The great sport of sumo has many intersections with mixed martial arts, and thus the UFC. There was a sumo wrestler (Teila Tuli) at UFC 1 and plenty of other rikishi have crossed over from sumo to MMA, especially during the boom period of Japanese MMA and PRIDE/K-1.
Sumo, which is hundreds if not thousands of years old, remains an important sport and cultural practise in Japan — despite numerous scandals involving bullying, betting and organized crime.
Bloody Elbow recognizes sumo’s place in martial arts and mixed martial arts history and also believes that watching two guys throw down in the doyu is exceptional fun.