Thales Leites vs Alessio Sakara fight on tap for UFC 101

Could this be the first time a fighter goes from main event title shot to undercard in one fell swoop? Hope so, but they’ll probably put it on the main card and bump Grove/Almeida to the preliminary.

Leites will take Sakara down and sub him, but I hope Sakara knocks that chickenshit’s head into the nosebleeds.

Absolutely agreed. I do not get at all pumped to see Leites fight. Sakara on the other hand, while he doesn’t have the world’s greatest record, I can’t ever remember being bored during one of his fights. I’d like to see him stick around in the UFC, win or lose. He’s makes for potentially exciting matchups with a number of other middleweights, like Herman, Quarry, Kang, etc. I’d like to see Sakara fight any of those guys.

lest we forget john fitch already

JJ, although unnecessary, Jon Fitch vs Gono at 94 was the undercard, and it was one fight removed from the GSP fight.

So no, its not the first time its happened.

Wait, did Riggs go undercard after the Hughes fight?

wow, another great match up!! I’m psyched!

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I want to thank those of you helping out with this suite! I just put up way more money than I wanted to (you did too Rick and OJR) on a bunch of guys I don’t knows word! 350 each for the suite, once I get the tickets, I’ll be putting whatever is left on stub hub for a lot more than that…and I know they’ll sell considering floor seats (not including catering) are gonna be expensive! email me guys
kevjack115@yahoo.com

Leites is getting cut if he loses this by some miracle.

I hope he loses, I’m a huge sakara fan!

Good call guys, I forgot about how Dana screwed Fitch for not jumping though his hoops fast enough.

Fitch was coming off a gutsy performance where he left everything in the cage. Leites deserves to be on the undercard.

I’m with you on that one brendan! Besides Sakara’s crisp stand-up, his tatts are my favorite among MMA fighters.

Sakara FTW!!! would be a shame if he lost to the most boring MW ever that deserves to be cut no matter how many times he win..

Im a die hard Sakara fan…he is basically the only Roman fighter I have to root for…but If Im keeping it real, he has nO SHOT against Thales!

I will be betting big money on thales for sure!

MMA aint just boxing, there’s a clue in the name, particularly the “mixed” part. I dont remember seeing many Sakara pro boxing matches on the tv, which tells me he wasn’t very good, so we’re not talking about the next Bernard Hopkins.

Why this idiot’s stil in the UFC is beyond me, he’s lost to anyone who’s remotely top 30. Dana must be keeping him on as an Italian posterboy for when UFC goes to Italy. That’s the only explanation.

The topic was Sakara’s striking not his MMA. I think most people here realise that MMA isn’t just boxing, and that Marquardts overall MMA skill is much better than Sakaras’. I do not see where Marquardts’ striking is better than Sakaras’, even though Marquardt has improved. Sakara is an excellent striker, if he had connected with the strikes that he hit Leban and McFedries with on any other fighters they would more than likely have been knocked out. Leban and McFedries just happen to have heads of granite. I doubt Leites would be able to take that sort of punishment. I think Sakara will stuff the takedowns, catch him and knock him out.

The man above me was deducing that Sakara was “way better at striking” than Marquadt based purely on the fact that he used to be a pro boxer. Being an ex pro boxer does not make you a brilliant MMA striker. If it were the case Bernard Hopkins, RJJ and Ricky Hatton would all hold UFC belts. That is the point I was trying to make if you bothered reading.

I actually did read what you wrote but just happen not to agree with you and do not understand your logic. Why wouldn’t a proffesional striker be better than an MMA striker. Most if not all MMA strikers are coached or trained by boxing coaches to improve there striking abilty and technique, Rampage is a good example of this. And Bernard, Roy and Hatton would outstrike any fighter in MMA, but they would not hold UFC belts if they did not posses skills in other areas such as wrestling or BJJ, but as far as striking is concerned, they would destroy anyone.

u know Im the biggest Sakara fan around…but Im betting the BANK on Leites!

no and he will even go on to defend Leites performance in some way… but hey, if Rogan wasn’t working for the UFC it might’ve been a different story

About which part??? It’s all irrelevant anyway, Sakara will get no nearer a shot at Anderson Silva than Kimbo will.

Silva vs Sakara.

Its no discussion. Anderson Silva would predetermine the exact round/minute/second that he wants the fight to end, and he would end the fight then.

Thankyou. Indeed he would!

fair enough but he didn’t exactly have the sh’t banged out of him by Leben, Sakara probably hit Leben twice as much as Leben hit him, and if Sakara would have had the Bisping gameplan he would’ve won for sure!! but Bisping’s fight against Leben was also horrible because of that.. Sakara is a much better striker than Leben!

It’s not like Henderson or Leites are better strikers than Sakara..

Didn’t look that way to me pal when he was seeing stars. Fair play to him for having a go though and not going down the Bizbing route. I don’t think Sakara’s anywhere near as technical a striker as Bizbing however, so not sure that option was open to him anyway.
Clearly Hendo’s not a better boxer, but MMA striking is very different to just straight up boxing. Hendo’s arguably a better MMA striker than him, just look at the guys he’s KO’d compared to Sakara?? Leites clearly isn’t a better striker but willdestroy him on the ground.

we’re just talking striking here no ground game.. Hendo has an amazing chin and punches really hard, but Alessio is clearly more technical than him..

I don’t see how you can say he’s a more technical striker, the guy’s sparked out a few bums but as soon as he fights someone who’s top 30 he comes up way short. We’re not talking about the next Machida here.