Tomorrow night, Kazushi Sakuraba makes his return to the ring for DREAM in Japan. It’s a return to action that literally no one has been awaiting with baited breath. As I point out at Heavy.com, Sakuraba is a tragedy waiting to happen.
Now the hall of famer is firmly in the Ali-Holmes stage of his career. He’s clearly no longer the man he once was, and just as clearly needs to stop fighting to protect his long term health. Yet, promoters keep dragging him back to the ring. And he goes willingly. And audiences still want to watch him fight and in an ugly business that trumps all. Everyone is responsible for the tragedies, yet no one is.
I run down Sakuraba’s back story in the piece. He’s clearly one of the most important figures in MMA history. It’s a shame to see him come to this. Remember this up and coming fighters: save your money so you can save your brain.
As the sport of Mixed Martial Arts grows, as does the public’s interest with the fighters, the personalities and the history of the sport. Of course, to meet that demand that means that publishers are going to start to demand books on the subject are available. With that being said,