PBP Commentary

Coming up we have a featherweight MMA rules bout between Shunzo Ura (ranked 0 p4p, 0 weight class) and Sergey Sullivan (ranked 0 p4p, 0 weight class). We have two fighters making their debuts here, so let's see who comes out of this one with their first professional victory.

Ura
vs
Sullivan

166 cm
18
148 lbs
0 - 0 - 0

186 cm
20
150 lbs
0 - 0 - 0

BJJ Blue Belt
Basic striking
Prefers ground

BJJ White Belt
Solid Muay Thai
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 0 - 0 - 0, fighting out of Tokyo, Shunzo Ura!
And introducing the fighter to my right, fighting out of the blue corner.
With a record of 0 - 0 - 0, fighting out of Tokyo, Sergey Sullivan!
The judges for this bout are Yukihiro Yamamoto, Yuuki Gou and Tatsuya Matsuyama.

The bell rings for round one and we are underway!
Sullivan shoots in with a takedown attempt and he has Ura pinned against the cage. Ura gets the underhooks and manages to circle away.
Sullivan stuffs the takedown.

Ura scores a trip takedown into side control. Nice.

Ura is looking for a kimura. He might have it! No, Sullivan has escaped the position, nice work there.
Sullivan is working hard to escape and get back to his feet. After a battle for position, Ura asserts his dominance and retains side control.
Ura working away diligently from side control. Landing strikes effectively there - that will score him some points on the judges scorecards.
Ura controls the position.
Sullivan wings away with a couple of strikes but they don't land.
A lull in the action here.

That's one minute gone in the round.
Ura landing a few strikes.
Sullivan is trying to work for a sweep but Ura has mounted him!
Ura throwing sloppy strikes, which aren't doing any damage.
Sullivan really trying hard to get back to half guard here.
Sullivan bucks up and manages to get a nice reversal! He's in guard on the top - nicely done!
Ura working the defensive guard well to avoid strikes from Sullivan.
Ura preventing the ground and pound from doing any damage.
Ura working a defensive guard here.
Sullivan working from the guard for now, landing some ground and pound.

That's two minutes gone in the round.
Sullivan wants to pass the guard but Ura is keeping the position.
Ura wants to sweep but no luck.
Sullivan really doesn't want to stay on the ground with Ura. If he can't get it back to his feet, it's only a matter of time before he'll be tapping out.
Ura is breathing heavily.
Sullivan with a nice head shot there.
Sullivan trying to pass the guard but can't manage it just yet.

Ura looking for a guillotine here but Sullivan defends easily.
Sullivan lands a couple of decent looking shots.
Sullivan must be cautious of submissions here, given that his opponent has the superior Jiu Jitsu.
Sullivan pushes down on Ura's leg and manages to get into half guard.
Ura manages to get to full guard.
Sullivan makes a bit of distance and scores with some ground and pound, still in guard.

That's three minutes gone in the round.
Sullivan with a nice head shot there.
Sullivan throwing strikes from guard but Ura blocks nicely.
Sullivan in full guard, throwing the ground and pound. No damage this time.
Sullivan trying to control the position from guard on top but Ura is wriggling around, looking for whatever he can.
Sullivan is a painfully thin specimen of a man. You do wonder whether a good body kick would snap him clean in two.
Ura has control of Sullivan's left arm, preventing Sullivan from doing any damage.
Sullivanis looking to pass into half guard but Ura pushes him away with his feet and jumps on top - now Ura is in guard.
Ura pressing down on his opponent's thigh, looking to pass guard. Sullivan is keeping the position for now.

That's four minutes gone in the round.
The crowd are starting to boo a lack of action.
Sullivan looking to sweep using the butterfly guard but Ura puts pay to that idea as he passes nicely into half guard.
Ura wants to lay and pray for a moment but Sullivan keeps working.
Ura landing with strikes to the body and head, softening up his opponent.
Sullivan punching from the bottom.
Ura slips a nice elbow through Sullivan's hands, connecting with Sullivan's forehead.
Sullivan has hold of Ura's hands but Ura slips his arm to the side and lands an elbow.
Ura uses his free foot to push down on Sullivan's thigh. Eventually he works his other foot free and he's advanced to mount - this is trouble for Sullivan.
Sullivan wants to hold on but Ura pushes him away.
Ura takes his opponent's back. Perhaps a chance to lock up a rear naked choke here.
The ref warns both fighters not to hold the cage as they work up against the meshing.
Ura is not going to allow Sullivan to sit and survive in this position.
And that’s the end of the round – the fighters go back to their corners.

Shunzo Ura dominated that round.
Well, the break between rounds is over. Let's get back to the scrappin!

Ura fails with a rather predictable takedown attempt.
Ura misses with a wild combination.
Ura shoots in and drives through. Sullivan sprawls well.
Sullivan shoots and misses

and Ura counters with a nice single leg takedown and he's in Sullivan's guard now.
Sullivan throws some sloppy strikes off his back.
Ura advances position into side control!
Sullivan can't do much from the bottom here.
Ura is looking to take a break and control but Sullivan is keeping him honest, looking to work from the bottom.
Both fighters are absolutely exhausted here.
The referee tells the fighters to keep busy.

