PBP Commentary

Coming up we have a light heavyweight MMA rules bout between Nobuo Sakuraba (ranked 0 p4p, 0 weight class) and Drago Cursed (ranked 0 p4p, 0 weight class). Sakuraba comes to the cage accompanied by Mono - Battle for Heaven. We have two fighters making their debuts here, so let's see who comes out of this one with their first professional victory.

Sakuraba
vs
Cursed

184 cm
25
200 lbs
0 - 0 - 0

185 cm
24
200 lbs
0 - 0 - 0

BJJ White Belt
Brawler
Granite chin

BJJ Blue Belt
Brawler
Determined

Ladies and gentlemen. This fight is 3 rounds, in the light heavyweight division.
Introducing the fighter to my left, fighting out of the red corner.
With a record of 0 - 0 - 0, fighting out of Tokyo, Nobuo Sakuraba!
And introducing the fighter to my right, fighting out of the blue corner.
With a record of 0 - 0 - 0, fighting out of Tokyo, Drago Cursed!
The judges for this bout are Kenichi Hosakawa, Shigeki Fujiwara and Ren Mimura.

The bell rings for round one and we are underway!
Sakuraba pulls out of a head kick attempt.

Cursed closes the distance and clinches.
Cursed manages to get underhooks and slows down the pace for a moment.
Sakuraba gets underhooks to prevent Cursed's takedown attempt.
Cursed blocks an elbow strike from Sakuraba.
Cursed is working for takedown but Sakuraba is calmly controlling the position for now.

Sakuraba breaks the clinch and we return to the middle of the mat.
Sakuraba slaps away a takedown attempt from Cursed, before circling back to the center of the mat.
Nobuo Sakuraba has stuffed three takedown attempts in the round now. That's going to take a lot out of Drago Cursed.

Sakuraba scores with a nice takedown into half guard. Let's see what he's got on the ground.
Sakuraba is taking a breather. Cursed 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.
Sakuraba lands a big shot. The thud that echoes around the arena is like music to the fans' ears.

That's one minute gone in the round.
Cursed wants to get back to full guard.
Sakuraba wants to lay and pray for a moment but Cursed keeps working.
Cursed is looking to control Sakuraba's leg but it's slowly edging free. Can Cursed avoid being mounted?

Sakuraba is looking for a kimura but Cursed is holding onto that half guard position, so it's hard for Sakuraba to get the leverage.
The fighters are battling for position here. Cursed manages to regain full guard. Nice work.
Sakuraba stands up and looks to throw the legs aside to pass to side control. Cursed swivels though and keeps the full guard.
Cursed is working an open guard here, looking to improve his position. No doubt that will leave him open to counters but at least he's being more offensive.
The ref warns both fighters not to hold the cage as they work up against the meshing.

That's two minutes gone in the round.
Cursed wants to improve his position but instead Sakuraba has moved into half guard.
Cursed trying to control but Sakuraba postures up.
Sakuraba winds up and cracks Cursed with a swinging punch to the side of the head.
Sakuraba prevents Cursed from improving his position.
Cursed trying to hold on to Sakuraba's head to control him but Sakuraba postures up.
Sakuraba not throwing his punches with enough precision this time.
The fighters are battling for position here. Cursed manages to regain full guard. Nice work.

That's three minutes gone in the round.
Sakuraba stands up and looks to throw the legs aside to pass to side control. Cursed swivels though and keeps the full guard.
Sakuraba won't allow Cursed to sweep him here.
Sakuraba trying to control but Cursed is working from the bottom.
Cursed thows some rabbit punches from the bottom but they don't do any damage.
Sakuraba has to be careful here, sitting in the guard of a superior BJJ player.
Cursed wants to sweep here but Sakuraba controlling him for the moment.
Cursed trying to keep a closed guard but Sakuraba is proving a slippery customer.
Cursed is striking off his back. Sakuraba thinks nothing of it though and passes easily into half guard.

That's four minutes gone in the round.
Cursed gets back to full guard.
Cursed keeping moving, preventing Sakuraba from controlling successfully.
Sakuraba trying to pass the guard but can't manage it just yet.
Sakuraba trying to control the position from guard on top but Cursed is wriggling around, looking for whatever he can.
Sakuraba landing with the ground and pound.
The crowd applaud the fighters efforts here as the round comes to an end.
Sakuraba stopping the sweep attempt from Cursed.
And that’s the end of the round – the fighters go back to their corners.

That was a close round but I would say that Nobuo Sakuraba will probably get the nod.
The fighters' corners scream their final instructions, as the referee calls time. Here we go, back to the action!

Cursed takes a head kick and shrugs it off.

It looks like Drago Cursed has been cut.
Sakuraba displays good takedown defense there as he swats away a double leg from Cursed.
A head kick by Cursed misses

and Sakuraba counters with a nice shoot takedown that brings the fighters to the ground.
Cursed wants to stand and escape but Sakuraba is having none of it.
Cursed not looking particularly offensive just at the moment.
Sakuraba is stalling in the full guard.
Nobuo Sakuraba overall seems to be getting the better of the ground position in the fight so far.
Sakuraba stopping the sweep attempt from Cursed.
Wooooo! Give it up for these two warriors! They are putting on a show!
Cursed can't keep his opponent in guard - Sakuraba advances to half guard, no doubt looking to mount.

That's one minute gone in the round.
Sakuraba drops an elbow to the side of Cursed's head.

Cursed is looking to sinch up a guillotine here but Sakuraba pulls his head out easily.
Sakuraba wants to control but Cursed is keeping him busy.

