Gallery Augusto Sakai def. Chase Sherman at UFC Fight Night 137: Best photos view 8 images

SAO PAULO – Augusto Sakai proved capable of dishing out a lot of punishment at UFC Fight Night 137. It seemed like it might’ve been almost be too much, but he doesn’t think so.

Sakai (12-1-1 MMA, 1-0 UFC) said his opponent from Saturday’s event, Chase Sherman (11-6 MMA, 2-5 UFC), talked more than he should have prior to their heavyweight matchup at Ibirapuera Gymnasium in Sao Paulo. So when referee Marc Goddard gave him the opening to land what was arguably too many shots in a third-round TKO, he took the opportunity.

“I don’t think (it was a late stoppage),” Sakai said after the fight. “Because of all (Sherman) said, he deserved that beating at the end. But the ref told him to move and even when he was a bit groggy, a bit defenseless, he moved. So I think it was correct.”

Sakai’s fight-ending onslaught capped off a debut that came with some adversity. He disguised it well, but Sakai, 27, revealed post-fight that he suffered a broken hand at the beginning of the contest. He said it wasn’t a pleasant experience, but he managed to fight through the pain.

“I broke my hand on the first punch,” Sakai said. “He softened it and we went until the end. … Never give up. This is Brazil, and the win was mine. I could be missing an arm, I could be missing a leg, but I will never be missing heart.”

Sakai’s hand wasn’t at full power due to the injury, but he was still throwing it. The blows may not have generated complete force, but Sakai said he was still in awe of Sherman’s ability to take damage.

“It surprised me a little,” Sakai said. “Since I had that injury in the beginning, I wasn’t hitting at full force. But it certainly surprised me a little. At one point of the fight I wondered if it was going to a decision, but I was like, ‘Hell no, I’ll go to the end.'”

Sakai beat a seven-fight UFC veteran in his promotional debut, and he considers that a good start. He hopes to get “someone with a name” following the performance, but at the moment, Sakai is simply taking in a historic accomplishment in his career.

“The entire movie of my life (is going through my head),” Sakai said. “What I lived to be here today. The difficulties, injuries, losses. And now I’m here. I turned things around and I’m very happy.”

For complete coverage of UFC Fight Night 137, check out the UFC Events section of the site.