Takashi Sato – Page 2 – Syndication Server

UFC news: Bryan Battle changes weight class, set to meet Takashi Sato at welterweight in August

TUF 28 champion Bryan Battle will fight at welterweight for the first time in his career against Takashi Sato.

[autotag]Bryan Battle[/autotag], middleweight champion of The Ultimate Fighter 28 will move down a weight class for his third UFC bout.

Welcoming Battle to the welterweight division will be Japan’s [autotag]Takashi Sato[/autotag]. The matchup is set to take place on August 6 at a UFC Fight Night event that will be headlined by a light heavyweight matchup, Jamahal Hill vs. Thiago Santos. The event does not yet have a confirmed venue or location.

The pairing was first reported by MMA Fighting, and both fighters announced the booking via Twitter on Monday evening.

8/6 we’re back baby pic.twitter.com/l71LSsxz7F

— Bryan Battle (@BryanBattle10) June 13, 2022

Battle (7-1 MMA, 2-0 UFC) who won his first two UFC bouts in the middleweight division, will move down to a new weight class. Battle defeated Gilbert Urbina via submission in the TUF 28 tournament championship. He then defeated Tresean Gore by unanimous decision, the man who he was originally set to face in the finale.

Sato (16-5 MMA, 2-3 UFC) will look to snap his recent skid and get back to .500 in his UFC career. The Japanese welterweight has dropped his two previous outings against Miguel Baeza and Gunnar Nelson. Sato holds wins over Jason Witt and Ben Saunders in the UFC.

With the addition, the Aug. 6 lineup includes:

Thiago Santos vs. Jamahal Hill
Vicente Luque vs. Geoff Neal
Bryan Battle vs. Takashi Sato
Miranda Granger vs. Cory McKenna
Stephanie Egger vs. Mayra Bueno Silva
Erick Gonzalez vs. Terrance McKinney
Misha Cirkunov vs. Shamil Gamzatov
Sam Alvey vs. Michal Oleksiejczuk

UFC Fight Night 204 post-event facts: Molly McCann’s elbow, other finishes enter record books

Check out all the facts and figures from UFC Fight Night 204, which saw a record-setting nine bonuses issued on a historic card.

The UFC put on one of the most memorable events in its storied history on Saturday with UFC Fight Night 204, which went down at The 02 in London and featured a remarkable nine finishes out of 12 bouts.

The show closed with a swift and decisive performance from [autotag]Tom Aspinall[/autotag] (12-2 MMA, 5-0 UFC), who submitted fellow heavyweight contender [autotag]Alexander Volkov[/autotag] (34-10 MMA, 8-4 UFC) in the first round of their fight to stay unbeaten inside the octagon.

For more on the numbers behind the card, check below for 53 post-event facts from UFC Fight Night 204.

UFC Fight Night 204 results: Gunnar Nelson tops Takashi Sato for first win since December 2018

Gunnar Nelson returned from the longest layoff of his career at UFC Fight Night 204 and outgrappled Takashi Sato to a decision.

LONDON – [autotag]Gunnar Nelson[/autotag] returned from a two-and-a-half year layoff at UFC Fight Night 204 and had his way with [autotag]Takashi Sato[/autotag].

After various circumstances kept him out of the cage for the longest stretch of his career, Nelson (18-5-1 MMA, 9-5 UFC) came back and used his superior grappling to outwork Sato (16-5 MMA, 2-3 UFC) and secure a unanimous decision victory by three 30-26 scores.

The welterweight bout was part of the UFC Fight Night 204 main card at the O2. It streamed on ESPN+.

After feeling each other out on the feet for the first few minutes, Nelson and Sato finally tangled up in a grappling exchange and within moments, Nelson had Sato’s back. He landed strikes from the back and methodically worked toward a choke. He couldn’t get it, though, and Sato survived the round.

It was more of the same in Round 2. Nelson was happy to stay standing with Sato, until he decided otherwise and secured the takedown. Nelson advanced to the back and spent almost the entire round working for the choke, but couldn’t get it done.

