PBP Commentary

Coming up we have a lightweight MMA rules bout between Kumina Sato (ranked 0 p4p, 0 weight class) and Bang Du (ranked 0 p4p, 0 weight class). Du has chosen Unholy Confession as his entrance music. 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?

Sato
vs
Du

167 cm
20
169 lbs
3 - 3 - 0

170 cm
21
165 lbs
5 - 4 - 0

BJJ Purple Belt
Basic striking
Granite chin

BJJ Blue Belt
Good kicks
Powerful

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 3 - 3 - 0, fighting out of Helsinki, Kumina Sato!
And introducing the fighter to my right, fighting out of the blue corner.
With a record of 5 - 4 - 0, fighting out of Helsinki, Bang Du!
The judges for this bout are Johanna Lukiainen, Arvi Lind and Marco Blurström.

The bell rings for round one and we are underway!
Sato ducks down and throws a hook to the body.
Bang Du seems to be the more aggressive standup fighter in this bout.
Du shapes like he's going to throw a leg kick but settles back down.
Du misses with a low kick.
Du misses with a body kick.
Du lands a head kick!
Wow, both these guys are really going for it!

Sato fakes an overhand right and shoots for a takedown. Du sprawls well initially but Sato persists and gets the takedown into half guard.
Sato wants to pass the guard but Du is defending well.
Du wants to get back to his feet.
Sato controlling the action here.
The ref warns both fighters not to hold the cage as they work up against the meshing.
Sato not throwing his punches with enough precision this time.

That's one minute gone in the round.
Du is refusing to be controlled, as Sato sits in half guard.
Du is looking to escape.
Sato looks towards his corner to check for any instructions. The corner give him nothing to work with, so he cracks Du with a short hammerfist. I guess that's as good as any advice he could get in this position.
Sato is looking to advance position but Du won't allow it.
Sato takes a deep breath and rests his weight momentarily on top of his opponent, to control the position.
Sato 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.
Sato is keen to just control but Du is a slippery customer.

That's two minutes gone in the round.
The crowd are hurling abuse towards the fighters... You can hardly blame them though because there isn't a lot going on in the fight.
Sato scores with a couple of good hammerfists.
Du wants to control but Sato is keeping busy and won't allow it.
Sato trying to control from Du's half guard. Du has other ideas though and has regained full guard.
Du is trying to stand up but he's not managed so far.
Sato throwing strikes from guard but Du blocks nicely.
Sato advances to half guard.
Sato stops Du from getting back to his feet.

That's three minutes gone in the round.
Du is using up a lot of energy trying to get back to his feet. Perhaps he should improve his position first.
Du looks gassed!
Sato passes to full mount!
Sato prevents Du from getting the reversal.
Sato throwing shots from mount but they're not landing.
A nice elbow there by Sato.
Sato looking to control but Du is working nicely, looking to advance position himself.
Du is really trying hard to get back to his feet.

That's four minutes gone in the round.
Neither fighter has done anything of merit for a good minute or two here and the crowd are not happy about it.
Sato throwing shots from mount but they're not landing.
Sato controlling his opponent.
The referee warns Du that he has to improve his position here as he takes two more clean shots to the head.
Sato throwing strikes here but Du is writhing around nicely and avoiding any serious damage.
Sato has his opponent pinned against the cage, landing some nasty ground and pound that is really making a bit of a mess out of Du's face.
Du is squirming around, avoiding Sato's attempts to control the action.
Sato throwing sloppy strikes here. Perhaps if he tightened up his striking from such a dominant position, he'd be able to finish easier.
And that’s the end of the round – the fighters go back to their corners.

Kumina Sato 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.

Sato shoots in but no luck this time.
Sato blocks a head kick by Du.
Du moves out of range as Sato strikes.
Bang Du is looking to throw some combinations by the looks of things.
Sato connects with the punch.
Sato throws a hook but Du avoids it easily.
Sato looks for a takedown here. Will he get it? Du is fending him off so far but Sato persists. Nope, Du circles away and we're back to standing.
Du is looking to clinch.
Du smiles there as he lands a nice right hand right on the button.
Du throws a low kick but his opponent is out of range.

Sato darts in and lands a nice takedown into half guard.
Du is looking to improve his position.
Sato trying to advance position but Du counters by regaining guard.

That's one minute gone in the round.
Sato stands up and looks to throw the legs aside to pass to side control. Du swivels though and keeps the full guard.
Sato trying to control but Du is working from the bottom.
Du wants to stand up but Sato is controlling him.
Sato stands up and looks to throw the legs aside to pass to side control. Du swivels though and keeps the full guard.
The fighters are pressed up against the cage, both looking to find a bit of space to work.
Sato postures up in Du's guard and throws a big left but Du blocks it.

