PBP Commentary

Coming up we have a featherweight MMA rules bout between Bogie McGill (ranked 0 p4p, 0 weight class) and Keizo Sawaki (ranked 0 p4p, 0 weight class). Sawaki has chosen 'Kodo' by The Yoshida Brothers as his entrance music. Bogie McGill has the better chin. Will he look to stand and bang today?

McGill
vs
Sawaki

169 cm
28
150 lbs
10 - 8 - 0

175 cm
27
155 lbs
13 - 7 - 0

BJJ Brown Belt
Counter striker
Big heart

Powerful takedowns
Solid Muay Thai
Powerful

Ladies and gentlemen. This fight is 3 rounds, in the featherweight division.
Introducing the fighter to my left, fighting out of the red corner.
With a record of 10 - 8 - 0, fighting out of Tokyo, Bogie McGill!
And introducing the fighter to my right, fighting out of the blue corner.
With a record of 13 - 7 - 0, fighting out of Tokyo, Keizo Sawaki!
The judges for this bout are Shigeki Sano, Yuuki Gou and Tatsuya Matsuyama.

The bell rings for round one and we are underway!
McGill darts in trying to clinch
and McGill takes a counter punch right on the button for his troubles.
McGill shoots in looking for a takedown but Sawaki manages to keep the fight standing, pushing McGill's face into the canvas for good measure before circling away.
Sawaki lands a leg kick. The shin dug right into the meat of the thigh.
McGill tries to clinch up but Sawaki circles away and keeps his distance.
McGill tries to clinch but Sawaki moves away

so Sawaki counters with a double leg into guard. Good agility.
Sawaki trying to land body shots but he keeps hitting the mat.
Sawaki wants to control from the top but McGill keeps moving.
Sawaki stopping the sweep attempt from McGill.
McGill has a closed guard, preventing anything of note from happening. Perhaps he's looking to stall.

That's one minute gone in the round.
McGill is trying to stand up but he's not managed so far.
Sawaki working in close now, lands a nice elbow to the side of McGill's head.
Sawaki wants to control from the top but McGill keeps moving.

McGill is throwing his legs up, looking for submissions. Sawaki is aware though and is defending well.

Sawaki drops back looking for a leg! McGill is in trouble here! The fighters roll with the hold and McGill manages to kick Sawaki off! Sawaki jumps back into McGill's guard.
Sawaki must be cautious of submissions here, given that his opponent has the superior Jiu Jitsu.

That's two 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.
McGill working a defensive guard here.
Sawaki stands up and looks to throw the legs aside to pass to side control. McGill swivels though and keeps the full guard.
McGill trying to keep a closed guard but Sawaki is proving a slippery customer.
Sawaki won't allow McGill to get back to his feet.

That's three minutes gone in the round.

McGill is throwing his legs up, looking for submissions. Sawaki is aware though and is defending well.
Sawaki tries to free his leg and advance position but McGill is retaining full guard.
The fighters are starting to get a bit slippery now, which will make submissions a bit more difficult.
McGill keeping moving, preventing Sawaki from controlling successfully.
Sawaki stands up and looks to throw the legs aside to pass to side control. McGill swivels though and keeps the full guard.
McGill is trying to control the position from the bottom.

That's four 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.

We're going to have a standup here because Bogie McGill wasn't active enough for the referee's liking.
Sawaki punishes McGill's body with a nice straight punch.
Sawaki misses with a shot to the body
and McGill counters with a nice body kick.

Sawaki shoots in and gets a takedown into half guard. Sawaki showed some decent athleticism there.
McGill manages to get to full guard.
McGill working a defensive guard here.
And that’s the end of the round – the fighters go back to their corners.

Keizo Sawaki 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.

McGill gets cracked there but stands up to it.

McGill looking for a takedown here - he's got it.
Sawaki keeping moving, preventing McGill from controlling successfully.
McGill passes Sawaki's left leg - he's now in half guard.
McGill is keeping good posture, landing some ground and pound.
Sawaki taking some punishment here, with McGill in his half guard.
Sawaki wants to sweep but McGill has passed to side control!

McGill decides to stand back up.
Sawaki throws a nice inside leg kick.

That's one minute gone in the round.
McGill stumbles momentarily as he takes a strong leg kick from Sawaki.
Sawaki slips a jab and a cross from McGill.
McGill tries for a takedown but Sawaki circles away easily
and Sawaki counters with a nice uppercut.
McGill tries to clinch
and Sawaki cracks him with a counter punch right on the button.

Sawaki shoots in with a lovely double leg takedown. McGill manages to land in full guard to minimise the damage.
McGill is looking to stand up but Sawaki isn't so interested in that idea.
Sawaki stands up and looks to throw the legs aside to pass to side control. McGill swivels though and keeps the full guard.
McGill not looking particularly offensive just at the moment.

