Sakuraba, Gracie, Nogueira and Sapp Lead Teams at QUINTET 5 in Dubai
The Middle East will host a team grappling event on October 23 at the Coca-Cola Arena in Dubai. QUINTET 5 introduces a submission-only format created by Kazushi Sakuraba, pitting teams 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 are no points, judges, or decision wins. Standard matches last eight minutes; if competitors differ by more than 20 kilograms, time is cut to four minutes. Only a submission ends a bout; failure to finish eliminates both athletes.
Team Sakuraba includes Kazushi Sakuraba, Haisam Rida, Igor Tanabe, Taisei Sakuraba, Daisuke Nakamura, and Sousuke Oshima. Rida earned notice by submitting four black belts in one night at a previous QUINTET event. He moved from Ghana to Japan as a teenager and has since established himself in the local 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 in the second round, showcasing Brazilian Jiu-Jitsu technique over size and strength. The event drew 71,000 fans to Tokyo’s National Stadium, setting an MMA attendance record.
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.