The action picked up where it left off in the final round. Nelson got the takedown on Sato at will, moved to the back and chipped away at attempts to finish the fight by submission. He couldn’t do it again, though, and cruised to the final bell to get the win on the scorecard.

“I wanted to do things differently on the ground and be a little more patient,” Nelson said in his post-fight interview with Michael Bisping. “It feels great (to be back). It’s awesome. (I’m) very happy to be here.”

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Takashi Sato steps in to face Gunnar Nelson at UFC London on March 19

Gunnar Nelson will still make his highly anticipated return in London.

[autotag]Gunnar Nelson[/autotag] will still make his highly anticipated UFC return in London.

[autotag]Takashi Sato[/autotag] will replace an injured Claudio Silva and face Nelson (17-5-1 MMA, 8-5 UFC) on March 19 at UFC Fight Night 204 from The O2 Arena. MMA Junkie confirmed the news following an initial report from ESPN.

Nelson is set to return after a more than two-year layoff. The 33-year-old hasn’t competed since back-to-back losses to Leon Edwards and most recently Gilbert Burns in September 2019.

Meanwhile, Japan’s Sato has split his first four UFC appearances. After needing just 48 seconds to finish Jason Witt at UFC on ESPN 12, the Sanford MMA fighter was submitted by Miguel Baeza in November 2020.

With the change, UFC Fight Night 204 includes:

Alexander Volkov vs. Tom Aspinall
Paddy Pimblett vs. Kazula Vargas
Arnold Allen vs. Dan Hooker
Paul Craig vs. Nikita Krylov
Gunnar Nelson vs. Takashi Sato
Cody Durden vs. Muhammad Mokaev
Luana Carolina vs. Molly McCann
Jack Shore vs. Timur Valiev
Cory McKenna vs. Elise Reed
Nathaniel Wood vs. opponent TBA
Jai Herbert vs. Ilia Topuria
Makwan Amirkhani vs. Mike Grundy
Shamil Abdurakhimov vs. Sergei Pavlovich

UFC free fight: Belal Muhammad claims first career submission in Abu Dhabi

Ahead of his first headliner against Leon Edwards at UFC Fight Night 187, relive Belal Muhammad’s submission of Takashi Sato at UFC 242.

[autotag]Belal Muhammad[/autotag] delivered a standout performance in front of his home fans.

Fighting in the Middle East for the first time, the Palestinian welterweight faced [autotag]Takashi Sato[/autotag] at UFC 242, which took place in Abu Dhabi.

Muhammad put the pressure on Sato early, mixing up strikes to the body and the head. Sato landed some solid jabs, but he was caught with a Muhammad overhand left which stumbled him back, but he was able to stay on his feet as he shrugged off Muhammad’s follow-up takedown attempt. Toward the end of Round 1, Muhammad took Sato down and transitioned to his back as he closed out the round strongly.

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Muhammad continued to be the more efficient striker in Round 2 as he poured on the pressure and repeatedly found a home for his left hand. But towards the end of the round, it was Sato who landed the takedown as the clock wound down. In the final round, Muhammad was able to take Sato’s back once again, but this time he made the position count as he sunk in a rear-naked choke to claim the first submission win of his career.

Muhammad (18-3 MMA, 9-3 UFC) returns to action this week when he faces Leon Edwards (18-3 MMA, 10-2 UFC) in the main event of UFC Fight Night 187, which takes place Saturday at the UFC Apex in Las Vegas. The event streams on ESPN+.

Before he faces Edwards, relive Muhammad’s finish over Sato in the video above.

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UFC on ESPN 18 medical suspensions: Seven face potential 180-day terms due to bone breaks

Seven fighters could be out six months due to injuries sustained during their fights.

Seven fighters face six-month suspensions as a result of their respective UFC on ESPN 18 fights – but headliners [autotag]Anthony Smith[/autotag] and [autotag]Devin Clark[/autotag] walked away unscathed.

