The Center East will host a group grappling occasion on October 23 on the Coca-Cola Enviornment in Dubai. QUINTET 5 introduces a submission-only format created by Kazushi Sakuraba, pitting groups led by Antonio Rodrigo Nogueira, Bob Sapp, Renzo Gracie, and Sakuraba himself.
QUINTET 5
QUINTET matches unfold as succession battles. Teams of five face off in one-on-one bouts with a shared weight cap of 430 kilograms. There aren’t any factors, judges, or resolution wins. Customary matches final eight minutes; if rivals differ by greater than 20 kilograms, time is reduce to 4 minutes. Solely a submission ends a bout; failure to complete eliminates each athletes.
Team Sakuraba includes Kazushi Sakuraba, Haisam Rida, Igor Tanabe, Taisei Sakuraba, Daisuke Nakamura, and Sousuke Oshima. Rida earned discover by submitting 4 black belts in a single evening at a earlier QUINTET occasion. He moved from Ghana to Japan as a teen and has since established himself within the native scene.
Bob Sapp captains Team Bangtao, joined by Lucas Barbosa, PJ Barch, Kemoy Anderson, Dong Hyun Kim, and Alex Schild. Barbosa is a former IBJJF World Champion and ADCC medalist who blends size and technique to secure submissions under pressure.
Team Nogueira features Pouya Rahmani, Abdelraouf Mido, Vetrov Nicolay, Thiago Sa, and Zeliman Kashaev. Sa serves as head coach at the Team Nogueira gym in Dubai, bridging international talent with the regional martial arts community.
Team Gracie brings Talison Soares, Delson Heleno, Neiman Gracie, Diego Freire, and Anderson Wesiley into the bracket. Their semifinal matchups pair Team Sakuraba against Team Gracie and Team Nogueira against Team Bangtao.
The focal point is the 2002 PRIDE Shockwave match between Nogueira and Sapp. Nogueira, then PRIDE heavyweight champion, faced Sapp, who outweighed him by more than 140 pounds. Nogueira secured a cross armbar within the second spherical, showcasing Brazilian Jiu-Jitsu approach over measurement and power. The occasion drew 71,000 followers to Tokyo’s Nationwide Stadium, setting an MMA attendance report.
Sapp’s career began with wins over pro wrestlers before he tested himself against top heavyweights. Nogueira’s victory over Sapp remains a highlight.
QUINTET 5 also highlights regional growth in grappling. Local competitors such as Rahmani, Sa, Soares, and Rida represent the UAE’s expanding interest in combat sports. The Team Nogueira gym in Dubai reports nearly 2,000 members, signaling grassroots development. Promoter Tarek Suleiman noted the inclusion of world and regional champions alongside seasoned veterans, aiming to raise the level of competition in the region.
On October 23, QUINTET 5 will present team grappling in its purest form. With no judges and no points, each bout will depend solely on a tap or a tap out, harking back to the early days of mixed martial arts competition.
