PBP Commentary

Coming up we have a welterweight MMA rules bout between Milo Phillips (ranked 0 p4p, 0 weight class) and Masato Saeba (ranked 0 p4p, 0 weight class). Saeba is bobbing his head along to his entrance song: Easy Action. Both these guys have really solid chins. Will we see a standup war or will they both decide that a knockout is unlikely and try to win the fight elsewhere?

Phillips
vs
Saeba

180 cm
25
173 lbs
15 - 4 - 0

179 cm
20
179 lbs
10 - 1 - 0

BJJ Brown Belt
Solid boxing
Very strong

BJJ Purple Belt
Good kicks
Powerful

Non-Stop Nutrition
Non-Stop Nutrition

154 RECOVERY-UCF NUTRITION

Ladies and gentlemen. This fight is 3 rounds, in the welterweight division.
Introducing the fighter to my left, fighting out of the red corner.
With a record of 15 - 4 - 0, fighting out of Las Vegas, Milo Phillips!
And introducing the fighter to my right, fighting out of the blue corner.
With a record of 10 - 1 - 0, fighting out of Las Vegas, Masato Saeba!
The judges for this bout are Frank Antenori, Jack Bonds and .

The bell rings for round one and we are underway!
Saeba misses with a body kick.
Saeba throws a body kick but he wasn't in range.
Saeba throws out a token jab with nothing on it.
Phillips fails with a rather predictable takedown attempt.
Phillips keeping his hands up high there, blocking the jab from Saeba.
Phillips slips under a jab from Saeba.
Phillips closes the distance and clinches up with Saeba, looking for a takedown. Phillips pushes Saeba against the cage but Saeba circles to the side and manages to break the clinch.
Phillips jabbing away but nothing is landing.
Saeba throws a leg kick but Phillips sees it coming and moves out of range.

Phillips drops down and drives through with a powerful takedown into guard.

Saeba looking for submissions from the bottom here. Moving his hips around, possibly looking for an armbar.
Saeba working a defensive guard here.
Phillips trying to pass the guard but can't manage it just yet.

That's one minute gone in the round.
Saeba is working from a closed guard but he's struggling to control his opponent.
Phillips lands a nice shot whilst sitting in his opponent's guard.
Saeba has a closed guard, preventing anything of note from happening. Perhaps he's looking to stall.
Phillips postures up and lands a big shot to Saeba's brow.
Phillips trying to land body shots but he keeps hitting the mat.
Saeba can't do much from the bottom at the moment, as Phillips controls the pace.
The fighters are pressed up against the cage, both looking to find a bit of space to work.

Phillips got a little sloppy there for a moment and Saeba has worked his way into a loose triangle - can he finish it?! No, Phillips has managed to get both his arms back between Saeba's legs - danger averted.

Saeba has his foot on Phillips's thigh. He's trying to push off and get in position for a triangle, I think. Phillips works his way back into a safe position though.

That's two minutes gone in the round.
The crowd are starting to boo a lack of action.
Saeba keeping moving, preventing Phillips from controlling successfully.
Phillips controlling from the guard. I say controlling but really, he's stalling.
Phillips working some ground and pound from guard but it's not doing any damage.
Phillips sitting in guard here, content to control.
Phillips trying to control the position from guard on top but Saeba is wriggling around, looking for whatever he can.
Phillips showing good wrestling skills to control the position.
Saeba wants to get back to his feet but Phillips is in a dominant position and won't allow it.
Phillips with a flurry of punches that miss.

That's three minutes gone in the round.
Phillips thows a big elbow that misses.
The ref warns both fighters not to hold the cage as they work up against the meshing.
Phillips passes into half guard.
Saeba is looking to regain full guard. Not this time though.
Saeba wants to control but Phillips is keeping busy and won't allow it.
Phillips wants to take a breather but Saeba is having none of it.

Well, the referee has seen enough. Neither fighter is active enough on the ground so he's stood them back up.
Saeba digs a good hook to Phillips's body.
Saeba pushing out the jab but it's not landing.
Phillips fails miserably with a takedown attempt.
That's three failed takedown attempts in the round for Milo Phillips. That's going to take a lot out of him.
Saeba tried to score with a low kick but Phillips checks it.

