1. Royce Gracie PRIDE Openweight Grand Prix
Following his UFC 5 “Super Fight” draw with Ken Shamrock, Royce Gracie withdrew from the limelight of the promotion for 5 years. In 2000 he resurfaced in Japan for Pride, debuting in January with a win in the first round of the Pride 2000 openweight grand prix. In the next round Gracie would meet Kazushi Sakuraba in May.
The rules of his fight with Sakuraba had been modified to allow for unlimited rounds, eliminating the possibility of a judge’s decision. After 6 gruelling rounds with Sakuraba, Gracie’s corner admitted defeat.
The win over Royce was Sakuraba’s 2nd win over a member of the Gracie family, and he would go on to defeat several others, earning himself the nickname “the Gracie Killer”.
In June 2007 it appeared as though Royce had finally gotten revenge on behalf of his family, when he defeated Sakuraba in Los Angeles. A failed post-fight steroid test would overturn that decision however.
