PBP Commentary

Coming up we have a heavyweight MMA rules bout between Japa Koniu (ranked 1400 p4p, 1227 weight class) and Eron Saunders (ranked 39 p4p, 34 weight class). Over to our ring announcer for the fighter introductions!

Koniu
vs
Saunders

198 cm
41
235
26 - 23 - 0

194 cm
28
240
11 - 6 - 0

BJJ Purple Belt
World class boxer
Very quick

Good wrestler
World class MT
Good gas tank

Ma Balls Is Hot Clothing

Ladies and gentlemen. This fight is 3 rounds, in the heavyweight division.
Introducing the fighter to my left, fighting out of the red corner.
With a record of 26 - 23 - 0, fighting out of St Petersburg, Japa Koniu!
And introducing the fighter to my right, fighting out of the blue corner.
With a record of 11 - 6 - 0, fighting out of Las Vegas, Eron Saunders!
The judges for this bout are Jack Bonds, Percy O'Donnell and Timothy Bukovac.

The bell rings for round one and we are underway!
Saunders swings away but doesn't land with a series of punches.
Nice body punch from Saunders.
Saunders looks to score with a jab to the body but Koniu is just out of range.
Koniu with a hook.
Koniu lands with a kick to the ribs.
Saunders blocks a low kick nicely.
Saunders throws a shot to the body.
A slow jab from Saunders misses its intended target.
Koniu tries to counter by moving into the clinch but Saunders manages to circle out of the way.
A head kick misses from Koniu.
Saunders throws a hard body shot but it just misses.
It looked like Koniu was looking amped, ready to throw a big counter but didn't commit.
Koniu takes a solid shot to the body. That one hurt him but he's trying not to show it.
A jab lands there for Saunders.

It looks like Japa Koniu has been cut.
Koniu moves out of range of the strikes.
This has been an exciting period of action!

Koniu instigates a clinch.
Koniu trying to land knees to the body.
Koniu misses with the head strike.
Saunders gets through Koniu's defenses to land a nice punch to the side of the head.

That's one minute gone in the round.
A nice right hand lands inside from Saunders.
Our sources have told us that Koniu has been working on his knees in the buildup to the fight.
Saunders misses with a body punch.
Koniu tries to land a knee to the body but he is off balance and Saunders avoids it.
Koniu cracks Saunders with a nice body shot.
Koniu lands with a quick shot inside that doesn't really do much damage.
Koniu tries to land a knee to the head but misses.
We've been informed that Saunders has been sparring a lot of Muay Thai in the buildup to this fight so let's see if that has an impact on the result.
Koniu is looking to break free of the clinch but Saunders has double underhooks.
Saunders tries to work over Koniu's body with a swooping hook but it only glances the target.
Saunders can't find room to land a body shot as Koniu controls the action.
Knees in the clinch landing for Koniu.
Saunders scores with a shoulder strike.
Koniu lands a shoulder strike that jolts his opponent's head backwards.

Saunders breaks the clinch and we return to the middle of the mat.
Saunders throws out a loose jab but Koniu uses good head movement to avoid it.
Koniu wants to take advantage of his opponent's missed offense by moving into the clinch.
Saunders throws a jab but it's blocked by Koniu.
Saunders throws a monster uppercut resembling something out of street fighter but it doesn't land.

Saunders moves into the clinch.
A nice glancing elbow lands by Saunders.

That's two minutes gone in the round.
Fantastic stuff here - a very entertaining period of action, which has drawn cheers from the crowd.
A short right from Saunders.
Saunders lands with a light punch inside.
Some stalling of biblical proportions here from Koniu.
Koniu prevents a body shot from Saunders.

Koniu breaks the clinch and we return to the middle of the mat.
Koniu buckles his opponent's knee momentarily with a nice leg kick.
Saunders throws a hook but Koniu avoids it easily.
Saunders fakes a head punch and goes low to the body. Nicely done.
Saunders chopped to the floor by a nice leg kick but he springs right back up before Koniu can pounce on him.
Saunders misses with a right hand

and Koniu moves into the clinch.
Koniu landing knees to the body.
Saunders looks winded!
Saunders misses with an elbow strike.
Koniu tries to land a knee to the body but he is off balance and Saunders avoids it.
A right handed body shot lands from Saunders.
Koniu blocks the elbow strike.
Saunders throws an elbow but it misses.
Saunders wants a takedown but no success here.
Koniu misses with an elbow strike.

That's three minutes gone in the round.
Saunders blocks a couple of punches on the inside.
Koniu misses with some punches.
Saunders throws an elbow that misses.
A short right from Koniu.
Koniu trying to control the position but instead, Saunders has worked for underhooks and has pushed Koniu into the cage.
Koniu lands a body punch.
Saunders misses with a shot to the kidneys.
Saunders misses with some punches.
A body shot lands from Koniu.
Koniu lands an elbow that stopped Saunders in his tracks for a moment.
A nice left hand lands by Koniu.
Koniu pushes off and fires off an elbow that misses, before clinching up again, against the cage.
Saunders pushes off an throws an elbow but Koniu leans to the side and avoids it. We're back to clinching against the cage.
Koniu misses with a knee to the head.
Saunders scores with a hook to the body.
Koniu lands a nice elbow from the clinch.