That's four minutes gone in the round.
There's not a lot going on here and the crowd are letting the fighters know they're not willing to tolerate a lack of action.
A telegraphed takedown attempt from Phillips is defended easily by Saeba.
Phillips shoots in for a takedown but doesn't get it.
Phillips attempts a leg kick but it's missed by a good margin.
Phillips avoids the head kick by Saeba.
Phillips will have to do better than that with his takedown attempts.
Saeba throws a hook but Phillips avoids it easily.
Milo Phillips seems to be the more aggressive standup fighter in this bout.
Phillips blocks a head kick by Saeba.
Phillips tries to shoot in for a takedown. He's got hold of a leg but Saeba swivels and escapes.
Masato Saeba is looking to keep the fight on the feet at all costs.
The crowd thankful this round is nearly over.
Phillips throws a right hand that Saeba ducks under and follows up with a left that Saeba also avoids with ease.
Phillips throws a body kick that misses.

Phillips fakes with an overhand right and moves in to clinch with Saeba, pushing him back against the cage.
And that’s the end of the round – the fighters go back to their corners.

Milo Phillips dominated that round.
That's the end of the round. The referee orders the cornermen out of the cage so we can get back down to business.

Phillips bobs and weaves well there to avoid the strikes.
Phillips uses some good footwork to avoid the body shot by Saeba.

Phillips scores a trip takedown into side control. Nice.
Phillips trying to control the action but Saeba is working from the bottom.
Phillips working the ground and pound but he's contacting the mat, not the fighter.
Saeba takes a big shot right to the temple there but he's taken it well.
Saeba tries to buck Phillips off but Phillips is having none of it.
Phillips moving around in side mount but really he's just happy to control for now.
Phillips has been looking to land a fair amount of strikes on the ground. He might be looking to soften his opponent up in order to work for a submission.

Phillips tries for an arm triangle. That looks pretty tight to me. Is this one over!?! Possibly, maybe, no Phillips has let go of the choke. Obviously it wasn't as tight as we thought!
Saeba is trying to improve his position.

That's one minute gone in the round.
Phillips is looking to take a break and control but Saeba is keeping him honest, looking to work from the bottom.
Both fighters take a look at the clock.
Saeba is trying to improve his position.
Phillips controlling from side mount.
Saeba can't do much from the bottom here.

That's two minutes gone in the round.
The crowd are getting on the fighters' backs, as the pace has dropped off in the last minute or so.
Phillips is staying tight to Saeba's torso, preventing him from escaping.
Saeba can't do much from the bottom here.
Phillips is looking to take a break and control but Saeba is keeping him honest, looking to work from the bottom.
Saeba is trying to escape the position but Phillips is controlling the position.
Phillips is looking to take a break and control but Saeba is keeping him honest, looking to work from the bottom.
Saeba gets one leg under and gets the fight to half guard.

That's three minutes gone in the round.
Saeba has no desire to be mounted, so is trying to control. Phillips is working away from the top position though.
Phillips thumps the canvas. Not on purpose obviously - he just missed Saeba's head.
Phillips wants to control but Saeba is keeping him busy.

The referee stands the fighters back up. Milo Phillips just wasn't active enough from the dominant position.
Saeba throws a series of punches but Phillips avoids them all with ease.
Saeba looking to land some kicks to the body here.
Phillips fails with a rather predictable takedown attempt.
Saeba misses with a double jab.
Saeba throws a hard body shot but it just misses.
Phillips fails with a takedown attempt.

That's four minutes gone in the round.
The crowd are getting on the fighters' backs, as the pace has dropped off in the last minute or so.
Like a baseball bat into the meat of his leg there - nice leg kick by Saeba.
No luck for Phillips with that takedown attempt.
That's three failed takedown attempts in the round for Milo Phillips. That's going to take a lot out of him.
Saeba tests Phillips's chin there with a solid looking shot.
Saeba stuffs a takedown. It's all about dictating where the fight takes place and Saeba wants it to stay on the feet.
Phillips takes one on the chin but keeps coming.
Saeba throws a big shot that misses.
Saeba looks to score with a jab to the body but Phillips is just out of range.
Phillips changes levels and looks for a double leg takedown. Saeba tries to avoid it but Phillips manages to keep hold of a leg and drag Saeba to the ground. Saeba escapes though and pops straight back up to his feet.
Phillips shoots in for a takedown. "Ole!" shouts Saeba as he jumps to the side.
And that’s the end of the round – the fighters go back to their corners.

Masato Saeba showed his class in that round. I'd imagine he'll take it on all the scorecards.
That's the end of the round. The referee orders the cornermen out of the cage so we can get back down to business. This is the final round!

