Scrambling: Quintet.5
After a year Quintet is back and this time they are, surprisingly, heading to the deserts of the Arabian Peninsula. Oh boy...
THURSDAY, OCTOBER 23 FROM COCA-COLA ARENA, DUBAI, UAE
BROADCAST: UFC Fight Pass (Maybe?)
STARTS: 7:30pm GMT+4
I think it’s safe to say that 2025 has been a very active year in terms of hosting team base grappling events. Polaris Squads, CJI 2, and Quintet have all been active and able to showcase not only grappling as a sport, but how it can be iterated upon in new and varying ways beyond single one-on-one competition.
It is also safe to say that I am a big fan of this.
Quintet was, ultimately, what got us so hooked on the idea of a “king of the mat” style grappling competition that just “works” as a spectator friendly one as well.
Kazushi Sakuraba really nailed it out of the park on this idea, and the fact he’s put on twelve of these things (5 numbered events, and 7 Quintet Fight Nights) helps sell that it is, after all, something people are willing to pay money to watch.
The most recent Quintet was two years ago in Japan. In fact, it’s not really going to be surprising to hear that only two Quintet events took place outside of Sakuraba’s home country.
This time though, the Quintet banner will be unfurled in the Coca-Cola Arena in Dubai, UAE. Boy, this sure seems to be a new thing that is happening in sports. So many marquee names across a wide variety of sporting events all seem to be heading to the Middle East. But, let’s put a pin in that thought for the moment.
I am incredibly excited for Quintet to return. CJI 2 was…good. But there were several hiccups with it overall. Not many submissions, not really clear who was up on their points system, Renato Laranja (a character played by “comedian” Rhasaan Orange) making jokes about people having down syndrome and also for being sexually abused as a kid, and that final drama with who actually won the damn thing.
There is something I appreciate about how simple and not overly complicated the events Sakuraba has put on are. They’re sleek, simple, and elegant. I want more of that. So thanks to whoever was bankrolling the events in Japan for getting them started.
With this weekend, Quintet.5 is due to take place and features a sort of theme; PRIDE Never Die. And, that too, I am happy to see.
For their first show in the Middle East, Sakuraba reached out to former foe Renzo Gracie, former fellow PRIDE superstar Antonio Rodrigo Noguiera, and fellow enthusiast of participating in freakshow fights Bob Sapp to head up the other teams. It would be cruel to make these 50+ year old men have to fight for our pleasure. How dare you think that when you heard those names.
We will be respectable adults and enjoy watching them risk a heart attack by screaming instructions and gesticulating wildly from the sidelines.
With Quintet.5’s bracket released, we can start to speculate on who will take home the tournament prize.
Team Saku Japan vs Team Renzo Gracie
Well it’s pretty clear they did not want to risk NOT having another Sakuraba vs Gracie match, huh?
Kazushi Sakuraba has beaten so many Gracies in MMA that the family may have generational trauma. Given where this is being held and the state of MMA adjacent sporting events being funded by Sheikhs in the Middle East, it’s not really surprising either. I mean, when the WWE went to Saudi Arabia for their special royal rumble event, the Saudis in charge thought they could get Yokozuna to appear. Entirely unaware he had passed away. So, I mean, I guess it’s just a given that these sort of events are partially there for a random money man to go “I want to see X again.”
At least Renzo and Sakuraba aren’t actually fighting this time at the ripe old age of 58 and 56 respectively. At least, I hope they’re not expecting them to compete.
Team Saku Japan
Coach: Kazushi Sakuraba
Led by the legendary Kazushi Sakuraba, Team Saku Japan blends a mix of the old and new era of Japan’s grappling. Haisam Rida and Daisuke Nakamura are back with Team Sakuraba for another Quintet and have been consistently featured on Sakuraba’s team. Joining them are Taisei Sakuraba, Kazushi’s now adult son, and new additions with Sousuke Oshima and Igor “Fat Ninja” Tanabe filling out the rest of the team.
Haisam Rida
Ghana’s own Haisam Rida has been a regular fixture in the Quintet competitions and easily stands out given he is a giant of a man. His competition record is equally impressive with appearances and victories at the IBJJF American Nationals, Pan No-Gi Championships, and ADCC World Championships. He gained fame at Quintet 2 and shocked the grappling world by submitting Roberto “Cyborg” Abreu at ADCC 2022. His explosive and dynamic style is a staple of his aggression game.
Daisuke Nakamura
A veteran of PRIDE, DREAM, Strikeforce, and Rizin, Nakamura is a former DEEP Lightweight Champion with over 60 MMA fights. He’s renowned for his flying submissions and has competed in multiple Quintet events alongside Sakuraba and Rida. His style is flashy, aggressive, and rooted in shoot wrestling, making him an entertaining grappler.
