Face of MMA ready to defend family honor
Royce Gracie seeks revenge in rematch with Japan's Sakuraba
Bob Riha, Jr. / APBrazilian mixed martial arts fighter Royce Gracie is preparing for his rematch against Japan's Kazushi Sakuraba at the Los Angeles Coliseum on June 2.
MIXED MARTIAL ARTS NOTEBOOK
By David Avila
msnbc.com contributor
updated 9:25 a.m. ET May 17, 2007
No man epitomizes the world of mixed martial arts more than Brazilian jujitsu master Royce Gracie. So it’s most fitting that he headlines the first MMA fight card in the historic Los Angeles Memorial Coliseum on June 2.
You might call him the face of MMA.
“I’m still on the top. I’m still a draw,” Gracie said. “I’ve still got a few years.”
Gracie lives in Torrance, Calif., about eight miles from the Coliseum, where FEG K-1 and ProElite XC will host the gargantuan Dynamite USA show on June 2.
The event also will be partially televised free, and the remainder of the loaded card will be provided by Showtime pay-per-view broadcast.
Facing Gracie will be his family nemesis, Kazushi “The Gracie Hunter” Sakuraba of Japan.
“The guy is a good fighter,” Gracie said of Sakuraba during a telephone conference call. “He didn’t just make his career fighting the Gracies.”
Sakuraba has a name nearly as legendary as Gracie and has beaten four members of the famous Brazilian jujitsu family, including Royce.
It was seven years ago that Sakuraba faced Royce Gracie in a Pride Grand Prix tournament held at the Tokyo Dome in Japan. The winner of the tournament took home $200,000, but there was much more at stake.
The former Japanese pro wrestler Sakuraba had previously defeated Royler Gracie, becoming the first in that family to lose since the father Helio was defeated by Japan’s legendary Masahiko Kimura in 1955.
As a matter of family honor, Royce Gracie sought to uphold the good name of Brazilian jujitsu, challenging Sakuraba, who willingly accepted.
Though known in Japan, Sakuraba was an obscure MMA figure in other parts of the world until he beat Royler in a match that jolted many fans of the sport. Some felt the Japanese warrior's victory was tainted because of a stoppage by a referee with less than two seconds remaining.
New rules were devised by Royce and Sakuraba for the hugely anticipated match, including no time limit and no referee stoppages. Only a submission or knockout would decide the outcome.
Sakuraba and Gracie furiously exchanged on the ground with grappling techniques that would have beaten most other fighters. Though both men had their moments, neither gained a clear definitive advantage for 90 minutes. But midway through the bout, the Japanese fighter decided to stand up and attack Gracie’s legs. That proved to be pivotal when Gracie’s corner threw in the towel for surrender.
Two more Gracies attempted to beat Sakuraba and two more Gracies were defeated. Hence the name “the Gracie Hunter” was dubbed for the Japanese fighter.
“Every fight is different. I’m not worried about showing off to nobody,” said Gracie, whose last fight ended in a loss to Matt Hughes in UFC 60 last year. “If you look at the fight when I first fought Sakuraba, I was winning the first part.”
Gracie and Sakuraba are both entering the twilight of their athletic careers but maintain pedestal status among other MMA fighters and followers.
“I’m with the first family of MMA,” said Gary Shaw, one of the co-promoters of the event. “I’m a lucky promoter in that respect. This is a historic rematch with Gracie and Sakuraba.”
Tickets for the event are relatively cheap for an MMA event of this magnitude. The tickets range from $10 to $1,000 for ringside.
California Commission
According to a reliable source of the California Athletic Commission, only Brock Lesnar has been cleared to fight on June 2. The pro wrestler is training with Royce Gracie and will be fighting Korea’s 7-foot giant Hong Man Choi who still needs to be examined along with Gracie, Sakuraba and the others on the fight card.
WEC results
Jason “Mayhem” Miller and Japan’s Hiromitsu Miura fought three hard-fought rounds at the Hard Rock Café and Casino last Saturday. Despite two stoppages due to kicks in the groin by both fighters, Miller won the exciting middleweight bout by decision.
“That was a tough Japanese man,” Miller said after trying every grappling and striking technique he could muster to out-maneuver Miura. “He’s got the samurai spirit.”
Miura, a judo expert, used his roughness and ground game to counter every move Miller devised. Both MMA middleweights fought at an incredible speed but were unable to gain a substantial advantage against each other.
In the second round, Miller nearly choked out Miura, but the clever fighter wrangled his way out and took the fight upstairs. Both laughed and glared at each other several times during the fight. It was amusing to see both having fun while trying to break each other’s spirit.
In the main event, WEC light heavyweight champion Doug Marshall overcame his five-inch height disadvantage by mauling challenger Justin McElfresh with several consecutive right hands. The referee waved that fight over as McElfresh lay motionless alongside the cage at 2:16 of the first round.
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