Neither the winner, Smith, nor the loser, Clark, received a medical suspension from the Nevada Athletic Commission medical staff.

On Tuesday, MMA Junkie obtained the full list of medical suspensions from MixedMartialArts.com for UFC on ESPN 18, which took place this past Saturday at the UFC Apex in Las Vegas. Fighters can return to action sooner than their suspensions indicate should they receive medical clearance from a doctor.

Among the pack of those suspended, co-main event participant [autotag]Takashi Sato[/autotag] was given a 180-day term for a potentially fractured left orbital in his loss to [autotag]Miguel Baeza[/autotag].

Main card winners [autotag]Parker Porter[/autotag], [autotag]Bill Algeo[/autotag], and [autotag]Norma Dumont[/autotag] could be looking at 180-day suspensions due to potentially broken hands.

[autotag]Ashlee Evans-Smith[/autotag] (left hand), [autotag]Jonathan Pearce[/autotag] (right foot), and [autotag]Rachael Ostovich[/autotag] (right hand) also were handed the same 180-day suspensions.

The full list of UFC on ESPN 18 medical suspensions includes:

Anthony Smith: No suspension.
Devin Clark: No suspension.
Miguel Baeza: No suspension.
Takashi Sato: Suspended 180 days or until fractured left orbital floor is cleared by a doctor; also suspended 45 days with no contact for 30 days.
Parker Porter: Suspended 180 days or until left hand x-ray is cleared by a doctor; also suspended 30 days with no contact for 21 days.
[autotag]Josh Parisian[/autotag]: Suspended 60 days with no contact for 45 days.
Bill Algeo: Suspended 180 days or until left hand x-ray is cleared by a doctor; also suspended 12 days with no contact.
[autotag]Spike Carlyle[/autotag]: Suspended 30 days with no contact for 21 days.
Norma Dumont: Suspended 180 days or until right hand x-ray is cleared by a doctor; also suspended 12 days with no contact.
Ashlee Evans-Smith: Suspended 180 days or until left hand x-ray is cleared by a doctor; also suspended 45 days with no contact for 30 days due to a nasal laceration.
Jonathan Pearce: Suspended 180 days or until right foot is cleared by a doctor; also suspended 30 days with no contact for 21 days.
[autotag]Kai Kamaka[/autotag]: Suspended 45 days with no contact for 30 days.
[autotag]Anderson Dos Santos[/autotag]: No suspension.
[autotag]Martin Day[/autotag]: No suspension.
[autotag]Gina Mazany[/autotag]: Suspended 14 days with no contact for seven days.
Rachael Ostovich: Suspended 180 days or until right hand x-ray is cleared by a doctor; also suspended 30 days with no contact for 21 days.
[autotag]Su Mudaerji[/autotag]: No suspension.
[autotag]Malcolm Gordon[/autotag]: Suspended 60 days with no contact for 21 days.
[autotag]Nate Maness[/autotag]: No suspension.
[autotag]Luke Sanders[/autotag]: Suspended 30 days with no contact for 21 days due to upper lip laceration.

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UFC on ESPN 18 predictions: Anthony Smith or Devin Clark in new main event?

Check out our staff members’ picks for the UFC on ESPN 18 main card.