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.
Du is working from a closed guard but he's struggling to control his opponent.

Well, the referee has seen enough. Neither fighter is active enough on the ground so he's stood them back up.
Du fails with an attempt to clinch.
Du tries to land a leg kick but Sato saw it coming and moves away.
Bang Du is looking to keep the fight on the feet at all costs.
Du looking to land some kicks to the body here.
Nice defenses there by Du.
Sato avoids a lazy jab quite easily.
Sato uses good footwork to get in and out and land a nice right hand before Du has time to react.
Some bone on bone action there as Sato checks a low kick. Luckily it wasn't a particularly hard one.
Du lands a nice looking kick to the body. Sato takes a step back to recover.
Sato tests Du's chin there with a solid looking shot.

Du clinches.
Du landing knees to the body.
Sato tries to pull guard but Du holds him up against the cage and eventually Sato drops back down to his feet.
That's three failed takedown attempts in the round for Kumina Sato. That's going to take a lot out of him.

Sato breaks the clinch and we return to the middle of the mat.
Sato misses with a hook.
Du avoids a lazy jab quite easily.

That's three minutes gone in the round.
Some bone on bone action there as Sato checks a low kick. Luckily it wasn't a particularly hard one.
Du throws the kick towards the body but Sato avoids it.
Du throws a half hearted mid kick.
Sato scores with a straight right hand, right through his opponent's guard.
Nice uppercut lands for Du. That snapped Sato's head back.

Sato gets the takedown into side control.
Both fighters are absolutely exhausted here.
Sato working away.
Du avoids any damage from the ground and pound of Sato.
Sato in side control, trying to ground and pound but not landing this time.
Du pushes Sato away and creates a bit of space to escape. He's almost out here... but no, Sato gets a good hold of his legs and remains firmly in side control.
Du seems a little lost for a moment, as Sato dominates the positioning.

Du throws his opponent off and manages to get back to his feet! Nicely done!

That's four minutes gone in the round.
Du tries to close the distance and clinch up but Sato swats him away and circles back towards the center.

Sato shoots in and bounces Du off the cage to secure the takedown into guard.
Du is looking to stand up but Sato isn't so interested in that idea.
Sato content to stall in guard here.
Sato trying to control but Du is working from the bottom.
And that’s the end of the round – the fighters go back to their corners.

That was a close second round but I would say that Kumina Sato will probably get the nod.
Well, the break between rounds is over. Let's get back to the scrappin! This is the final round!

Sato looks to land a left hand but Du moved out of range nicely.
Du scores with a head kick.

Excellent takedown into side control there by Sato.
Sato tries to move into full mount but can't pass Du's legs.
Sato working away.
Sato tries to move into full mount but can't pass Du's legs.
Du is not content to let Sato control the position.
Sato creates some space and throws a big elbow, but Du sees it coming and moves his head just enough to avoid the strike.

That's one minute gone in the round.
Sato throwing strikes but missing, from side control.
Du is trying to buck Sato off.
Du takes a big intake of breath there - he's definitely tired.
Du prevents Sato from improving position.

It looks like we're going to have a standup here. Neither fighter is doing enough on the ground.
Du displays good takedown defense there as he swats away a double leg from Sato.
Du throws a quick inside leg kick.
Sato keeps the fight on the outside.
A slow jab from Sato misses its intended target.
Du looking to land some kicks to the body here.

That's two minutes gone in the round.
A few boos can be heard. I'm sure they will multiply if the fighters don't pick up the pace.

Du closes the distance and clinches.
Du lands a nice elbow from the clinch.
Sato managing to block the knees to the body from Du.
Du using the Thai plumb to throw knees but Sato has his back arched nicely, preventing the strike.

Sato pulls Du into guard.

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

Du drops back, looking for a kneebar! Sato looks panicked! The fighters roll across the mat, one looking to finish, one looking to escape. Sato looks to have wriggled free... Yes, he's got his leg free and he's dived into side control! Good work there from Sato!
Sato working the ground and pound but he's contacting the mat, not the fighter.

Sato has an Americana. Du didn't react quickly enough there and he's in big trouble now! He tries to squirm out but is forced to tap! Sato is delighted and gyrates in front of the ring girls. They seem to like the attention - it'll be interesting to see if Sato hooks up with any of them at the after show party.

Ladies and gentlemen, after 3:04 of round 3, we have a winner by way of Submission (Americana). Kumina Sato!