Is Sakuraba the best welterweight/lightweight of all time (that never been)?

[CereserBr]

Saku always competed at that 185 range, without cutting any weight, against opponents 40, 50 lbs heavier... Do u guys think that, if he competed in this lower weigth class, he would've been goat?

(here is he exactly at 190 lbs, without cutting any weight)

 

[Thesnake101]

I don't understand the title nor the meaning of this thread, so no.

He was a damn good grappler though. Always exciting too.

 

[Otto!]

finding the right weightclass is important. Cutting weight is not a guarantee of better performance in a lower weight class.

Just ask Rumble.

 

[Nathan LaMontagne]

He was absolutely brilliant and ahead of his time.

 

[DespicablePeep]

He was amazing and crazy no doubt a goat, he fought the best at any weight class.

 

[TheRuthlessOne]

over GSP? lol no

Hughes probably ragdolls him too

 

[ClaptonIsGod]

Basically, if it's a question involving Sakuraba, the answer is almost always yes....

 

[Sakuraba7]

The second greatest of all time.

Dude was a welter/middleweight beating up heavyweights and light heavyweights on the regular.

 

[freakyfarley]

Who knows? Imo he would have fared better and had a healthier career with proper weight classes. The guy went 90 mins against Gracie then fought Vovchanchyn lol

 

[Sakurabinette]

Saku became the GOAT in 2000 when he dislocated Renzo's elbow.
I think he's been surpassed since then.

But he sure was a pioneer.

 

[Belfegor]

Probably, in his time there was no other fighter like him, if Hallman could defeat Hughes 2 times Sakuraba would have destroyed him easily and depending on the time would also have beaten GSP. Sakuraba is the most courageous and exciting fighter in the history of MMA and is in the Mount Roshmore of MMA.

 

[yeguiza]

TS

you are almost right

saku and minowaman up there no doubt

Body frame of a LW....

Balls of a SHW

True question is: will we ever see fighters like that again?

Saku bless

 

[Sakuraba7]

Who knows? Imo he would have fared better and had a healthier career with proper weight classes. The guy went 90 mins against Gracie then fought Vovchanchyn lol

Yeah, that was fucked up. Saku had no chance beating Igor at that point (105 minutes of combat), they should have made Igor beat up Royce instead, lmao. Saku is a warrior, but he should have pulled out.

Scumbag Royce then got a rematch in the States under unified rules, and got a gift decision. Then tested positive. But the decision was never changed to a NC.

 

[FierceHitman]

When introducing friends to mma, sakuraba is definitely one of the fighters I always tell them about for sure.

 

[freakyfarley]

When introducing friends to mma, sakuraba is definitely one of the fighters I always tell them about for sure.

he legkicked trt belfort a million times

 

[Abazzdeboom]

Pride was putting japanese fighters in a permanent open weight class
This was some crazy stupid shit
Sakuraba took too much punches from heavy weight
That was unfair and probably killed his brain/made him drink faster/more than it should have been

 

[aichokyu]

YES clearly !

 

[Pakman]

Sakuraba will always be one of my favorite fighters ever. He truly embodied everything Pride was about.

 

[ilfirin]

Legend of the sport. Balls the size of Fuji-san. Gave zero fucks.

 

[Sakuraba7]

Pride was putting japanese fighters in a permanent open weight class
This was some crazy stupid shit
Sakuraba took too much punches from heavy weight
That was unfair and probably killed his brain/made him drink faster/more than it should have been

It's not PRIDE's fault, Saku always wanted to fight the bigger guys. He had been doing so ever since he debuted (before Pride). but unlike Royce whose record is full of cans, Saku fought legit competition from those upper weights. The guys like Rampage and Wand, or Randleman, Arona, Vitor Belfort, Igor Vovchanchyn, CroCop. Several of whom he beat, but he also got beat up by others in the process.