	Clark vs. Smith	Parisian vs. Porter	Baeza vs. Sato	Algeo vs. Carlyle
MMA Junkie readers’ consensus picks 2020: 147-89	Smith (67%)	Parisian (87%)	Baeza (73%)	Carlyle (75%)
Dan Tom @DanTomMMA 2020: 162-74	Smith	Parisian	Baeza	Algeo
Nolan King @mma_kings 2020: 157-79	Clark	Parisian	Sato	Carlyle
Danny Segura @dannyseguratv 2020: 157-79	Smith	Parisian	Baeza	Algeo
Farah Hannoun @Farah_Hannoun 2020: 156-80	Smith	Parisian	Sato	Algeo
Simon Head @simonhead 2020: 153-83 2019 Champion*	Smith	Parisian	Baeza	Algeo
Mike Bohn @MikeBohnMMA 2020: 152-84 2014 Champion	Smith	Parisian	Baeza	Algeo
Dave Doyle @davedoylemma 2020: 151-85	Clark	Parisian	Sato	Carlyle
Brian Garcia @thegoze 2020: 150-86 2017 Champion	Smith	Parisian	Baeza	Algeo
Simon Samano @SJSamano 2020: 149-87	Clark	Porter	Baeza	Algeo
Ken Hathaway @kenshathaway 2020: 148-88 2018 Champion	Clark	Parisian	Baeza	Algeo
George Garcia @MMAjunkieGeorge 2020: 148-88	Smith	Parisian	Baeza	Carlyle
John Morgan @MMAjunkieJohn 2020: 147-89	Smith	Parisian	Baeza	Algeo
Abbey Subhan @kammakaze 2020: 144-92	Smith	Parisian	Baeza	Algeo
Matt Erickson @MMAjunkieMatt 2020: 88-148	Clark	Porter	Sato	Algeo

The UFC is back this week with a new main event after the previously scheduled headliner fell apart Friday.

UFC on ESPN 18 takes place Saturday at the UFC Apex in Las Vegas. The event airs on ESPN2 and streams on ESPN+.

(Click here to open a PDF of the staff picks grid in a separate window.)

In the main event, [autotag]Devin Clark[/autotag] (12-4 MMA, 6-4 UFC) meets former light heavyweight title challenger [autotag]Anthony Smith[/autotag] (33-16 MMA, 8-6 UFC). Smith is a slight favorite at -139, and he’s got a 9-5 picks lead from our 14 editors, writers, videographers and radio hosts have it right down the middle at 7-7.

That fight moved up with the previously scheduled main event between [autotag]Curtis Blaydes[/autotag] (14-2 MMA, 9-2 UFC) and former title challenger [autotag]Derrick Lewis[/autotag] (24-7 MMA, 15-5 UFC) was scrapped after Blaydes tested positive for COVID-19.

Also on the main card, [autotag]Josh Parisian[/autotag] (13-3 MMA, 0-0 UFC) takes on [autotag]Parker Porter[/autotag] (10-6 MMA, 0-1 UFC) at heavyweight. Parisian is the favorite at -233, and he’s got a big 12-2 lead in the picks.

[autotag]Miguel Baeza[/autotag] (9-0 MMA, 2-0 UFC) is a -182 favorite against [autotag]Takashi Sato[/autotag] (16-3 MMA, 2-1 UFC) at welterweight, and he’s got a significant 10-4 lead from our pickers.

And to open the main card, [autotag]Spike Carlyle[/autotag] (9-2 MMA, 1-1 UFC) is a -176 favorite at featherweight against [autotag]Bill Algeo[/autotag] (13-5 MMA, 0-1 UFC), but it’s Algeo with a big 11-3 picks lead.

In the MMA Junkie reader consensus picks, Smith (67 percent), Parisian (87 percent), Baeza (73 percent) and Carlyle (75 percent) are the choices.

Check out all the picks above.

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UFC on ESPN 18: Make your predictions for Curtis Blaydes vs. Derrick Lewis

We want your predictions for Saturday’s UFC on ESPN 18 event in Las Vegas.

Our staff picks feature includes the consensus picks from MMA Junkie readers. Simply cast your vote for each bout below, and we’ll use the official tallies that are registered by Thursday at noon ET (9 a.m. PT).

Those MMA Junkie reader consensus picks will be part of the UFC on ESPN 18 event staff predictions we release Thursday ahead of the event. UFC on ESPN 18 takes place Saturday at the UFC Apex in Las Vegas. The event airs on ESPN2 and streams on ESPN+.

Make your picks for the six main card fights below.

