PBP Commentary

Coming up we have a welterweight MMA rules bout between Akira Sakurai (ranked 0 p4p, 0 weight class) and Nikolai Putin (ranked 0 p4p, 0 weight class). Sakurai comes to the cage accompanied by Pride FC Theme. Over to our ring announcer for the fighter introductions!

Sakurai
vs
Putin

184 cm
26
185 lbs
10 - 6 - 0

179 cm
25
182 lbs
8 - 2 - 0

BJJ Purple Belt
Solid boxing
Experienced

BJJ Brown Belt
Counter striker
Knockout power

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 10 - 6 - 0, fighting out of Tokyo, Akira Sakurai!
And introducing the fighter to my right, fighting out of the blue corner.
With a record of 8 - 2 - 0, fighting out of Tokyo, Nikolai Putin!
The judges for this bout are Kenichi Hosakawa, Taro Takaoka and Yasuomi Hirokawa.

The bell rings for round one and we are underway!
Putin shoots in for a double leg but Sakurai sprawls well. That's going to sap some energy.
Putin throws a low kick but Sakurai avoids it.
Putin thuds his shin into the meat of Sakurai's side.
Sakurai comes forward and lands a shot to the body, then darts back out of range.
Sakurai gets his takedown attempt stuffed easily
and Putin counters with a right hand to the body.
Good work by Sakurai as he checks the leg kick.
Sakurai throws a right hand that Putin ducks under and follows up with a left that Putin also avoids with ease.
Putin uses good footwork to avoid the strikes from Sakurai.
Putin swings away with a leg kick that misses.
Putin ducks under an overhand right and circles away with a smile on his face.
Sakurai throws a body punch but Putin moves out of range.
Sakurai lands with a hook. Putin tried to avoid it but it clipped the top of his head.
Sakurai misses with a looping right.
Putin looks to land a left hand but Sakurai moved out of range nicely.
Sakurai swings and misses with a shot to the body

and Putin decides to take the opportunity to score a takedown. He's landed in Sakurai's guard.
Putin in full guard, throwing the ground and pound. No damage this time.

That's one minute gone in the round.
Sakurai keeping full guard, as Putin tries to pass.
Sakurai preventing the ground and pound from doing any damage.
Sakurai keeping full guard, as Putin tries to pass.
Sakurai has his hands on Putin's head, controlling the position.
Sakurai lands a beautiful switch and he's in full mount! That could spell trouble for Putin!
Putin keeping his composure momentarily, calmly looking to get back to half guard.
Sakurai putting on the heat here with some good ground and pound!

That's two minutes gone in the round.

Sakurai with some aggressive grappling here. He's looking for submissions here, rather than waiting for the opportunity to counter.
Putin gets back to half guard.
Putin has the superior BJJ but he's also working some ground strikes into his gameplan.

Putin looking to work for a kimura from the bottom.
Putin is looking for a sweep. Sakurai is wise to his cunning plan and keeps the top position.
Sakurai throwing shots but they're hitting the canvas more than the man.
Putin gets back to full guard.
Sakurai trying to land body shots but he keeps hitting the mat.

That's three minutes gone in the round.
Sakurai trying to control but Putin is working from the bottom.

It looks like we're going to have a standup here. Neither fighter is doing enough on the ground.
Sakurai misses with a wild combination.
Sakurai throws a head kick that misses and slips in the process. He scrambles back to his feet and the fighters circle.

Putin shoots in and bounces Sakurai off the cage to secure the takedown into guard.
The ref warns both fighters not to hold the cage as they work up against the meshing.
Putin pressing down on his opponent's thigh, looking to pass guard. Sakurai is keeping the position for now.
The fighters are pressed up against the cage, both looking to find a bit of space to work.
Putin trying to control but Sakurai is working from the bottom.
Putin throws a big right hand that misses.
Putin stands up and looks to throw the legs aside to pass to side control. Sakurai swivels though and keeps the full guard.

That's four minutes gone in the round.
My god... these two guys really need to pick up the pace or everyone will leave to go get a beer.
Sakurai is trying to stand up but he's not managed so far.
Sakurai trying to keep a closed guard but Putin is proving a slippery customer.
Putin working some ground and pound from guard but it's not doing any damage.
Putin tries to free his leg and advance position but Sakurai is retaining full guard.

