Takashi Sato lives up to hype in TKO win over Ben Saunders
Takashi Sato showed the hype is real in his Octagon debut with a spectacular second-round TKO over Ben Saunders in the final prelim fight of UFC on ESPN+: Jacare vs Hermansson at the BT&T Center in Sunrise, Florida.
After a competive first round, Sato threw a hook-cross combo, with the left cross landing clean and dropping Saunders. Sato jumped on the fallen “Killer B” and landed a barrage of punches and elbows that caused the ref to stop the fight.
Saunders stumbled head first into the corner cage post as he tried to stand at the end of the fight, a graphic exclamation point on a brutal finishing sequence.
Sato ups his record to 15-2 while putting the rest of the welterweight division on notice. Saunders, who lost his third straight, falls to 22-12-2.
“Walking to the Octagon, I was really excited, looking around this big crowd,” Sato said. “I didn’t get too nervous though, so I really enjoyed this experience. I am always looking to finish my opponents and a knockout is the best way to finish a fight. I was happy to put on the performance I expected, although I think in the first round he had an advantage. Maybe I was a little bit nervous. I wasn’t able to connect as many shots as I could. For my next fight, I’ll make sure I’ll be relaxed enough to show my full potential.”
