PBP Commentary

Coming up we have a featherweight MMA rules bout between Johnny Sasaki (ranked 4503 p4p, 3237 weight class) and Alessio Ricci (ranked 0 p4p, 0 weight class). Alessio Ricci acknowledges the crowd's support as he enters the cage.

Sasaki
vs
Ricci

175 cm
23
155
4 - 0 - 0

172 cm
25
152
3 - 0 - 0

Powerful takedowns
Brawler
Very strong

BJJ Brown Belt
Basic striking
Intelligent

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 4 - 0 - 0, fighting out of Amsterdam, Johnny Sasaki!
And introducing the fighter to my right, fighting out of the blue corner.
With a record of 3 - 0 - 0, fighting out of Montreal, Alessio Ricci!
The judges for this bout are Saam Ante, Patrick Alders and Wagner Zegers.

The bell rings for round one and we are underway!
Sasaki swings and misses with a hook to the body.
Sasaki keeps the fight on the outside.
Ricci slips a straight right by Sasaki.
Sasaki misses with a takedown attempt - Ricci sprawls well and throws a nice strike on the way out which just misses.

Ricci gets to the clinch - let's see what his plan is here.
Ricci jumps guard but Sasaki turns him against the cage and keeps the fight standing.
Ricci fails to pull the fight into his guard.
Ricci tries to pull guard but Sasaki holds him up against the cage and eventually Ricci drops back down to his feet.
Johnny Sasaki has stuffed three takedown attempts in the round now. That's going to take a lot out of Alessio Ricci.
Sasaki misses with a body punch.
We've had a slow start to the round here - hopefully the action picks up.
Ricci jumps guard but Sasaki stands there with Ricci around his waist. Ricci gives up and drops back to his feet. We remain in the clinch.
Ricci jumps guard but Sasaki turns him against the cage and keeps the fight standing.
Ricci tries to pull guard but can't drag his opponent to the mat. Sasaki just stands there and leans against the cage.
Ricci tries to pull guard but can't drag his opponent to the mat. Sasaki just stands there and leans against the cage.

That's one minute gone in the round.
Sasaki misses with a hook from the clinch.
Sasaki tries to land a knee to the body but he is off balance and Ricci avoids it.
Ricci tries to pull guard but Sasaki holds him up against the cage and eventually Ricci drops back down to his feet.
Ricci jumps guard but Sasaki turns him against the cage and keeps the fight standing.
Ricci fails to pull the fight into his guard.
Ricci blocks an elbow strike from Sasaki.
Ricci avoids a wild elbow strike from Sasaki.
Ricci fails to pull the fight into his guard.
Ricci jumps guard but Sasaki turns him against the cage and keeps the fight standing.
Ricci fails to pull guard.
Sasaki looking to throw knees to the head but Ricci is blocking nicely.

Sasaki escapes the clinch and we're back to striking.
Sasaki misses with a few strikes there.
Ricci is looking to take this fight into the clinch.
Ricci doesn't manage to clinch there - Sasaki circles away.

That's two minutes gone in the round.
Sasaki keeps the fight on the outside.
Ricci dodges the punch combination from Sasaki.
Sasaki tries a switch kick but it misses it's target.
Ricci tries to clinch up.

The fight moves into the clinch position.

Ricci is fighting off a takedown attempt but Sasaki is just too persistent for him and manages to trip Ricci to the mat. Ricci regains guard as soon as the fighters hit the mat.
Wooooo! Give it up for these two warriors! They are putting on a show!
Sasaki trying to control the position from guard on top but Ricci is wriggling around, looking for whatever he can.
Sasaki postures up.
Sasaki trying to control the position from guard on top but Ricci is wriggling around, looking for whatever he can.
Sasaki postures up in Ricci's guard and throws a big left but Ricci blocks it.

That's three minutes gone in the round.

Ricci has his foot on Sasaki's thigh. He's trying to push off and get in position for a triangle, I think. Sasaki works his way back into a safe position though.
Sasaki landing with the ground and pound.
Ricci is trying to control the position from the bottom.
The ref warns both fighters not to hold the cage as they work up against the meshing.
Sasaki postures up to throw the ground and pound strikes but they don't connect.
Sasaki throwing shots from guard but he's hitting more mat than opponent.
Sasaki has to be careful here, sitting in the guard of a superior BJJ player.