Well, the referee has seen enough. Neither fighter is active enough on the ground so he's stood them back up.
Putin pivots as if he's going to throw a leg kick but stops half way.
Putin avoids the body shot from Sakurai.
Putin changes levels and looks for a double leg takedown. Sakurai tries to avoid it but Putin manages to keep hold of a leg and drag Sakurai to the ground. Sakurai escapes though and pops straight back up to his feet.
Sakurai lands a body shot.
Putin looks gassed!
Sakurai fails with the takedown.
And that’s the end of the round – the fighters go back to their corners.

A close round but Nikolai Putin will probably get the nod.
That's time! Back to the action!

A looping hook to the body misses from Sakurai. Putin does a little dance to reset his feet.
Sakurai wants to clinch
and Putin counters with a body kick that stops Sakurai in his tracks momentarily.
Putin throws a sloppy body shot

and Sakurai counters into the clinch. Nicely done.
Putin putting his Muay Thai to good use. He has Sakurai in a tight clinch and is doing some damage with knees to the body.
A real battle for position is taking place between these two warriors.
Putin blocks an elbow strike from Sakurai.
Putin wants to break the clinch but can't.
A nice glancing elbow lands by Sakurai.
Sakurai misses with an elbow over the top.
We've had a slow start to the round here - hopefully the action picks up.
Putin avoids a wild elbow strike from Sakurai.
Sakurai looking for a takedown.
Both fighters are absolutely exhausted here.
Putin blocks a knee to the body. He'll have a nicely bruised forearm in the morning.
Sakurai throws an elbow but it misses.
With the two fighters working up against the cage, Sakurai just misses with a elbow thrown towards Putin's brow.
Sakurai stalling in the clinch but Putin improves position.
Sakurai avoiding damage.

That's one minute gone in the round.

Putin breaks the clinch.
Putin connects with a lovely jab that went straight through the gap between Sakurai's hands.
A leg kick checked by Sakurai.
Sakurai lands a slapping body shot.
Sakurai is looking to take this fight into the clinch.
Putin shoots in looking for a takedown. Sakurai tries to sprawl out of it but Putin keeps driving through. The fighters are pinned against the cage. Sakurai manages to get underhooks and after a bit of a struggle, circles away and we're back to standing.
Putin dances in quickly and lands a nice inside leg kick on Sakurai. That did some damage!
Sakurai shoots in but no luck this time.
Putin throws a low kick but his opponent is out of range.
Sakurai listening to his corner there, landing a nice uppercut.

That's two minutes gone in the round.
Sakurai uses some good footwork to avoid the body shot by Putin.
Sakurai works the jab nicely.
Putin moves into range and lands a nice leg kick.
Sakurai stuffs the takedown attempt from Putin. Putin gets slowly back to his feet.
Sakurai stumbles momentarily as he takes a strong leg kick from Putin.
Putin keeping a good distance there, avoiding the body shot.
Akira Sakurai is looking to throw some combinations by the looks of things.
Putin steps to the side to avoid the strikes from Sakurai.
Putin is looking to chop away at Sakurai's legs.
Putin cracks the inside of Sakurai's front leg.
A bone on bone clash there as Sakurai blocks the leg kick.
Putin throws a half hearted mid kick.
Sakurai misses with a takedown
and Putin counters with a nice low kick that buckles Sakurai's knee momentarily.
That's three failed takedown attempts in the round for Akira Sakurai. That's going to take a lot out of him.

That's three minutes gone in the round.
Sakurai misses with a looping left.
Putin throws a sloppy head kick and Sakurai moves out of range easily.
Putin throws a head kick that connects with a bit of head and a bit of hand.
Putin keeps Sakurai at a distance using the push kick.
Akira Sakurai seems to be the more aggressive standup fighter in this bout.
Sakurai tries for a takedown but Putin circles away easily

and Putin counters with a shoot takedown. Sakurai fights it but they end up in guard.
Putin trying to control the position from guard on top but Sakurai is wriggling around, looking for whatever he can.
Putin tries to free his leg and advance position but Sakurai is retaining full guard.
Sakurai is trying to keep Putin in close.
Putin with a couple of shots to the head there. Not particularly brutal.
Putin postures up in Sakurai's guard and throws a big left but Sakurai blocks it.

