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Kazushi Sakuraba’s Son, Taisei, Wants to Face Kron Gracie at Quintet

Kazushi Sakuraba’s Son, Taisei, Wants to Face Kron Gracie at Quintet

Kazushi Sakuraba’s legendary career in combat sports may soon extend to the next generation, as his son, Taisei Sakuraba, has expressed interest in facing Kron Gracie in the future. Taisei, who will make his MMA debut on December 31 at RIZIN DECADE in Saitama, Japan, has been eyeing a potential showdown against Kron Gracie in a team-based competition, possibly under the Quintet grappling promotion.

Taisei, who is known as “Saku Jr.,” has spoken openly about the possibility of competing against the son of Rickson Gracie. He expressed his willingness to take on the challenge if there is enough demand for such a matchup. “If there’s a demand and if there are people who want to see this match, I’m down,” Taisei said in a recent interview.

Despite his father’s legendary status in combat sports, particularly in his battles with members of the Gracie family, Taisei fondly recalls moments that had nothing to do with his father’s fights. “My favorite moment is when my father walked out as Mario,” he smiled, referring to one of his father’s iconic entrances. “I don’t remember the match itself, but I remember that walkout.”

Kazushi Sakuraba, now 55 years old, earned the nickname “The Gracie Hunter” for his victories over multiple members of the famous Gracie family. His last competitive fight took place in 2015 against Shinya Aoki, but his influence in the combat sports world remains undeniable.

Looking toward the future, Taisei sees Quintet as a potential venue for the Gracie vs. Sakuraba matchup. Quintet’s team-based grappling format could offer an exciting platform for the fight, and Taisei hinted that the promotion’s unique style might be the ideal stage for such a showdown. “Quintet is a grappling promotion, and that’s a team versus team type concept. It’s only grappling, but I think under Quintet, there’s a high probability of that happening,” he explained.

Taisei also shared his aspirations beyond Japan. He expressed a strong desire to compete internationally, stating that he hopes any potential match with Kron Gracie would take place outside of Japan. “I wanna travel abroad,” Taisei said. “So I hope, whenever this happens, I hope it happens outside of Japan.”

In a lighthearted moment, Taisei even joked about the possibility of competing alongside his father on the same card. “My father is invincible, so he’s saying that he’s never going to retire,” Taisei laughed, suggesting that the two could even appear together in a future event.

As Taisei prepares for his MMA debut, fans are eagerly awaiting to see how the son of a combat sports legend will carve his own path in the world of fighting. Whether in MMA or grappling, it seems that the Sakuraba family legacy is poised to continue making waves in the combat sports world for years to come.

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