PBP Commentary

Coming up we have a featherweight MMA rules bout between Sakurai Sato (ranked 0 p4p, 0 weight class) and Hadou Ken (ranked 0 p4p, 0 weight class). Ken has chosen wiw as his entrance music. Hadou Ken has the better chin. Will he look to stand and bang today?

Sato
vs
Ken

174 cm
20
150 lbs
1 - 0 - 0

168 cm
19
143 lbs
1 - 2 - 0

BJJ Blue Belt
Solid boxing
Cuts easily

BJJ Blue Belt
Brawler
Solid chin

Ladies and gentlemen. This fight is 3 rounds, in the featherweight division.
Introducing the fighter to my left, fighting out of the red corner.
With a record of 1 - 0 - 0, fighting out of Tokyo, Sakurai Sato!
And introducing the fighter to my right, fighting out of the blue corner.
With a record of 1 - 2 - 0, fighting out of Tokyo, Hadou Ken!
The judges for this bout are Sosuke Kotani, Taro Takaoka and Yuuki Gou.

The bell rings for round one and we are underway!
Sato is looking to clinch.
Sato scores with a punch to the gut of his opponent.
Sato on the receiving end of a decent leg kick there by Ken. Ken obviously looking to wear him down.

Sato shoots in looking for a single leg takedown. Ken is trying to defend but Sato finishes it well and ends up in half guard. Let's see if he can advance position further.
Sato wants to stand but his hand is trapped. Ken uses the opportunity to regain full guard.
Sato looking to sit in guard and control but Ken gets the butterfly guard and sweeps. He's now in the guard on the top.

Ken decides he's had enough of playing guard and decides to stand. Come on Sato, up you get!
Sato stuffs the takedown attempt from Ken. Ken gets slowly back to his feet.
The fans in attendance giving it up for the two fighters, who have really let it all hang out in the last minute or so!
Sato lands a slapping body shot.

That's one minute gone in the round.
Sato wants to clinch up but Ken keeps it at a distance.
Hadou Ken seems to be the more aggressive standup fighter in this bout.

Sato forces Ken back against the cage and clinches.
Sato works for underhooks and lands a body shot in the process.

Sato jumps into guard, dragging Ken to the mat.

Sato has his feet on Ken's hips. He pushes off and gets to his feet. Nice work.

Sato changes levels and drives through with a really nice takedown into side control. Ken looks really pissed at himself for not defending that better.
Ken looks gassed!
Sato throws an elbow but Ken slips to the side and avoids it well.
Ken regains half guard there - taking advantage of Sato's attempt to lay and pray for a moment.
Sato tries to stand but his hand is stuck under Ken.

That's two minutes gone in the round.
Ken taking some punishment here, with Sato in his half guard.
The fans in attendance giving it up for the two fighters, who have really let it all hang out in the last minute or so!

Ken looking to force a kimura from the bottom here. He's concentrating on that move too much though and Sato pushes past his half guard into mount!

Sato goes for an armbar but he's fallen flat on his backside there and now Ken is on top in guard.
The fighters are starting to get a bit slippery now, which will make submissions a bit more difficult.
Sato tries to land a sweep but no joy.
Ken would like to get this fight back to the feet but can't get free from the closed guard.

That's three minutes gone in the round.
Ken postures up.

Ken gets to his feet and steps away from his opponent.
Sato tries to clinch but is not successful on this occasion.
Ken throws a nice inside leg kick.

Sato has taken the fight to the clinch.
Ken with an attempt at a knee that misses.

Sato escapes the clinch and we're back to striking.
Ken digs a good hook to Sato's body.
Ken fails miserably with a takedown attempt.

Sato pushes Ken up against the cage in a clinch.

Sato pulls Ken into guard.
Sato bucks up whilst keeping hold of a body lock, managing to reverse the position. Now he's in top in Ken's guard.
Sato connects with a couple of short punches.

That's four minutes gone in the round.
The fans in attendance giving it up for the two fighters, who have really let it all hang out in the last minute or so!
Sato with a couple of shots to the head there. Not particularly brutal.
Sato connects with a couple of short punches.
Ken avoiding any damage from the ground and pound.
Ken has a closed guard, preventing Sato from standing up.
The crowd are going absolutely nuts as the round comes to an end - what a fantastic round of action!
Ken preventing the ground and pound from doing any damage.
And that’s the end of the round – the fighters go back to their corners.

Sakurai Sato dominated that round.
That's time! Sato's corner gives him a slap on the ass as he gets ready to fight.

Sato shoots in for a takedown from distance. He catches Ken napping and manages to drive through into side control!
Sato working the head with strikes.
You can see the frustration on Ken's face, being in this tough position on the bottom.
The fighters are pressed up against the cage, both looking to find a bit of space to work.
Sato laying and praying for a moment but Ken takes advantage and regains half guard.
Sato trying to control the action but Ken is working from the bottom.
Sato trying to mount his opponent but Ken defends it.

That's one minute gone in the round.
Sato trying to control from Ken's half guard. Ken has other ideas though and has regained full guard.
Ken keeping moving, preventing Sato from controlling successfully.
Sakurai Sato overall seems to be getting the better of the ground position in the fight so far.
Sato stands up over Ken, holding his feet. He dives back in and lands a decent shot to the head.
Sato stands up and looks to throw the legs aside to pass to side control. Ken swivels though and keeps the full guard.

