PBP Commentary

Coming up we have a welterweight MMA rules bout between Hayato Sakurai (ranked 0 p4p, 0 weight class) and Jami Roguay (ranked 0 p4p, 0 weight class). Sakurai's entrance music is Holy Orders . A fine choice. Well, the cameraman is lingering on a pretty young lady for a bit too long there. Keep your eyes on the fighters buddy or you'll miss the fighter intros!

Sakurai
vs
Roguay

172 cm
26
174 lbs
9 - 3 - 0

178 cm
23
180 lbs
6 - 2 - 0

Decent wrestler
Solid boxing
Cardio machine

BJJ Blue Belt
Excellent boxer
Granite chin

Ladies and gentlemen. This fight is 3 rounds, in the welterweight division.
Introducing the fighter to my left, fighting out of the red corner.
With a record of 9 - 3 - 0, fighting out of St Petersburg, Hayato Sakurai!
And introducing the fighter to my right, fighting out of the blue corner.
With a record of 6 - 2 - 0, fighting out of Helsinki, Jami Roguay!
The judges for this bout are Arvi Lind, Ben Zyskovitsi and Anni Minnemäki.

The bell rings for round one and we are underway!
Sakurai slips a jab and a cross from Roguay.
Sakurai stuns Roguay with a nice body shot, before stepping back out of range.
Roguay swats away the attempt to clinch by Sakurai.
Roguay lands a glancing blow to the side of Sakurai's head.
Roguay throws a right and a left that both miss.
Roguay misses with a two punch combination.
Roguay lands a nice shot that snaps Sakurai's head back.
A head kick misses from Sakurai.
Roguay throws a combination. Sakurai tries to block but a couple of punches get through.
Roguay connects with a right hand. Sakurai shakes it off.
Sakurai misses with a body shot.
Sakurai wants to land a leg kick but Roguay is out of range.
Roguay swings away but doesn't land with a series of punches.
Roguay walks forward, straight into a front kick from Sakurai.

That's one minute gone in the round.
Roguay misses with a wild combination.
Sakurai throws a body kick but he was well out of range there.
Roguay just misses with a punch to the body.
Roguay tries to bum rush Sakurai with a series of wild strikes but Sakurai uses good footwork to avoid the assault.
Sakurai slips a jab and a cross from Roguay.
Roguay throws a combination but it was largely blocked by Sakurai.
Sakurai showing good head movement there, avoiding the strikes from Roguay.
Jami Roguay seems to be the more aggressive standup fighter in this bout.
Roguay fails to land with the punch combination there - jab, cross, hook, miss, miss, miss.
Sakurai scores with a hook to the body. Roguay takes a step back and tries to catch his breath.

The fight moves into the clinch position.
Sakurai is trying to wear down his opponent with knees to the body.

That's two minutes gone in the round.
Sakurai lands a nice looking hook to the body, against the cage.
Sakurai tries to land a knee to the head but misses.
Sakurai tries to land a shot to the body but it's blocked.
Sakurai is leaning against Roguay and scores with a nice uppercut to the body.

Sakurai breaks the clinch.
We've seen a great period of action over the last minute or so - credit to both fighters for going all out!

Sakurai rushes Roguay and pushes him back against the cage in a clinch.
Sakurai landing some nice looking knees to the body.
Sakurai tries to work over Roguay's body with a swooping hook but it only glances the target.
Sakurai stalling against the cage.

Sakurai breaks the clinch.
Roguay misses with a few strikes there.
Like a baseball bat into the meat of his leg there - nice leg kick by Sakurai.
Roguay throws a combination but comes up with nothing but fresh air.

That's three minutes gone in the round.
Roguay fails to land with the punch combination there - jab, cross, hook, miss, miss, miss.
Roguay takes a swing at Sakurai's ribcage but misses.
A big left from Roguay misses.
Roguay misses with a body shot.
Roguay throws a combination that misses
and Sakurai counters with a right hand to the body.
Roguay avoids a punch combination nicely.
Roguay throws a one two combo.
Roguay misses with a jab, cross combination.
Roguay throws a combination that misses
and Sakurai counters with an inside leg kick.
Some wild striking there from Roguay.
Roguay swings away but doesn't land with a series of punches.