It looks like Eron Saunders has been cut.

That's four minutes gone in the round.
With the fighters up against the cage, Koniu throws an elbow but misses.
A right handed body shot lands from Saunders.
Koniu throws a blind hook that connects with the side of Saunderss head.
Fantastic stuff here - a very entertaining period of action, which has drawn cheers from the crowd.
Koniu misses with a knee strike.
Koniu blocks a punch to the side of the head.
Saunders misses with a short punch on the inside.
Koniu using the Thai plumb to throw knees but Saunders has his back arched nicely, preventing the strike.
With the fighters up against the cage, Koniu throws an elbow but misses.
Koniu lands a knee to the head there! That was nasty!
The two fighters are working to gain dominance in the clinch.
Nice body punch from Koniu.
Saunders makes some space for himself and lands an uppercut.
Koniu lands with a good tight uppercut to the head.
Saunders prevents a body shot from Koniu.
The crowd applaud the fighters' efforts here as the round comes to an end.
Koniu tries a knee to the head but he's missed.
Koniu blocks the elbow strike.
Saunders tries a body shot but Koniu blocks it.
Koniu tried to land a shot to the body but connects with Saunders's elbow.
And that is the end of the round. The fighters go back to their corners.

That was a close round but I would say that Japa Koniu will probably get the nod.
Both fighters have cut men working on them during the interval.
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.

A head kick misses from Koniu.
Saunders scores with a hook to the body. Koniu takes a step back and tries to catch his breath.

Saunders fakes with an overhand right and moves in to clinch with Koniu, pushing him back against the cage.
Saunders misses with a punch to the body.
A real battle for position is taking place between these two warriors.
The fighters are starting to get sweaty, which will make takedowns a bit more tricky.
Saunders misses with a shot to the kidneys.
Koniu pushes off and fires off an elbow that misses, before clinching up again, against the cage.
Saunders tries to land a shot to the body but it's blocked.
Saunders makes some space for himself and lands an uppercut.
Koniu swings away with an uppercut that misses.
Koniu with the Thai clinch, lands a knee to the head.
Koniu wants to get back to striking at distance but Saunders won't allow it.
We've had a slow start to the round here - hopefully the action picks up.
Saunders throws a hook to the body. More of an arm punch but it's all scoring with the judges.
A head punch blocked on the inside by Saunders.
Koniu misses with a hook to the ribs.
Koniu misses with a body punch.
Koniu with an attempt at a knee that misses.
An uppercut on the inside fails to land for Koniu.

That's one minute gone in the round.
Saunders lands a right hand.
Saunders struggles to land a body shot inside as Koniu controls his hands.
A real battle for position is taking place between these two warriors.
Koniu is trying to push Saunders away but Saunders has him pressed against the cage, so he's going nowhere.
Saunders doesn't land with the attempted body shot.
Saunders misses with a shot to the kidneys.
Koniu's head jolts backwards as he takes an uppercut right on the button!
Saunders misses with a punch to the body.
Koniu trying to stall but Saunders improves his position.
Saunders lands a body punch in the clinch.
Koniu blocks a body shot from Saunders.
A short uppercut from Saunders.
Nice body punch from Saunders - that landed with a thud.
Both fighters are absolutely exhausted here.
A short body shot lands from Saunders as the two fighters clinch.
With the fighters clinched against the cage, Saunders creates a bit of distance for himself and scores with a nice uppercut.
Saunders gets an overhook and lands an elbow to the side of the head.
A hook to the body from Saunders.
Japa Koniu has scored more points in the clinch so far.
Saunders lands an elbow just above Koniu 's eye.

Japa Koniu's cut is getting worse.

That's two minutes gone in the round.
A left hand lands to the body for Saunders.
Saunders lands a body punch - he's looking to wear down Koniu.
We've seen a great period of action over the last minute or so - credit to both fighters for going all out!
Nice body punch from Saunders.
Saunders gets through Koniu's defenses to land a nice punch to the side of the head.
An uppercut to the body lands inside from Saunders.
Saunders blocks a body shot from Koniu.
Saunders lands with a short punch from the clinch.
With the fighters clinched against the cage, Saunders creates a bit of distance for himself and scores with a nice uppercut.

Japa Koniu's cut is bleeding quite badly. He's got to try and protect it.
Saunders lands an elbow inside.
Saunders misses with a body punch.
Saunders lands a nice elbow.

Jeez, Japa Koniu's cut is really nasty now. The referee must be thinking about getting that checked.

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

Ladies and gentlemen, after 2:48 of round 2, we have a winner by way of TKO (Cut). Eron Saunders!
In his post fight interview, Eron Saunders started talking himself up. Luckily his charisma kept the crowd on side and gave him a good reception.