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Sumo in MMA ?
I have an uncle who lives in Japan. He knows a sumo who is interested in MMA. My uncle was on the phone talking about it. I told him that in the early years of the UFC there was a sumo guy who fought. Right now I don't think there is a sumo guy in MMA. The sumo doesn't want to lose his weight. I think he is like 650 pounds. Do you guys think he can keep his weight learn MT and BJJ and be good in MMA. I know it is hard to get back on your feet at that weight. I really don't know if he can learn BJJ real good at that weight. I think he can pull the MT off without the high kicks. The guy wants to keep his weight because he wants to show the world how good sumo can be.
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Sumo, as an art, hasn't done too well in MMA.
Gerard Gordeau, a savate champ, kicked a 500lb Sumo in the head in UFC one and set a couple of his teeth flying into the audience. He then landed strikes I think to ref stoppage.
Keith Hackney stopped Emmanuel Yarborough with a palm heel to the chin. Hackney must have hit him pretty hard to send all 550 lbs of him on his butt!
Royce Gracie submitted another Sumo with a keylock recently.
I know they are big, physically strong/intimidating and good at throws but I'm not sure how they can bridge the gap to MMA fighting against smaller, faster and more well rounded fighters? -
I'm not sure all that extra bulk will help him out in MMA. He might be better off losing it and trying to show the world how effective Sumo throws are.Comment
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Akebono, your uncle and his Sumo friend should know who he is, has competed four times and lost all four. Sumo and MMA just are not sports that we are going to see much in the way of successful crossover.Comment
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is this a serious thread?Comment
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Yes, the sumo fighters are just not mobile enough to be successful.
Another thing people do not often talk about that I have noticed is that generally the sumo fighters I have seen in MMA seem to lack heart. it looks like they don't really want to be in the ring and when things turn bad they give up too easily.Comment
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I'm sure this is due to the limited number of sumo fighters we have seen crossing over to mma and has nothing to do with the opinion that all sumo wrestlers lack heart.Originally posted by JaredExtreme View PostComment
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All the techniques that are in Sumo that could be useful in MMA are already in greco, freestyle, and judo.Comment
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I think the issue is just that Sumo is a very specialized art and that makes the transition to something like MMA pretty tough.
I mean, a great pro boxer wouldn't do too well in MMA either, generally speaking.Comment
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Sumo would make great bouncers.Comment
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Well, how bout arguably the greatest Sumo of all-time Akebono getting his asswhooped with a record like 1-7 or something? That should be evidence enoughOriginally posted by Bjjexpertise@be View PostComment
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As stated by jubaji, Akebono is not the greatest of all time. Akebono is only famous for being the first person born in USA to reach the highest sumo rank I believe.Originally posted by Yu Law View PostComment
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You are correct.Comment
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I know of three in the UFC all lost to strikes.
The two that Tom mentioned
"Gerard Gordeau, a savate champ, kicked a 500lb Sumo in the head in UFC one and set a couple of his teeth flying into the audience. He then landed strikes I think to ref stoppage.
Keith Hackney stopped Emmanuel Yarborough with a palm heel to the chin. Hackney must have hit him pretty hard to send all 550 lbs of him on his butt!"
There was also Mark Halls defeat of Koji Kitao with a punch in the nose.
The Sumo in the UFC do not seem to be very good at Sumo or anything else. Just like any other art one must crosstrain.Comment
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