“Wow, this can be a fairly skilled opponent.” That was how Taisei Sakuraba, son of legendary Japanese fighter Kazushi Sakuraba, reacted when RIZIN booked his debut combat for Dec. 31 in opposition to Yusuke Tachi, a veteran of 41 MMA bouts.
Trying again at his father’s profession, all of it is smart.
“Saku Jr.” grew up competing in judo and watching his father shine within the PRIDE ring. He entered the mat for grappling contests in newer years earlier than saying his transition to combined martial arts however wasn’t anticipating to face such an skilled foe proper off the bat.
Sakuraba, now 55, has confronted the who’s who of the game as one of many stars of PRIDE in Japan, sharing the ring with a lot heavier opponents like Wanderlei Silva, Mirko Cro Cop, “Rampage” Jackson, Igor Vovchanchyn and Vitor Belfort. For his son, it’s a matter of future to go down that very same street. Not a lot by way of measurement, as each Sakuraba and Yachi are lightweights, however the hole experience-wise is simply monumental.
“I used to be pondering perhaps it was an excessive amount of of a shortcut in a manner,” Sakuraba instructed MMA Preventing by means of a translator. “However as soon as it was confirmed, I form of thought of it I simply form of got here to my sense and mentioned, hey, I acquired to do it. You understand how there are particular features as a way to turn into a star, and a kind of features are profitable fights that folks assume that you just’re going to lose.”
Yachi holds a report of 27-14 in MMA after profitable 4 of his previous 5. He’s a former Shooto and PXC featherweight champion and has challenged Roberto Satoshi for the RIZIN light-weight throne in 2021.
“For my debut combat, I feel it’s going to be undoubtedly a problem for me,” Sakuraba mentioned of Yachi, “however I feel if I can beat this opponent if I come out as a winner after this combat, persons are going to essentially assume totally different about me. It’s undoubtedly going to place my title on the map. So in that sense, I’m very excited to see how a lot I can do. And as soon as I beat my opponent, I’m very excited to see how everybody’s gonna react.
“Saku Jr. mentioned that my father made his title preventing worldwide fighters, going in opposition to greater opponents, so I feel I wish to tackle that legacy. It will likely be particular to problem himself in opposition to ‘greater and stronger worldwide opponents,’ so Yachi is a wonderful solution to get issues began at RIZIN Decade.
“I come from a aggressive judo background, and in judo, outcomes matter. You win or lose, it’s an enormous distinction,” Sakuraba mentioned. “Particularly for those who wanna make it to the Olympics, all that stuff, it’s important to win, and it’s important to earn your factors as a way to make it to the Olympics. I used to be going by means of a really aggressive side, however relating to preventing, I feel it’s somewhat totally different.”
“Clearly, outcomes do matter, but it surely’s the way you carry out and the way you combat,” he continued. “There’s an enormous side of that in preventing. There’s an enormous that means to that. Going in opposition to challenges, going in opposition to the percentages, going into the ring because the underdog, which means quite a bit. There’s a number of drama. There’s much more to inform throughout the combat with fights like that. I feel in preventing, it’s essential to to combat to encourage individuals, to maneuver individuals’s feelings, that’s one factor that’s required as knowledgeable fighter.
“As soon as the Yachi combat was confirmed, I believed that Yachi could be a significantly better opponent than no one that has the identical quantity of expertise that I do. It’s simply a right away problem for me; I’m entering into because the underdog, and every part is ready. The stage is ready for me to encourage, go in there, and encourage the followers. I feel that’s one factor {that a} fighter is required to do, to maneuver individuals’s feelings and encourage individuals.”
Yachi scored greater than half his RIZIN wins through stoppage, together with a submission over PRIDE and UFC legend Takanori Gomi and knockouts in opposition to veterans Satoru Kitaoka and Daron Cruickshank. In the long run, nevertheless, Sakuraba believes that being inexperienced might assist him on Dec. 31.
“I feel skilled fighters, veterans, they’ve a solution to combat. They’ve their strategies all arrange,” Sakuraba mentioned. “However for me, I feel the factor that he’s most likely not gonna count on is my grittiness. I don’t have a way. I don’t have my manner of preventing. I’ve no alternative however to go in there and do my best possible, the best way I can. I don’t care the way it appears, I’m simply going to go in there and do my greatest. My grittiness, my willingness to not hand over and simply proceed to combat and attempt to present myself, is what’s most likely going to shock him, that he’s most likely not used to at this stage of his profession. The grittiness of somebody like me who’s coming into the game.”
