Sakura, Gracie, Nogueira and SAPP LEAD TEAMS at Quintet 5 in Dubai

The Middle East will host a team wrestling event at the Coca-Cola Arena in Dubai on October 23. QUINTET 5 introduces an entry-only format created by Kazushi Sakuraba, with pitting teams led by Antonio Rodrigo Nogueira, Bob Sapp, Renzo Gracie and Sakuraba himself.

KINTET 5

QUINTET matches unfold like consecutive battles. Teams of five compete against each other in one-on-one battles with a shared weight limit of 430 kilograms. There are no points, judges or decision wins. Standard matches last eight minutes; if the competitors differ by more than 20 kilograms, the time is reduced to four minutes. Only a submission ends a fight; If they fail to finish, both athletes will be eliminated.

​Team Sakuraba includes Kazushi Sakuraba, Haisam Rida, Igor Tanabe, Taisei Sakuraba, Daisuke Nakamura and Sousuke Oshima. Rida earned fame 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 is the captain of Team Bangtao, along with Lucas Barbosa, PJ Barch, Kemoy Anderson, Dong Hyun Kim and Alex Schild. Barbosa is a former IBJJF World Champion and ADCC medalist who combines size and technique to secure submissions under pressure.

Team Noguera consists of Pouya Rahmani, Abdelraouf Mido, Vetrov Nicolay, Thiago sa and Zeliman Kahaev. in Serves as head coach at the Nogueira Gym team in Dubai, Bridging International Talent with the Regional Arts Community.

Team Gracie brings Talison Soares, Delson Heleno, Neiman Gracie, Diego Freire and Anderson Wesiley into the race. In their semifinals, Team Sakuraba will play Team Gracie and Team Nogueira will play Team Bangtao.

The centerpiece is the 2002 PRIDE Shockwave match between Nogueira and Sapp. Nogueira, then PRIDE heavyweight champion, faced Sapp, who outweighed him by over 140 pounds. Nogueira provided 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 started with victories over professional wrestlers before testing himself against top heavyweights. Nogueira’s victory over Sapp remains a highlight.

QUINTET 5 also highlights regional growth in wrestling. Local competitors such as Rahmani, Sa, Soares and Rida represent the UAE’s growing interest in martial arts. The Team Nogueira gym in Dubai has almost 2,000 members, which is a sign of grassroots development. Promoter Tarek Suleiman noted that in addition to seasoned veterans, world and regional champions have also been included, with the aim of raising the level of competition in the region.

​On October 23, QUINTET 5 presents team wrestling in its purest form. With no judges and no points, each fight will hinge solely on a tap or a tap, harkening back to the early days of mixed martial arts competition.