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Gokhan Saki says transition to MMA factored into cardio trouble in UFC debut

Gokhan Saki passed his first UFC test with flying colors in Japan on Friday night.

The Turkish kickboxing legend dispatched Henrique da Silva inside the first round of their light-heavyweight meeting with his signature left hook – “The Saki Bomb” – to delight of the crowd in Saitama.

Despite the fight going exactly the way he had predicted in terms of a finish, Saki ran into some trouble when he was rocked by an elbow and knee from the Brazilian’s clinch.

After the taking the shots, Saki visibly slowed down before landing the conclusive blow, leading to questions about his cardio.