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Sakara considering move to light-heavyweight

Alessio Sakara brings heavy punching power © UFC

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Alessio Sakara has revealed he may move to light-heavyweight after this weekend's fight with Patrick Cote, due to his ongoing battle to make weight.

Sakara faces Cote in a potential crowd-pleaser at UFC 154 in Montreal, as two middleweights come with the intention to trade leather.

The Italian is coming off a loss to Brian Stann and has fought at middleweight for the last four years. However, ESPN understands that a change to Sakara's training regime has prompted issues with his weight cut.

Sakara is carrying more muscle nowadays, and at the age of 30 he admits he may need to go back to 205lbs. The decision will be made by how he copes on Saturday against Cote.

"I feel good, I have to cut weight, but I feel good," Sakara told ESPN. "I focus on Patrick Cote, who once fought Anderson Silva.

"But my body is changing at 185. I don't know if I'll come back at 205. I don't know. I'll see how I feel when I make weight.

"I'm not a young guy, I'm 30-years-old, my body has changed, so I'll see how I am on Saturday. I could go to 205 or I could stay at 185. But I don't like to talk about the future, I like to talk about present."

The present is a meeting with The Predator, who himself is coming off a loss to Cung Le. Cote is fighting in front of his home fans, and Sakara believes he will need to take a leaf out of Rocky Balbao's book when the fictional character met Ivan Drago.

"I feel it's Rocky style when he fought in Russia. I'm Italian and Patrick is Canadian. So it's very nice for me," Sakara said.

"It's a good fight for the fans. He strikes, I do too, and people like knockouts. This is a very good fight. A Knockout of the Night is very possible."

© ESPN Sports Media Ltd.