PBP Commentary

Coming up we have a lightweight MMA rules bout between Akira Kaburagi (ranked 2575 p4p, 1442 weight class) and Dusty Sleeth (ranked 324 p4p, 201 weight class). Over to our ring announcer for the fighter introductions!

Kaburagi
vs
Sleeth

172 cm
21
165
4 - 1 - 0

180 cm
29
166
8 - 5 - 0

Good wrestling
Counter fighter
Very strong

Good wrestler
Counter fighter
Solid chin

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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 4 - 1 - 0, fighting out of Las Vegas, Akira Kaburagi!
And introducing the fighter to my right, fighting out of the blue corner.
With a record of 8 - 5 - 0, fighting out of New York, Dusty Sleeth!
The judges for this bout are Viktor Lagutenko, Konstantin Menshow and Aleksei Zolotukhin.

The bell rings for round one and we are underway!
The fight stays on the outside here - Sleeth looks like he's thinking about clinching though.
Kaburagi tries to counter by moving into the clinch but Sleeth manages to circle out of the way.
Kaburagi uses good footwork to get in and out and land a nice right hand before Sleeth has time to react.
Sleeth shoots in for a takedown. He's persisting with it as Kaburagi sprawls well. Kaburagi wins this battle and keeps the fight standing. Sleeth gets slowly back to his feet.

Sleeth closes the distance and gets a trip takedown into side control. Kaburagi quickly recovers to half guard.
We've had a slow start to the round here - hopefully the action picks up.
Sleeth sitting in half guard, looking to land shots. Kaburagi defending well though.
Sleeth perhaps working for something from half guard, or maybe not. It looks like he's just sitting there.

That's one minute gone in the round.
Kaburagi lands a couple of sideways elbows.
Kaburagi tries to roll over but Sleeth keeps him under control.
Kaburagi gets full guard.

Kaburagi looking for a guillotine here but Sleeth defends easily.
Kaburagi trying to strike off his back.
The fighters are pressed up against the cage, both looking to find a bit of space to work.
Sleeth working in close now, lands a nice elbow to the side of Kaburagi's head.
Sleeth wants to pass the guard but Kaburagi is keeping the position.
Kaburagi keeping moving, preventing Sleeth from controlling successfully.

That's two minutes gone in the round.
Sleeth lands a couple of decent looking shots.
Sleeth controls from within his opponent's guard.
Sleeth trying to control but Kaburagi is working from the bottom.
Kaburagi looking to control.
Kaburagi has momentary wrist control but Sleeth slips an elbow through the middle.
Sleeth landing with the ground and pound.
My spies in Mythic Co. inform me that Sleeth has been getting involved in the gym's BJJ sparring sessions. Let's see whether that pays dividends!
Kaburagi looking to hit a scissor sweep but Sleeth is one step ahead there.

That's three minutes gone in the round.
Kaburagi is working hard here to advance position.
The fighters are starting to get a bit slippery now, which will make submissions a bit more difficult.
Sleeth trying to control but Kaburagi is working from the bottom.
Sleeth stands and throws Kaburagi's legs to the side, diving into side control.
Kaburagi sneaks a leg under to get back to half guard.
Sleeth thumps the canvas. Not on purpose obviously - he just missed Kaburagi's head.
Sleeth wants to free his trapped foot but Kaburagi is holding on for dear life with his legs.
Sleeth lands strikes from half guard.
Kaburagi is looking to get back to full guard here but Sleeth has managed to pass to side control instead.
Sleeth works a knee to the body and follows up with a nice elbow to the head.

That's four minutes gone in the round.
Kaburagi gets one leg under and gets the fight to half guard.
Kaburagi is trying to get back to full guard.
Kaburagi is pressing down on Sleeth's left leg trying to get back to full guard. He's managed it.
Kaburagi keeping moving, preventing Sleeth from controlling successfully.
Sleeth controls the pace of the fight for a moment.
Boooooooooooooooooooo!!! God, this has been a terrible round. Come on you two, sort yourselves out!

Sleeth got a little sloppy there for a moment and Kaburagi has worked his way into a loose triangle - can he finish it?! No, Sleeth has managed to get both his arms back between Kaburagi's legs - danger averted.
Sleeth working some ground and pound from guard but it's not doing any damage.
Sleeth working some strikes from top position.
And that is the end of the round. The fighters go back to their corners.

