Sapp (photo) retired from MMA. Photo: Disclosure
Veteran Bob Sapp announced his retirement from MMA at the age of 40. Despite his negative record, with 18 defeats and 11 victories, the North American giant was a relevant figure in the world of martial arts in the last decade, having participated in some moments that went down in fighting history.
A former professional American football player in the late 1990s, Sapp had his first MMA fight at PRIDE, a Japanese event that, at the time, was the most important on the planet. After quickly beating Yoshihisa Yamamoto and Kiyoshi Tamura, “The Beast”, as he is known, was chosen to face the heavyweight champion, Rodrigo Minotauro, in a fight that would not be valid for the title.
The fight took place in August 2002, at PRIDE Dynamite, which was one of the biggest MMA events ever held. More than 90 thousand people attended the Tokyo National Stadium to watch the fight, which was impressive due to the difference in size between the fighters, as the North American weighed 160 kg compared to the Brazilian's 104 kg.
After almost 15 minutes of intense dominance by Sapp, Minotauro managed to make his jiu-jitsu game count: he swept the North American and finished with a arm lock, in a fight that made history for fans and the MMA community (video below).
After that, still in 2002, Sapp also started to perform in the K-1 striking event. His main achievements were the two victories he achieved against the legendary Ernesto Hoost, both of which were by technical knockout. The second, in fact, was valid for the quarter-finals of the annual GP, but Sapp was unable to continue in the tournament due to injury. Hoost himself was his replacement and ended up winning his fourth and final title.
However, his moment of glory in martial arts did not last long. Between 2008 and 2013, Sapp accumulated 16 defeats, compared to just two victories in MMA. The fighter's performance was the target of several criticisms, as most of his defeats happened in a matter of seconds, without there being any blow that seemed relevant enough to end a fight. His last fight in MMA was in August 2013, in Fortaleza, Ceará, when he lost to Edson Conterrâneo in 35 seconds.
The announcement of his retirement was made on the “Submission Radio” podcast. “Now, towards the end of my career, I had to make a decision. I needed to help others, which means I would give some of my money to fighters who appeared before me to pay their medical bills for those who suffered brain damage. The same with some pro-wrestlers,” explained Sapp, who has stated in the past that veteran Gary Goodridge is one of the fighters he helps.
Furthermore, Sapp stated that money will not be a problem in his retirement: “I have the ability to be my own accountant, and when you have more than $10 million, there is no need to step into the ring anymore,” he added.
Check out the historic fight between Rodrigo Minotauro and Bob Sapp in 2002:
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