Cursed looking to work for a kimura from the bottom.
Cursed is breathing heavily.
Sakuraba is working hard to pass the guard. He's done it - he's now in full mount! Trouble for Cursed!

That's two minutes gone in the round.
Sakuraba with good strikes from the mount here!
Sakuraba tucks in and makes sure he doesn't lose the dominant position.
Sakuraba lands with some strikes.
Sakuraba fakes a shot to the body and cracks his opponent in the head. Nice ground and pound there!
Cursed is trying desperately to improve position.
The crowd cheering loudly, showing their appreciation for the quality fight we're seeing here.

Sakuraba looks like he's working for a submission but he's not found anything just yet.
Cursed slips a leg in and gets back to half guard.

That's three minutes gone in the round.
Cursed is looking to control Sakuraba's leg but it's slowly edging free. Can Cursed avoid being mounted?
Cursed is striking from the bottom but he's now found himself mounted! Oh dear - not enough focus on defense there.
Cursed tries to hold on but Sakuraba postures up.
Cursed bucks up and manages to get a nice reversal! He's in guard on the top - nicely done!

That's four minutes gone in the round.
Sakuraba striking off his back but it's not causing Cursed any problems.
Cursed wants to stand but Sakuraba is controlling his posture from full guard.
Sakuraba seems keen to control rather than go for a submission, at least for now.
Sakuraba is working an open guard here, looking to improve his position. No doubt that will leave him open to counters but at least he's being more offensive.
As the round comes to an end the crowd are showing their appreciation for a great round of action.
Sakuraba is working hard here to advance position.
Cursed postures up.
And that’s the end of the round – the fighters go back to their corners.

Nobuo Sakuraba dominated that second round.
The cut man is working on Drago Cursed's cut.
That's time! Back to the action! Let's hear some noise people - this is the final round!

Sakuraba throws the overhand right but ducks down into a quick takedown attempt. Cursed was covering up waiting for the punch and Sakuraba finishes the takedown easily into guard.
Sakuraba's corner is telling him to maintain position.
Sakuraba trying to control the position from guard on top but Cursed is wriggling around, looking for whatever he can.
Cursed wants to control but Sakuraba passes easily into half guard.
Cursed is pressing down on Sakuraba's left leg trying to get back to full guard. He's managed it.
Sakuraba wants to get up but he can't break Cursed's closed guard. He needs to be careful trying to break the legs open, as he's open to submissions here.
Cursed is working the butterfly guard. He manages to land a nice scissor sweep and is now in half guard on the top. Nice move.

That's one minute gone in the round.
Cursed trying to control the action but Sakuraba is working from the bottom.
Sakuraba wants to control but Cursed is keeping busy and won't allow it.
Cursed missing with some ground and pound from the half guard.
Cursed is trying to control the action in half guard but Sakuraba is working away on the bottom, looking perhaps to get back to full guard.
Cursed tries to stand but his arm is trapped.
Cursed landing with strikes to the body and head, softening up his opponent.
The fighters are pressed up against the cage, both looking to find a bit of space to work.
Sakuraba is holding on to half guard well.
Cursed seems to have lost interest with the ground game and is thinking about standing back up.

That's two minutes gone in the round.
Sakuraba trying to control but Cursed postures up.
Sakuraba wants to get back to full guard.
The referee claps his hands together and tells the fighters to work.

Neither fighter is doing enough for the referee's liking and he's decided to stand them back up.
Cursed keeps the fight on the outside.

Cursed closes the distance and scores a nice trip takedown into half guard. Sakuraba did well to prevent Cursed getting side control.
Both fighters are breathing heavily.
Cursed is looking to stall here but Sakuraba recovers full guard.
Sakuraba is trying to control the position but Cursed postures up.

That's three minutes gone in the round.
Cursed tries to free his leg and advance position but Sakuraba is retaining full guard.
Sakuraba on his back here. We all know that wrestlers don't like being on their back so let's see if Sakuraba tries to get out of the position.
Cursed trying to control but Sakuraba is working from the bottom.
Cursed is looking to work some ground and pound but Sakuraba has wrist control.
Sakuraba trying to control the position.

Sakuraba throws his legs up looking for a submission but Cursed uses it to pass to side control.
Cursed lands a knee to the body and a forearm to the face.
Sakuraba is not content to let Cursed control the position.

That's four minutes gone in the round.
The ground and pound from Cursed seems to be hitting the mat more than his opponent.

Cursed stands up and we're back to a striking position.

Sakuraba closes the distance and clinches.
Cursed is trying to wear down his opponent with knees to the body.
Cursed has had enough of the clinch and is looking to separate.
As the round comes to an end the crowd are showing their appreciation for a great round of action.
Sakuraba avoiding damage as Cursed throws knees to the body.

Cursed breaks the clinch.
Drago Cursed has stepped it up - he knows he needs a finish here!
Nobuo Sakuraba is fighting for a decision here - he's started to take the cautious approach.
This is a great period of action - very entertaining stuff!
A head kick by Sakuraba misses
and Cursed counters with a leg kick that reverborates around the arena.

And that's the end of the fight!
Drago Cursed comfortably won the final round on my scorecard.
I think Sakuraba has won this one but let's see what the judges have to say. 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 29:28
Judge Shigeki Fujiwara scores the fight 29:28
Judge Ren Mimura scores the fight 29:28

In favor of your winner, by unanimous decision... Nobuo Sakuraba!
Nobuo Sakuraba decided to thank the fans in attendance for making a great atmosphere. It seemed to go down pretty well.