With opponents out, Dwight Grant and Daniel Rodriguez now open UFC on ESPN 15 main card

Dwight Grant and Daniel Rodriguez made weight without issue Friday for UFC on ESPN 15, but their opponents had issues.

[autotag]Dwight Grant[/autotag] and [autotag]Daniel Rodriguez[/autotag] made weight without issue Friday for UFC on ESPN 15.

But for varying reasons, their scheduled opponents won’t be fighting on the card. Luckily for Grant (10-2 MMA, 2-1 UFC) and Rodriguez (12-1 MMA, 2-0 UFC), they both fight at welterweight – meaning it took just a few pen strokes to rebook them against each other and save their spots in the lineup.

Grant and Rodriguez now will open up the main card at UFC on ESPN 15, which takes place Saturday at the UFC Apex in Las Vegas. The main card airs on ESPN following prelims on ESPN+.

Grant was set to fight promotional newcomer [autotag]Calen Born[/autotag] (7-1 MMA, 0-0 UFC) on the prelims. But Born didn’t attend Friday’s official weigh-ins and took himself off the card for what a person with knowledge of the situation told MMA Junkie was for “personal reasons.”

Rodriguez was supposed to fight [autotag]Takashi Sato[/autotag] (16-3 MMA, 2-1 UFC) to open the main card. Sato actually made weight at 170.5 pounds, but Rodriguez posted on Instagram afterward that Sato was not cleared by the Nevada Athletic Commission. No reason was announced.

The UFC did not make a formal announcement of the reasons for the new booking, other than to introduce the new fight during Friday’s faceoffs following the official weigh-ins.

With the change, the UFC on ESPN 15 lineup drops to 10 fights.

MAIN CARD (ESPN/ESPN+, 8:30 p.m. ET)

Pedro Munhoz vs. Frankie Edgar
Alonzo Menifield vs. Ovince Saint Preux
Marcin Prachnio vs. Mike Rodriguez
Mariya Agapova vs. Shana Dobson
Dwight Grant vs. Daniel Rodriguez

PRELIMINARY CARD (ESPN/ESPN+, 5:30 p.m. ET)

Mizuki Inoue vs. Amanda Lemos
Austin Hubbard vs. Joe Solecki
Ike Villanueva vs. Jordan Wright
Carlton Minus vs. Matthew Semelsberger
Trevin Jones vs. Timur Valiev

Daniel Rodriguez vs. Takashi Sato joins UFC’s Aug. 22 lineup

A matchup between rising welterweights Daniel Rodriguez and Takashi Sato is the latest addition to the UFC’s Aug. 22 event.

A matchup between two rising welterweights is the latest addition to the UFC’s Aug. 22 event.

[autotag]Daniel Rodriguez[/autotag] (12-1 MMA, 2-0 UFC) will face [autotag]Takashi Sato[/autotag] (16-3 MMA, 2-1 UFC) on the upcoming card, which is expected to take place at UFC Apex in Las Vegas barring any new restrictions involved with the coronavirus pandemic.

MMA Junkie confirmed the booking with two people with knowledge of the situation. The people requested anonymity because the promotion has yet to make an official announcement.

Rodriguez made a splash in his UFC debut in February when he submitted Tim Means in the second round at UFC on ESPN+ 25. He followed that up with a unanimous decision win over newcomer Gabe Green in May, extending his winning streak to eight fights.

Winner of three of his past four, Japan’s Sato is coming off a 48-second finish of Jason Witt at UFC on ESPN 12 in June. All of his last seven wins have come by stoppage.

With the addition, the lineup for the UFC’s Aug. 22 event now includes:

Uriah Hall vs. Yoel Romero
Mizuki Inoue vs. Amanda Lemos
Mariya Agapova vs. Shana Dobson
Angela Hill vs. Michelle Waterson
Shamil Gamzatov vs. Ovince Saint Preux
Daniel Rodriguez vs. Takashi Sato

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