Bob Sapp might be Japan’s biggest export since Godzilla, and he’s invading Tacoma.
Sapp, the former University of Washington and NFL lineman turned professional wrestler turned Japanese superstar, will headline “Strikeforce at the Dome,” a mixed martial arts event, Feb. 23 at the Tacoma Dome.
At 6-foot-4 and 365 pounds, Sapp (a record of 8-2-1) will meet South Africa’s Jan Nortje (6-11, 330) in the main event. It marks the MMA debut for the 33-year-old Sapp in the United States.
Maurice Smith, a former UFC heavyweight champion who sports a record of 73-20-4, also will be making his homecoming. The West Seattle High graduate will face six-time world kickboxing champ Rick Roufus (57-7).
“(Ultimate Fighting Championship) has really dominated the sport,” Sapp said. “But with a weight limit at 265 pounds, it makes it tough for someone like me to find opponents and places to fight. Fortunately, ‘Strikeforce’ allows me the opportunity to fight. It’s exciting. You’re going to have two guys of similar size going at it. I think I’m a little bit cuter than Jan, but I’m sure he’s going to try to change that.”
Sapp was a standout lineman at Washington, receiving the 1997 Morris Award as the nation’s top collegiate offensive lineman before moving on to an NFL career in which he played four seasons.
Professional wrestling in the United States was his next move, but ended up being short-lived after Ted Turner’s World Championship Wrestling, a company Sapp had a developmental contract with, went bankrupt in 2001.
His venture into the world of kickboxing and MMA came almost by mistake.
“I had no idea what I was getting into,” Sapp said. “I signed a contract with K-1 (a Japan-based MMA company) thinking it was for professional wrestling. I told Maurice Smith about it and he started laughing. He said he needed to see that contract and that it wasn’t for pro wrestling, it was for fighting.”
Four years later, Sapp has achieved legendary status in Japan. He has appeared in more than 70 commercials, endorsed approximately 400 products, including a series of slot machines sporting his likeness, and even hosts a variety show, all while maintaining his career in MMA and professional wrestling.
“I was searching for something. Japan was searching for something,” Sapp said. “I was looking for a job. Japan wanted something new. It was just a perfect fit from the start, a square peg going into a square hole. I was only planning on staying a week and I ended up staying four years.”
Contract disputes sidetracked Sapp’s athletic career for nearly two years, so he turned his attention to acting, appearing in numerous feature films, including the 2005 remake of “The Longest Yard.”
“I call it my prison paradise,” Sapp said about Japan. “I love it there, but it’s tough to even walk down the streets. We’ve had riots before. People will grab at you and then some of my chest hair ends up on eBay. It can be a bit crazy.”
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