Augusto Sakai says he hopes to reach the top-5 of the heavyweight division if he beats Jairzinho Rosenstruik

A. Sakai (left) faces J. Rozenstruik (right) on June 5th. Photo: SUPER FIGHTS montage

Member of the main fight of UFC Las Vegas 28, against Jairzinho Rosenstruik, Augusto Sakai hopes to get a good victory to place himself among the main heavyweight fighters (up to 120,2kg). The Brazilian said he was ready to face the Surinamese and declared that he hopes to enter the top-5 of the category in case of victory.

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“Jairzinho is well known among heavyweights and is at the top of the rankings. I believe a win against him could catapult me ​​to the top of the division. After beating him, I hope to get into the top 5. I'm totally focused on winning this fight to continue climbing the division,” said Sakai, in an interview with Tatame magazine.

Initially scheduled to face Shamil Abdurakhimov in the UFC Las Vegas 25th next Saturday (1), Augusto was moved to the main fight of the show scheduled for June 5th. The Brazilian commented on the changes in preparation aimed at the new opponent and celebrated having more time for training.

“It was definitely a good change of opponent. because Jairzinho is better ranked. I'm headlining a main fight now, so it was really good. We were ready to fight on May 1st, but we were given another month to prepare and make some final adjustments. The difference between Jairzinho and Shamil is that the Russian likes to go for takedowns, while Jairzinho likes to fight on the feet more”, concluded Augusto.

Current number nine in the heavyweight rankings, Augusto has a record of 15 wins, two losses and one draw. Hired by Ultimate in 2019, the Brazilian won four consecutive victories in the organization and gained notoriety in the category. However, in his last fight, Sakai was knocked out by alistair overeem in September 2020.

With two defeats in his last three fights, Jairzinho Rosenstruik is going through an irregular phase in Ultimate. Current number six in the ranking, the Surinamese also seeks to enter the top-5 of the category. The heavyweight has a record of 11 wins and two setbacks.