The Sumo Association ordered Mokonami Sakae to retire earlier this year when he was found to be one of 23 wrestlers and coaches connected to bout-rigging. The Mongolian wrestler complied on April 4.
Now, according to amazing Japanese and Korean MMA site Nightmareofbattle.com, he has at least considered coming over to MMA. The Mongolian former wrestler most people want to see in MMA in sumo bad boy Asashoryu, who now actually operates an MMA team with fighters such as SRC lightweight Jadamba Narantungalag.
Unsurprisingly enough, former sumo wrestlers have not been extremely successful in MMA. Akebono was extremely popular at one point, but he went 1-8 under K-1 rules and 0-4 in MMA. Henry Miller, The first wrestler from the US mainland to reach the top makuuchi division, holds a 7-11 record in MMA and still actively competes.
Mokonami Sakae in action
I’d love to see another Sumo wrestler in MMA. Great post.