PBP Commentary

Coming up we have a light heavyweight MMA rules bout between LJ Vixen (ranked 0 p4p, 0 weight class) and Ryan Sakuraba (ranked 0 p4p, 0 weight class). Vixen comes to the cage accompanied by Renegade-(hed) PE. LJ Vixen has the better chin. Will he look to stand and bang today?

Vixen
vs
Sakuraba

185 cm
18
205 lbs
1 - 0 - 0

183 cm
22
210 lbs
1 - 0 - 0

BJJ Blue Belt
Basic striking
Good chin

BJJ Blue Belt
Brawler
Determined

Ladies and gentlemen. This fight is 3 rounds, in the light heavyweight division.
Introducing the fighter to my left, fighting out of the red corner.
With a record of 1 - 0 - 0, fighting out of Las Vegas, LJ Vixen!
And introducing the fighter to my right, fighting out of the blue corner.
With a record of 1 - 0 - 0, fighting out of Las Vegas, Ryan Sakuraba!
The judges for this bout are Robert Twigg, Tiny Johnson and George Francis.

The bell rings for round one and we are underway!
Vixen looks for a takedown here. Will he get it? Sakuraba is fending him off so far but Vixen persists. Nope, Sakuraba circles away and we're back to standing.
Vixen misses with a half-hearted attempt at a head kick.

Sakuraba rushes Vixen and pushes him back against the cage in a clinch.

Sakuraba pulls Vixen into guard.
Sakuraba is pulling down on Vixen's head. It's preventing any offense from Vixen, at least for the moment.
Sakuraba manages to sweep nicely, so he's now on top. Vixen manages to get himself to full guard.
Vixen working a defensive guard here.
Sakuraba works over Vixen with some ground and pound from guard.
Sakuraba is taking a break and basically stalling. The referee will not allow him to do that for long.
Vixen throws a couple of shots from the bottom but they don't land.
Vixen throws some sloppy strikes off his back.
Vixen working a defensive guard here.

That's one minute gone in the round.
Sakuraba pressing down on his opponent's thigh, looking to pass guard. Vixen is keeping the position for now.
Hammerfist, elbow! yells Sakuraba's corner. There ya go! There ya go!
Sakuraba controls the pace of the fight for a moment.
Vixen is looking to get back to his feet but can't, whilst Sakuraba is controlling him.
Sakuraba tries to stand but Vixen is controlling from the bottom.

The referee has ruled that neither fighter is active enough on the ground and has stood them back up.
Sakuraba tries for a takedown but Vixen sees it coming a mile off and avoids it easily.

Sakuraba has closed the distance and engaged Vixen in a clinch.

Sakuraba pulls guard successfully.
Sakuraba working the defensive guard well to avoid strikes from Vixen.
Sakuraba is trying to stand up but he's not managed so far.
Vixen throwing elbows and punches but not connecting, as Sakuraba works some decent striking defense from the bottom.

That's two minutes gone in the round.
Vixen stopping the sweep attempt from Sakuraba.
Sakuraba is trying to keep Vixen in close.

Sakuraba looking for submissions from the bottom here. Moving his hips around, possibly looking for an armbar.
Sakuraba looks gassed!
Vixen wants to control from the top but Sakuraba keeps moving.
Sakuraba not looking particularly offensive just at the moment.

It looks like we're going to have a standup here. Neither fight is doing enough on the ground.
Vixen fails with the takedown
and Sakuraba counters with a three punch combo that has Vixen backing up. Vixen nods at Sakuraba to acknowledge the strikes.

Vixen scores a takedown into full mount!
Vixen tries to control but Sakuraba wriggling away.

That's three minutes gone in the round.
Vixen lands a couple of nice shots there from mount.
Sakuraba wants to hold on but Vixen pushes him away.
Sakuraba takes a big shot to the head but keeps on trying to improve his position.
Vixen connects with a couple of good shots from mount.
Sakuraba taking shots to the head.
Vixen is still in mount, landing shots to his trapped opponent. Sakuraba can't stay in a position like this for much longer.
Sakuraba is squirming around, avoiding Vixen's attempts to control the action.
Sakuraba tries to get back to half guard but can't.
Vixen is in the full mount, landing strikes.
Sakuraba wants to control but Vixen is having none of it.
Vixen controlling his opponent.
Sakuraba is trying desperately to improve position.

