Could Sakuraba be conpetitive with modern Welterweights?

[Futbol Ukraine]

I ask this because it took him 90 mins to finish royce, and most current top 10 guys would finish royce in 2 minutes, even worse than what matt did.

So do u think hed be ranked if he fought in his prime today?

Personally i think he wouldnt be ranked, but he could probably beat mike perry and mike jackson

 

[Arm Barbarian]

He had some of the craziest, acrobatic moves and subs, so I do think prime Sak could easily hang with a good portion of todays WWs.

Never underestimate a dude that goes for broke trying to finish the fight.

Royce was no joke back in the day, and neither was Renzo (who got his arm mangled by Kazushi).

 

[Dozer .]

The man who submitted LHW Rampage Jackson?

Fuck yea

 

[ImNotSurpisedDonks!]

He had serious cojones, but no way could he be competitive with modern top ww's. I don't know if there is really anyone from his era that could be competitive with modern top fighters. This game has increased more over the past three decades than any sport in the world, and the fighters are bigger, stronger, more well tested, more athletic, better trained and infinitely more well rounded.

Sadly, MMA has the most nostalgic fans on the planet so you won't find many people that will feel this way. Saku subs Usman in 2, AmIRite, Sherbros?

 

[Futbol Ukraine]

He had serious cojones, but no way could he be competitive with modern top ww's. I don't know if there is really anyone from his era that could be competitive with modern top fighters. This game has increased more over the past three decades than any sport in the world, and the fighters are bigger, stronger, more well tested, more athletic, better trained and infinitely more well rounded.

Sadly, MMA has the most nostalgic fans on the planet so you won't find many people that will feel this way. Saku subs Usman in 2, AmIRite, Sherbros?

U speak truth

Most featherweights like aldo and max would ko saku, maybe even cody or tj

 

[Sakuraba7]

As long as they're not fucking him over in the scorecards, he'd do very well. They'd likely fuck him over in the scorecards in the US though.

The rounds under the Unified Rules are also too short for him to really exhibit his full grappling skills when you're being broken up every 5 minutes.

 

[Otto!]

Saku was the man. In his prime he would hang with anyone. I know the game has evolved since then, but I believe that he was ahead of his time in the way he approached fighting.

 

[ImNotSurpisedDonks!]

U speak truth

Most featherweights like aldo and max would ko saku, maybe even cody or tj

Uh oh. Prepare to be shredded to bits but you are correct. With modern weight cutting, chances are Saku would likely not even fight at WW and a guy like Fedor would be a middleweight.

To those who say "he would catch a sub", do you think he is better than Maia? Do you think he would sub TWood and be able to withstand getting KO'd? Would he outgrapple Colby? Sub and outstrike Gunni? Would he hang with Wonderboy? Sure, he could beat some ww's out there, but practically none in the top 50.

The sport has simply progressed too greatly and you could well be right that a guy like Zabit would eat him for lunch.

 

[Sakuraba7]

U speak truth

Most featherweights like aldo and max would ko saku, maybe even cody or tj

Easy to KO someone if you're constantly being broken up and have to start on the feet.

Under 10 minute rounds, Saku gives them all hell easily. Sakuraba beat Rampage without getting knocked out. Don't assume tiny FWs and BWs, just because they're strikers, will catch him with ease. They won't. He beats Cody and TJ with ease.

He wouldn't even bang with Holloway, he'd take him to the ground too. Holloway needs people to play into his standup game which Saku obviously never cared to play into. Aldo's the one I can see being competitive because of his BJJ.

 

[sabretitan]

War Sakuraba

 

[IBeLurkin]

I ask this because it took him 90 mins to finish royce, and most current top 10 guys would finish royce in 2 minutes, even worse than what matt did.

So do u think hed be ranked if he fought in his prime today?

Personally i think he wouldnt be ranked, but he could probably beat mike perry and mike jackson

If he actually competed today, he'd probably be a featherweight.


...and yeah, he'd be good imo

 

[ChumpyKiwi]

Saku subs Usman in 2, AmIRite, Sherbros?

 

[ElLunico]

No. Too one dimensional. He had terrible striking

 

[gono btw]

I ask this because it took him 90 mins to finish royce, and most current top 10 guys would finish royce in 2 minutes, even worse than what matt did.

So do u think hed be ranked if he fought in his prime today?

Personally i think he wouldnt be ranked, but he could probably beat mike perry and mike jackson

 

[gono btw]

No. Too one dimensional. He had terrible striking

What...are...u....talkin´....about...



U didnt watch his fights, so why do u feel the need to spit this BS?

 

[gono btw]

He had serious cojones, but no way could he be competitive with modern top ww's. I don't know if there is really anyone from his era that could be competitive with modern top fighters. This game has increased more over the past three decades than any sport in the world, and the fighters are bigger, stronger, more well tested, more athletic, better trained and infinitely more well rounded.

Sadly, MMA has the most nostalgic fans on the planet so you won't find many people that will feel this way. Saku subs Usman in 2, AmIRite, Sherbros?

SAKU GOAT started his career as a FW, but he bulked up and historically fought btw 178 & 184 lbs.

That said, with these modern WWs, he would have been bored. That´s the truth.
Heck, he was even bored with Mezger (?!?)

Against Arsene,Schembri,Royler [were it not for his name...]... he did a carry job.

SAKU´s striking is pretty underrated, and his grappling was and still is so much ahead of his time, u have no idea. We´re talkin´here about slick transitions that u no longer see at the highest level, traps that very few can still pull off nowadays...

 

[Typrune Goatley]

Sakuraba defeated many Heavyweights and 205 and 185 pound fighters.



If he can beat Vitor, Rampage, Randleman, Braga, Conan, etc..I wouldn't be worried at all with him at Welterweight.

Besides, he submitted Carlos Newton who was the UFC Welterweight champ a few years later.

 

[Arm Barbarian]

It's actually pretty comical and easy to tell who has JUST started watching MMA in these types of threads, based on comments.

 

[gono btw]

Sakuraba defeated many HWs and 205 and 185 pound fighters.

Noobz wont know about Braga, and his wiki record wont impress them.

But he was seriously good.

As a LHW in Jungle Fight, he was schoolin´ HW Doom on the feet b4 gettin´overconfident.

THAT´s what I call a really well-rounded guy.

On a sidenote, and even if Im a die-hard fan, I have to keep it real and admit that SAKU GOAT was schooled:

1> In his rookie fight vs HW Kimo

2> Against LHW Allan Goes (was technically a draw, but indeed SAKU lost... still, it helped him to understand how to deal with a BJJ guard...)

 

[smart.feller]

Not a chance, sorry.

He had some amazing wars. He was an all time great of first generation fighters.
He got smoked by second generation fighters. Third generation would destroy him.