That's four minutes gone in the round.
Roguay misses the shot to the body.
Roguay misses with a hook
and Sakurai counters with a nice leg kick.
Sakurai wants to clinch.
Sakurai pushes forward with a 1-2 combination that forces Roguay back to the cage. Sakurai follows up with a solid lead hook to the liver.
Roguay rushes forward with a series of wild hooks but Sakurai moves out of range and avoids them all easily.
Roguay throws a combination but it was largely blocked by Sakurai.
Roguay misses with the combination.
Nice uppercut there from Sakurai.
The crowd are loving this. Great action here.
As the round comes to an end the crowd are showing their appreciation for a great round of action.
Roguay throws a right and a left that both miss.
Sakurai throws a nice hook to the body that draws an oooh from the crowd.
And that’s the end of the round – the fighters go back to their corners.

Hayato Sakurai dominated that round.
The corners get their ten second warning. Both fighters stand from their stools and stare eachother down, ready to get back to the action.

Roguay lands a right hook to the body.
Roguay swinging wildly here.
Sakurai slips a jab and a cross from Roguay.
Sakurai throws a body kick that digs right into the meat.
Roguay misses with a jab and misses with a cross straight after too.

Sakurai has taken the fight to the clinch.
Roguay has had enough of the clinch and is looking to separate.
Sakurai scores with a knee to the head.

It looks like Jami Roguay has been cut.
Sakurai lands a shoulder strike that jolts his opponent's head backwards.
Roguay avoiding damage as Sakurai throws knees to the body.
Sakurai missing with knees to the body.
Roguay blocks a knee to the body. He'll have a nicely bruised forearm in the morning.
Sakurai goes for a body shot but it's blocked.
Sakurai unloads a knee to the mid-section. Roguay lets out a prehistoric sounding urrrrgh.

That's one minute gone in the round.
Roguay looking to stall.
Sakurai digs a right hand into Roguay's ribs. Those have got to be taking their toll on Roguay's gas tank.
Roguay tries to work over Sakurai's body with a swooping hook but it only glances the target.
Sakurai has not gone for a single takedown so far in this fight, which seems like a very strange tactic when you consider that he has the superior wrestling and BJJ.
Sakurai lands a body shot in the clinch.
A shot in the inside from Sakurai.
Sakurai is pushing Roguay up against the cage, for a bit of lean and pray action. Action being used the in the loosest possible sense of the word.

Sakurai manages to break the clinch.
Sakurai bobs and weaves well there to avoid the strikes.

Sakurai moves into the clinch successfully.
Sakurai tries a knee to the head but he's missed.
A short left from Sakurai.

That's two minutes gone in the round.

Sakurai breaks the clinch and we return to the middle of the mat.
Sakurai showing good head movement there, avoiding the strikes from Roguay.
Sakurai dodges the punch combination from Roguay.
Roguay misses with a series of wild punches.
Jami Roguay seems to be getting the better of the standup.
Roguay misses with a jab, cross combination.
Roguay checks a leg kick.

Sakurai darts in and clinches Roguay up against the cage.
Roguay looking to stall.
Sakurai misses with a hook to the ribs.

That's three minutes gone in the round.

Sakurai breaks the clinch and we're back to striking at distance.
Roguay throws an overhand right that lands on Sakurai's shoulder, as Sakurai tries to avoid the shot.
Sakurai is looking to clinch but Roguay is avoiding it.
Sakurai showing good head movement there, avoiding the strikes from Roguay.
Roguay scores to the head and body with a nice combination!
Roguay ducks down and throws a hook to the body but Sakurai moves away.
Roguay misses with a wild combination.
Sakurai slips a jab and a cross from Roguay.

Sakurai rushes Roguay and presses him up against the cage.
Roguay prevents a body shot from Sakurai.
A head punch blocked on the inside by Sakurai.
Hayato Sakurai has scored more points in the clinch so far.

That's four minutes gone in the round.
Sakurai stalling.
Sakurai seems to have come into the fight with the intention of avoiding any damage in the clinch, rather than actually showing any aggression.
Good body shot from Sakurai.
Sakurai taking a breather.
A right hand to the body from Sakurai.
Sakurai displaying some good clinch control by pressing Roguay up against the cage.
Sakurai lands a body punch - he's looking to wear down Roguay.
This is a great period of action - very entertaining stuff!
Sakurai stalls.
As the round comes to an end the crowd are showing their appreciation for a great round of action.
Sakurai lands a body punch.

Sakurai escapes the clinch and we're back to striking.
And that’s the end of the round – the fighters go back to their corners.

Hayato Sakurai dominated that second round.
The cut man is working on Jami Roguay's cut.
The minute break is over - no more time for sponges and pep talks - back to the action! And we move into the final round!

