Sherdog’s Top 10: MMA’s Greatest Overachievers

8. Kazushi Sakuraba

The legendary Sakuraba, who has graced many past Top 10 lists, comes in at eighth here. Sakuraba didn't have the work ethic of the two previous entries, with a known penchant for alcohol and cigarettes. Yet, he is an overachiever all the same, and no one in MMA history has ever surpassed his incredible heart and toughness, managing to win fights which seemed comical with how awful the odds were. Turning pro fairly late, on his 27th birthday, Sakuraba initially trained at the Takada Dojo, which produced no other fighters that were even decent, and whose namesake, pro wrestler Nobuhiko Takada, was an absolute joke in MMA. Sakuraba didn't look like much at first glance, either; just a decent wrestler with some submission skills. Yet Sakuraba defied all of that and then some. He would develop into a very good wrestler in his prime, with perhaps the best submission game in the sport. He even added powerful, technical kicks to his arsenal, whether to the legs or head. Not only did he defeat men who were more naturally talented, but much larger ones as well. This began with a submission of 240-pound Marcus Silveira “Conan” and included submissions of future UFC light heavyweight king Quinton Jackson and former UFC heavyweight champion Kevin Randleman. How did Sakuraba beat any of these guys? Even knowing the result and watching the matches, the mind boggles. Personally though, I always think about Sakuraba's early Pride win over future UFC light heavyweight champion Vitor Belfort. “The Phenom” was possibly the most naturally gifted fighter MMA had seen at that point, and despite being only 22, far more experienced than Sakuraba, especially in big fights. He was also about 30 pounds heavier by fight time. At first, Belfort stuffed Sakuraba's takedowns with ease and pelted him with punches. Yet, it wasn't long before the tides turned and Sakuraba broke Belfort, dominating the final two-thirds of the match. A true example of how much the heart and mind can allow one to overachieve in MMA, even without an optimal work ethic.

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