PBP Commentary

Coming up we have a super heavyweight MMA rules bout between John Oconnell (ranked 0 p4p, 0 weight class) and Alessio Sakuraba (ranked 0 p4p, 0 weight class). This should be fireworks!

Oconnell
vs
Sakuraba

185 cm
18
280 lbs
0 - 0 - 0

225 cm
18
300 lbs
0 - 1 - 0

Good takedowns
Brawler
Granite chin

BJJ White Belt
Decent knees
Very confident

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 0 - 0 - 0, fighting out of Los Angeles, John Oconnell!
And introducing the fighter to my right, fighting out of the blue corner.
With a record of 0 - 1 - 0, fighting out of Los Angeles, Alessio Sakuraba!
The judges for this bout are , and .

The bell rings for round one and we are underway!

Oconnell shoots in and gets a takedown into half guard. Oconnell showed some decent athleticism there.
Oconnell scores with a couple of good hammerfists.
Oconnell stops Sakuraba from getting back to his feet.
The fighters are pressed up against the cage, both looking to find a bit of space to work.
Oconnell lands a big shot. The thud that echoes around the arena is like music to the fans' ears.
Oconnell looks to score some points with some ground and pound.
Oconnell looking to pass the half guard. Not this time.
Sakuraba blocking the ground and pound attempt from Oconnell.
Oconnell prevents Sakuraba from standing back up.
Oconnell not landing any meaningful shots this time.
Sakuraba looks gassed!
Nice strikes from Oconnell there.
Oconnell throwing shots but they're hitting the canvas more than the man.
Sakuraba taking some punishment here, with Oconnell in his half guard.
Sakuraba has hold of Oconnell's hands but Oconnell slips his arm to the side and lands an elbow.

That's one minute gone in the round.
Sakuraba has hold of Oconnell's hands but Oconnell slips his arm to the side and lands an elbow.
Oconnell thows a huge punch but Sakuraba dodges it nicely.
Oconnell thows a huge punch but Sakuraba dodges it nicely.
Sakuraba really doesn't want to stay on the ground with Oconnell. If he can't get it back to his feet, it's only a matter of time before he'll be tapping out.
Oconnell is looking to advance position but Sakuraba won't allow it.
Oconnell scoring with strikes to the body and head.
Oconnell winds up and cracks Sakuraba with a swinging punch to the side of the head.
Sakuraba makes his way to full guard. A much better position for Sakuraba.
Oconnell stands and throws Sakuraba's legs to the side, diving into side control.
Oconnell has knee on belly and moves into mount.
A nice elbow there by Oconnell.

That's two minutes gone in the round.
Oconnell with the ground and pound from mount.
The fighters are starting to perspire pretty heavily.
Sakuraba sneaks a leg under to get to half guard.
We get told so often about how wrestlers don't like to be on their backs. Let's see if Sakuraba can do anything to dispel that myth.
Oconnell is looking to pass the guard... He's managed it - he's now in full mount!
Oconnell prevents Sakuraba from getting the reversal.
Sakuraba squirming around on the bottom, looking to escape.
Oconnell with a couple of short strikes.
BOOM! Oconnell connects with a massive shot to the dome!
Oconnell cracks Sakuraba with a nasty head shot there - the crowd let out an audible gasp there, as the noise reverberated around the arena.
Oconnell looking to ground and pound his opponent to a finish here.
Oconnell prevents Sakuraba from getting the reversal.
Sakuraba squirming around on the bottom, looking to escape.
Oconnell working Sakuraba over with strikes here.

That's three minutes gone in the round.
Oconnell with a couple of short strikes.
Sakuraba is wriggling around trying to escape.
Oconnell unloading with bombs!
Sakuraba tries to buck Oconnell off but he can't manage it.
Oconnell with good strikes from the mount here!
Oconnell lands with some vicious ground and pound - can Sakuraba hang on?
Oconnell with good strikes from the mount here!
Oconnell with the ground and pound from mount.
Oconnell lands a big elbow.
Oconnell has his opponent pinned against the cage, landing some nasty ground and pound that is really making a bit of a mess out of Sakuraba's face.
Oconnell in mount throwing good strikes here, bouncing his opponent's head off the canvas.
Oconnell lands a heavy elbow.
Oconnell really is a fat lump.
Sakuraba takes a big shot to the head but keeps on trying to improve his position.
You get the feeling that Sakuraba really doesn't like being in this position too much.
Oconnell is landing with some decent strikes but Sakuraba is trying to advance his position so the referee is letting the fight continue.

That's four minutes gone in the round.
Oconnell landing punches.
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.
Oconnell punching from mount but Sakuraba doing a good job of avoiding damage.
Sakuraba wants to get back to his feet.
BOOM! Oconnell connects with a massive shot to the dome!
Sakuraba wants to get back to his feet.
A nice elbow there by Oconnell.
A nice elbow there by Oconnell.
The crowd applaud the fighters efforts here as the round comes to an end.
Oconnell is still in mount, landing shots to his trapped opponent. Sakuraba can't stay in a position like this for much longer.
BOOM! Oconnell connects with a massive shot to the dome!
Oconnell putting on the heat here with some good ground and pound!
Sakuraba is writhing around trying to get back to his feet.
And that’s the end of the round – the fighters go back to their corners.

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

Sakuraba lands a head kick. Oconnell smiles back at him and beckons him forward.

It looks like John Oconnell has been cut.
Sakuraba wants to clinch.
Oconnell misses with an attempted mid kick.
Sakuraba throws a right and a left that both miss.
Oconnell takes a head kick and shrugs it off.

Sakuraba moves into range and clinches up with Oconnell.
Oconnell looking for a takedown.
Sakuraba prevents the takedown attempt.

Sakuraba breaks the clinch and we return to the middle of the mat.
Oconnell tries for a takedown but Sakuraba sees it coming a mile off and avoids it easily.
That's three failed takedown attempts in the round for John Oconnell. That's going to take a lot out of him.
Oconnell will have to do better than that with his takedown attempts.

Sakuraba gets a clinch.
Sakuraba connects with a knee to the head.
A short left from Sakuraba.
A shot in the inside from Sakuraba.

Sakuraba manages to break the clinch.
Both fighters are absolutely exhausted here.
Sakuraba lands a jab-cross combination.
John Oconnell is looking to throw some combinations by the looks of things.

Sakuraba moves into the clinch successfully.
The crowd are loving this. Great action here.
Sakuraba connects with a nasty looking knee right to Oconnell's face.
Knees to the body from Sakuraba.
Sakuraba connects with a knee to the head.
A shot in the inside from Sakuraba.
Oconnell wants to get back to striking at distance but Sakuraba won't allow it.

That's one minute gone in the round.
Sakuraba scores with a shot to the side of Oconnell's head.
A short left from Sakuraba.
Oconnell tries for a takedown but Sakuraba manages to get underhooks.
Sakuraba has the Thai clinch. He lands a big knee to the head that stumbles Oconnell - he's in trouble! Another big knee to the head from Sakuraba, and another! Oconnell is out on his feet - the ref jumps in to save him and ends the fight!

Ladies and gentlemen, after 1:16 of round 2, we have a winner by way of TKO (Knees). Alessio Sakuraba!