Taisei Sakuraba reacts to facing 41-fight veteran in MMA debut in RIZIN, following father’s ‘legacy’

“Wow, it is a fairly skilled opponent.” That was how Taisei Sakuraba, son of legendary Japanese fighter Kazushi Sakuraba, reacted when RIZIN booked his debut battle for Dec. 31 towards Yusuke Tachi, a veteran of 41 MMA bouts.

Trying again at his father’s profession, all of it is sensible.

“Saku Jr.” grew up competing in judo and watching his father shine within the PRIDE ring. He entered the mat for grappling contests in more moderen 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 highway. Not a lot by way of dimension, as each Sakuraba and Yachi are lightweights, however the hole experience-wise is simply huge.

“I used to be pondering possibly it was an excessive amount of of a shortcut in a means,” Sakuraba informed MMA Combating via a translator. “However as soon as it was confirmed, I type of considered it I simply type of got here to my sense and mentioned, hey, I acquired to do it. You know the way there are particular elements with a purpose to grow to be a star, and a type of elements are profitable fights that individuals suppose that you simply’re going to lose.”

Yachi holds a file 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 battle, I feel it’s going to be positively 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 battle, individuals are going to actually suppose totally different about me. It’s positively 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 combating worldwide fighters, going towards greater opponents, so I feel I want to tackle that legacy. It is going to be particular to problem himself towards ‘greater and stronger worldwide opponents,’ so Yachi is a superb approach 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 a giant distinction,” Sakuraba mentioned. “Particularly if you happen to wanna make it to the Olympics, all that stuff, it’s important to win, and it’s important to earn your factors with a purpose to make it to the Olympics. I used to be going via a really aggressive side, however with regards to combating, I feel it’s slightly totally different.”

“Clearly, outcomes do matter, but it surely’s the way you carry out and the way you battle,” he continued. “There’s a giant side of that in combating. There’s a giant that means to that. Going towards challenges, going towards the percentages, going into the ring because the underdog, meaning rather a lot. There’s numerous drama. There’s much more to inform throughout the battle with fights like that. I feel in combating, it’s crucial to to battle to encourage folks, to maneuver folks’s feelings, that’s one factor that’s required as an expert fighter.

“As soon as the Yachi battle was confirmed, I believed that Yachi can be a a lot better opponent than no one that has the identical quantity of expertise that I do. It’s simply a direct problem for me; I’m moving into because the underdog, and every thing 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 folks’s feelings and encourage folks.”

Yachi scored greater than half his RIZIN wins through stoppage, together with a submission over PRIDE and UFC legend Takanori Gomi and knockouts towards veterans Satoru Kitaoka and Daron Cruickshank. Ultimately, nonetheless, Sakuraba believes that being inexperienced might assist him on Dec. 31.

“I feel skilled fighters, veterans, they’ve a approach to battle. They’ve their strategies all arrange,” Sakuraba mentioned. “However for me, I feel the factor that he’s in all probability not gonna count on is my grittiness. I don’t have a way. I don’t have my means of combating. I’ve no alternative however to go in there and do my very best, the way in which 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 surrender and simply proceed to battle and attempt to present myself, is what’s in all probability going to shock him, that he’s in all probability not used to at this stage of his profession. The grittiness of somebody like me who’s coming into the game.”