Dusty Sleeth dominated that round.
The minute break is over - no more time for sponges and pep talks - back to the action!

Kaburagi looks to land a left hand but Sleeth moved out of range nicely.
Sleeth with the counter takedown but Kaburagi avoids it easily.
Sleeth rushes in with a sloppy looking punch

and Kaburagi counters with a single leg into guard. Sleeth didn't expect that.
Sleeth looking to sweep here. No luck so far.
Kaburagi postures up.
Kaburagi wants to control from the top but Sleeth keeps moving.
Sleeth has Kaburagi pulled in close to control his posture.
Sleeth wants to sweep here but Kaburagi controlling him for the moment.
We've had a slow start to the round here - hopefully the action picks up.
Kaburagi trying to pass the guard but can't manage it just yet.
Kaburagi missing there with some ground and pound from the guard.
Sleeth wants to sweep here but Kaburagi controlling him for the moment.

That's one minute gone in the round.
Kaburagi controls from within his opponent's guard.
Sleeth throws some sloppy strikes off his back.

The referee decides to stand the fighters back up.
Kaburagi jabs Sleeth right on the nose. Sleeth blinks but takes it well.
Sleeth wants to clinch up but Kaburagi keeps it at a distance.
A slow jab from Kaburagi misses its intended target.
Kaburagi misses with a body shot.
Sleeth is definitely looking for the counter takedowns here.
Sleeth closes the distance and clinches up with Kaburagi, looking for a takedown. Sleeth pushes Kaburagi against the cage but Kaburagi circles to the side and manages to break the clinch.
Sleeth dives in for a single leg takedown but Kaburagi sprawls and the fighters end up clinched against the cage.

Kaburagi gets the takedown into side control.

That's two minutes gone in the round.
Sleeth is not in a great position here, taking some shots.
Kaburagi throwing strikes but missing, from side control.
Sleeth wants to control but Kaburagi postures up.
Sleeth tries to work a leg under to get back to half guard but Kaburagi wriggles his own leg back out and remains in side control.
Sleeth takes an elbow right on the bridge of the nose and winces in pain.
Sleeth avoids any damage from the ground and pound of Kaburagi.
Kaburagi trying to control the action but Sleeth is working from the bottom.
Sleeth struggling a bit here.

That's three minutes gone in the round.
Kaburagi cracks Sleeth with an elbow. That is naaassty.
Kaburagi postures up a little and throws a couple of hammerfists but they don't connect properly.
Akira Kaburagi overall seems to be getting the better of the ground position in the fight so far.
Sleeth on the wrong end of some ground and pound.

Kaburagi is looking for a kimura. He might have it! No, Sleeth has escaped the position, nice work there.
Kaburagi gets to mount! Sleeth was on the offensive and wasn't defending properly.
Kaburagi lands a shot to the body, followed up by a shot to the exposed head of his trapped opponent.
Kaburagi thowing shots but they're missing.
Sleeth sneaks a leg under to get to half guard.

That's four minutes gone in the round.
Kaburagi thows a wild elbow that connects with the canvas.
Kaburagi working some ground and pound from close in. He's looking to maintain this position and strike for a while by the looks of things... although he'll probably advance to full mount in a minute now I've said that.
Kaburagi is really dominating this fight. Is there anything that Sleeth can do to turn this around?
Kaburagi missing with some ground and pound from the half guard.
Sleeth trying to hold on to Kaburagi's head to control him but Kaburagi postures up.
The ref warns both fighters not to hold the cage as they work up against the meshing.
Sleeth tries to roll over but Kaburagi keeps him under control.
Sleeth gets full guard.
Sleeth manages to sweep nicely, so he's now on top. Kaburagi manages to get himself to full guard.

The crowd thankful this round is nearly over.

Kaburagi had isolated an arm as going for a kimura. Sleeth defends it easily.
Wooooo! Give it up for these two warriors! They are putting on a show!
Sleeth working from the guard for now, landing some ground and pound.
And that is the end of the round. The fighters go back to their corners.

