• Xenforo Cloud is upgrading us to version 2.3.8 on Monday February 16th, 2026 at 12:00 AM PST. Expect a temporary downtime during this process. More info here

Would Sakuraba have beaten Rickson Gracie?

Who would have won?

  • Total voters
    293
I highly doubt Rickson would have had the tools to defeat Sakuraba. Could he trap him in a jiu-jitsu match on the ground? I doubt it.

One thing: Rickson was, in contemporary MMA terms, a MW, whereas Sakuraba was a WW. So there would be a size discrepancy. But Sakuraba was almost certainly the superior wrestler, and was used to dealing with larger men. Renzo gave him some trouble via boxing, but I doubt Rickson could do much.
 
Rickson believes he can beat anybody.

Then again he told Rogan that in a no time limit MMA bout, Kron would defeat Cain Velasquez. So he's gone mad.
 
arkinso said:
I have a friend who trains in Tai Chi. Apparently his master is a skinny man who weights about 150 pounds, 20 grown men cannot move him from his spot. I heard other stories about Kung Fu masters who can kill a man with one strike to the chest. I believe it is called Dim Mak.

It is very hard to separate truth from myths, especially when you have to rely on the testimony of devoted disciples who worship their master. I wish there was a sport in which all those claims could be tested, and a man's ability would be measured by his actual achievements rather than myths and legends.

Wait a minute, I think I have a wonderful idea for a new sport, I think I'll call it MMA...
Click to expand...

As more than one poster said, the people that sparred with him have no connection to the Gracie Academy.
 
Ancient Warrior said:
As more than one poster said, the people that sparred with him have no connection to the Gracie Academy.
Click to expand...

You should hear the stories my friend tells about the master of his system who came to visit one day from Japan...

My point is that they are all disciples of BJJ, and Rickson is the son of the founder of this system, and a high rank red belt in the system they dedicated their life to learn. Also, they did not come to compete with him. They came to learn from him. This determines their attitude towards this encounter and towards Rickson. Once you see yourself as a student, you automatically view the other guy as your superior.

Don't get me wrong. I have a lot of respect towards Rickson. But I learned to take what students of any system say about the masters of their system with a grain of salt.
 
ilfirin said:
I'd say Sakuraba. He was ridiculously well-rounded.
Click to expand...


Yeah Saku did but everything to get her nicely ...just had too much of a kamikazi spirit when he faced off against Wand. Prime Saku, Frank Shamrock, drop them in today's mma in their primes and they're both contenders if not champs.

I mean look at what "ole school " guys from the early pride days are still doing


Hendo, Reem,Vitor, I still thing Wand had something left, Rampage, Anderson.
 
Saku doesn't submit him as he did other Gracies. However, does win by being the more complete mma fighter. Also worth mentioning, I doubt anyone on here saw Rickson's prime, which probably would've been sometime in the 80's.
 
Hickson win. Where did you read/ hear that rolles was better than hickson? Ive never heard that
 
As strong as Rickson was, I see him getting repeatedly jump stomped and leg kicked whilst on his back into a living death. Also, I can't picture Saku being able to toy with Rickson like he did with other members of the Gracie clan. Rickson was strong af.
 
He had hell of a time with Royce who has about 30lbs less of lean mass as Rickson and is not in the same ballpark as Rickson in BJJ. I think its far to say Saku would of had his hands full and a good chance he would lose to a prime Rickson.
 
God the Gracies r so 1993! BJJ needs to retire to the seniors circuit. Sak burst the BJJ/GJJ whatever u call it's bubble so long ago it's like those old American Kung Fu and Karate system myths now.

Sak would do the same thing, patently nullify the embarrassing double legs the Gracies seem to be only capable of(Even though they claim to be taught by a Kano Sensei trained KJJ master who knew how to throw) Rickson would scoot around on in a speedo on his butt trying to chase him down...OMG, just spit up my coffee laughing at that image...Sak would kick the piss out of his legs. Rickson would beg him to come down on the matt cause in the end that's all the Gracies had going for them. If it hadn't been for the 3rd rate opponents(Name me 3 near top level Judo or Olympic level wristler opponents they sparred and filmed in those first 5 years), and the ego's they took with them against the Gracie's BJJ would be a curious addition to the wide variety of MA's to train.

16 years ago Sak proved that BJJ/GJJ is an embarrassingly incomplete system and as every lineage art understands has only sport dependent effectiveness.
 
Sakuraba via decision.

OrigFan255 said:
No such thing as "Pride rules" when a Gracie gets in the ring.....They want no time limit, Gi allowed, No restanding for stalling, No yellow cards....Did I leave anything out?
Click to expand...

IIRC Rickson never wore a gi when he fought in Japan.
 
Kaz was fearless and dynamic, and had great sub defense. Rickson had nothing for Sak
 
Rickson was the absolute BEST of the gracies, he was unlike any other Gracie that Saku had fought before.

I'm a huge Saku fan but I really think this would have been a 50/50 fight.
 
One of them won and lost in legit MMA matches.

The other one is Rickson Gracie.

I've been to a Rickson seminar, I've trained at Gracie BJJ schools.. I don't hate the family. But there is literally no reason to talk about him in regards to MMA.
 
You must log in or register to reply here.

Latest posts

Forum statistics

Threads
1,281,516
Messages
58,373,200
Members
176,016
Latest member
50 caliber beer bottle

Share this page

Back
Top