Taisei Sakuraba
Son of Kazushi Sakuraba, Taisei has competed on previous Quintet events and even made his MMA debut in 2024 with a TKO win. He also, recently, competed at Rizin against Daisuke Nakamura, whom he is now on a team with. Japan combat sports is a beautifully convoluted space. Though early in his career, Taisei shows promise with a well-rounded base in judo and striking. Also the fact he is a Sakuraba and training under his dad’s tutelage helps make him very much a threat.
Sousuke Oshima
At just 17, Oshima is a purple belt promoted by Masakazu Imanari. And I’m pretty sure I saw him at Imanari’s gym when I visited last year but the photo is a tad blurry. He’s competed often and medaled consistently both domestically and abroad. Coming from Imanari’s gym, Oshima is obviously a leg lock specialist with a modern submission game. His youth, technical precision, and mentorship under Imanari make him a dangerous wildcard.
Igor Tanabe
Igor is back for another team based event after competing at Polaris the other week where he put on a stellar performance. Not much else to say other than that Tanabe is a submission machine.
Team Renzo Gracie
Coach: Renzo Gracie
As part of the “Pride Never Die” theme that Quintet 5 is using, it makes sense that Renzo Gracie was reached out to and asked to toss a team together. Team Renzo Gracie enters with a blend of legacy, elite technique, and raw submission power. Under the guidance of Renzo Gracie the team showcases the deep lineage of Gracie Jiu-Jitsu fused with modern grappling.
Talison Soares
The 2022 IBJJF World Champion, the 2019 No-Gi World Champion, and a multi-time Pan and European Open winner, Soares has dominated the roosterweight division for years and is considered one of the most successful colored belts in BJJ history. He really likes to use his pressure passing coupled with his positional control to dominate opponents from the start to the end of the match and is a terror no matter how large of a size difference he’s dealing with.
Delson Heleno
Heleno is an old head, and by that I mean he competed in the IFL, back when that was a thing, for Renzo’s New York Pitbulls. That alone should tell you how far back he goes. A powerful grappler, Heleno brings dynamic movement and a high degree of “old-school toughness.”
Neiman Gracie
Last time I saw Neiman he was competing in the PFL getting beaten up by Russian fighters. Before that it was in Bellator where, again, he got dominated pretty heavily by wrestlers. In terms of grappling though, Neiman is no slouch. He excels in back control and classical submissions like the rear-naked choke and armbar. However, given he is a Gracie and this is no longer the late 1990s, while he has good fundamentals it may not be on par with his peers in the competition.
Diego Freire
One of the top ranked competitors in Brazil and South America in the Abu Dhabi Jiu Jitsu Pro tour. Freire is a pressure-based grappler with a solid foundation in positional control. His experience in the AJP circuit gives him a strategic edge in point-based and submission-only formats.
Anderson Wesiley
A long time competitor in American Grappling Federation events in the Ultra Heavyweight division, Wesiley is still a developing talent who brings a lot of size and strength to Team Renzo Gracie. He has shown a strong ability to control space and absorb pressure to wear down opponents and create openings for submissions.
Semi-Final Match
Between the two teams, I think its fair to say that this match will have more “unknowns” than “knowns” present. We don’t really know much about two of Team Saku Japan, given they’re very young athletes who aren’t as well tested in international competitions as their other teammates. However, the same can be said for, well, most of Team Renzo Gracie. Most of the competitors aren’t as active in the upper tiers of grappling, at least for the major organizations. If you had to ask me who I think takes it, it will probably mostly come down to how long Haisam Rida and Igor Tanabe can stay on the mat and get the better of Team Renzo Gracie. Which is why, once again, Sakuraba will collect another Gracie scalp for his collection. Team Saku Japan wins this and heads to the finals.
TEAM NOGUIERA DUBAI VS TEAM BANGTAO THAILAND
I legitimately did not remember if Big Nog and Bob Sapp ever fought in PRIDE and had to look that up. And then I found this snippet from Big Nog’s Wikipedia page:
The fight soon became a brutal exhibition of technical skill against raw strength, as mere seconds into the match, Sapp would stop Nogueira’s first takedown attempt with a sound piledriver which almost ended the fight. The same outcome repeated itself several times, with Nogueira taking several powerbombs and heavy punches every time his huge antagonist managed to power out of his submission attempts. At the end, however, Sapp’s stamina started to falter, allowing a very worn out Nogueira to mount him and finally submit him with an armbar.
And then I thought to myself that this basically describes pretty much the majority of Bob Sapp’s matches and that’s probably why I forgot they ever fought.
Team Noguiera Dubai
Coach: “Big Nog” Antonio Rodrigo Noguiera
There is, typically, always one team at each Quintet who for some reason or another are just a weird mix of people who ultimately cannot put on much of a performance. Oddly, that’s usually Sakuraba’s team but for Quintet.5 I think it’s probably going to be Team Noguiera Dubai, and that’s in spite of the fact they have some decent competitors on the roster.
