PBP Commentary

Coming up we have a middleweight MMA rules bout between Kent Powell (ranked 0 p4p, 0 weight class) and Genki Sakuraba (ranked 0 p4p, 0 weight class). Kent Powell has the edge in experience - let's see if he can make that count tonight.

Powell
vs
Sakuraba

186 cm
18
197 lbs
1 - 1 - 0

175 cm
18
192 lbs
0 - 0 - 0

BJJ Blue Belt
Counter striker
Granite chin

BJJ Purple Belt
Brawler
Granite chin

Syndicate Drugs

Ladies and gentlemen. This fight is 3 rounds, in the middleweight division.
Introducing the fighter to my left, fighting out of the red corner.
With a record of 1 - 1 - 0, fighting out of Rio de Janeiro, Kent Powell!
And introducing the fighter to my right, fighting out of the blue corner.
With a record of 0 - 0 - 0, fighting out of Rio de Janeiro, Genki Sakuraba!
The judges for this bout are Daniel Cesar, Mauricio Rocha and Leandro Rodrigues.

The bell rings for round one and we are underway!
Powell takes a shot right to the liver - Bas would have been proud of that punch.
Sakuraba shoots for a takedown but Powell saw that one coming a mile off and avoided it easily.
A slow jab from Sakuraba misses its intended target.
Sakuraba lands a beauty of a right hand that gets the crowd cheering.

Sakuraba decides to change it up a bit and drives through with a nice takedown into half guard.
Sakuraba is looking to advance position but Powell won't allow it.
Sakuraba lands with an elbow from half guard - that looked like it hurt.

Sakuraba is trying for a guillotine from the top but the pressure isn't in the right place so Powell is just riding it out for now. Sakuraba eventually gives up the hold.
Sakuraba is working hard to pass the guard. He's done it - he's now in full mount! Trouble for Powell!
Powell is in a horrible position here, under a barrage of strikes, he's managing to avoid any damage.
Powell is trying to escape the mount.

That's one minute gone in the round.
Powell wants to control but Sakuraba is having none of it.
Sakuraba trying to control but he's not successful this time.

Sakuraba wants to finish this one by submission but Powell is holding onto his waist, trying to prevent any attacks from Sakuraba.
Powell keeping his composure momentarily, calmly looking to get back to half guard.
Sakuraba wants to control the pace but Powell is squirming around nicely.
Sakuraba throwing sloppy strikes, which aren't doing any damage.

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.
Powell is trying desperately to improve position.

Sakuraba gets to his feet and calls his opponent to stand. Here come the fireworks!
Sakuraba throws a jab but it's blocked by Powell.
Sakuraba throws a looping left and ducks down for a takedown. He's got his arms around Powell's waist but Powell gets an underhook and avoids the takedown by throwing Sakuraba off to one side.
Sakuraba fails to land with the punch combination there - jab, cross, hook, miss, miss, miss.

Powell darts in and lands a nice takedown into half guard.
The fighters are going at a pretty good pace and they're both starting to sweat now.
Powell working Sakuraba over with strikes.
The referee calls for the fighters to work.
Powell is tying to control. Sakuraba wants to improve his position but can't escape this time.
Powell takes advantage of the dominant position to land a couple of big hammer fists.
Sakuraba tries to roll over but Powell keeps him under control.
Powell knows he needs to get back to his feet asap. He's simply no match for Sakuraba on the ground.

That's three minutes gone in the round.
Powell seems to be taking a bit of a break to think of his next move. He lands a short punch in the meantime.
Sakuraba tries to regain full guard. Instead though, Powell has advanced to mount. Uh oh.
Sakuraba is desperately trying to improve his position but Powell has a good base and remains in mount.
Sakuraba looks gassed!
Powell lands with some vicious ground and pound - can Sakuraba hang on?
Sakuraba is trying to escape the mount.
Powell looking to finish Sakuraba with some ground and pound. This is bad for Sakuraba!
Powell can't quite control the action as he would like just now, as Sakuraba is looking to escape.
Powell prevents Sakuraba from getting the reversal.

That's four minutes gone in the round.
Powell working the ground and pound effectively.
Powell will need to keep those long limbs tucked in whilst he's on the ground, to prevent any submissions.
Sakuraba is trying desperately to improve position.
Sakuraba is persisting with the attempt to improve his position.
Powell is in the full mount, landing strikes.

It looks like Genki Sakuraba has been cut.
Powell looking to control but Sakuraba is working nicely, looking to advance position himself.
Powell controlling from the full mount.
Powell with a couple of short strikes.
The crowd applaud the fighters efforts here as the round comes to an end.
Powell avoids the attempt from Sakuraba to control.
Sakuraba is desperately trying to get back to half guard.
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 Kent Powell will probably get the nod.
The cut man is working on Genki Sakuraba's cut.
That's time! Back to the action!

Powell rushes Sakuraba and presses him up against the cage.
Powell keeps control of Sakuraba as he tries to wriggle out of the double underhooks.

Sakuraba escapes the clinch and we're back to striking.
Genki Sakuraba seems to be the more aggressive standup fighter in this bout.
Sakuraba with a lazy takedown attempt

and Powell counters by clinching up.
Sakuraba wants to get back to striking at distance but Powell won't allow it.

