In His Debut! Son of MMA Legend Defeats 41-Fight Veteran in 30 Seconds

Taisei Sakuraba defeats Yusuke Yachi in less than a minute.

RIZIN

We have a new Sakuraba on our hands.

Taisei Sakuraba, son of legendary MMA icon Kazushi Sakuraba, made his professional MMA debut at RIZIN DECADE on December 31, coming up against 41-fight MMA veteran Yusuke Yachi.

'Saku Jr.' was a +220 underdog coming into the fight, and rightly so, as he had only competed in grappling tournaments. However, he'd knock out Yachi inside the first minute of the fight.

After a brief exchange of probing strikes, Sakuraba threw a kick that Yachi caught. While Yachi held the leg, Sakuraba landed a clean punch that sent Yachi to the canvas, and the follow-up shots sealed the deal.

There's going to be some talk of the quick stoppage, but that isn't on Taisei Sakuraba. THAT is how you make your debut against a 40+ fight veteran. Mere seconds. The legacy continues! #RIZIN_Decade (footage courtesy of RIZIN FF/RIZIN.tv) pic.twitter.com/bQyAc6pTnj

— Cageside Press (@Cagesidepress) December 31, 2024

Who should be next for Taisei Sakuraba?

More MMA Knockout News

• RIZIN 49 LIVE: Suzuki vs. Erbst 2 Results & Updates
  
• Ranked UFC Knockout Artist Suspended for Anti-Doping Violation
  
• Ex-UFC Champ Luke Rockhold's Prediction for Prochazka vs. Hill at UFC 311
  
• UFC Champ Merab Dvalishvili Details Ambitious 2025 Plan
  

Stick with MMAKnockout for more FREE coverage of the UFC, MMA, Boxing. Follow MMAKnockout on Facebook, Twitter, and Instagram.