1. Royce Gracie vs Sakuraba 2
Royce Gracie helped pioneer the modern era of mixed martial arts, by proving that a skilled jiu-jitsu practitioner could beat a larger opponent. Later in his career he would prove that a well-juiced fighter could beat a much cleaner opponent as well.
Sakuraba handed Royce Gracie an epic first loss during the Pride Grand Prix in 2000, when Gracie couldn’t answer the bell for round 7 (there were no judge’s decisions for the bout). Gracie wanted revenge and he wasn’t afraid to take a short cut to his goals.
In 2007 a rematch was scheduled by K-1 Dynamite, and this time Gracie would win a decision after a 3-round bout. Post-match drug testing revealed Gracie had pretty much the highest level of testosterone that numbers are able to measure. Gracie’s testosterone levels were considered to be 25x what a normal male’s levels should be. Despite this, the results of the fight were never overturned because that’s just how things went at the time in the sport.
Gracie wouldn’t fight again until Scott Coker would lure him out of retirement to “compete” against Ken Shamrock in Bellator.
