Kazushi Sakuraba returns to Gracie hunting at DREAM 14
by Jesse Holland on May 10, 2010 3:00 PM EDT
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Well, you know the old saying, stick with what you're good at.
Former PRIDE star and aging mixed martial arts legend Kazushi Sakuraba (26-12-1) will once again try and stymie the grappling efforts from Brazil's first family of submission fighting when he takes on Ralek Gracie at DREAM 14 from the Saitama Super Arena on May 29 in Saitama, Japan.
The promotion announced the 194-pound catchweight bout earlier today.
Following back-to-back defeats in 2008 against Melvin Manhoef (TKO) and Kiyoshi Tamura (unanimous decision), "The Gracie Hunter" rebounded in 2009, stringing together consecutive submission wins over Rubin Williams (Kimura) and Zelg Galesic (kneebar).
After submitting Royler Gracie (Kimura) at PRIDE 8 in 1999, the Japanese fighting pillar earned his moniker by defeating Royce (TKO), Renzo (Kimura) and the late Ryan Gracie (unanimous decision) in 2000, also under the PRIDE banner.
Royce would later avenge his loss to Sakuraba at K-1 HERO's: "Dynamite!! USA" in 2007 but his victory was tarnished after the California State Athletic Commission (CSAC) popped him for steroids (nandrolone).
Gracie has not competed since.
Now Ralek gets his chance to test himself against the Japanese legend -- though Gracie has only two fights under his belt and hasn't competed since a 2008 submission win (armbar) over Alavutdin Gadjiev at DREAM 4.
Will Sakuraba be crafty enough to pull out yet another win over the Brazilian brotherhood? Time will tell.
Also announced for the May 29 event are a pair WEC veterans set to throw down in a featherweight match-up when Kenji Osawa (15-9-2) takes on Yoshiro Maeda (26-8-2).
For more on the updated DREAM 14 fight card click here.
Editor's Note: Check out Boondock's video tribute to the Gracie/Sakuraba blood feud. Great stuff.
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was wondering the same
But let’s hope its better than rolles
You just get that sucker to the designated place at the designated time, and I will gladly designate his ass... for DISMEMBERMENT!
by salamagogo on May 10, 2010 3:13 PM EDT via mobile up reply actions
Minimal striking, average takedowns, good subs
If Saku’s knee can hold together, he should have another Gracie head mounted above his mantle.
by NNR (formerly NameNotRequired) on May 10, 2010 3:23 PM EDT up reply actions
194lb catchweight?
Just round it up one pound for cryin out loud
You just get that sucker to the designated place at the designated time, and I will gladly designate his ass... for DISMEMBERMENT!
by salamagogo on May 10, 2010 3:12 PM EDT via mobile reply actions
Yep, he’s on the top of my list too.
"No one wants to be defeated" Michael Jackson on MMA fights
by Eduardo Cruz on May 10, 2010 3:24 PM EDT up reply actions
Saku vs Newton = greatest ground war in MMA history!
First time I saw George Sotiropoulos fight, I said, "Dang this kid reminds me of Saku on the ground!….
What made Saku so awesome, well, one of many things, was his innovation and creativity in problem solving. He regularly did stuff that made you say, “Whoa Shit! What made him think of that!!!” He’s 190 lbs and except for the Gracies, most of the guys he fought were LHW and HWs. And he always had that casual, humble look on his face and a smile that said, I’m just an average guy with a quiet sense of humor.
very few are as captivating as him.
I always point people who don’t know him to his segment on the PRIDE DECADE DVD – it was something special.
by NNR (formerly NameNotRequired) on May 10, 2010 3:25 PM EDT up reply actions
He’s a warrior! Fought heavier oponents and won many of them. Would like to have met him in Brazil when he showed up around.
"No one wants to be defeated" Michael Jackson on MMA fights
by Eduardo Cruz on May 10, 2010 3:27 PM EDT up reply actions
Give Rickson 5 million and will make it.
"No one wants to be defeated" Michael Jackson on MMA fights
by Eduardo Cruz on May 10, 2010 5:19 PM EDT up reply actions
...Rickson should have fought someone else, first...
… I agree, but as far as Rickson is concerned, I truly wish he would have stepped up & accepted Bas Rutten’s challenge! … Bas respectfully challenged Rickson to a fight at his peak in his Pancrase career, & nothing became of it.
…That aside, I can say that no fighter was more fun to watch than Sakuraba in his prime… especially when he was dismantling the Gracie fighters…
Greatest fight that never happened
My dream fight was Saku vs Frank Shamrock (not Ken) around 1999 or 2000. They’ve both fallen off a lot since then, but if you had a time machine and could get their 2000 selves and bring them to today, they’d be a solid match for anyone. I would love to have seen either of them fight GSP. If you think about it, they both are the size of small MWs or WWs and were fighting LHs and HWs. When Frank destroyed Tito, Tito was 225 and Frank was like 190. And Saku was beating up monsters like Randleman and Rampage and LHW phenoms like Belfort.
Saku 1 of the best of all time!!!
1 of my all time favs! When he came out 2 fight igor the same night he went 6 ten minute rounds with Royce Gracie was insane!
by d*locc on May 10, 2010 5:44 PM EDT via mobile reply actions
...the Rickson Gracie facade...
Rickson is a true legend & pioneer, but I always felt he deliberately avoided some key fights when the martial arts truly began to evolve… I was always annoyed with this & it seemed obvious that it was obviously to preserve his “undefeated” mythical status before the evolution of the arts overtook the “pure Jiu-jitsu” style he embodied… to many it is a silly facade at this point & he lost some of that aura by not fighting well rounded champions like Sakuraba or Bas Rutten.
Who would win if he fought either of these two? I think he would have been beaten by both, but we’ll never know, because the Gracies wouldn’t let us…
Saku Baby!!!
Lol… always liked him… he was an action fighter, wish he cut weight n’ trained in the states though.
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