PBP Commentary

Coming up we have a welterweight MMA rules bout between Diego Sanchez (ranked 0 p4p, 0 weight class) and Kazushi Sakuraba (ranked 0 p4p, 0 weight class). Buckle up people - heeeeeeeeeere we go!

Sanchez
vs
Sakuraba

180 cm
33
182 lbs
17 - 11 - 0

183 cm
37
178 lbs
11 - 4 - 0

BJJ Purple Belt
Solid boxing
Experienced

BJJ Purple Belt
Decent boxing
Powerful

Ladies and gentlemen. This fight is 5 rounds, for the welterweight championship of the world!
Introducing the champion to my left, fighting out of the red corner.
With a record of 17 - 11 - 0, fighting out of Las Vegas, Diego Sanchez!
And introducing the challenger to my right, fighting out of the blue corner.
With a record of 11 - 4 - 0, fighting out of Los Angeles, Kazushi Sakuraba!
The judges for this bout are Stewart Dunkirk, Alan Glass and George Francis.

The bell rings for round one and we are underway!
Sanchez dives in for a single leg takedown but Sakuraba sprawls and the fighters end up clinched against the cage.
Sanchez misses with a punch on the inside.

Sanchez drags the fight down to the ground.
We must be close to a standup if these guys don't pick up the pace.
Sakuraba controlling from the top position.
Sanchez looking to control.

Sanchez is looking for a guillotine. You can't force these things though and Sakuraba defends well.

Sanchez isolates an arm and boxes in a triangle. Sakuraba stacks Sanchez on his neck as he steps over and passes to the side. He's now in a much more dominant position where he can look to do some serious damage. Nice move by Sakuraba!
Sakuraba looks more muscular than last time we saw him. He must have been on the weights.
Sanchez is trying to get back to half guard. He's pushing on Sakuraba's leg. He's managed it. Nice work.
Sanchez pushes Sakuraba off looking to stand but Sakuraba dives back in and keeps control.

That's one minute gone in the round.
Sanchez tries to get to full guard but Sakuraba has control of the leg.
Sakuraba trying to control the pace.
We've been hearing good reports from Sanchez's training camp. Apparently he has been rolling around with some good quality BJJ practitioners and has been sharpening his skills. Let's see if that has an impact on the fight today.
Sanchez trying to control but Sakuraba postures up.
Sanchez punching from the bottom.

Sanchez looking for submissions off his back.

Sakuraba is sneakily working for an arm triangle but Sanchez sees it coming and defends easily.
Sanchez is staying active underneath Sakuraba, who seems content to just control the action from this position.
Sakuraba tries to stand but his hand is stuck under Sanchez.

That's two minutes gone in the round.
Sanchez slips a foot under and gets full guard. Nice work.

Sanchez looking for submissions off his back, moving his hips, looking for an opening.
Sanchez looking to control.
Sakuraba stops Sanchez from standing up.
Sakuraba advances position into side control!
Sanchez prevents Sakuraba from moving into mount.
Sakuraba creates some space and throws a big elbow, but Sanchez sees it coming and moves his head just enough to avoid the strike.
Sanchez wants to control but Sakuraba postures up.
This has been an exciting period of action!
Sanchez is going to have to think about doing something other than just controlling because Sakuraba is managing to avoid having the position dictated to him.

Sakuraba stands up and beckons Sanchez to his feet.

That's three minutes gone in the round.
Sakuraba wants to clinch.
Sakuraba throws a push kick but Sanchez slaps the foot to one side.
Sanchez swinging wildly here.

Sanchez forces Sakuraba back against the cage and clinches.
Sakuraba throws a head punch that misses.

Sanchez jumps guard and drags Sakuraba to the mat. He's obviously going to be looking for submissions off his back.
Sanchez is trying to control the position but Sakuraba postures up.
Sakuraba trying to control but Sanchez is working from the bottom.

That's four minutes gone in the round.
Sakuraba content to stall in guard here.
We may be looking at a referee standup if the pace doesn't pick up soon.

The ref stands the fighters back up, due to lack of action by Kazushi Sakuraba.
Sanchez shoots in and drives through. Sakuraba sprawls well.
Sanchez is looking to take this fight into the clinch.
Sanchez tries to shoot in for a takedown. He's got hold of a leg but Sakuraba swivels and escapes.
That's three failed takedown attempts in the round for Diego Sanchez. That's going to take a lot out of him.
Sanchez throws a series of punches but Sakuraba moves out of range.
The crowd applaud the fighters efforts here as the round comes to an end.
Sanchez ducks down and throws a hook to the body but Sakuraba moves away.
Sanchez throws a body kick despite being completely out of range
and Sakuraba counters with a nice uppercut.
Wooooo! Give it up for these two warriors! They are putting on a show!
Sanchez shoots and misses
and Sakuraba counters with a stiff right hand.

Sanchez fakes a strike and closes the distance, dragging Sakuraba to the ground. Sanchez is now in Sakuraba's guard.
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 Diego Sanchez will probably get the nod.
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.

Sanchez shoots for a double leg takedown but Sakuraba sprawls well. He's pushed Sanchez's face into the mat and manages to get back to his feet relatively easily.
Diego Sanchez is looking to throw some combinations by the looks of things.
Sakuraba will need to tighten up his combinations if he doesn't want to gas himself out, swinging at thin air.
Sanchez closes this distance looking for a takedown but Sakuraba circles away.
Sakuraba throws a body kick that digs right into the meat.

Sanchez drives through and clinches with Sakuraba against the cage.
Both fighters working to control the clinch.
Sakuraba lands with a left to the head.

It looks like Diego Sanchez has been cut.
Sanchez has had enough of the clinch and is looking to separate.
Sakuraba leaning his opponent against the cage.
Sakuraba unloads a knee to the mid-section. Sanchez lets out a prehistoric sounding urrrrgh.
Sakuraba lands on the inside with an uppercut.

Sanchez is rocked!
Sakuraba pulls back and lands a big elbow that stuns Sanchez! Sakuraba unloads with more strikes and Sanchez sinks to his knees! This one is all over!

Ladies and gentlemen, after 1:08 of round 2, we have a winner by way of TKO (Strikes). Kazushi Sakuraba!
Kazushi Sakuraba is the new welterweight champion!
A very excited looking Kazushi Sakuraba made sure he remembered to thank all the fans both in the arena and on the internet. He said all the coolest people spend all day on MMA websites, which got a big reaction.