UFC on ESPN+ 34 marks Sakai’s first main event since signing with the promotion. Despite having never competed in the championship rounds, Sakai didn’t voice concern about competing late in a 25-minute fight.

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“It’s a big accomplishment for my career, fighting in a main event in the UFC and seeing my face on the poster,” Sakai said. “I worked very hard to be here. Now is my time. … We trained a lot to fight for five rounds in this camp, thinking about it all the way. Fans and everyone can expect this to be a great fight. If we reach the championship rounds, I will be ready to keep my rhythm going and keep up with the fight.”

“I have tried to learn always and have tried to implement always. It has been a great journey and I think my team is great at Team Elevation [in Denver]. I joined them two years ago and have had great results.”

A native of Brazil, the 29-year-old Sakai enters his first five-round fight having won six in a row, including all four of his UFC appearances. Sakai hasn’t lost since a split decision against Cheick Kongo under the Bellator MMA banner in 2017 and has said publicly that Overeem will have “nowhere to hide” when the two face off.

“It means that I’m ready to become also a legend and write my own history inside the heavyweight division,” Sakai told reporters at a virtual pre-fight media day held Thursday.

Recognizing Overeem’s standing, Sakai thinks he has the opportunity to build off his opponent’s name with a win. Sakai has no doubt a victory against Overeem (46–18 MMA, 11–7 UFC) will push him into the elite of the UFC heavyweight rankings.

Sakai’s biggest wins have come by split decision — against Andrei Arlovski and Blagoy Ivanov — and he holds a 2019 knockout of Marcin Tybura. Asked whether he believes Sakai can handle his power and keep coming, Overeem wasn’t so convinced.

“Well, of course he can’t, of course he can’t,” Overeem said. “It’s going to be fireworks.”

Overeem has just as little interest in worrying about his legacy and the idea that his great potential as a professional will go unfilled without adding a UFC championship.

“I’m not really occupied with legacy, I’m just enjoying the ride and focusing on the fight Saturday,” Overeem said. “It has been a hell of a ride.”

Overeem considers his 2011 UFC debut in which he finished Brock Lesnar in opening round as the biggest and most important victory of his career. The nine years inside the Octagon since that fight, however, have been largely hit or miss.

Initially, Overeem lost three of four fights — all by knockout — immediately after the Lesnar fight including multiple bouts in which he was winning. A four-fight win streak followed, however, lifting him to a shot at Stipe Miocic’s title in 2016, which Overeem lost by first-round knockout despite hurting the champion early and coming close to finishing him.

Saturday will be the six-year anniversary of his loss to Ben Rothwell, which is the last time that Overeem lost to a fighter that was not considered part of the heavyweight elite.

Those who have defeated Overeem have ended up in the division’s top-5 and with Sakai in the bottom half of the division’s top-10, he is the sort of fighter that Overeem has had great success against recently.

This line reflects that this is a close bout, but one that Overeem should win 60 per cent of the time based on the line being converted into implied probability.

History would indicate that he has a better chance than that and this is a situation where the price on Overeem likely has some value.

Despite going 5–3 since the title loss, Overeem has never really stopped being an elite contender thanks to multiple reinventions. He credits clean living with helping him author one of the longest and most successful runs in the division’s history.

“I just take care of myself,” Overeem said. “I’m very healthy as of yet. Injury prevention is good. We are on point with everything and that’s why we have this long career.

This line indicates that the public has fallen out of love with Pereira, whose mandate has been to be as entertaining as possible when he is in the cage.

That modus operandi has caused Pereira to be reckless, often exerting his energy dancing on the way to the cage. In his previous bout against Diego Sanchez, it cost him a win with a sloppy knee to the head of a downed Sanchez, resulting in a disqualification loss in a bout he was winning handily.

“I know that if I have a great performance Saturday night, everyone’s eyes will be on me,” Sakai said. “I will be one of the top five guys in my weight class. That’s the goal. … After winning against Overeem, the top five is where I’ll be, absolutely.”

“[Sakai] seems like a young kid, like somebody who’s going to come and bring a great battle,” Overeem said. “I think that’s good and I’m looking forward to the fight. He wants to fight. He’s big, he’s young and he’s athletic. But I’m not too worried, to be honest. I’m well prepared and I’m actually looking forward to the fight.”

Overeem considers his 2011 UFC debut in which he finished Brock Lesnar in opening round as the biggest and most important victory of his career. The nine years inside the Octagon since that fight, however, have been largely hit or miss.

Initially, Overeem lost three of four fights — all by knockout — immediately after the Lesnar fight including multiple bouts in which he was winning. A four-fight win streak followed, however, lifting him to a shot at Stipe Miocic’s title in 2016, which Overeem lost by first-round knockout despite hurting the champion early and coming close to finishing him.

Despite going 5–3 since the title loss, Overeem has never really stopped being an elite contender thanks to multiple reinventions. He credits clean living with helping him author one of the longest and most successful runs in the division’s history.

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