That's one minute gone in the round.
Sullivan is working hard to escape and get back to his feet. After a battle for position, Ura asserts his dominance and retains side control.
Sullivan is trying to get back to half guard.
Sullivan misses with a strike from the bottom.
Sullivan tries to wriggle free to get back to his feet but he's given up his back! Oops.
A lull in the action here.
Ura is riding his opponent, not letting Sullivan buck him off.
Ura cracks Sullivan with a big shot to body and one to the head - really punishing Sullivan from the back mount here, looking to soften him up.

That's two minutes gone in the round.
Well. There's a bit of a lull in the action here and the crowd are starting to get restless.
Ura struggling to keep hold of the position.
Sullivan is trying to break free.
Sullivan rolls and manages to get back to half guard. Nicely done.

Ura decides to stand up and try his luck on the feet.
Sullivan stuffs the takedown attempt from Ura. Ura gets slowly back to his feet.
That's three failed takedown attempts in the round for Shunzo Ura. That's going to take a lot out of him.
Ura shoots in with a takedown attempt and he has Sullivan pinned against the cage. Sullivan gets the underhooks and manages to circle away.
Ura misses with a takedown attempt - Sullivan sprawls well and throws a nice strike on the way out which just misses.
Ura shoots in for a takedown. "I don't think so" says Sullivan as he avoids it easily.
Shunzo Ura is looking to throw some combinations by the looks of things.
Ura looks frusrated there after his takedown attempt is stuffed easily.
Sullivan fails with an attempt to clinch.

That's three minutes gone in the round.
Sullivan fails with a rather predictable takedown attempt.
A really sloppy takedown attempt there from Sullivan.
Sullivan fails with a takedown attempt from distance.
Sullivan shoots in but doesn't get the takedown
and Ura counters with a nice leg kick.
Ura thows a body shot but no joy.
Ura fails with the takedown.
Sullivan has his takedown stuffed

and Ura counters with a takedown into side control.
Sullivan gets one leg under and gets the fight to half guard.
Ura working Sullivan over with strikes.
Ura is taking a breather. Sullivan says something to him but it's hard to make out. Perhaps he's telling him to get on with it and actually do something.

Ura is looking for a kimura but Sullivan is holding onto that half guard position, so it's hard for Ura to get the leverage.

That's four minutes gone in the round.
Ura controlling the action here.
Ura lands a big shot. The thud that echoes around the arena is like music to the fans' ears.
Sullivan is refusing to be controlled, as Ura sits in half guard.
Sullivan slips a foot under and gets full guard. Nice work.
Ura with a nice head shot there.
Ura looking to control the position here, rather than advance.
And that’s the end of the round – the fighters go back to their corners.

Shunzo Ura dominated that second round.
OK. That's time! The bell goes and we're back to the action. This is the final round!

Ura shoots in for a takedown and gets it.
The referee calls for the fighters to work.
Sullivan is trying to get back to full guard.
Ura keeping composed on the top, looking to control the action.
Shunzo Ura overall seems to be getting the better of the ground position in the fight so far.
Ura stops Sullivan from getting back to his feet.
Ura passes the half guard and he's now in mount! Big trouble for Sullivan!
Both fighters are breathing heavily.
Sullivan really wants to buck Ura off and get back to his feet.

That's one minute gone in the round.
Ura trying to control but Sullivan is having none of it.
Sullivan tries to strike from the bottom but he's left himself exposed and Ura has taken his back.
Ura avoiding Sullivan 's attempts to control his hands.
Ura has the hooks in. Sullivan is trying to push off one leg but he has to do so cautiously to avoid being submitted.
Oooh a big shot gets through from Ura. Many more shots like that and the referee will have to think about stepping in!
Sullivan tries to escape the position - he's now mounted. Is that better or worse? Hard to tell!
Sullivan swinging wildly from the bottom but he's not landing.
Ura tries to control but Sullivan wriggling away.
Sullivan is trying to escape the mount.

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.
Sullivan is trying to get back to his feet but can't.

Ura jumps to the side looking to secure the arm triangle…. Ooooh, that looks tight… Sullivan is gargling but he's managed to escape! Nice work there by Sullivan and Ura has given up the dominant position trying to land that submission.
Ura in side control lands a decent elbow.
Ura trying to control the action but Sullivan is working from the bottom.
Sullivan is looking for a sweep.

That's three minutes gone in the round.

Ura decides to stand back up.
Sullivan tries to land a body kick

and Ura counters with a takedown into full mount! That could mean trouble for Sullivan!
Sullivan is wriggling around trying to escape.
Ura tries to control but Sullivan wriggling away.
Sullivan is working to get back to half guard.
Sullivan flailing away with punches but nothing is landing.
Ura controlling from mount.
Sullivan working to try and regain half guard.
Ura trying to control but Sullivan is having none of it.

That's four minutes gone in the round.
Ura with good strikes from the mount here!
Ura trying to control but Sullivan is having none of it.

Ura looking for a guillotine from mount but Sullivan is having none of it.
Sullivan is squirming around, avoiding Ura's attempts to control the action.
Sullivan tries to get back to half guard but can't.
Sergey Sullivan has stepped it up - he knows he needs a finish here!
Sullivan sneaks a leg under to get to half guard.

And that's the end of the fight!
Shunzo Ura showed his dominance in that final round.
Well I reckon that's a shut out for Ura, winning every round. Will the judges agree? They are the ones who matter, even if they are often depressingly incompetent. 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 Yukihiro Yamamoto scores the fight 30:27
Judge Yuuki Gou scores the fight 30:27
Judge Tatsuya Matsuyama scores the fight 30:27

In favor of your winner, by unanimous decision... Shunzo Ura!