Roguay thows a body shot but no joy.
The fighters circling - Roguay throws out the jab but it was never going to land.
No joy there for Roguay, who threw a few shots but didn't land.
Sloppy strikes from Roguay. Those never looked like landing.
Roguay takes a head kick and keeps coming.
Sakurai fakes the leg kick and cracks Roguay in the body.
Sakurai is looking to wear down Roguay with body shots, infact he's throwing more body shots than head shots at the moment.
Roguay moves out of range of the body kick from Sakurai.
Roguay looks to score with a combo but nothing lands.
Roguay misses with a two punch combination.
Roguay misses with a few strikes there.
Sakurai turns his hip over beautifully as he lands a nice leg kick.
Roguay takes a big intake of breath there - he's definitely tired.
Sakurai throws a lazy right hand but Roguay sees it coming a mile off and sidesteps it easily.
Sakurai slips a jab and a cross from Roguay.

That's one minute gone in the round.
Roguay misses with a double jab
enabling Sakurai to counter with a crisp jab.
Sakurai throws a head kick that misses.
Sakurai slips a jab and a cross from Roguay.
Roguay looks to land a right hand but Sakurai moved out of range.
Roguay throws a combination but it was largely blocked by Sakurai.
Sakurai tries to clinch but Roguay moves out of range.
Roguay misses with the combination.

Sakurai moves into the clinch.
Sakurai goes for a body shot but it's blocked.
Sakurai misses the knee to the body. Nice hip positioning from Roguay.
Sakurai lands a body shot in the clinch.

That's two minutes gone in the round.
Sakurai lands a body shot.

Sakurai pushes off and circles away, back to the middle of the mat.

Sakurai instigates a clinch.
Roguay on the defensive, avoiding the knees to the body.
Roguay prevents a body shot from Sakurai.

Roguay pushes off and circles away, back to the middle of the mat.
This is a great period of action - very entertaining stuff!

Sakurai clinches up with Roguay and pushes him back against the cage.
A right hand to the body from Sakurai.
Sakurai can't find room to land a body shot as Roguay controls the action.
Sakurai is working Roguay over against the cage.
Sakurai pressing his opponent against the cage.
Sakurai is working Roguay over against the cage.

That's three minutes gone in the round.
Sakurai working Roguay over with knees to the body.
A hook to the body from Sakurai.
Sakurai tries to land a knee to the head but Roguay blocks with his arms.
Sakurai presses Roguay against the cage and delivers a mid-strength body shot.
Roguay takes a knee right on the jaw!
Sakurai misses with a body punch.
Sakurai lands a body punch in the clinch.

Sakurai escapes the clinch and we're back to striking.

Sakurai has taken the fight to the clinch.
Sakurai lands a body punch.
This is a great period of action - very entertaining stuff!
Roguay taking a breather.
Roguay blocks a knee to the body. He'll have a nicely bruised forearm in the morning.
A body shot lands from Sakurai.
Sakurai working Roguay over with knees to the body.
Jami Roguay has stepped it up - he knows he needs a finish here!

That's four minutes gone in the round.

Sakurai breaks from the clinch.
Roguay has a nice red mark on his side after a thudding body kick by Sakurai.
Sakurai is really dominating this fight. Is there anything that Roguay can do to turn this around?
Sakurai misses with a kick to the body.

Sakurai gets a clinch.
Sakurai tries a body shot but Roguay blocks it.
A right hook to the body lands for Sakurai.
Sakurai struggles to land a body shot inside as Roguay controls his hands.
Sakurai lands a body punch - he's looking to wear down Roguay.
Sakurai cracks Roguay with a nice body shot.
The crowd are going absolutely nuts as the round comes to an end - what a fantastic round of action!
A nice right hand lands inside from Sakurai.
Sakurai misses with a punch to the body.
Sakurai is trying to wear down his opponent with knees to the body.
Sakurai is leaning against Roguay and scores with a nice uppercut to the body.

And that's the end of the fight!
Hayato Sakurai showed his dominance in that final round.
Well Sakurai 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 Arvi Lind scores the fight 30:27
Judge Ben Zyskovitsi scores the fight 30:27
Judge Anni Minnemäki scores the fight 30:27

In favor of your winner, by unanimous decision... Hayato Sakurai!
Hayato Sakurai seemed lost for words in his post fight interview but he remembered to thank his fans and directed everyone to his website.