Was this a epic battle? Or cure for insomnia? 2000...I've heard both

[TomKat26]

Royce Gracie vs Kazushi Sakuraba in the Pride 2000 Grand Prix. This fight usually cuts either way on fight fans opinion of its entertainment value. I personally think it was an epic battle. This was the first time Royce ever lost in a mma match. It took Saku 6-15 minute rounds to defeat mr. Gracie. Rorian reluctantly threw in the towel, as Helio watched ringside.

 

[emperor]

Stripped of context, it's a bit of a chore to watch the whole thing. I wasn't around to watch the fight when it happened so I can say it hasn't aged well. Huge deal for the time though.

I have tremendous respect for these guys to be able to have a fight like that (and for Sakuraba to have another fight with the top HW in the world later that night.)

 

[TomKat26]

Stripped of context, it's a bit of a chore to watch the whole thing. I wasn't around to watch the fight when it happened so I can say it hasn't aged well. Huge deal for the time though.

I have tremendous respect for these guys to be able to have a fight like that (and for Sakuraba to have another fight with the top HW in the world later that night.)

True..and Saku was doing very well vs Igor also.

 

[JasonMun]

The fight has long periods where very, very little happens, and the action is pretty limited.
The rules were also kind of silly, and nobody seemed to really understand them.

That being said, watching 2 legends go to war in such a long grueling battle makes the fight very fun to watch in my eyes, even during the slower parts

 

[tat2man5k]

Plus there were several moments that were quite funny when Saku was trolling Royce, and even the Gracie's were laughing ringside

 

[HUGHPHUG]

i think it's one of the greatest fights of all time, from any form of combat sports.

that said, i barely have time to watch a full night of Bellator/UFC fights these days let alone a single fight lasting 90 minutes, so i wont be rewatching it any time soon.

but in context, watching back then, it was incredible, beyond that. it was one of my favorite fighters fighting a true enigma in combat sports.

with today's attention/focus mostly on finishes, KO's, stand up etc, i don't imagine any newer fans would be overly impressed by it. but it is a huge piece of sporting history, and a very important piece of sporting history.

 

[Cro Cop Is Back]

This fight changed MMA forever.

 

[Max Normal]

It's a bit of a chore to watch, I've only done it once. Much of the early action is Royce pushing Saku against the ropes, the fight does pick up later on though but it is still over an an hour of mma, and even if the fight was full of action it would still get tedious. The context of the fight, Saku beating members f the GRacie family, and the rules that favoured Royce's style add an interesting dimension to the narrative of the fight, but I doubt I will ever watch it again. It's kind of a rite of passage for mma fans.