Overview
Quintet is a team-based submission grappling tournament format created by Japanese MMA legend Kazushi Sakuraba. The event features teams of five athletes competing in an elimination-style structure, where competitors remain on the mat after securing a submission and continue facing the next opponent. This format creates a fast-paced, strategic environment that emphasizes teamwork, endurance, and tactical matchup decisions rather than traditional individual brackets.
Quintet follows a submission-only ruleset with strict penalties for stalling, encouraging constant offense and creative attacking sequences. Matches often feature athletes from different weight classes and grappling backgrounds, resulting in unique stylistic clashes. The event has become one of the most distinctive and influential formats in modern submission grappling, showcasing elite no-gi competitors in a highly spectator-friendly team setting.