Son of PRIDE Legend Kazushi Sakuraba Scores 26-Second Knockout in MMA Debut
The son of legendary ‘Gracie Killer’ Kazushi Sakuraba scored an impressive 26-second knockout in his mixed martial arts debut on Tuesday.
Emanating from the iconic Saitama Super Arena in Japan, RIZIN FF delivered another star-studded New Year’s Eve event featuring the debut of Taisei Sakuraba.
The 26-year-old entered the ring for a showdown with 41-fight veteran Yusuke Yachi as part of the festivities and started the fireworks early with a quick-fire TKO.
After a brief exchange, Sakuraba threw a kick that Yachi caught. As Yachi continued to hold his leg, thew newcomer unleashed a left hand that sent Yachi crashing to the canvas. ‘Saku Jr.’ swarmed his opponent, landing a series of solid ground-and-pound strikes before the referee saw fit to step in and call for the stoppage less than half a minute into the scrap.
Having only competed in grappling tournaments until now, ‘Saku Jr.’ walked into the bout as a +220 underdog against the far more experienced Yachi.
He is now 1-0 in his professional MMA career, snapping Yachi’s four-fight win streak under the RIZIN banner.