Sasaki got a little sloppy there for a moment and Ricci has worked his way into a loose triangle - can he finish it?! No, Sasaki has managed to get both his arms back between Ricci's legs - danger averted.
Sasaki trying to control the position from guard on top but Ricci is wriggling around, looking for whatever he can.

That's four minutes gone in the round.
Ricci can't do much from the bottom at the moment, as Sasaki controls the pace.

Ricci had isolated an arm as going for a kimura. Sasaki defends it easily.
Ricci controls Sasaki momentarily but Sasaki frees himself.
Sasaki connects with a couple of short punches.
The crowd thankful this round is nearly over.

Ricci has an active guard here but Sasaki has managed to pass into half guard.
Ricci is doing well to avoid being mounted. He's controlling the position at the moment.
And that is the end of the round. The fighters go back to their corners.

Johnny Sasaki dominated that round.
The corners get their ten second warning. Both fighters stand from their stools and stare each other down, ready to get back to the action.

Ricci tries to clinch up against the cage, rushing in to close the distance. Sasaki manages to break the clinch and circles back to the middle of the mat.

Sasaki instigates a clinch.
Ricci tries to pull guard but Sasaki won't allow it.
Sasaki misses with a knee to the head.
Ricci jumps guard but Sasaki turns him against the cage and keeps the fight standing.
Ricci tries to take the fight to the ground by pulling guard but can't manage it.
Johnny Sasaki has stuffed three takedown attempts in the round now. That's going to take a lot out of Alessio Ricci.
Ricci tries to pull guard but Sasaki forces him back to his feet, against the cage.
Sasaki stalls.
Sasaki pushes off and fires off an elbow that misses, before clinching up again, against the cage.
Sasaki misses with a knee strike.
Sasaki using the Thai plumb to throw knees but Ricci has his back arched nicely, preventing the strike.
We've had a slow start to the round here - hopefully the action picks up.
Sasaki tries a knee to the head but he's missed.

Ricci drags the fight down to the ground.
Ricci is working from a closed guard but he's struggling to control his opponent.
Sasaki trying to land body shots but he keeps hitting the mat.

That's one minute gone in the round.
Sasaki cracks Ricci with a solid left hand.
Sasaki is looking to pass into half guard but Ricci pushes him away with his feet and jumps on top - now Ricci is in guard.

Ricci pressing down on his opponent's thigh, looking to pass guard. Sasaki is keeping the position for now.
Ricci trying to control but Sasaki is working from the bottom.
Sasaki wants to sweep but no luck.
Sasaki keeping full guard, as Ricci tries to pass.
Ricci stopping the sweep attempt from Sasaki.
Sasaki is really dominating this fight. Is there anything that Ricci can do to turn this around?

That's two minutes gone in the round.
Ricci sneaks a leg through and gets to half guard. That was like a knife through butter how easily he passed Sasaki's guard.
Sasaki tries to get to full guard but Ricci has control of the leg.
Ricci controlling the action here.
Ricci looking to pass the half guard. Not this time.
Sasaki is trying to get back to full guard.

That's three minutes gone in the round.
Ricci is working hard to pass the guard. He's done it - he's now in full mount! Trouble for Sasaki!
Sasaki is trying to escape the mount.
Ricci wants to take his opponent's back but he's not managed it.
Ricci sitting in mount, just looking to control for the moment.
The fighters are pressed up against the cage, both looking to find a bit of space to work.

That's four minutes gone in the round.
Sasaki is trying desperately to improve position.
Sasaki is trying to escape the mount but Ricci keeps good control and instead manages to take Sasaki's back.
Ricci has the hooks in. Sasaki is trying to push off one leg but he has to do so cautiously to avoid being submitted.
Ricci not allowing Sasaki to control his hands.
Alessio Ricci has got the better of the ground game so far.
Boooooooooooooooooooo!!! God, this has been a terrible round. Come on you two, sort yourselves out!

Sasaki is looking to escape here. Oh dear - Ricci has locked on a rear naked choke here! Sasaki is tapping out! The fight is over!

Ladies and gentlemen, after 4:55 of round 2, we have a winner by way of Submission (RNC). Alessio Ricci!