Sherdog’s Top 10: Officiating Blunders

5. Yuji Shimada Knows Royler Gracie’s Pain Threshold Against Kazushi Sakuraba

One of the most intriguing matchups on the Pride 8 card was Kazushi Sakuraba versus Royler Gracie, the first of many Gracies the Japanese star would hunt to near extinction.

The two legendary grapplers went to town on each other during the entire first round and 13-plus minutes into the second. Eventually, Sakuraba got the Brazilian in a tight, cross-body kimura, but Gracie was fending it off well. With Gracie on his back along the ropes and with Sakuraba on top, there were a few times where Gracie’s shoulder looked to be on the verge of snapping. But with too much pride on the line and a refusal to tap, Gracie fought his way out of the deepest angles of the lock.

Yes, he grimaced a few times, but Gracie eventually scooted his body toward Sakuraba’s right leg enough to alleviate some of the tension. He landed a few knees from his back and was even kind of smiling through his sneer. Gracie wasn’t free of the kimura, but he was relatively safe. That is, until referee Yuji Shimada thought otherwise.

Out of nowhere, several seconds after Gracie grimaced for the last time and was completely calm, and with Sakuraba no longer applying any torque to the arm, Shimada decided enough was enough and called the fight. Gracie immediately protested, but what was done was done. Some believe the ref did it on purpose so Sakuraba would win, but we’ll never know for sure. What is known, though, is that Gracie got the shaft.

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