That's two minutes gone in the round.
Sato scoring with some ground and pound.
Ken keeping moving, preventing Sato from controlling successfully.

Ken is looking for a guillotine. You can't force these things though and Sato defends well.
Ken is breathing heavily.
Ken keeping moving, preventing Sato from controlling successfully.

That's three minutes gone in the round.
Sato content to strike from guard, landing some decent shots.
Ken has momentary wrist control but Sato slips an elbow through the middle.
Sato scores with a decent looking elbow strike.
Ken has momentary wrist control but Sato slips an elbow through the middle.
Sato throwing shots from guard but he's hitting more mat than opponent.
The ref warns both fighters not to hold the cage as they work up against the meshing.
Sato working from the guard for now, landing some ground and pound.
A big thud reverberates around the arena there as Sato accidentally thumps the mat. Hopefully he's not broken his hand.

That's four minutes gone in the round.
Sato scores with a decent looking elbow strike.
Sato is looking to work some ground and pound but Ken has wrist control.
Sato is in close to Ken's body, working some short punches and elbows.
Sato trying to control but Ken is working from the bottom.
This has been an exciting period of action!
Ken avoiding any damage from the ground and pound.
The crowd applaud the fighters efforts here as the round comes to an end.
Sato pressing down on his opponent's thigh, looking to pass guard. Ken is keeping the position for now.
Sato wants to control from the top but Ken keeps moving.
And that’s the end of the round – the fighters go back to their corners.

Sakurai Sato dominated that second round.
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. So, we enter the final round. Let's see if either fighter can bring us a finish, or whether we're going to the judges scorecards.

Sato clinches.

Ken manages to break the clinch.
Sato closes this distance looking for a takedown but Ken circles away.

Sato rushes Ken and presses him up against the cage.
Ken can't break the clinch.

Sato has hold of one of Ken's legs. Ken is fighting the takedown attempt but Sato gets the trip and lands the takedown into guard.
Sato throwing strikes but missing.
Sato throws an elbow that misses. Ken uses the momentum to reverse the position. He's now in Sato's guard. Nice move by Ken!
Sato has a closed guard, preventing Ken from standing up.
Sato wants to get back to his feet but Ken is in a dominant position and won't allow it.

That's one minute gone in the round.
Ken postures up.
Ken wants to stand and escape but instead Sato has hit a sweep and he's now on top in guard.
Sato looking to control the position here, rather than advance.
Ken takes a big intake of breath there - he's definitely tired.
Sato cracks Ken with a solid left hand.

That's two minutes gone in the round.
Ken keeping moving, preventing Sato from controlling successfully.

Sakurai Sato has forced the referee to step in and bring the fight back to the feet.
Ken throws a nice head kick!
Sato looks frustrated there after his takedown attempt is stuffed easily.
Sato tries to close the distance and clinch up against the cage but Ken paws at him with a jab and circles away.
A really sloppy takedown attempt there from Ken.
Nice takedown defense from Sato. No joy for Ken on that attempt.
Ken avoids the clinch attempt nicely.
Sakurai Sato is looking to throw some combinations by the looks of things.

That's three minutes gone in the round.
Ken keeps the fight on the outside.
Sato scores with a straight right hand, right through his opponent's guard.

Sato gets a clinch.

Sato manages to pull guard.
Sato tries to land a sweep but no joy.

Ken decides to stand up and beckons his opponent to follow.
Sato has a takedown stuffed.
That's three failed takedown attempts in the round for Sakurai Sato. That's going to take a lot out of him.
Ken swats away the attempt to clinch by Sato.
Sato drops his hands and takes a jab to the jaw for his troubles.
Ken fails with a rather predictable takedown attempt.

Sato closes the distance and presses his opponent up against the cage.

That's four minutes gone in the round.
Ken misses with a knee strike.
A quick uppercut on the inside from Sato.
Sato stalling against the cage.
Wooooo! Give it up for these two warriors! They are putting on a show!

Sato manages to pull guard. Let's see whether he can land a sub off his back.
Sato is trying to stand up but he's not managed so far.

Ken gets to his feet - Sato follows without any prompting.
That kick from Ken tenderised Sato's leg. Sato is trying to keep his angry face on.
Sato tries to clinch up against the cage, rushing in the close the distance. Ken manages to break the clinch and circles back to the middle of the mat.
Ken swats away the attempt to clinch by Sato.
As the round comes to an end the crowd are showing their appreciation for a great round of action.
Ken throws a right and a left that Sato avoids nicely.
Hadou Ken has stepped it up - he knows he needs a finish here!
Sakurai Sato is fighting for a decision here - he's started to take the cautious approach.

Sato dives in and scores a takedown into Ken's guard.

And that's the end of the fight!
Sakurai Sato showed his dominance in that final round.
Well Sato has outscored his opponent in every aspect of the fight today. Only a scarily incompetent judge or two will keep him from a well deserved win... Over to the ring announcer for the scorecards.

Ladies and gentlemen, after 3 rounds of action, we go to the scorecards for a decision.
Judge Sosuke Kotani scores the fight 30:27
Judge Taro Takaoka scores the fight 30:27
Judge Yuuki Gou scores the fight 30:27

In favor of your winner, by unanimous decision... Sakurai Sato!
Our winner, Sakurai Sato, made sure he spent some time buttering up the crowd during his post fight interview, which will no doubt bring him a few more fans.