Royce Gracie Brazil USA Japan Chad county Rowan record Fighting career Royce Gracie Brazil USA Japan Chad county Rowan

UFC icon once took on sumo wrestler in mismatch bout with 300lb weight difference

Reading now: 737
www.dailystar.co.uk

UFC icon Royce Gracie once took on a sumo wrestler who weighed over 300lbs more than him in a mismatch fight.Gracie dominated the early years of UFC, winning three of their first four then tournament-style events thanks to his perfected Brazilian jiu-jitsu style.

And his fearlessness meant he accepted a bout with sumo legend Chad "Akebono" Rowan in 2004.Not only was the American 6'8" tall and 484lbs, but he was also the first foreign-born wrestler to reach Yokozuna, which is the highest rank in sumo.

He was making his MMA debut, while Gracie, at 176lbs, was fighting for just the third time in eight years.The pair headlined the annual kickboxing and MMA event held by Japanese promotion K-1, K-1 PREMIUM 2004 Dynamite!!, on New Year's Eve, with the event attracting a sellout crowd of over 52,000 at the Osaka Dome.Almost immediately after the bell was rung, Akebono made use of his ridiculous weight advantage and landed on top of Gracie, who was barely visible under his opponent's giant frame.Is Gracie the UFC's best ever fighter?

Let us know in the comments section belowBut the experienced Brazilian didn't panic and forced them both back to their feet.

Read more on dailystar.co.uk
The website celebsbar.com is an aggregator of news from open sources. The source is indicated at the beginning and at the end of the announcement. You can send a complaint on the news if you find it unreliable.

Related News

DMCA