Akira Kaburagi dominated that second round.
That's time! Back to the action! This is the final round!

Kaburagi stuffs the takedown.
Sleeth fails with a takedown attempt.
Kaburagi ducks down and throws a hook to the body but Sleeth moves away.
Kaburagi scores with a jab. Sleeth acknowledges it with a nod of the head.
Sleeth looks to throw the jab but Kaburagi is out of range.
Kaburagi thows a left - swing and a miss!
Sleeth feints the counter takedown.
We've had a slow start to the round here - hopefully the action picks up.

Kaburagi moves into the clinch.
Kaburagi throws a hook to the body. More of an arm punch but it's all scoring with the judges.
Sleeth goes for a takedown in the clinch but Kaburagi prevents it.
Akira Kaburagi has stuffed three takedown attempts in the round now. That's going to take a lot out of Dusty Sleeth.
Sleeth goes for a takedown attempt but Kaburagi pushes him away and we're back to fighting at a distance.

That's one minute gone in the round.
Sleeth tries to clinch but is not successful on this occasion.
Sleeth shoots in and drives through. Kaburagi sprawls well.
Kaburagi looks to land a left hand but Sleeth moved out of range nicely.
Kaburagi lands a straight punch to the body, keeping Sleeth at a distance.
Kaburagi ducks under a wild hook from Sleeth.
Sleeth throws out a token jab with nothing on it.
Sleeth fakes high and shoots in for a takedown but Kaburagi avoids it really well and circles away.
Kaburagi thows a left - swing and a miss!

Kaburagi shoots in looking for a single leg takedown. Sleeth is trying to defend but Kaburagi finishes it well and ends up in half guard. Let's see if he can advance position further.

That's two minutes gone in the round.
Kaburagi is pressing down on Sleeth's thigh, looking to free his foot. Sleeth is holding on for now.
Sleeth tries to roll over but Kaburagi keeps him under control.
Sleeth trying to hold on to Kaburagi's head to control him but Kaburagi postures up.
Sleeth on the receiving end of some nice ground and pound.
Ground and pound from Kaburagi.
Kaburagi working some ground and pound from close in. He's looking to maintain this position and strike for a while by the looks of things... although he'll probably advance to full mount in a minute now I've said that.
Sleeth trying to control here.

That's three minutes gone in the round.
Kaburagi wants to pass the guard but Sleeth is defending well.
Kaburagi sitting in half guard, looking to land shots. Sleeth defending well though.
Kaburagi is looking to take a break and control but Sleeth is keeping him honest, looking to work from the bottom.
Sleeth is looking to regain full guard. Not this time though.
Sleeth manages to get to full guard.
Kaburagi trying to control the position from guard on top but Sleeth is wriggling around, looking for whatever he can.

That's four minutes gone in the round.
My god... these two guys really need to pick up the pace or everyone will leave to go get a beer.
Sleeth controls Kaburagi momentarily but Kaburagi frees himself.
Kaburagi trying to pass the guard but can't manage it just yet.
It looks like the ref is thinking about a standup.
Kaburagi wants to control from the top but Sleeth keeps moving.

The referee has decided to stand the fighters back up, so we'll restart on the feet.
Sleeth's corner calls for a 1-2. Sleeth obliges with the 1 part as he scores the single shot and moves back out of range.
Boooooooooooooooooooo!!! God, this has been a terrible round. Come on you two, sort yourselves out!

Kaburagi feints and then dives in with a takedown. That was a long way out but the feint bought him enough time to close the distance and complete the takedown. Now we'll play guard for a bit and see who can get the better of that position.
Kaburagi won't allow Sleeth to sweep him here.

And that's the end of the fight!
Akira Kaburagi showed his dominance in that final round.
Well Kaburagi 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 Viktor Lagutenko scores the fight 29:28
Judge Konstantin Menshow scores the fight 29:28
Judge Aleksei Zolotukhin scores the fight 29:28

In favor of your winner, by unanimous decision... Akira Kaburagi!
In his post fight interview, Akira Kaburagi started talking himself up. Luckily his charisma kept the crowd on side and gave him a good reception.
In defeat, Dusty Sleeth stepped up to the mic, saying 'I’m coming back, better then ever! '.