The fight was Dean Lister's middleweight debut in the UFC.
The Fight[]
Dean Lister (9-5) looked and fought absolutely exhausted when round three started in his match with Yuki Sasaki (20-13-1). Sasaki appeared to be having cardio problems of his own, and as Mike Goldberg pointed out on Spike TV's air, that may have been the "saving grace" for Lister. Belly back to suplex's followed by an array of submission attempts marked Lister's dominance, but his UFC debut at 185-pounds wasn't nearly as impressive as his premiere at light heavyweight against Alessio Sakara. Still, Lister picked up the victory looking dominant and slick on the ground for 10 of the fight's 15 minutes. The unanimous decision win was assuredly not the worst that could have happened against an experienced opponent like Sasaki.