On this day in 2000, two of the most legendary hunters in the MMA history went beyond anyone.
Royce Gracie was already an iconic figure in the Martial Arts community at the end of 1994 after he won the first, second and fourth UFC tournaments.
The legacy of Gracie's regime at the top of the sport was already defined, but he would still have a number of very important attacks in the coming years.
In 1995 he stood opposite Ken Shamrock in their record-breaking inaugural UFC Superfight Championship collision, which remains the longest fight in UFC history at 36 minutes.
The pioneer would soon find his way to Japan, where another rival waited for him after beating Royce's brother Royler in November 1999.
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Royce Gracie and Kazushi Sakuraba fought an hour and a half before the Japanese star was named the winner
The final meeting between Royce Gracie and Kazushi Sakuraba in the quarterfinals of the Pride Grand Prix in 2000 was a long -awaited affair.
With victories over people like Royler Gracie and Vitor Belfort, Sakuraba became a big star in Japan, but he should play according to the rules of the Brazilian when they encountered it.
The Gracie family wanted a specialized lines network for this fight after they specifically entered the tournament for this matchup.
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An unlimited number of rounds of 15 minutes, without referee stop pages, and the only method for the victory is knockout, entry or the corner that threw in the towel, were their conditions and although these rules were set some pushback, they were set up.
Due to the rules with regard to time limits and stop settings, the fight does not ensure exactly exciting view, but it is a fascinating watch because the Gracie plan and the adapted rules began to work on them.
The fight lasted an hour and a half where it had become an exhaustion struggle at that time that the Japanese hunter won, even if neither of them was able to beat or subdue their opponent.
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Not only did he seem to have a superior gas tank, Sakuraba caused considerable damage with leg kicks that resulted in a broken thigh, which means that Gracie had very little stability and options.
The towel was finally thrown at the end of the sixth round, with Sakuraba for a long time after he had handed Gracie the first loss of his MMA career.
Kazushi Sakuraba confirmed herself as 'The Gracie Hunter' in 2000
After he had submitted Royler Gracie to Pride 8 in 1999, Kazushi Sakuraba was called 'The Gracie Hunter' who added a lot of heat to his final matchup with Royce Gracie.
This reputation would only increase the following year after he survived Royce in one of the most historic MMA periods of all time.
Sakuraba defeated two members of the Gracie family that same year, submitted Renzo Gracie in August and defeated Ryan Gracie through a decision in December.
Seven years later, Royce would eventually take revenge if he defeated Sakuraba through decision at Dynamite !! US in June 2007.
Both men are now in the pioneer wing of the UFC Hall of Fame.