The X Factor: For a guy with a Nova Uniao black belt pedigree, Leites makes more bad decisions than Kanye West does in an entire year. Inside the cage, Leites’ mistake of choice has been getting into far too many striking exchanges, which amounts to handing his opponents a chance to even up the score. Sakara knows how to land a kill-shot, and his hand speed makes a fight-ending flurry a real concern for anyone wandering into his wheelhouse.
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The Bottom Line: Unless Sakara can hire out a hypnotist to make Leites think he’s showing up for a kickboxing match, you’re looking at a fight that will be surprising only if Sakara can make it past the two-minute mark. Either way, Sakara is in trouble and could eventually find himself on the mat with a joint or two pointing in the wrong direction. I’m really hoping this is the fight I finally see someone bust out the back mount to camel clutch transition; everyone knows the Iron Sheik meant for that move to be used in MMA someday.