Royce: Tokoro, Hughes Sakuraba

Scratches head I called it on my thread 'Rewind'. I'm not surprised that Royce won. Just had a feeling that Royce would outwork Sakuraba somehow and win.

But this is the most curious thing: How do we evaluate this now?

143 pound Tokoro basically took it to Royce and was beating him pillar to post in two out of three rounds in a mandated draw, making Royce look like he was the smaller fighter in that match, despite Tokoro giving up at least 30 pounds.

Matt Hughes pretty much walked right through Royce, stopping him brutally quick with barely breaking a sweat.

But Sakuraba, the first fighter to decisively beat Royce took 90 minutes to do it the first time around, and then loses to him by decision in an uneventful coin-flip match...

What does this say about Sakuraba's skills, his age or his ability?

What does it say about Royce's?

Has Royce improved since his first match against Sakuraba, or have the beatings that Sakuraba has taken over the years finally caught up to him, or is it merely a matter of Sakuraba being a relic of an earlier age, like Royce himself?

I'm kinda baffled right now of how to evaluate the result of this match.

Saku could have finished Royce in the 1st fight.

HE consciously tried to make Royce verbally quit. This is well known.

Whatever Evilyoshida.

"He dragged the fight out and then just beat him to a pulp. kinda showing him up for the special rules he asked for."

That's exactly waht sak said he was going to do and he did it. He wanted to make royce verbally quit for asking for those special rules.

Sak could NOT have ended their first fight anytime he wanted. He tried to finish it the first round with a standing kimura then a well sunk in kneebar. And he came close to succeeding on the kneebar.

Again, I'll echo, Sak took 90 mins be cause he said during the first fight, prefight, that he could easily go with no time limit Royce asked for and that Royce would quit before he would. Part of the first third of that fight was Saku joking around and remaining relaxed while Royce got frustrated. Then Sak unloaded his bag o' tricks on him.

when i reincarnate into my next life, people will still be say'n Royce or Saku who's better........

Saku is finished, and has been for a while now. It saddens me to say it but it's true. This fight was stupid and irrelevant, and trying to decipher its meaning is an exercise in futility.

reasonmethis is correct.

From all accounts Royce recieved a very dubious decision over Saku in this fight. So it wasn't exactly a case of Royce outworking him.

Nonetheless Royce did go the distance and Saku was unable to dominate him. I do think it's a case of Royce's clean living and fewer beat downs in MMA compared to Saku's harder living, harder fight history, being the determining factor.

Tomato Can: Yeah, that's what I'm trying to figure out is the math between Royce vs the following: Yoshida, Tokoro, Hughes, Sakuraba.

"
From all accounts Royce recieved a very dubious decision over Saku in this fight. So it wasn't exactly a case of Royce outworking him.

Nonetheless Royce did go the distance and Saku was unable to dominate him. I do think it's a case of Royce's clean living and fewer beat downs in MMA compared to Saku's harder living, harder fight history, being the determining factor. "

Redneck is correct. Royce has to be given credit but NO WAY should he have gotten that decision.

I make no excuses as a Saku lover: he lost, he should have retired yrs ago, and the fight was basically a hair from a complete stalemate. Only the first fight matters in my book.

I believe Royce took Sakus warrior spirit in the first fight as Sak began his slide after that fight.

He may have won a few more after but that was definitly the beginning of Saks demise.(who was one of the greatest fighters ever IMO) Saku laid it on the line in the first fight but it just took all he had and was never the same.

Royce obviosly did the same thing to Yoshida, first fight he took Yoshidas honor when he had to cheat his way to a victory,Then Royce destroyed him in the rematch and Yoshida was never the same.

Now that Royce has convincingly beat Saku is Hughes next.

You guys think Renzo would have been able to stop Sak?

If it's the same Sak that showed up last night I certainly do.

the weakest judoka in this planet can't hide his hate of the Gracies

Alloser

Im with you

Royce seems to always dominate in the rematches,

Look at how badly Hughes has done since his fight with Royce.

Anyway Royce has definitly redeemed himself with this fight, In the first fight with Sak he dominated the first 3 rounds (like 45 minutes) and if not for the injury would have definitly won that fight.

Against Yoshida even Yoshida admits the fix was in and he was no match for Royce and the second fight demonstrated that Yoshida is not in Royces league as he was totaly outclassed and manhandled by Royce.

The Hughes fight was different as Royce never got going and Hughes was the better man that night but like you say lets see the rematch.

"Royce won, he had the perfect startegy to keep sakuraba from being active and it won it."

I don't think it was anything Royce did that made Sak inactive. He just didn't seem to care.

It's all about style. Royce has a very passive style because he cant force the takedown and cant knock you out. Therefore, anyone who is aggressive and can avoid being submitted, like Tokoro, can "easily" win a decision over him. Which makes it really strange that Sak didnt try to do so. Call me crazy, but it looked like Sak gave Royce the fight. Not calling work, but Sak just didnt seem to have the will to take Royce out or at least have a decisive win.

As for Hughes, he was just light years ahead of Royce in every aspect (as much as it pains me to say that).

"Tomato Can: Yeah, that's what I'm trying to figure out is the math between Royce vs the following: Yoshida, Tokoro, Hughes, Sakuraba."

Well, MMAth would tell us that Hughes is the best fighter of the group. Did we really not know that already?