That's four minutes gone in the round.
Putin working some strikes from top position.

Putin drops back looking for a leg! Sakurai is in trouble here! The fighters roll with the hold and Sakurai manages to kick Putin off! Putin jumps back into Sakurai's guard.
Putin throws a big right hand that misses.
Putin missing there with some ground and pound from the guard.
Putin lands a couple of elbows.
Sakurai pulls Putin in to control the position.

Sakurai has his foot on Putin's thigh. He's trying to push off and get in position for a triangle, I think. Putin works his way back into a safe position though.
A big thud reverberates around the arena there as Putin accidentally thumps the mat. Hopefully he's not broken his hand.
Putin is in close to Sakurai's body, working some short punches and elbows.
And that’s the end of the round – the fighters go back to their corners.

Nikolai Putin showed his class in that round. I'd imagine he'll take it on all the scorecards.
Well, the break between rounds is over. Let's get back to the scrappin! This is the final round!

Putin uses some good footwork to avoid the body shot by Sakurai.
Ouch! a nice leg kick from Putin, right into the meat.
Sakurai gets his takedown attempt stuffed easily

and Putin counters with a driving takedown into guard. Nice work there by Putin.
Putin postures up and lands a big shot to Sakurai's brow.
Putin passes into half guard.
Putin passes to side control.
Putin is chipping away with strikes.
Putin trying to control the action but Sakurai is working from the bottom.
Both fighters are breathing heavily.

Putin is looking to finish here, going for an Americana. Sakurai knows the correct defense though, so he's OK.

That's one minute gone in the round.
Putin has knee on belly and moves into mount.
Putin lands a shot to the body, followed up by a shot to the exposed head of his trapped opponent.

Putin is working on an americana here. Ooh, that looks pretty nasty! Nope, Sakurai has managed to escape the submission attempt.

Putin working for a submission but Sakurai is keeping him at bay.
Sakurai is trying to escape the mount.

That's two minutes gone in the round.
Sakurai sneaks a leg under to get to half guard.
Putin drops an elbow to the side of Sakurai's head.

Putin seems to be working for a kimura but Sakurai defends the submission attempt.
Sakurai is staying active underneath Putin, who seems content to just control the action from this position.

That's three minutes gone in the round.
Sakurai moves his hips nicely and gets into full guard.
Putin throws a big right hand that misses.
Akira Sakurai has stepped it up - he knows he needs a finish here!
Sakurai trying to control the position.
Nikolai Putin has got the better of the ground game so far.
Putin postures up and scores with a shot to the body and a follow up elbow to the head.
Sakurai looking to control.
Putin trying to control the position from guard on top but Sakurai is wriggling around, looking for whatever he can.
Putin stopping the sweep attempt from Sakurai.

That's four 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.
Putin loading up with the ground and pound but he's missing more than he's landing in this flurry.

The referee has ruled that neither fighter is active enough on the ground and has stood them back up.
Sakurai takes a step back and watches a body kick go sailing past his mid section.
Putin throws a low kick, looking for Sakurai's leg but Sakurai calmly moves out of range.
Putin misses with a body kick.
Sakurai tries to land with a swinging hook to the body but Putin was well out of range. Poor timing from Sakurai.
Putin tries to land with a swinging hook to the body but Sakurai was well out of range. Poor timing from Putin.
A looping hook to the body misses from Sakurai. Putin does a little dance to reset his feet.
No joy there for Sakurai, who threw a few shots but didn't land.
Putin throws a body kick but he wasn't in range.

Putin looks for a takedown. He's got it. We're now in half guard.

And that's the end of the fight!
Nikolai Putin comfortably won the final round on my scorecard.
I've got Putin winning every round here. Surely the decision will go his way and he'll pick up a well deserved decision victory. 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 Kenichi Hosakawa scores the fight 28:30
Judge Taro Takaoka scores the fight 28:30
Judge Yasuomi Hirokawa scores the fight 27:30

In favor of your winner, by unanimous decision... Nikolai Putin!