PBP Commentary

Coming up we have a lightweight MMA rules bout between Ryu Sakurai (ranked 0 p4p, 0 weight class) and Tanner Mays (ranked 0 p4p, 0 weight class). Over to our ring announcer for the fighter introductions!

Sakurai
vs
Mays

173 cm
22
160 lbs
1 - 1 - 0

190 cm
19
155 lbs
0 - 0 - 0

Good takedowns
Solid boxing
Cuts easily

BJJ White Belt
Decent boxing
Solid chin

Ladies and gentlemen. This fight is 3 rounds, in the lightweight division.
Introducing the fighter to my left, fighting out of the red corner.
With a record of 1 - 1 - 0, fighting out of Sydney, Ryu Sakurai!
And introducing the fighter to my right, fighting out of the blue corner.
With a record of 0 - 0 - 0, fighting out of Sydney, Tanner Mays!
The judges for this bout are Donatello Bradman, Winston Howard and Summer Carpenter.

The bell rings for round one and we are underway!

Sakurai looking to shoot here. He's gone for it and he's landed a takedown into mount! Oh, that's bad for Mays!
Sakurai content just to control the position here.
Sakurai has controlled the position for a good 20 seconds, which will no doubt be starting to frustrate his opponent.
We get told so often about how wrestlers don't like to be on their backs. Let's see if Mays can do anything to dispel that myth.
Mays really wants to buck Sakurai off and get back to his feet.
Sakurai tucks in and makes sure he doesn't lose the dominant position.
Sakurai seems to have a rather negative gameplan on the ground. He seems keen to just score the takedown and hold down Mays for as long as he can get away with.

That's one minute gone in the round.

Sakurai is going oldschool here, as he tries to force Mays to tap using a forearm choke. This isn't 1993 though, so Mays shrugs it off.
Sakurai takes a little breather and maintains the position. The referee will be looking for him to stay active from such a dominant position though.
The fighters are pressed up against the cage, both looking to find a bit of space to work.
Mays avoids a series of strikes thrown by Sakurai.

Sakurai is standing up out of mount! Strange tactic there - he must really want this one on the feet!
Mays swinging wildly here.
Sakurai connects with a body shot.

Sakurai feints and as Mays raises his hands in defense, Sakurai changes levels and drives through with a takedown into guard.
Sakurai passes easily into side control. Nice work.

That's two minutes gone in the round.
Sakurai working the ground and pound but Mays is defending the strikes.
Mays is a painfully thin specimen of a man. You do wonder whether a good body kick would snap him clean in two.
Mays is putting a lot of effort into getting back to his feet here.
Mays prevents Sakurai from moving into mount.
Sakurai happy to just control the position for now.

Sakurai stands up and beckons Mays to his feet.

That's three minutes gone in the round.
Sakurai slips a jab and a cross from Mays.
Mays looks gassed!
Mays fails to land with the punch combination there - jab, cross, hook, miss, miss, miss.

Sakurai feints and as Mays raises his hands in defense, Sakurai changes levels and drives through with a takedown into guard.

Sakurai gets to his feet and steps away from his opponent.
Mays will need to tighten up his combinations if he doesn't want to gas himself out, swinging at thin air.
Sakurai throws a two punch combo that lands nicely.
Sakurai lands a nice looking body shot.
Some wild striking there from Sakurai.

Sakurai shoots in for a takedown and gets it.
Sakurai is just sitting in half guard, waiting for something to happen.

That's four minutes gone in the round.

Sakurai decides to stand and escape the position.
Sakurai works over Mays's head and body with a nice combination.

Sakurai closes the distance and gets a double leg, slamming Mays to the mat! Mays manages to get full guard.
This is a great period of action - very entertaining stuff!
Sakurai controlling from the guard. I say controlling but really, he's stalling.
And that’s the end of the round – the fighters go back to their corners.

Ryu Sakurai dominated that round.
The corners get their ten second warning. Both fighters stand from their stools and stare eachother down, ready to get back to the action.

Sakurai digs a good hook to Mays's body.
Mays throws a left and a right that both miss

so Sakurai counters with a double leg into guard. Good agility.
Ryu Sakurai overall seems to be getting the better of the ground position in the fight so far.
Mays utilising some decent striking defenses from the guard, preventing the ground and pound.

Sakurai decides he's had enough of playing guard and decides to stand. Come on Mays, up you get!
Mays avoids a punch combination nicely.
Mays misses with a combination
and Mays takes a counter punch right on the button for his troubles.
Sakurai lands with a two punch combination before moving back out of range.
Sakurai throws a wild combination but nothing lands.
Left hook, right uppercut from Sakurai.
Mays takes a shot right to the bread basket.
Sakurai misses with a two punch combination.
Sakurai looks to land a combination. Mays sees it coming but can only parry a couple of the shots.

Sakurai shoots in for a takedown from distance. He catches Mays napping and manages to drive through into side control!
Both fighters are absolutely exhausted here.

Sakurai stands up and beckons Mays to his feet.

That's one minute gone in the round.
Mays misses with a double jab

and Sakurai counters with a nice double leg into side control. Mays won't be happy with that.

Sakurai decides to stand back up.
Ryu Sakurai is looking to throw some combinations by the looks of things.
Mays misses with a combination

and Sakurai decides to take the opportunity to score a takedown. He's landed in Mays's guard.
Sakurai stops Mays from standing up.

