Taisei Sakuraba, Son of MMA Pioneer, to Debut Against Yusuke Yachi at Rizin 49

2nd generation fighter Taisei Sakuraba set to make his MMA debut in RIZIN, 31 December 2024. He brings a judo black belt background along with the amateur and catch wrestling lineage of his father, Kazushi. #RIZIN @KS_SAKU39 @rizin_PR pic.twitter.com/vR9ZdXKHfm

— Sᴛoo Fᴜʟᴛᴏɴ (@_StewartFulton) July 29, 2024

A Sakuraba will be competing in MMA again very soon.

In preparation for the Rizin 49 Decade event on Dec. 31, Rizin Fighting Federation sent out a press release announcing a trio of new matchups for the show at the Saitama Super Arena. Most notable of the three is the debut of Taisei Sakuraba (0-0), son of MMA legend Kazushi Sakuraba. He will be competing at 155 pounds, and his first bout in a ring will be against longtime vet Yusuke Yachi (27-14).

Sakuraba first began training while a teenager, studying judo until it blossomed into full-bore MMA practice. The youngster made his way on the scene in 2023, appearing at Quintet 4 and tapping two-time Olympic gold medalist in judo Masato Uchishiba with a kneebar in a non-tournament match. He returned to grappling the following year, leading Team Saku against Team Rizin in team vs. team competition. His debut in MMA will be against an opponent that celebrates nearly 40 pro fights, in one of the widest gaps of experience between combatants.

Rizin staple Yachi has turned things around as of late, winning four of his last five dating back to late 2022. While Sakuraba has never fought professionally, Yachi’s 18 outings under the Rizin banner are among the most of any fighter. When he sets foot in the ring in Saitama, Japan, on Dec. 31, he will tie the record for the most Rizin MMA bouts held by Yuki Motoya. He is one of 10 athletes to amass at least 10 wins as a member of the Rizin roster.

Additionally, the promotion put forth two more matches that will be held on New Year’s Eve. At heavyweight, Mikio Ueda (3-2) will collide with Tae In Kim (5-0), while Ren Sugiyama (2-1) throws down with Karshyga Dautbek (16-3) at 145 pounds. The big man from Japan has earned all three of his pro wins by knockout, but on the other side of the equation, both of his defeats have come by stoppage. His foe Kim has seen all five victories come by strikes. Kickboxer Sugiyama, also known as “Ya-Man,” stopped kickboxing in Rizin to test himself in MMA. In his last time out, he rendered Hiroaki Suzuki unconscious with his fists. Kazakhstan’s Dautbek did the same as Sugiyama, except that extends to seven straight fights.