Morning Report: Mark Kerr recalls classic Pride 1 matchup was fixed

Japan’s legendary Pleasure promotion is outlined by its mythology, however the long-defunct group has its fair proportion of blemishes.

Proper on the high of Pleasure’s controversies is the accusation that a number of of its early bouts have been mounted, with an emphasis on constructing explicit stars and delivering memorable moments. Upcoming UFC Corridor of Fame inductee Mark Kerr remembers his time preventing in Japan and might verify that not all the matchups have been on the up and up.

Maybe most notoriously, Kerr claimed that the Pleasure 1 matchup between professional wrestling star Nobuhiko Takada and MMA royalty Rickson Gracie had parts of a set battle.

“I did Pleasure 2, Pleasure 3, Pleasure 4,” Kerr stated on the JAXXON podcast. “Pleasure 4 was again within the Tokyo Dome. Pleasure 1 was once they had Takada battle Rickson Gracie and that was a piece. That’s like, ‘OK.’ However once more, Japanese followers, they need to imagine what they need to imagine.”

Regardless of the poor displaying, Takada remained a legend in Japan and went on to lose to Gracie once more at Pleasure 4 in a bout that’s held in even greater regard. The collection helped to construct Pleasure and additional boosted the legacy of Gracie, who has incessantly boasted he’s undefeated in over 400 fights.

Kerr knew it was taboo to debate the true nature of that contest, one which he claims was one in every of a number of bouts that performed out in less-than-legitimate style.

“Oh, I do know there was,” Kerr stated when requested if there have been every other mounted fights in Pleasure. “And once more, it’s a kind of unwritten guidelines, like if it was a piece, you’re by no means going to f*cking point out it. Ever. It was loopy as a result of over there in Japan, you didn’t know you f*cked up till they went, ‘Oh, you f*cked up.’

“It was like these unwritten guidelines that existed, they’re known as ‘implied guidelines,’ proper? You’re purported to know that gravity, in case you soar off a 50-story constructing, it’s going to kill you. You didn’t know that? Like, what the f*ck.”

Actual or not, Kerr came upon the onerous method that there have been all types of shenanigans that might assist or hinder one’s profession. In his personal case, he remembers how one in every of his fights was delayed by over an hour due to the epic first assembly between Royce Gracie and Kazushi Sakuraba.

Gracie famously requested particular situations for his match with Sakuraba, together with extending rounds to fifteen minutes and the bout ending solely by way of knockout or submission. The bout went on for effectively over an hour with Gracie finally succumbing to leg kicks. All of the whereas, Kerr had no thought when it might really be time for him to make his walkout for his battle with Kazuyuki Fujita, who would find yourself being the primary fighter to defeat Kerr.

“So earlier than I ended up preventing Fujita, the battle earlier than me was Sakuraba and Royce,” Kerr stated. “Hour-long, the longest battle within the historical past of combined martial arts. That is what’s loopy. Going into the Grand Prix, Royce stated, ‘I’m not doing it until there’s 15-minute rounds.’ Everybody was like, ‘Dude. It ain’t ever taking place.’ They ended up with the vp of Dream Stage [Entertainment] really stated, ‘Hear, I would like you to get all of the wrestlers on board. I would like you to get everyone on board with this,’ as a result of they wanted Royce to spherical out the sector.

“So Royce finally ends up preventing I feel they did 4 rounds. I feel it was an hour. So that you think about for me, on the of the primary 15-minute spherical, Sakuraba had Royce I feel in a kneebar, and I’m like, ‘OK.’ I’m getting warmed up and ‘ding ding’ the bell goes. I’m like, ‘You’ve received to be kidding me.’ Finish of the second or third spherical, [Sakuraba] has received him hockey jersey’d. He’s received the gi pulled over Royce’s head and he’s simply uppercutting him, tagging him. I’d by no means seen it accomplished earlier than. I’m like, ‘F*ck, that’s sensible. Why didn’t I consider that?’ And so I believed that was it. Not it. They go one other spherical and by this time I’m f*cking beat. I’ve already warmed up 4 occasions. And whenever you heat up, you blow your lungs out, you get your lungs heated up, you get able to go and it’s like, ‘Aw shit.’ After which lastly, Royce couldn’t reply the bell, his leg was swelled up. However that was straight-up, hats off, man.”

Kerr is about to be inducted into the UFC Corridor of Fame Pioneer Wing on June 26 in Las Vegas. A movie about his life, The Smashing Machine, starring Dwayne Johnson, premieres nationwide Oct. 3.

Unhappy. B.J. Penn’s authorized and personal problems continue to pile up.

Replace. Alexander Volkanovski plans to fulfill with the UFC quickly to plan his next move.

Problem. Daniel Cormier thinks Jon Jones should prove he’s the GOAT by preventing Tom Aspinall.

Spar. Mike Perry breaks down his recent training session with Sean Strickland.

Trustworthy. Cody Garbrandt thinks Sean O’Malley “looked like shit” at UFC 316.

MMA Preventing’s Mike Heck chats with Mike Perry.

Tommy Aspinall and Paddy the Baddy.

Usman chats with DC and Chael.

UFC Atlanta ceremonial weigh-ins.

Not a foul spotlight reel.

Finest two hours you’ll spend all weekend.

Womp.

Make it so.

Uncooked energy.

Memorable title.

The return of Shi Ming.

Nate Landwehr (18-6) vs. Morgan Charriere (20-11-1); UFC Nashville, July 12

Gerald Meerschaert (37-19) vs. Michal Oleksiejczuk (20-9, 1 NC); UFC 319, Aug. 16

Kamaru Usman is again! However does the welterweight nice have something left within the tank or is time to sail off to podcast land for good? Tune in and discover out.

If you happen to discover one thing you’d wish to see within the Morning Report, hit up @AlexanderKlee or @JedKMeshew on Twitter and tell us about it. Additionally, comply with MMAFighting on Twitter, Instagram, YouTube, TikTok, and like us on Facebook.