Phillips tries to clinch but Saeba moves out of range.
Nice sprawl there from Saeba as Phillips shoots in.
Phillips swings wildly with a couple of big hooks
and Saeba counters with a quick right hand to the jaw.
Phillips moves away from the strike by Saeba.
Saeba throws the left hand but Phillips avoids the punch easily.

Phillips decides to change it up a bit and drives through with a nice takedown into half guard.
Saeba trying to control but Phillips postures up.
Saeba blocking the ground and pound attempt from Phillips.
Saeba won't allow Phillips to pass to mount.
Saeba tries to roll over but Phillips keeps him under control.

Phillips seems to be working for a kimura but Saeba defends the submission attempt.
Both fighters are breathing heavily.

That's one minute gone in the round.
Phillips thows a huge punch but Saeba dodges it nicely.
Saeba trying to control but Phillips postures up.

It looks like we're going to have a standup here. Neither fighter is doing enough on the ground.
Saeba lands a beauty of a right hand that gets the crowd cheering.
Saeba connects with a lovely jab that went straight through the gap between Phillips's hands.
Saeba is looking to land body kicks.
Phillips fakes high and shoots in for a takedown but Saeba avoids it really well and circles away.
Saeba misses with a low kick.

That's two minutes gone in the round.
Saeba scores with a jab.
Phillips misses with a takedown attempt. He shot from a bit too far out.
That's three failed takedown attempts in the round for Milo Phillips. That's going to take a lot out of him.

Saeba tries to keep at a distance but Phillips has taken the fight into the clinch.
Phillips jumps guard but his hands slip and he falls flat on his back. Well, he's made himself look a right mug there, as Saeba walks away with a smile on his face. Phillips gets slowly back to his feet and shakes his head.
Saeba lunges in with swinging rights and lefts but Phillips circles away quickly and effectively.
Phillips misses with a takedown attempt. He shot from a bit too far out.
Phillips blocks a jab.
Phillips doesn't succeed with the takedown
and Saeba counters nicely by changing levels and landing a hook to the body.
Saeba scores with a hook to the body. Phillips takes a step back and tries to catch his breath.

That's three minutes gone in the round.
Phillips throws a looping left and ducks down for a takedown. He's got his arms around Saeba's waist but Saeba gets an underhook and avoids the takedown by throwing Phillips off to one side.
Saeba throws a head kick that misses and slips in the process. He scrambles back to his feet and the fighters circle.
Saeba defends well against a solid takedown attempt from Phillips.

Saeba lands a big head kick that sends Phillips tumbling to the mat! Saeba takes a step backwards and waves Phillips back to his feet - he wants the finish!
Phillips has his takedown stuffed
and Saeba counters with a nice leg kick.
Phillips chopped to the floor by a nice leg kick but he springs right back up before Saeba can pounce on him.
Saeba misses with a hook.
The sound of bone on bone echoes around the arena as Phillips checks a leg kick.
Saeba misses with a wild body shot.
Phillips tries to clinch
and Saeba makes him pay by landing a thudding low kick.
The fans in attendance giving it up for the two fighters, who have really let it all hang out in the last minute or so!
Saeba misses with a two punch combination.

That's four minutes gone in the round.
Phillips misses with a half-hearted attempt at a head kick.
Masato Saeba seems to be getting the better of the standup.
Saeba lunges in with swinging rights and lefts but Phillips circles away quickly and effectively.
Phillips shoots and misses
and Saeba counters with a head kick.
Milo Phillips is looking to throw some combinations by the looks of things.
Phillips tries for a takedown but Saeba sees it coming a mile off and avoids it easily.
Saeba looks to land a right hand but Phillips moved out of range.
Saeba throws a nice outside leg kick.
Phillips takes a body punch but keeps moving.
Milo Phillips has stepped it up - he knows he needs a finish here!
Phillips throws a looping left and ducks down for a takedown. He's got his arms around Saeba's waist but Saeba gets an underhook and avoids the takedown by throwing Phillips off to one side.
As the round comes to an end the crowd are showing their appreciation for a great round of action.
Saeba misses with a half-hearted attempt at a head kick.
Phillips shoots and misses
and Saeba counters with a leg kick that reverborates around the arena.
Saeba lands a with a good body shot.

And that's the end of the fight!
Masato Saeba comfortably won the final round on my scorecard.
I think Saeba has won this one but let's see whether the judges agree with me. 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 Frank Antenori scores the fight for Masato Saeba!
Judge Jack Bonds scores the fight for Masato Saeba!
Judge Percy O'Donnell scores the fight for Masato Saeba!

Masato Saeba wins by unanimous decision!