wrestling is strong"
I watch Sakuraba vs Royce every year. It's a Christmas tradition at this point.
As of last year atleast he was wrestling for njpw. Dudes an absolute legand .
Sakuraba an absolute legend
Sakuraba was tough as nails, extremely intelligent, and a very humble fighter.
Probably one of the most intelligent fighters in MMA. Glad Rogan is a fan of him.
NOOBRIDERR joes a fan but low key has envy or hating on saku you can just tell I think bc he was able to beat bjj guys, was a small fighter and such a stoic killer in the ring. I think he’s kind of jealous of saku. I too was a hater of saku bc he kept beating the gracies and I wanted him to lose but in the end I was like man this guy is a bad mofo and one the greatest of all time
Imagine if Mayhem got some help and surrounded himself with decent people
@Conald Deronne maybe. Mayhem's hitting a little harder than ND. If he rocks ND in the first round, combos, it's over quickly.If ND doesn't get cut, and the fight goes the distance, his chances of winning improve vs MM .
Aaron Humphrey Lot of ifs lol
He'd probably be one of the greatest coaches in mma right now, tbh.
Probably my favorite MMA fighter right here
Mayhem was legit crazy like a few screws loose but man could he put a beating on someone
He still crazy
Man Sakuraba was a beast and a pure entertainer
Sakuraba was the guy that reminded the Gracies their heads were up their asses the whole time they thought they're unstoppable. Renzo Gracie is lucky his family had the clout when everyone knows he lost TWICE.
Sakuraba one of the best MMA Fighter from Asia.
Can't believe this man isn't more well known.
right?... never even heard of the guy until about an hour ago.
idk Gracies made more impact i guess
sakuraba was a wrestler ppl love saying wrestlers can’t beat mma fighters
The “saku” is sick.
Legend has it the Gracies tradition is to look under their beds at night in case Sukuraba is under there.
Sakuraba is the greatest Asian fighter ever.
bruce
Manny Pacquiao
well nope.
Kyoji Horiguchi is up there too
Inoue might be in a few years
Its also poetic how sakuraba was a bit of a kimura specialist.
Its like history coming full circle.
What was not mentioned was that Sakuraba had just fought a Gracie for 1.5 hours prior to that fight with the huge Lithuanian (or was it Ukranian?). Yes, Sakuraba was that good.