PBP Commentary

Coming up we have a middleweight MMA rules bout between Thor White (ranked 2458 p4p, 5020 weight class) and Suzaku Kururugi (ranked 301 p4p, 485 weight class). These two fighters really are very evenly matched on the feet - it will be fascinating to see who can assert themselves in that aspect of the fight.

White
vs
Kururugi

189 cm
30
195
17 - 11 - 1

187 cm
29
185
10 - 12 - 0

Good wrestling
World class boxer
Insanely flexible

BJJ Brown Belt
Excellent MT
Powerful

Conquer
Shadow Realm Apparel

Fantasy Threads (Laundry 15%)

Ladies and gentlemen. This fight is 3 rounds, in the middleweight division.
Introducing the fighter to my left, fighting out of the red corner.
With a record of 17 - 11 - 1, fighting out of Las Vegas, Thor White!
And introducing the fighter to my right, fighting out of the blue corner.
With a record of 10 - 12 - 0, fighting out of New York, Suzaku Kururugi!
The judges for this bout are Frank Antenori, Jack Bonds and Don Winkell.

The bell rings for round one and we are underway!
White scores with a sloppy punch to the body. Not much technique there but it did the business.
A cross from Kururugi lands.
White throws a jab to the body, straight down the pipe. Boom. That sent Kururugi stumbling backwards but he manages to regain his composure quickly.
Nice shot lands for Kururugi.
White scores with a big left there. The judges will like that one.
Kururugi pushes White away with a front kick.
White uses some good footwork to avoid the body shot by Kururugi.
Good leg kick by Kururugi.
Kururugi throws an off balance right hand
and White counters with a crisp hook to the side of the head.
White jabs Kururugi right on the nose. Kururugi blinks but takes it well.
We've seen a great period of action over the last minute or so - credit to both fighters for going all out!
Kururugi walks into a jab.
White uses good footwork to get in and out and land a nice right hand before Kururugi has time to react.
White avoids a kick to the body.
Kururugi uses some good footwork to avoid the body shot by White.
Kururugi tries to move into range but White moves to the side and lands with a nice right hand.

That's one minute gone in the round.
Kururugi slips a straight right by White.
Kururugi keeping a good distance there, avoiding the body shot.
Kururugi looks to land a right hand but White moved out of range.
White swung with a counter right hand that didn't connect.
Kururugi paws at his opponent with the jab and then lunges in with a straight, right on the button.

It looks like Thor White has been cut.
White scores with a punch to the gut of his opponent.
Boom, another hit is landed. "You're gunna get knocked out" taunts White, as that shot connected.
White throws a body punch but Kururugi moves out of range.
A countering left hand to the body from Kururugi misses.

White drives through with a takedown into Kururugi's guard. Let's see what he can do from the top position.
White pressing down on his opponent's thigh, looking to pass guard. Kururugi is keeping the position for now.
Kururugi trying to control the position.
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.

White drops back, looking for a kneebar! Kururugi looks panicked! The fighters roll across the mat, one looking to finish, one looking to escape. Kururugi looks to have wriggled free... Yes, he's got his leg free and he's dived into side control! Good work there from Kururugi!

We've seen a great period of action over the last minute or so - credit to both fighters for going all out!
White sneaks back into half guard.
White is trying to get back to full guard.
The fighters are battling for position here. White manages to regain full guard. Nice work.

That's three minutes gone in the round.

White is looking for a triangle here but Kururugi uses the submission attempt to pass into side control.

Kururugi is looking to finish here, going for an Americana. White knows the correct defense though, so he's OK.
White is looking for a sweep.
White manages to work his way to half guard, despite Kururugi's best efforts.
In the pre-fight buildup videos we saw Kururugi working his ground and pound in the gym. He isn't landing a great percentage of his ground strikes so far though.

That's four minutes gone in the round.
The crowd are starting to boo a lack of action.
White gets back to full guard.

White has a loose triangle. He'll be looking to tighten that up but Kururugi can see exactly what he's planning and manages to posture up and free himself.

White looking for submissions from the bottom but instead Kururugi passes into half guard.
White is working for an escape here. He's hooked one of Kururugi's legs and he's managed to sneak out and take Kururugi's back!

White looking for the choke from the back.
And that is the end of the round. The fighters go back to their corners.

Thor White dominated that round.
The cut man is working on Thor White's cut.
Well, the break between rounds is over. Let's get back to the scrappin!

White closes this distance looking for a takedown but Kururugi circles away.
And Kururugi responds with a good body kick, but White manages to step out the way in time.
Kururugi moves away from the strike by White.
Kururugi looks for the body kick but White saw that one coming.
White scores with a nice right hand.
White waving his hands out in front of him, looking to distract Kururugi.
Kururugi uses good head movement to avoid the hook from White.
White throws an off balance right hand
and Kururugi counters with a nice kick to the body.
White keeping a good distance there, avoiding the body shot.
White shoots in and drives through. Kururugi sprawls well.
Kururugi is clearly trying to counter these attacks from White with a body shot.
We've had a slow start to the round here - hopefully the action picks up.
White swings widly with a right hand
and Kururugi counters with a good, hard body kick but White shrugs it off.
Kururugi throws a jab to the body, straight down the pipe. Boom. That sent White stumbling backwards but he manages to regain his composure quickly.
White dips to his left and cracks Kururugi with an uppercut!
White swings wildly with a right hand that was never going to find it's target.

