1. Kazushi Sakuraba
Widely hailed as the greatest fighter to ever come out of Japan, Sakuraba has seen and done it all during his illustrious career; and he has taken on just about all of his noteworthy contemporaries, some more than once. Sakuraba’s willingness to challenge anybody at any time strengthened his popularity with fans, as he embodied courage and embraced his role as a torchbearer for an entire country.
His career did not get off to a positive start, however. Sakuraba made his pro MMA debut at a Shoot Box offering on July 14, 1996 and promptly submitted to an arm-triangle choke from Kimo Leopoldo. Few realized they had witnessed the birth of an all-time great.