The Beast vs. Gracie: The Informal Preview – IT’S SAPP TIME

Say what you like, fight aficionados, we all love a bit of The Beast.

His cardio is legendarily bad, his raw power legendarily enormous, as is the huge slab of muscle he calls a body. His striking is rudimentary, but the sheer force behind it was the undoing of K-1 great Ernesto Hoost, and very nearly the celebrated Antonio Rodrigo Nogueira in MMA to boot. When he can overwhelm you, chances are you will be brutally bludgeoned like a baby seal with the quickness. When you have the lateral movement and striking power, chances are you can pick him apart and make him foetal a la Mirko ‘Cro Cop’ Filipovic in 2003 under K-1 rules.

But either way, Bob Sapp is damn sure entertaining.

Here are my five favourite SAPP moments, because ladies and gentlemen (or fight fans at least), tomorrow it is SAPP TIME.

1: SAPP vs Ernesto Hoost

This fight needs neither introduction nor explanation. Enjoy.

2: SAPP vs Ernesto Hoost II

The grudge rematch. Hoost was positive he would teach Sapp a lesson in what Muay Thai kickboxing, Holland style was all about. And in the opening minutes, it appeared as though he would… how one punch can change things.

3: SAPP vs Mirko ‘Cro Cop’ Filipovic

Sapp was a feared entity in 2003, but one that was already being worked out and dissected. Here against Cro Cop, we see the end of Sapp’s short tenure as a true ring monster.

4: SAPP and Mike Tyson

A truly classic moment in combat sports, when Sapp and Tyson bantered in the K-1 ring and challenged each other to fight. Perhaps lucky for Sapp that this did not transpire; INCLUDING under K-1 rules. ‘Big boy’ never did ‘sign the contract!’

5: IT’S SAPP TIME

I was going to put Sapp vs. HongMan Choi here, a slugfest between two K-1 giants. But then I reconsidered; it is, after all, SAPP TIME tomorrow, so pride of place must go to one of Sapp’s glorious entries into the musical world. He is a true renaissance man.

Tomorrow is Sapp time; tune in on this site, or on OneFC.com the official website of One FC. Make sure you tune in.

Regardless of whether Rolles pulls off the submission, or if The Beast shows some vintage bullrush bushido, we’re all sure to be entertained by the spectacle.

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