Former UFC middleweight champion Anderson Silva said in an interview with AG Fight that he considers the duel with Hayato Sakurai in the Shotoo promotion to be the most important fight in his career.
The fight took place on August 26, 2001 in Osaka (Japan), Silva won by unanimous decision and became the Shotoo middleweight champion.
“My most important fight in my career is my first title fight in Japan against Hayato Sakurai,” said Silva. “This is the most important fight, because without winning it, I would not have got the opportunity to fight in Pride, respectively, after that to fight in England, and then in the UFC.”
The 46-year-old Silva has 34 wins and 11 losses in MMA. One fight with his participation was declared invalid. The Brazilian was UFC middleweight champion from 2006 to 2013.
