QUINTET’s first-ever event in the Middle East delivered everything fans could have hoped for – high-level grappling, drama, and a hometown victory that sent the Dubai crowd into a frenzy. Team Nogueira Dubai emerged victorious at QUINTET 5, held at Coca-Cola Arena, marking a defining night for the sport in the UAE.

A Landmark Debut for QUINTET in Dubai

The legendary Kazushi Sakuraba’s Japan-based grappling promotion made its Middle East debut in front of an electric Dubai audience. Four stacked teams, each led by a combat sports icon — Kazushi Sakuraba (Team Saku Japan), Renzo Gracie (Team Renzo Gracie MMA), Bob Sapp (Team Bangtao Thailand), and Antonio Rodrigo Nogueira (Team Nogueira Dubai) — competed in the signature 5-on-5 “winner-stays-on” survival format.

The rules were simple: victory could only be earned by submission. Draws meant double elimination, and the last team standing advanced.

Team Sakuraba vs. Team Renzo Gracie MMA

The night opened with Team Sakuraba Japan taking on Team Renzo Gracie MMA in a matchup that perfectly set the tone for the evening.

Andre Cantanhede Luiz drew first blood for Team Gracie, submitting Daisuke Nakamura with a slick kneebar. But Japan’s Igor Tanabe quickly flipped the script submitting Cantanhede with a triangle choke, before locking in another triangle to defeat Delson Raimundo, putting Team Sakuraba through to the final with a 2–1 score.

Tanabe’s double submission display made him one of the standout performers of the night.

Team Nogueira Dubai vs. Team Bangtao Thailand

The second semifinal between Team Nogueira Dubai and Team Bangtao Thailand was a war of attrition. Despite a roster loaded with stars like Lucas “Hulk” Barbosa and PJ Barch, Team Bangtao couldn’t find the finishing touch.

Every bout ended in a draw until the final faceoff between Barbosa and Pouya Rahmani. After a tense eight minutes, the judges awarded the decision to Team Nogueira Dubai, sending the hometown heroes to the final.

The Final: Team Nogueira Dubai vs. Team Sakuraba Japan

If the crowd was loud before, the final took the atmosphere to another level.

Nikolay Vetrov put Team Nogueira ahead early, heel hooking Taisei Sakuraba, but Haisam Rida evened the score for Team Sakuraba by armbarring Mido Mohamed. With the teams tied, all eyes turned to the final matchup — Pouya Rahmani versus Daisuke Nakamura.

In a dramatic finish, Rahmani secured a kimura that dislocated Nakamura’s elbow just before time expired, sealing Team Nogueira Dubai’s 2–1 victory and their place in QUINTET history.

Superfights and Standout Moments

The event also featured exciting single-match superfights, where Samuel Ramalho, Ahmad Al Bossairy, and Pablo Aragao all picked up impressive wins. Each brought a burst of action that kept the crowd engaged between the team battles.

A Statement Night for Grappling in the UAE

Regional promoter Tarek Suleiman, himself a respected MMA fighter and pioneer for the sport in the region, expressed pride in bringing QUINTET to Dubai:

“I’m incredibly proud to have helped bring QUINTET to the Middle East for the first time,” said Suleiman. “Tonight, we saw world-class grapplers putting on a show for the fans — and Team Nogueira Dubai gave the home crowd a night to remember. This is just the beginning. We want QUINTET to become a regular fixture on the regional fight calendar, and we will make this a reality.”

With Team Nogueira Dubai lifting the trophy and QUINTET 5 proving a massive success, the event marked a turning point for the region’s growing combat sports scene. From the legends in the corners to the new stars on the mats, Dubai’s first QUINTET showed that grappling’s global future runs right through the Middle East.