Kazushi Sakuraba
Kazushi Sakuraba (born July 14, 1968) is a professional Mixed martial arts fighter in Japan. Sakuraba cemented his status as an MMA legend in the Pride Fighting Championships.
He originally debuted as a Western-style professional wrestler in 1993 in UWF International, and made forays into New Japan Pro Wrestling in 1996 as the two promotions were feuding. When UWFI folded, he joined its replacement, Kingdom, but after it closed after only a year, he joined Nobuhiko Takada, Naoki Sano, and others in creating a stable called Takada Dojo whose members would dedicate themselves exclusively to mixed martial arts fighting.
Sakuraba made his Mixed martial arts debut in 1997 with a submission victory over Marcus Silveira at UFC Japan. Four months later he competed in the Pride Fighting Championships for the first time, defeating Vernon White with an armbar. Over his career, his imaginative and entertaining fighting style proved to be equally effective, as he remained unequivocally at the top of the 205 pound weight division in the years between 1997 and 2001. Sakuraba is not only a dominant fighter, but a household name in Japan, comparable to Michael Jordan in terms of popularity, thanks to his rare ability to combine phenomenal fighting talent with pro-wrestling appeal.
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Categories: 1968 births | Martial arts practitioners | Japanese people | Professional wrestlers