Japanese MMA legend Kazushi Sakuraba is the latest inductee into the UFC Hall of Fame class of 2017.
Seventeen years ago, Sakuraba rose to MMA superstardom with his feud with the legendary Gracie family.
Sakuraba managed to win four consecutive fights against the Gracies. In 1999, he submitted Royler Gracie.
In 2000, Sakuraba fought UFC Hall of Famer Royce Gracie in a fight with no round limits and no referee stoppages. Sakuraba and Grace fought for 90 minutes until the Gracie family was forced to throw in the towel giving Sakuraba the TKO win.
Later that year, he picked up a submission win over Renzo Gracie and a decision win over Ryan Gracie.
Besides defeating the Gracie family, Sakuraba has also fought some of the best fighters in the history of the sport.
Sakuraba’s legendary career includes wins over former UFC champions Carlos Newton, Vitor Belfort, Quinton “Rampage” Jackson, Ken Shamrock, and Kevin Randleman.
In 1997, Sakuraba made his only UFC appearance. He fought two times, in one night, to win the UFC Ultimate Japan Heavyweight Tournament.
