Mei Yamaguchi prepares for submission grappling contest at ONE X with legend Kazushi Sakuraba

Mei Yamaguchi is set to face Brazilian jiu-jitsu expert Danielle Kelly in an atomweight submission grappling contest at ONE X on Saturday, March 26.

The bout will be strictly groundwork, with no striking allowed between the two athletes. With that in mind, what better person to learn the tricks of the trade of how to defeat a Brazilian jiu-jitsu black belt than the master of anti-BJJ himself, Kazushi Sakuraba?

The former ONE atomweight world title challenger shared a picture of herself and the martial arts legend in a tweet yesterday.

Along with the picture, Mei Yamaguchi’s caption read:

“I got submitted a lot, but I have safely survived.”

Based on the post, it’s safe to assume that the Japanese veteran had a tough day on the mats. However, that’s to be expected when you roll with an athlete as experienced as Sakuraba.

The 52-year-old is widely regarded as a demigod as far as submissions and MMA are concerned. Sakuraba amassed a 26-17 record in a career that spanned over two decades.

Out of his 26 wins, 19 came by way of submission. The Akita native is most notably known for triumphs against members of the Gracie household – Ryan, Renzo, Royce, Royler – which earned him the nickname ‘The Gracie Hunter’.

However, his unbeaten streak against members of the legendary Brazilian jiu-jitsu family came to an end when he slumped to two defeats against Royce and Ralek.

May1.2000

Kazushi Sakuraba defeats Royce Gracie in the longest fight in MMA history.

The bout lasted 90 Minutes.

May1.2000Kazushi Sakuraba defeats Royce Gracie in the longest fight in MMA history. The bout lasted 90 Minutes. https://t.co/vc81UbCFvz

By the looks of it, Mei Yamaguchi is under the tutelage of the right coach if she wants to pick up one of her most memorable wins on the global stage of the promotion’s 10-year anniversary showpiece.

Her opponent, meanwhile, is set to make her first appearance in ONE. Kelly will also compete in the atomweight MMA division in the near future.

Mei Yamaguchi aims to break her losing streak in ONE

Mei Yamaguchi hopes to return to winning ways in ONE after going down in her past three MMA encounters on the global stage.

In her most recent appearance, the Japanese martial arts icon suffered a loss via unanimous decision to Jihin ‘Shadow Cat’ Radzuan. The 39-year-old troubled the young Malaysian star on a couple of occasions, however, the judges did not see it going her way after the final bell.

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The grappling expert, who boasts 36 fights under her impressive resume, is still a threat to any atomweight star. Given that this bout will be a submission-only contest, she will rightfully fancy her chances against Kelly.

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