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Lessons in Resilience

Preview: Sakai vs. Spivak

Augusto Sakai’s seven-fight run in the Ultimate Fighting Championship so far has been a study in momentum, and a lesson in what he terms “resilience.”

Upon signing with the Las Vegas promotion in August 2018 after scoring an impressive second-round knockout on the very first episode of Dana White's Contender Series Brazil, Sakai rattled off four straight wins in under two years, entering the heavyweight rankings and earning his first main event booking. That headlining bout, against perennial contender Alistair Overeem on Sept.