Mays scrambles and gets back to his feet.
We've seen a great period of action over the last minute or so - credit to both fighters for going all out!
Sakurai is moving around nicely and scores here with a single head shot.
Mays falls off balance throwing a combination

and Sakurai counters with a driving takedown into guard. Nice work there by Sakurai.

Sakurai gets to his feet and steps away from his opponent.

That's two minutes gone in the round.

Sakurai shoots in and scores a nice double leg takedown into half guard.
Sakurai stops Mays from getting back to his feet.
Mays is trying to escape back to his feet but Sakurai uses the scramble to pass into side control.

Sakurai decides to stand back up.
Mays swings wildly with a couple of big hooks

and Sakurai counters with a nice shoot takedown that brings the fighters to the ground.
Sakurai advances to half guard.

That's three minutes gone in the round.
Sakurai prevents Mays from standing back up.
Sakurai is figuring out what he wants to do next.

Mays has one foot on Sakurai's thigh - he pushes off and manages to get back to his feet.
Sakurai fakes a head shot and lands one to the body.
Mays throws a left and a right that both miss

and Sakurai counters with a shoot takedown. Mays fights it but they end up in guard.

Sakurai gets to his feet and steps away from his opponent.
Sakurai lands with a nice combination. Mays backs away looking to recover.
Mays throws a combination that misses

and Sakurai counters with a nice double leg into guard.
Sakurai is really dominating this fight. Is there anything that Mays can do to turn this around?
The crowd are loving this. Great action here.
Sakurai showing good wrestling skills to control the position.

That's four minutes gone in the round.

Sakurai decides he's had enough of playing guard and decides to stand. Come on Mays, up you get!
The crowd are going absolutely nuts as the round comes to an end - what a fantastic round of action!
Mays misses with a series of wild punches.
Sakurai connects with a jab.
And that’s the end of the round – the fighters go back to their corners.

Ryu Sakurai dominated that second round.
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. So, we enter the final round. Let's see if either fighter can bring us a finish, or whether we're going to the judges scorecards.

Sakurai dips down and scores with a jab to the body.
Mays throws a jab, cross combination which is slipped

and Sakurai counters with a shoot takedown into half guard.
Mays is trying to stand up here but Sakurai is controlling him well.

Sakurai gets to his feet - back to striking we go!
Sakurai stuns Mays with a nice body shot, before stepping back out of range.
Sakurai connects with a good right hand that stumbles Mays. Mays circles away out of range and recomposes himself.

Sakurai decides to change it up a bit and drives through with a nice takedown into half guard.
Mays is in trouble now - Sakurai has advanced to mount!
Sakurai looking to ground and pound but Mays is blocking nicely.
Both fighters are breathing heavily.

Sakurai jumps to the side looking to secure the arm triangle…. Ooooh, that looks tight… Mays is gargling but he's managed to escape! Nice work there by Mays and Sakurai has given up the dominant position trying to land that submission.

That's one minute gone in the round.
Sakurai is pausing for a moment. What's he doing? It looks like he's clearing his nose. Oh dude! He's shot a load of snot all down Mays's shoulder. That is not cool.

Sakurai is trying to get an arm triangle but Mays is defending well.

That's two minutes gone in the round.
A few boos can be heard. I'm sure they will multiply if the fighters don't pick up the pace.

Sakurai stands up.
Mays takes a shot right to the bread basket.
Tanner Mays seems to be the more aggressive standup fighter in this bout.
Mays throws a combination that misses

and Sakurai counters with a nice double leg into half guard.
Sakurai looks over to his corner - he wants some instructions but his corner are not responding.
Sakurai is working hard to pass the guard. He's done it - he's now in full mount! Trouble for Mays!

That's three minutes gone in the round.

Sakurai stands up from the dominant position. He obviously fancies his chances standing.
Mays throws a combination that misses

and Sakurai counters with a shoot takedown. Mays fights it but they end up in guard.
Sakurai slows down the pace of the fight, as he sits in guard.

Mays is working an open guard so Sakurai takes the opportunity to get back to his feet.
Mays throws a jab, cross combination which is slipped

and Sakurai counters with a nice double leg into side control. Mays won't be happy with that.
The fans in attendance giving it up for the two fighters, who have really let it all hang out in the last minute or so!
Sakurai is moving around in side control but his primary objective seems to be to maintain the position.

Sakurai stands up and beckons Mays to his feet.
Tanner Mays is looking to keep the fight on the feet at all costs.

That's four minutes gone in the round.
Mays falls off balance throwing a combination
and Sakurai counters with a crisp hook to the side of the head.
Sakurai connects with a slap. Keep your fist closed son.
Mays takes a punch to the jaw and another one to the bread basket.
Sakurai throws a shot to the body.
Mays misses with a combination
and Sakurai counters with a crisp hook to the side of the head.
Mays throws a jab, cross combination which is slipped
and Sakurai counters with a lovely straight right hand!
Mays throws a left and a right that both miss

and Sakurai counters with a nice double leg into half guard.
As the round comes to an end the crowd are showing their appreciation for a great round of action.

Sakurai decides to stand up.
Tanner Mays has stepped it up - he knows he needs a finish here!
Mays takes a shot to the body in his stride.

And that's the end of the fight!
Ryu Sakurai showed his dominance in that final round.
Well Sakurai has outscored his opponent in every aspect of the fight today. Only a scarily incompetent judge or two will keep him from a well deserved win... 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 Donatello Bradman scores the fight 30:24
Judge Winston Howard scores the fight 30:24
Judge Summer Carpenter scores the fight 30:24

In favor of your winner, by unanimous decision... Ryu Sakurai!