That's four minutes gone in the round.
Vixen putting on the heat here with some good ground and pound!
Sakuraba really trying hard to get back to half guard here.
Sakuraba is writhing around trying to get back to his feet.
The fighters are pressed up against the cage, both looking to find a bit of space to work.
Sakuraba is trying to escape the mount.
Sakuraba manages to regain half guard. Good work.
And that’s the end of the round – the fighters go back to their corners.

That was a close round but I would say that LJ Vixen will probably get the nod.
That's the end of the interval. I'm sure that seemed a lot quicker than a minute for our two fighters! Back to the action.

Sakuraba decides to change it up a bit and drives through with a nice takedown into half guard.
Vixen is trying to get back to full guard.

Sakuraba is looking for a kimura. It's going to be difficult to finish that from half guard though and Vixen defends it well.
Vixen is looking to get back to full guard here but Sakuraba has managed to pass to side control instead.
Sakuraba landing strikes from the mount and Vixen is in trouble!
Sakuraba trying to control but Vixen is having none of it.

Vixen defends a decent attempt at a guillotine from Sakuraba.
Vixen is trying to escape the mount.

That's one minute gone in the round.
Sakuraba content just to control the position here.
Both fighters are absolutely exhausted here.
Vixen is looking to get to half guard.
Sakuraba tries to control but Vixen wriggling away.
Sakuraba content just to control the position here.
Sakuraba wants to control the pace but Vixen is squirming around nicely.

That's two minutes gone in the round.
The crowd are getting on the fighters' backs, as the pace has dropped off in the last minute or so.
Vixen is working to get back to half guard.

Sakuraba working for a guillotine from mount but Vixen is in no mood to give up.
Vixen tries to get back to half guard but can't.
Sakuraba thuds his fist into the canvas! Oooouch!
Sakuraba throws some wild stikes that Vixen manages to avoid easily.
Vixen regains half guard.
Vixen looks like he's trying to stand up.
Sakuraba wants to pass the guard but Vixen is defending well.

That's three minutes gone in the round.
Vixen moves his hips nicely and gets into full guard.
Sakuraba pushes down on Vixen's leg and manages to get into half guard.
Sakuraba wants to control but Vixen is keeping him busy.

Sakuraba is trying a forearm choke… I don't think that's going to do much at this level of the game.

Sakuraba escapes and gets back to his feet.

Sakuraba moves into range and clinches up with Vixen.
Vixen looking to slow down the pace here.
Sakuraba gets underhooks to prevent Vixen's takedown attempt.

That's four minutes gone in the round.
Sakuraba leaning his opponent against the cage.
Sakuraba prevents the takedown attempt.
Sakuraba wants to push off and get back to the center of the mat but Vixen has him pressed against the cage.

Vixen has double underhooks and is working for a body lock takedown. He's got it. The fighters land in half guard but Sakuraba regains guard immediately.
Vixen in full guard, throwing the ground and pound. No damage this time.
Vixen with a flurry of punches that miss.
Vixen with a nice head shot there.
Sakuraba keeping full guard, as Vixen tries to pass.
Vixen scoring with some ground and pound.
Sakuraba is trying to control the position from the bottom.
Vixen passes into half guard.
And that’s the end of the round – the fighters go back to their corners.

A close second round but Ryan Sakuraba will probably get the nod - 10:9.
The fighters get back to their feet, the hooter sounds and we're back to the action! Let's get this one finished - here comes the final round!

Sakuraba is looking to land body kicks.
Vixen looks to land a combination but Sakuraba avoids it well.
Vixen shoots and misses

and Sakuraba counters with a takedown into full mount! That could mean trouble for Vixen!
Sakuraba lands a shot to the body, followed up by a shot to the exposed head of his trapped opponent.
Vixen tries to reverse the position but Sakuraba maintains control.
A nice elbow there by Sakuraba.

Sakuraba is thinking about an arm triangle here, looking to tighten it up before moving to side control. Vixen can see it coming though and defends well with a couple of strikes to the head and some good arm positioning.
Ryan Sakuraba has got the better of the ground game so far.
Vixen has given up his back here.
Sakuraba tries to get the hooks in deep but Vixen pushed the leg off.
Vixen is trying to break free.

Sakuraba has his arm under Vixen's chin here. Game over son! Sakuraba squeezes tightly and Vixen is forced to tap out!

Ladies and gentlemen, after 1:01 of round 3, we have a winner by way of Submission (RNC). Ryan Sakuraba!