That's one minute gone in the round.
White looks to score with a jab to the body but Kururugi is just out of range.
White has been working on his balance at CHECMATE PRIME MMA , so perhaps that has help him stuff some of the takedown attempts by Kururugi.
White lands a jab to Kururugi's midsection.
Kururugi swinging wildly here.
White throws a shot to the body.
Thor White is winning the standup battle so far.
Kururugi gets his head snapped back by a nice shot there.
White just misses with a punch to the body.
Kururugi pivots as if he's going to throw a leg kick but stops half way.
White misses with a body shot
and Kururugi counters with a body kick that brings a smile to the face of both fighters.
A low kick from Kururugi is predictable there
and White counters with a nice uppercut.
Kururugi avoids a lazy jab quite easily.
White backing away here, and Kururugi unleashes a leg kick that just misses.
White is really dominating this fight. Is there anything that Kururugi can do to turn this around?
White looks to score with a jab to the body but Kururugi is just out of range.
Kururugi appears to be waiting to throw a counter punch to the body.

That's two minutes gone in the round.
Kururugi takes a big uppercut there. He seems a bit wobbly but no, he's OK.
White throws a looping left and ducks down for a takedown. He's got his arms around Kururugi's waist but Kururugi gets an underhook and avoids the takedown by throwing White off to one side.
That's three failed takedown attempts in the round for Thor White. That's going to take a lot out of him.
White digs a good hook to Kururugi's body.
We've seen a great period of action over the last minute or so - credit to both fighters for going all out!
Kururugi staying out of range there.
Suzaku Kururugi is looking to keep the fight on the feet at all costs.
Kururugi takes a jab on the nose. He smiles like he loves it and keeps coming.
White throws a looping overhand right but Kururugi ducks down to avoid it.
A big left from White misses.
White walks into a left hand.
White takes a swing at Kururugi's ribcage but misses.
Kururugi doesn't fully commit to the body shot counter.
Kururugi scores with a slapping inside leg kick.
Kururugi connects with a lovely right hand, straight down the pipe.
Kururugi stooping low to avoid any incoming strikes and then lunges in with an uppercut come cross that lands flush.

That's three minutes gone in the round.
White misses with a shot to the body
and Kururugi counters with a nice body shot.
Kururugi walks into a straight right hand from White.
White steps to the side to avoid the strikes from Kururugi.
White connects with a right hand. Kururugi shakes it off.
Kururugi catches White with a nice straight right. He seems pissed - ooooh, it's on now! On like donkey kong!
White throws a hook to the body but it doesn't connect.
Kururugi lands a nice shot to the body.
White misses with an uppercut
and Kururugi counters with a slapping leg kick.
Kururugi takes a jab right on the kisser.

Kururugi gets caught on his heels momentarily as he allows White to score an easy takedown into full guard.
We've seen a great period of action over the last minute or so - credit to both fighters for going all out!
White wants to pass the guard but Kururugi is keeping the position.

That's four minutes gone in the round.
Kururugi bucks up whilst keeping hold of a body lock, managing to reverse the position. Now he's in top in White's guard.

White looking for a sweep. Not yet White, not yet.
Kururugi tries to free his leg and advance position but White is retaining full guard.
White looking to sweep using the butterfly guard but Kururugi puts pay to that idea as he passes nicely into half guard.
White is looking to regain full guard. Not this time though.

White looking to force a kimura from the bottom here. He's concentrating on that move too much though and Kururugi pushes past his half guard into mount!
And that is the end of the round. The fighters go back to their corners.

That was a close second round but I would say that Thor White will probably get the nod.
The cut man is working on Thor White's cut.
The referee calls time. The cornermen exit stage left and we're back to business. This is the final round!

White misses with a straight left.
Kururugi counters with a body kick.
Good standup being displayed there by White as he connects with a hook.
White throws a nice hook to the body that draws an oooh from the crowd.

White drives through with a takedown into Kururugi's guard. Let's see what he can do from the top position.
White wants to pass the guard but Kururugi is keeping the position.
We've had a slow start to the round here - hopefully the action picks up.

White drops back looking for a heel hook - he quickly realises he's not going to get it but Kururugi manages to dive on top of him before he can escape and now White has Kururugi in his guard.

White wants to sweep but no luck.

That's one minute gone in the round.

White is looking for a triangle but Kururugi pushes his legs off easily.

White has his feet on Kururugi's thighs here. He's pushed Kururugi off and worked for a very quick armbar from the bottom! He's flipped onto his stomach and he's cranking hard on the arm! Kururugi screams in pain and taps out! This one is all over!

Ladies and gentlemen, after 1:45 of round 3, we have a winner by way of Submission (Armbar). Thor White!
A very excited looking Thor White 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.