Taisei Sakuraba: Stronger and Unstoppably Popular, Following a Martial Arts Legacy

“I don’t care if it’s by my parents’ influence or anything else, I want to become a star who can make the matches exciting.”

“The entrance scene was something I thought the older generation would enjoy, so I did it with that in mind. I entered with the same song and mask as my dad. It made my dad’s fans happy, and I was happy too. My dad told me, ‘Pay the copyright fee!’ (laughs).”

The speaker is Sakuraba Taisei (26), who made his MMA debut on New Year’s Eve last year at “RIZIN DECADE” and won by TKO just 26 seconds into the match.

The dad he refers to is, of course, the legendary Sakuraba Kazushi (55), known as the “IQ Wrestler,” who fought in brutal battles during the early 2000s in “PRIDE.”

As the song “SPEED TK RE-MIX” (composed by Tetsuya Komuro) played, the crowd went wild for Kazushi’s entrance, where he wore a mask. Taisei recreated that same scene during his debut.

“I’m Sakuraba Kazushi’s son. I can’t ignore this privilege. I knew that if I did an entrance like that and lost, I’d be criticized. So I have to make sure my fight is impressive. I don’t care if it’s by my parents’ influence or anything else, I want to become a star who can make the matches exciting.”

From the age of 13 to 22, Taisei dedicated himself to judo. During his time at Tokai University Sagami High, he made it to the top 8 in Kanagawa Prefecture, but he didn’t find success in the prestigious Tokai University judo team. After graduation, he chose a sales position in a real estate venture in Ebisu (Shibuya). The commission-based job was appealing to him because the more he worked, the more he earned, and using his legs and mind, he earned several times the average salary for his generation.

“I was working with only about three hours of sleep, but I felt fulfilled. I completely quit judo and didn’t exercise at all during the two years after joining. But one day, I suddenly thought, ‘Is this really okay?’ I didn’t want to be an old man who complained in a bar, saying ‘I should’ve done this back then.’ I’m the son of Sakuraba Kazushi, judo is my weapon, and I decided to aim for the world of MMA.”

“My dad is a tsundere (laughs).”

When he consulted with his father, at first, his father only showed a serious expression. Having been through the ups and downs of the world, his father, who had tasted both sour and sweet, wanted his son to lead a stable life as a salaried worker.

“I think my dad wanted to say, ‘The world of mixed martial arts isn’t that easy.’ But I had dedicated nearly 10 years to judo, and I understood the toughness of the martial arts world. Still, when I told him that I didn’t want to regret my life, he said, ‘Do what you want.'”

He could already foresee that his mother would oppose it, so he quit his job first to cut off any escape routes and declared, “I’m going to become a professional fighter.” In September 2023, he participated in the grappling event “QUINTET” hosted by his father. He won by kneebar submission against Masato Uchishiba (46), an Olympic gold medalist in Athens and Beijing. In January 2024, he won in an amateur K-1 match, showing his talent in striking as well.

After steadily gaining experience, he entered his RIZIN debut with confidence. When his opponent caught his left middle kick, he used his long reach to land a left straight, knocking his opponent down and pummeling him with punches.

“I had a few finishing patterns in mind before the fight, and I was able to execute one of them. Even though it was right at the beginning, I was able to synchronize my foot and arm movements as practiced, so the left straight came out smoothly. I can’t headline a main event yet, but I want to keep having fights where the fans say, ‘Today, the most exciting fight was the one with Sakuraba Taisei.'”

His debut match was a brilliant start to his career, but his father in the corner gave him a tough 80 points.

“I think it was a message to not get carried away. There were no words like congratulations. But afterward, someone told me, ‘Your dad was really happy!’ The other day, I was watching my match on my phone, and my dad smiled, looking pleased. My dad is a tsundere (laughs).”

His father, Kazushi, still continues training, and the father and son spar about twice a week, focusing on grappling.

“In grappling, even if his physical strength is declining, he can cover it with experience. So even though my dad is only using about 70% of his strength, sometimes he totally dominates me. He’s strong, even though he’s old.”

Unlike his quiet, monk-like father, Taisei has a cheerful personality. Laughing, he continues:

“I want to get stronger and become incredibly popular. I want to be like BTS, a global star, making millions and being adored. It would be amazing to date an actress or a gravure idol.”

It might not be too far off before he gets caught by the media for a hot love affair.

From the February 14, 2025, issue of “FRIDAY”