Dubai, 26th September: QUINTET 5 Dubai is set to take the city by storm on October 23, bringing four of the biggest legends in combat sports together for an unforgettable night of grappling action.
Kazushi Sakuraba, Renzo Gracie, Antônio Rodrigo Nogueira, and Bob Sapp, made their names throughout the world of MMA but are best known for their legendary battles in PRIDE Fighting Championship based in Japan. For years PRIDE was the world’s leading MMA organization, and these men were at the forefront of that popularity and success – now old rivalries will rekindle inside Coca-Cola Arena on October 23. TICKETS ARE ON SALE NOW
This time, the legends will not be facing off inside the ring, they will each be leading a team of five fighters in the innovative survival grappling format of QUINTET.
One fighter from each team will start the match, with the only route to victory being submission. The winner stays on, and new opponent from the other team steps up. If a match ends in a draw then both competitors are eliminated. This continues until one team is completely eliminated with all five fighters defeated, and the other is declared the winner.
On the night, the teams will compete in bracket format with two semi-finals, and a final to crown the overall winner. There will also be a number of high-profile individual bouts.
Here is what you need to know about the captains of Quintet 5:
KAZUSHI SAKURABA – TEAM SAKU JAPAN
The man behind the QUINTET concept and organisation, Sakuraba is a true legend of combat sport and wrestling. His professional MMA record dates back almost 30 years and has victories over no fewer than seven UFC champions. Despite now being 56-years-old, he was still competing in QUNITET in 2019. One of the greatest to ever compete, and a fighter who has inspired many who followed him.
RENZO GRACIE – TEAM RENZO GRACIE (DUBAI)
When we talk about grappling and jiu-jitsu, one name will always come up, Gracie. The famous Brazilian family brought their version of jiu-jitsu to the world, and combat sport hasn’t been the same since. Renzo is one of the leading names of the Gracie family and a multiple world champion across a range of disciplines – and also a seventh-degree BJJ black belt. He also has very close links to Abu Dhabi, having not only competed successful in the UAE capital, but has also been a coach to many high-profile individuals including members of the Royal Family.
ANTÔNIO RODRIGO NOGUEIRA – TEAM NOGUEIRA DUBAI
Brazilian, Nogueira is another fighter who formed a fierce reputation wherever he fought. The first PRIDE heavyweight champion, he is tied with Sakuraba for the most submission wins in the promotion. Elsewhere, he is a UFC Hall-of-Famer and former interim heavyweight champion. He now puts his name to Team Nogueira – a series of gyms of which there is a successful branch in Dubai.
BOBB SAPP – TEAM BANGTAO THAILAND
Larger than life in every sense of the phrase, Bobb Sapp is a giant of a man. Standing six fee five inches tall, and weighing in at close to 150kg, Sapp is a beast of a man – with a huge personality to match. An instantly recognisable figure in both MMA and kickboxing – his talents also crossed over to the Big Screen with appearances in a number of Hollywood movies.
Regional promoter Tarek Suleiman, himself a leading light of the Middle East MMA scene – who competed at QUINTET 2 back said:
“To have these guys as captains for QUINTET here is Dubai is absolutely incredible. For anyone growing up around MMA and combat sport in the last 20 years these men have be the flagbearers for what the sport is today. All of them come with a wealth of experience and lots of history with each other – so we can expect fireworks when they come to town. For fight fans, and sports fans alike, this is a once-in-a-lifetime chance to see them reunited and part of what will be a spectacular event on October 23.”
QUINTET 5 WILL TAKE PLACE AT COCA-COLA ARENA, DUBAI ON THURSDAY OCTOBER 23.
About QUINTET
QUINTET is a premier submission grappling promotion founded in Japan in 2018 by MMA and wrestling legend Kazushi Sakuraba. The format is built around five-member teams that compete in a winner-stays-on team survival style match. Each team must meet a collective weight limit to ensure both fairness and strategic diversity across weight classes. The format has no judges; if no submission occurs in a match, both fighters are eliminated. The competition continues until one team has all its five members eliminated.
With QUINTET 5 in Dubai, the promotion makes its Middle East debut under the stewardship of regional fight star Tarek Suleiman, aiming to establish a long-term grappling ecosystem in the UAE and across the MENA region. Appearing at Coca-Cola Arena, the event combines world-class international grapplers, excellent local talent, and the strategic team format that has made QUINTET unique.