That's two minutes gone in the round.
McGill striking off his back but it's not causing Sawaki any problems.
McGill keeping moving, preventing Sawaki from controlling successfully.
Sawaki postures up.
The fighters are pressed up against the cage, both looking to find a bit of space to work.

Bogie McGill has forced the referee to step in and bring the fight back to the feet.
Sawaki circles away from the clinch attempt
enabling Sawaki to counter with a crisp jab.

That's three minutes gone in the round.
Sawaki avoids the clinch attempt nicely.
Sawaki throws a hard body shot but it just misses.
McGill shoots in but doesn't get the takedown
and Sawaki counters with a lovely straight right hand!
McGill tries to grapple but his opponent circles
and Sawaki counters with a leg kick that reverborates around the arena.
McGill moves to clinch but Sawaki breaks away
and Sawaki counters with a nice body shot.
McGill fails with a takedown attempt from distance.
That's three failed takedown attempts in the round for Bogie McGill. That's going to take a lot out of him.
Sawaki is looking to slow McGill down with leg kicks.
McGill tries to clinch up against the cage, rushing in the close the distance. Sawaki manages to break the clinch and circles back to the middle of the mat.

That's four minutes gone in the round.
Sawaki misses with a hook to the body

and McGill decides to take the opportunity to score a takedown. He's landed in Sawaki's guard.
McGill lands a couple of elbows.
McGill pushes down on Sawaki's leg and manages to get into half guard.
McGill is just content to waste time from the top position. Sawaki takes advantage of the situation and regains full guard.
McGill looking to sit in guard and control but Sawaki gets the butterfly guard and sweeps. He's now in the guard on the top.
McGill is trying to control the position from the bottom.
Sawaki works over McGill with some ground and pound from guard.
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 Bogie McGill will probably get the nod.
That's the end of the interval. I'm sure that seemed a lot quicker than a minute for our two fighters! Back to the action. So, we enter the final round. Let's see if either fighter can bring us a finish, or whether we're going to the judges scorecards.

Sawaki changes levels and scores with a jab to the body.

McGill fakes with an overhand right and moves in to clinch with Sawaki, pushing him back against the cage.
Nice body punch from Sawaki.
Sawaki lands a nice looking hook to the body, against the cage.

Sawaki decides to pull guard.
McGill is pushing down on Sawaki's leg trying to pass to half guard. Sawaki is fighting to maintain full guard but McGill has managed to sneak the leg through.
McGill wants to control but Sawaki is keeping him busy.
McGill throwing shots but Sawaki is blocking nicely.

Sawaki looking for submissions off his back.
McGill missing with some ground and pound from the half guard.
McGill moves into full mount! Sawaki won't be happy about that!

McGill goes for an armbar but Sawaki turns quickly into his guard - lovely anticipation from Sawaki.

That's one minute gone in the round.
McGill pulls Sawaki in close to his closed guard and prevents Sawaki from doing any damage or advancing position.

McGill is working actively off his back, looking to secure an arm or perhaps work for a triangle.
McGill is doing well to control the posture of his opponent and prevent any damage.

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.
McGill looking to control.
Sawaki trying to control the position from guard on top but McGill is wriggling around, looking for whatever he can.
Sawaki pressing down on his opponent's thigh, looking to pass guard. McGill is keeping the position for now.
The referee must be thinking about standing these guys back up.
Sawaki preventing the sweep.

The ref stands the fighters back up. Bogie McGill wasn't doing enough on the ground.
McGill darts in trying to clinch
and Sawaki counters with a right hand to the body.

That's three minutes gone in the round.

McGill tries to sprawl but Sawaki drives through with a takedown into half guard.
McGill trying to control from the bottom.
Sawaki landing with strikes to the body and head, softening up his opponent.
McGill tries to kick Sawaki off but Sawaki keeps his base steady and stays in half guard.
Sawaki wants to advance to full mount but McGill doesn't think that's going to happen and regains full guard instead.
McGill wants to hit a switch here but Sawaki passes into full mount! Oh no, disaster for McGill there!

Sawaki looking for an armbar but decides to keep the dominant position instead.
Sawaki takes a big intake of breath there - he's definitely tired.

That's four minutes gone in the round.
McGill wants to control but Sawaki is having none of it.
McGill is wriggling around trying to escape.
McGill looking to escape from mount but he's given up his back!
McGill is really stuck here.

And that's the end of the fight!
Keizo Sawaki comfortably won the final round on my scorecard.
Well Sawaki has outworked and out performed his opponent in all aspects of the game today. He was simply too good and the decision should be no more than a formality. 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 Shigeki Sano scores the fight 28:29
Judge Yuuki Gou scores the fight 27:30
Judge Tatsuya Matsuyama scores the fight 28:30

In favor of your winner, by unanimous decision... Keizo Sawaki!