Powell 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.
Powell slows down the pace of the fight, as he sits in guard.
Sakuraba working the defensive guard well to avoid strikes from Powell.

Powell stands up from Sakuraba's guard - Powell perhaps looking for a knockout.

That's one minute gone in the round.
Powell defending well as Sakuraba loads up on a big left hand.

Powell changes levels and drives through with a really nice takedown into side control. Sakuraba looks really pissed at himself for not defending that better.
Powell working the ground and pound but Sakuraba is defending the strikes.
Sakuraba throws a couple of strikes even though he's not really in a good position to do so.
Powell scores with punches from side control.
Sakuraba is trying to work for a sweep but Powell has mounted him!
Sakuraba is trying to escape but when you're mounted that's not too easy.
Powell connects with a couple of good shots from mount.
Powell lands a heavy elbow.
Powell controlling from mount.

That's two minutes gone in the round.
Powell unloading with bombs!
Sakuraba is working to get back to half guard.
Powell avoids the attempt from Sakuraba to control.
Sakuraba's corner are shouting for him to stand up but that's bad cornering - how is he meant to stand up when he's mounted? He should be looking to improve his position on the ground before trying to stand back up.
Sakuraba is breathing heavily.
Powell landing shots from mount.
The referee warns Sakuraba that he has to improve his position here as he takes two more clean shots to the head.
Sakuraba wants to hold on but Powell pushes him away.
Powell wants to control the pace but Sakuraba is squirming around nicely.
Powell content just to control the position here.
Powell lands a big shot there that rocks Sakuraba but he's holding on and managing to survive for now.

That's three minutes gone in the round.
Powell avoids the attempt from Sakuraba to control.
Powell landing punches.
Sakuraba is trying to get to the cage to help him get back to his feet.
Powell controlling from mount.
Powell's ground tactics aren't going to win him many fans. Let's hope he's got fireworks for us if he gets back to his feet because he's not doing much on the ground.
Powell connects with a couple of good shots from mount.
Powell controlling from mount.
Powell prevents Sakuraba from getting the reversal.

That's four minutes gone in the round.
Powell trying to control but he's not successful this time.
The fighters are pressed up against the cage, both looking to find a bit of space to work.
The crowd growing excited in anticipation of a finish here! Right on cue, Powell cracks his opponent with a massive right hand that draws loud cheers!
Kent Powell overall seems to be getting the better of the ground position in the fight so far.
Powell scores with a couple of good head shots there.
Sakuraba tries to reverse the position but Powell maintains control.
Powell fakes a shot to the body and cracks his opponent in the head. Nice ground and pound there!
The crowd applaud the fighters efforts here as the round comes to an end.
Powell can't quite control the action as he would like just now, as Sakuraba is looking to escape.
Powell looking to ground and pound his opponent to a finish here.
And that’s the end of the round – the fighters go back to their corners.

Kent Powell dominated that second round.
The cut man is working on Genki Sakuraba's cut.
The referee calls time. The cornermen exit stage left and we're back to business. Let's hear some noise people - this is the final round!

Sakuraba fakes high and swings low for a body shot but Powell manages to avoid it.
Powell blocks a head kick by Sakuraba.

Powell scores a takedown into full mount!
Sakuraba is trying to get to the cage to help him get back to his feet.
Powell avoids the attempt from Sakuraba to control.
Sakuraba is trying to avoid being dragged into an even worse position than he's already in but Powell is staying active.
Powell in mount throwing good strikes here, bouncing his opponent's head off the canvas.
Powell avoids the attempt from Sakuraba to control.
The ref warns both fighters not to hold the cage as they work up against the meshing.
Powell controlling the position easily from mount.
Powell prevents Sakuraba from getting the reversal.
Sakuraba takes a big intake of breath there - he's definitely tired.

That's one minute gone in the round.
Powell postures up and cracks his opponent a couple of times before moving back into close ground control. Sakuraba looks a forlorn figure.
Sakuraba really trying hard to get back to half guard here.
The referee warns Sakuraba that he has to improve his position here as he takes two more clean shots to the head.
Sakuraba is working to get back to half guard.
Powell landing shots from mount.
Powell lands a big shot there that rocks Sakuraba but he's holding on and managing to survive for now.
Sakuraba keeping his composure momentarily, calmly looking to get back to half guard.
Powell landing strikes, looking to finish!
Powell landing strikes from the mount and Sakuraba is in trouble!

That has opened up Genki Sakuraba's cut even more.
Sakuraba keeping his composure momentarily, calmly looking to get back to half guard.

That's two minutes gone in the round.
Powell in mount throwing good strikes here, bouncing his opponent's head off the canvas.

The cut above Genki Sakuraba's eye is starting to cause him problems now.
Wooooo! Give it up for these two warriors! They are putting on a show!
Powell putting on the heat here with some good ground and pound!

Genki Sakuraba's cut is absolute horrible now. This looks like something out of a horror film with blood covering both fighters.

The referee calls the doctor in to look at Genki Sakuraba's cut. Oh no, the doctor has called an end to the bout!

Ladies and gentlemen, after 2:33 of round 3, we have a winner by way of TKO (Cut). Kent Powell!