SUNRISE, Fla. – Japanese import Takashi Sato impressed in his UFC debut, then revealed that he was initially in consideration for an even bigger fight before eventually being paired with Ben Saunders.

“I was initially offered to fight Mike Perry, but it got switched about a week later,” Sato told reporters, including MMA Junkie, through an interpreter following his win at Saturday’s UFC on ESPN+ 8, which took place at BB&T Center in Sunrise, Fla.

Sato (15-2 MMA, 1-0 UFC) instead drew Saunders (22-12-2 MMA, 8-9 UFC) at the event, a matchup against a seasoned veteran that provides some difficult challenges in terms of stylistic approach, as well as in the form of a huge frame for the welterweight division.

Sato admits he struggled early against “Killa B.”

“When I entered the octagon, I didn’t feel any nervousness,” Sato said. “I felt very loose. But once the fight started, I felt a little bit tight, so I think I was a little bit nervous so I couldn’t show my full potential in the first round.

“In the first round, I took a hit, and I knew that I lost that round.”

Things changed quickly in the second, though, and Sato made the needed adjustments that allowed him to deliver a devastating TKO finish, dropping Saunders with a straight punch and then finishing the fight with a series of vicious elbows on the floor.

“In the second round, I wanted to make sure I took over, and midway through the second round, I started seeing his punches very clearly,” Sato said. “When he grappled with me, I didn’t feel too much pressure, so I knew that I could just land my significant shots there.”

Afterward, Sato punctuated his impressive performance with an emotional dedication of the fight to his teammate, Iyori Akiba, who died in a motorcycle accident in 2016.

“My teammate Akiba was also a fighter that wanted to come to the UFC, but obviously he couldn’t make it,” Sato said. “We had the same dream, which is to make it to the UFC with teammates, which is pretty rare. That’s why I want to dedicate this fight to Akiba.”

So with his entry to the UFC complete, Sato said he’s willing to take on anyone the promotion is willing to put in front of him. The bigger the challenge, the better, says the welterweight prospect.

“The reason why I’m in the UFC is to fight the toughest fighters in the world, so I’m happy if some big names will be willing to fight me,” Sato said. “I’m here to get better and better, so I’m willing to take any kind of challenges.”

And if that Perry name is on the table again, why not?

“I did look at his fight video, so I’m very interested in him,” Sato said. “He’s a big name, too, so I don’t mind fighting him next.”

To hear more from Sato, check out the video above.

And for complete coverage of UFC on ESPN+ 8, check out the UFC Events section of the site.