Abdelraaouf Mido
An Egyptian MMA fighter who has recently has moved into being more focused on professional grappling. Mido has been mostly seen in events like ADXC and Battle Jiu-Jitsu in the Middle East. Mido has an aggressive style with a lot of his submission wins being from guillotines. Beyond that, you’re looking at a relatively fresh face in the broader international scene.
Nikolay Vetrov
Having a Russian on your team is never a bad idea. Especially if you’re in the UAE, because apparently there are tons of Russians hanging out there these days. Vetrov has made a name for himself in the AJP tour, and has gotten in the upper ranks of the European and Russian grappling scene in both gi and no-gi divisions. Earlier this year he took gold at the Abu Dhabi Grappling World Championship in the -75kg division, so he’s no slouch.
Pouya Rahmani
As an Iranian heavyweight based in Dubai, Rahmani has been active in the AJP tour and ADXC as well. Hmm, I’m noticing a pattern here. Anyway, he has also been active internationally and has even faced off against, arguably, the best heavyweight in the world in Kaynan Duarte. That’s not too shabby for Team Nog.
Thiago Sá
A seasoned competitor, and also the head coach at Team Noguiera Dubai, Sá has been active in IBJJF competitions for a long time and reached the podium at the European Open, Brazilian Nationals, and the Las Vegas Open. He, amongst all his teammates, the most distinguished career in both gi and no gi competitions. Making him the biggest threat on the team.
Zelimkhan Kasaev
Ranked among the top athletes in Russia and Europe, Kasaev has earned recognition for his performances in no-gi divisions on the AJP Tour, showcasing a dynamic and technical style that reflects his high-level training and competitive experience across international platforms.
Team BangTao Thailand
Coach: Bob Sapp
Oh come on this is not even fair.
Alex Schild
A protege of Josh Hinger, Schild is a seasoned competitor based out of the actual BangTao camp in Thailand. In fact, I think he may be an owner of the gym or is at least one of the head instructors which makes Bob Sapp being in charge even weirder. Schild has been seen in previous Quintet events, as well as ONE Championship. So he’s not stranger to high level competition.
Dong Hyun Kim
I think we all know who “Stung Gun” Kim is. Since retiring he’s been steadily working as a TV star in South Korea and running his gym in Seoul. He is by my estimation arguably the “weakest” grappler on this team and he is still pretty damned good thanks to his tenure in MMA. That’s how lopsided this team is.
Lucas Barbosa
Like I said, how is this fair.
PJ Barch
It would not be a proper Quintet event without someone from 10th Planet present and so we have PJ Barch. Having reached the podium at the 2024 ADCC World Championships, he probably has the “highest” accomplishment out of everyone at Quintet.5. Again, lopsided.
Kemoy Anderson
Another 10th Planet guy. Anderson has steadily been building a reputation in the USA and is starting to become recognized as a rising face. With strong showings at Subversiv, Submission Underground, and Third Coast Grappling he’s established himself as a really solid competitor who will likely be a handful for most of the other teams.
Semi-Final Match
I think it would be insane to assume Team Noguiera Dubai will take this when you have PJ Barch, Lucas Barbosa, Alex Schild and even an aged Dong Hyun Kim on a single team. Team BangTao Thailand wins despite being paired with Bob Sapp.
So with them facing Team Saku Japan in the finals, I still think its a pretty clear that Team BangTao Thailand will take home the trophy.
I will also accept the absolute hilarity of being entirely wrong on both the semi-finals results.
The Giant Camel in the Room
Earlier I made reference to why this event is being held in Dubai. I think it’s pretty obvious; sportswashing. I don’t want to believe it either, but with the way sports organizations are incredibly willing to jump into bed with questionable business partners who can front a shit load of cash it’s not too hard to connect dots together.
Look, at the end of the day it’s probably likely this is all being funded by some sketchy money man who has some questionable links to some horrific events we will only hear about outside of mainstream news outlets. I mean, it’s not really a surprise why the UFC enjoys going to Dubai and coincidentally also a wanted war criminal is in attendance.
And that’s hard to come to terms with to a degree. I want to watch Quintet 5, I love it as a competition. However, this adds a bit of a stink to the whole process. Which, given the history of combat sports says something.
In my opinion Kazushi Sakuraba, of all people I can name from his era, probably deserves a giant payday thanks to his career and for being an active driving force for at least expanding what type of sport grappling is with the formation of Quintet. These are two things he, individually, did that I applaud and support.
I just don’t want this to be another case of sportswashing. I just would like him not to be paid in any money tainted in blood, which again is shockingly not uncommon in sports media these days.
I have tried several times writing a closing to this point I’m trying to make, but I just can’t sum up my feelings in an effective way. I think the incredibly talented Katie Nolan said it best when discussing the sportswashing conducted by Saudi Arabia.
