PBP Commentary

Coming up we have a super heavyweight MMA rules bout between Gedo Sake (ranked 0 p4p, 0 weight class) and Sean Rodgers (ranked 0 p4p, 0 weight class). Sean Rodgers has the better chin. Will he look to stand and bang today?

Sake
vs
Rodgers

220 cm
18
290 lbs
2 - 2 - 0

191 cm
20
300 lbs
1 - 0 - 0

BJJ Blue Belt
Brawler
Cuts easily

Good wrestler
Basic striking
Powerful

Hell's Kitchen Lab Corp

Ladies and gentlemen. This fight is 3 rounds, in the super heavyweight division.
Introducing the fighter to my left, fighting out of the red corner.
With a record of 2 - 2 - 0, fighting out of Rio de Janeiro, Gedo Sake!
And introducing the fighter to my right, fighting out of the blue corner.
With a record of 1 - 0 - 0, fighting out of Rio de Janeiro, Sean Rodgers!
The judges for this bout are Alexandre Firmino, Edson Gomes and Mauricio Rocha.

The bell rings for round one and we are underway!
Sake tries to close the distance and clinch but Rodgers swats him to one side with an open hand palm strike and circles away.
Nice sprawl there from Rodgers as Sake shoots in.

Rodgers feints and as Sake raises his hands in defense, Rodgers changes levels and drives through with a takedown into guard.
Rodgers won't allow Sake to sweep him here.

Sake pushes Rodgers off and scrambles back to his feet.
Sake with a lazy takedown attempt

and Rodgers counters with a nice double leg into guard.

Rodgers thinks about going for a leg but decides against it, in order to maintain the position.
Rodgers throwing shots from guard but he's hitting more mat than opponent.
Rodgers really doesn't want to stay on the ground with Sake. If he can't get it back to his feet, it's only a matter of time before he'll be tapping out.
Rodgers is working the ground and pound from guard. He might want to try advancing position though to get more of an impact.
Sake working the defensive guard well to avoid strikes from Rodgers.

Rodgers drops back, looking for a kneebar! Sake looks panicked! The fighters roll across the mat, one looking to finish, one looking to escape. Sake looks to have wriggled free... Yes, he's got his leg free and he's dived into side control! Good work there from Sake!
Rodgers tries to work a leg under to get back to half guard but Sake wriggles his own leg back out and remains in side control.
Rodgers is persisting with the attempt to improve his position.
The referee asks Sake politely if he wouldn't mind getting on with it and actually doing something. Sake prefers to stall for the moment though.

That's one minute gone in the round.
You can see the frustration on Rodgers's face, being in this tough position on the bottom.
Rodgers is trying to escape the position but Sake is controlling the position.
Sake wants to lay and pray for a moment but Rodgers keeps working.
Rodgers is trying to control Sake's posture but Sake avoids it.
Rodgers is positioning himself to get back to half guard.
Rodgers looks gassed!

It looks like we're going to have a standup here. Neither fighter is doing enough on the ground.
Sake shoots in but doesn't get the takedown

so Rodgers counters with a double leg into guard. Good agility.
That's three failed takedown attempts in the round for Gedo Sake. That's going to take a lot out of him.

Sake stands up from guard. Let's bang!

That's two minutes gone in the round.
Rodgers has his head slapped from side to side by a 3 punch combination. That must have hurt him.

Rodgers darts in and lands a nice takedown into half guard.
The fighters are starting to get a bit slippery now, which will make submissions a bit more difficult.
Rodgers not throwing his punches with enough precision this time.

Rodgers looking for a submission but Sake manages to get full guard, putting an end to that submission attempt.
Sake controls Rodgers momentarily but Rodgers frees himself.
The fighters are pressed up against the cage, both looking to find a bit of space to work.

That's three minutes gone in the round.
Rodgers stopping the sweep attempt from Sake.
Sake is working from a closed guard but he's struggling to control his opponent.
Rodgers stands up over Sake, holding his feet. He dives back in and lands a decent shot to the head.
Rodgers cracks Sake with a solid left hand.
Rodgers postures up and lands some nice ground and pound.
Hammerfist, elbow! yells Rodgers's corner. There ya go! There ya go!
Rodgers throwing shots from guard but he's hitting more mat than opponent.
Rodgers is sitting in guard, working some ground and pound.
Rodgers scoring with some ground and pound.
There's a bit of a scramble here and now Sake is on top in guard.

That's four minutes gone in the round.

Rodgers is active off his back here, looking for submissions.
Rodgers thows some rabbit punches from the bottom but they don't do any damage.
Rodgers thows some rabbit punches from the bottom but they don't do any damage.
Sake with a nice head shot there.
Rodgers tries to strike from the bottom.
We get told so often about how wrestlers don't like to be on their backs. Let's see if Rodgers can do anything to dispel that myth.
Sake lands a couple of digs.
The crowd applaud the fighters efforts here as the round comes to an end.
Sake passes easily into side control. Nice work.

Sake decides to stand up, so the ref orders Rodgers to his feet.
And that’s the end of the round – the fighters go back to their corners.

Sean Rodgers dominated that round.
That's the end of the round. The referee orders the cornermen out of the cage so we can get back down to business.

Sake shoots in but doesn't get the takedown

and Rodgers counters with a shoot takedown. Sake fights it but they end up in guard.
Rodgers trying to land body shots but he keeps hitting the mat.
Sake tries to land a sweep but no joy.
Rodgers chips away with some ground and pound.
Rodgers wants to control from the top but Sake keeps moving.
Rodgers must be cautious of submissions here, given that his opponent has the superior Jiu Jitsu.
Rodgers scoring with punches to the head and body.
The ref warns both fighters not to hold the cage as they work up against the meshing.

Sake has his foot on Rodgers's thigh. He's trying to push off and get in position for a triangle, I think. Rodgers works his way back into a safe position though.
Rodgers connects with a couple of short punches.
Rodgers lands a couple of decent looking shots.
Rodgers postures up.
Sake is going to have to think about doing something other than just controlling because Rodgers is managing to avoid having the position dictated to him.
Both fighters are absolutely exhausted here.
Rodgers looking to pass the guard.

That's one minute gone in the round.
Rodgers is sitting in guard, working some ground and pound.
Hammerfist, elbow! yells Rodgers's corner. There ya go! There ya go!
Sake working the defensive guard well to avoid strikes from Rodgers.
Rodgers is working the ground and pound from guard. He might want to try advancing position though to get more of an impact.

Rodgers postures up as if he's going to throw some strikes but drops back for an ankle! Sake is in big trouble! He looks ready to tap! But no, he's escaped and dives on top of Rodgers, into his guard.
Sake postures up and lands some nice ground and pound.
Sean Rodgers has got the better of the ground game so far.
Rodgers thows some rabbit punches from the bottom but they don't do any damage.

Rodgers working from the bottom, still in full guard. He's managed to get a loose triangle. Sake doesn't seem to be doing much to defend here, obviously he feels comfortable in the position. Sake manages to throw the legs off his shoulder and he's back into guard - no problem.

That's two minutes gone in the round.
The crowd are starting to boo a lack of action.
Rodgers is striking but Sake is not phased and passes to half guard.

Sake is working for a submission here. He's got hold of the far side arm and he's looking for a kimura. He's cranking on the arm and he's got it! Rodgers is tapping out! Ouch, that looked like it hurt!

Ladies and gentlemen, after 2:40 of round 2, we have a winner by way of Submission (Kimura). Gedo Sake!