Augusto Sakai is going to need some time to recover after UFC Vegas 9.
Sakai competed in the main event of UFC Vegas 9, suffering a fifth-round TKO loss to Alistair Overeem. A loss wasn’t the only thing Sakai suffered at the event, as the fighter also suffered multiple rib injuries at the hands of Overeem.
“In the second round, I was hit with a knee that dislocated two of my ribs. When he took me down, he hit me with an elbow that broke two more. So I was without four ribs, so to speak. That got in the way a lot. I could not defend takedowns. I could not show my jiu-jitsu. I could not defend myself very well. Kudos to him. I’m sure he used his experience in his favor, but I was expecting that,” Sakai told AG Fight. “What made things difficult for me, and I’m not trying to come up with an excuse here, was the pain in my ribs. Even then, I tried to endure it as much as I could.”
There is no word at this time as to how long the rib injuries could keep Sakai out of action for as the UFC Vegas 9 medical suspensions haven’t been revealed as of yet. This was also the first loss that Sakai has suffered under the UFC banner, but the fighter still holds a 4-1-0 record in the promotion.
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