​​By Shawn W. Smith 

Kickboxing legend Gokhan Saki took to his Twitter account Thursday morning to announce that he had signed an exclusive, long-term deal with the UFC.

[tweet url="https://twitter.com/gokhantherebel/status/867672273179770881" hide_media="0" hide_thread="1"]

Saki is instantly one of the most decorated kickboxers to make the transition to mixed martial arts and will likely supply the UFC with a much-needed boost to their fledgling light-heavyweight division. Add to this that the Netherlands native is already well established in European fight circles, and you’ve got a budding star.

Among his kickboxing credentials are the GLORY Light Heavyweight World Championship and two third-place finishes in the K-1 World Grand Prix.

So why should you care about the UFC signing Saki?

I could tell you, but I'd rather show you. 

 

1. GLORY 4 – Gokhan Saki vs. Raoumaru

Want to see Saki at his very best? Here he absolutely clobbers overmatched Japanese fighter Raoumaru at GLORY 4. Watch how Saki uses clever body work to set up his other punches and kicks. Oh, and that power is nothing to sneeze at.



Bonus: Here’s Saki against Anderson “Braddock” Silva later the same night, where Saki ruined a much more capable opponent with a right straight-left hook combination that left his opponent shaken.

2. GLORY 6 – Gokhan Saki vs. Daniel Ghita

Combinations are everything in GLORY, and Saki has them.  Here he ruins a legitimate heavyweight contender in Daniel Ghita. Saki’s flurry of body and head work left Ghita exhausted before a highlight-reel left hook put him out for the night.

3. GLORY 15 – Gokhan Saki vs. Nathan Corbett

Saki’s pressure and body work overwhelmed Nathan Corbett throughout the first round of this fight before Corbett’s ear explodes all over the place. And guess what strike did it? You guessed it, the left hook a.k.a “The Saki Bomb."

 As we’ve come to learn from Saki, he is all action and this fight was no different. While he’s primarily a clever boxer, Saki will use kicks to set up his strikes upstairs.


Who would you like to see Saki face first in the UFC? Let us know on Twitter @FloCombat.