Kazushi Sakuraba’s son, Taisei Sakuraba, is set to make his MMA debut against Yusuke Yachi on December 31 at RIZIN DECADE in Japan, expressing interest in potentially facing a Gracie in the future while reminiscing about his father’s iconic walkout as Super Mario.
Kazushi Sakuraba, one of Japan’s MMA legends, is about to witness his son, Taisei Sakuraba, step into the ring for the first time. On December 31, Taisei will debut in an MMA fight against seasoned veteran Yusuke Yachi at RIZIN DECADE in Saitama, Japan.
Taisei, eager to carry the Sakuraba legacy into the sport, has previously competed in grappling matches. Reflecting on his father’s illustrious career, he surprisingly picks a walkout—not a fight—as his favorite moment.
“My favorite moment is when my father walked out as Mario,” Taisei shared with a grin during an interview with MMA Fighting. He admits he doesn’t recall the fight itself but vividly remembers that iconic entrance.
Back then, “Saku Jr.” was just shy of turning five when Kazushi entered the PRIDE ring dressed as Super Mario. That night in 2003, “The Gracie Hunter,” after three losses to Wanderlei Silva, clinched a third-round armbar victory over Kevin Randleman.
Kazushi earned his fame by defeating four Gracie family members in PRIDE, cementing his nickname “The Gracie Hunter.” Taisei expressed openness to fighting a Gracie someday. Kron Gracie, Rickson Gracie’s son and today’s most prominent family representative, went 3-0 in RIZIN before moving to the UFC in 2019, where he’s since lost three of four fights.
“If there’s demand and fans want it, I’m down,” Taisei said about potentially facing Kron Gracie.
Kazushi, a veteran of 45 MMA bouts, last fought in 2015 and is on a five-fight losing streak. At 26, Taisei jokingly remarked, “My father is invincible; he says he’ll never retire.” Maybe they could share a card one day—perhaps even in a tag-team match!
“I’m not sure how the RIZIN system works,” Taisei mused. “But Quintet is a team-based grappling promotion. There’s a good chance of something happening there.” He added with enthusiasm that he’d love such an event to take place outside Japan. Traveling abroad? Yes, please!