PBP Commentary

Coming up we have a light heavyweight MMA rules bout between Saiko sakamoto (ranked 0 p4p, 0 weight class) and Johnny Izakawa (ranked 0 p4p, 0 weight class). Over to our ring announcer for the fighter introductions!

sakamoto
vs
Izakawa

185 cm
18
205 lbs
0 - 0 - 0

185 cm
20
198 lbs
0 - 1 - 0

Good takedowns
Brawler
Granite chin

BJJ Blue Belt
Basic striking
Enjoys gardening

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, Saiko sakamoto!
And introducing the fighter to my right, fighting out of the blue corner.
With a record of 0 - 1 - 0, fighting out of Tokyo, Johnny Izakawa!
The judges for this bout are Sosuke Kotani, Yukihiro Yamamoto and Yasuomi Hirokawa.

The bell rings for round one and we are underway!
Izakawa tries to land with a swinging hook to the body but sakamoto was well out of range. Poor timing from Izakawa.
sakamoto takes one to the chin there.
sakamoto will have to do better than that with his takedown attempts.

Izakawa drives through with a really nice takedown into side control.
sakamoto is trying to improve his position.
sakamoto manages to get one leg in to regain half guard.
The ref warns both fighters not to hold the cage as they work up against the meshing.

sakamoto actively working from the bottom here.
sakamoto is pressing down on Izakawa's left leg trying to get back to full guard. He's managed it.
Izakawa wants to stand but sakamoto is controlling his posture from full guard.
Izakawa trying to control but sakamoto is working from the bottom.
sakamoto tries to land a sweep but no joy.

That's one minute gone in the round.
sakamoto is working hard here to advance position.
There's a bit of a scramble here and now sakamoto is on top in guard.
sakamoto wants to pass the guard but Izakawa is keeping the position.
sakamoto won't allow Izakawa to get back to his feet.
sakamoto tries to free his leg and advance position but Izakawa is retaining full guard.
sakamoto pushes down on Izakawa's leg and manages to get into half guard.
sakamoto is breathing heavily.
sakamoto wants to advance to full mount but Izakawa doesn't think that's going to happen and regains full guard instead.
sakamoto tries to free his leg and advance position but Izakawa is retaining full guard.

That's two minutes gone in the round.
A lull in the action here being met with boos from the crowd.
Izakawa is looking to get back to his feet but can't, whilst sakamoto is controlling him.
sakamoto passes Izakawa's left leg - he's now in half guard.
Izakawa is looking to escape.
Izakawa trying to control here.
sakamoto uses his free foot to push down on Izakawa's thigh. Eventually he works his other foot free and he's advanced to mount - this is trouble for Izakawa.

sakamoto is looking to secure an arm. He's managed it! He's pivoting for an armbar - that looks tight! But Izakawa has managed to get out of it and now he's in a dominant position. Nice work from Izakawa!

That's three minutes gone in the round.
There's a bit of a scramble here and now sakamoto is on top in guard.
sakamoto slips nicely into half guard.
sakamoto tries to pass to full mount but Izakawa defends it.
sakamoto is looking for the mount but instead finds himself back in full guard.
sakamoto tries to free his leg and advance position but Izakawa is retaining full guard.

That's four minutes gone in the round.
Well. There's a bit of a lull in the action here and the crowd are starting to get restless.
sakamoto won't allow Izakawa to sweep him here.
sakamoto looking to pass the guard.

sakamoto avoids a guillotine attempt easily.

Neither fighter is doing enough for the referee's liking and he's decided to stand them back up.
sakamoto shoots and misses
and Izakawa counters with a straight punch to the midsection.
Izakawa tries to clinch up.

sakamoto closes the distance and looks for a trip takedown... aaaand he's got it - sakamoto lands in his opponent's guard.

sakamoto has gone for a leg lock! Izakawa slips out almost immediately though and dives into sakamoto'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 Saiko sakamoto will probably get the nod.
The referee calls time. The cornermen exit stage left and we're back to business.

sakamoto gets his takedown attempt stuffed easily

and Izakawa decides to take the opportunity to score a takedown. He's landed in sakamoto's guard.
Izakawa wants to control from the top but sakamoto keeps moving.
Izakawa really doesn't want to stay on the ground with sakamoto. If he can't get it back to his feet, it's only a matter of time before he'll be tapping out.

sakamoto looks to be working for a triangle here. Oh, it looks like he might have it! Izakawa has picked sakamoto up and slammed him! sakamoto can't keep hold of the triangle and Izakawa manages to pass to side control!
sakamoto manages to get back to half guard.
sakamoto moves his hips nicely and gets into full guard.
Izakawa distracts sakamoto with his right hand and drops a big elbow with his other arm.
Izakawa must be cautious of submissions here, given that his opponent has the superior Jiu Jitsu.
Izakawa keeps in close for a moment and lands a decent shot to the side of sakamoto's head.
Both fighters are absolutely exhausted here.
Izakawa preventing the sweep.

sakamoto has an omoplata and is looking to use it perhaps as a submission or perhaps to transition. Izakawa is in a bit of discomfort here, but he's managed to free himself and has dived into side control! That didn't work out too well for sakamoto.
Johnny Izakawa has got the better of the ground game so far.

Izakawa is trying to land an Americana. He has the arm isolated but sakamoto is keeping cool and he's avoided the danger for now.

That's one minute gone in the round.
sakamoto manages to get back to half guard.
sakamoto is trying to get back to full guard.
sakamoto wants to get back to full guard but Izakawa has passed into side control.
sakamoto is wriggling around trying to escape.
Izakawa landing shots from mount.

That's two 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.
sakamoto is looking to get to half guard.
The fighters are pressed up against the cage, both looking to find a bit of space to work.
Izakawa lands a shot to the body, followed up by a shot to the exposed head of his trapped opponent.
sakamoto regains half guard.

sakamoto looking for submissions off his back.

That's three minutes gone in the round.
sakamoto moves his hips nicely and gets into full guard.
Izakawa wants to control from the top but sakamoto keeps moving.
There's a bit of a scramble here and now sakamoto is on top in guard.
sakamoto pushing down on Izakawa's thigh, trying to pass to half guard. He's managed it... Nice work.
sakamoto uses his free foot to push down on Izakawa's thigh. Eventually he works his other foot free and he's advanced to mount - this is trouble for Izakawa.

That's four minutes gone in the round.

sakamoto is thinking about an arm triangle here, looking to tighten it up before moving to side control. Izakawa can see it coming though and defends well with a couple of strikes to the head and some good arm positioning.
Izakawa is not a happy chappy… he wants out of there.

sakamoto working for a submission here. He's tucked his head under his opponent's arm, looking for an arm triangle. He's hopped off into side control, looking to tighten the submission... is it going to work? He's given up a good position looking for it. Izakawa looks OK. Oh, I spoke too soon, he's out! That must have been tighter than I thought! Excellent work there by sakamoto! Submission of the night perhaps?

Ladies and gentlemen, after 4:45 of round 2, we have a winner by way of Submission (Arm Triangle). Saiko sakamoto!