Most fighters are men of dreams, willing to roll the dice and take their chances, hopeful that their chin and heart will ultimately take them to the top.
They make sacrifices we will never know about, all toward the end of winning the next fight, and the fight after, and so on.
When they talk about themselves, they try to project optimism because they are always swimming the seas of promotion.
Of course, Kazushi Sakuraba is not like everyone else.
When American audiences got their first real look at Sakuraba, it was during his appearance at UFC: Ultimate Japan. His attitude was humble and seemed to say: “you win some, and you lose some.”
Of course, on that night he went on to become the first-ever Japanese fighter to win a UFC tournament, and in the heavyweight division no less.
That started what would turn out to be a stunning career for Sakuraba, at least while he was still in his prime, fighting opponents of similar size.
But much has changed since he was atop the MMA world. He’s taken some savage beatings in the ring and is currently sitting atop a four-fight losing skid.
Still, if he has a mind to continue fighting, why not fight in the UFC?
Some might laugh at the idea, but truth be told, it is not that far out of the realm of possibility.
So, what advantages would Sakuraba have fighting in the UFC as opposed to other organizations?
Read on and find out.