- Alessio Sakara
MMAstatsbox|name=Alessio Sakara
nick=Legionarius
height=6 ft 1 in (185 cm)
weight=185 lb (83.91 kg)
nationality=Italian
birthdate=birth date and age|year=1981|month=9|day=2
died=
fightingfrom=Rio de Janeiro ,Brazil
hometown=Rome ,Italy
fightteam=American Top Team
fightstyle=Brazilian Jiu-Jitsu ,Boxing
wins=17
losses=7
draws=0
nocontest=1
ko=12
submissions=2
decisions=3|Alessio "Legionarius" Sakara (born
September 2 ,1981 inRome ,Italy ) is an Italianmixed martial arts fighter, currently competing in the Ultimate Fighting Championship's (UFC) Middleweight division. Sakara is a former world junior boxing contender and pro boxer.Biography and training
When Sakara was five, he began to play
football as a midfielder. Sakara began training inboxing after realizing that, in order to be a football player on a professional level, he needed to know how to defend himself in case of a confrontation on the field. Initially, Sakara continued to play football and box, but after being penalized for fighting during a football tournament, he decided that he couldn't continue boxing and football.After two years of training, Sakara competed in his first boxing tournament and won. Sakara would go on to win the world junior boxing championships. Several years after turning professional in boxing, a friend showed him a video of the Ultimate Fighting Championship, and Sakara drew inspiration. To supplement his training, he traveled to
Brazil where he met Roberto Almeida Meneguetti, aBrazilian jiu-jitsu black belt.The two athletes cross-trained together, with Sakara teaching Meneguetti boxing and Meneguetti teaching Sakara jiu-jitsu.He recently signed withAmerican Top Team in Miami. Sakara has great hands, due to his boxing days, and he's primarily a striker.Alessio has amassed a 17-7-1 record, with one no contest ruling, in mixed martial arts . He was part of
UFC 80 in Newcastle,England , where he won via TKO in the first round againstPRIDE FC veteranJames Lee . Following his victory over Lee, Sakara announced that he would be moving down to the middleweight division.cite web
url=http://samcaplan.proelite.com/90709
title=Exclusive:Chris Leben to Fight Alessio Sakara
last=Caplan
first=Sam
publisher=ProElite.com
date=2008-01-28
accessdate=2008-01-28] Sakara loss by TKO to middleweightChris Leben atUFC 82 .He defeated Joe Vedepo in the first round by KO at UFC Fight NightMixed martial arts record
References
External links
* [http://www.sherdog.com/fightfinder/fightfinder.asp?FighterID=5366 Sherdog Profile]
* [http://www.ufc.com/index.cfm?fa=fighter.detail&pid=382 UFC Profile]
*boxrec|id=297539
* [http://www.alessiosakara.tv
* [http://www.americantopteam.com American Top Team]
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