PBP Commentary

Coming up we have a welterweight MMA rules bout between Phil Philsonphilen (ranked 0 p4p, 0 weight class) and Hanamichi Sakuragi (ranked 0 p4p, 0 weight class). Phil Philsonphilen could well score a knockout today. He has the power to get to Hanamichi Sakuragi's chin.

Philsonphilen
vs
Sakuragi

185 cm
22
185 lbs
0 - 2 - 0

200 cm
21
170 lbs
2 - 8 - 0

BJJ Blue Belt
Brawler
KO power

Good wrestler
Brawler
Determined

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 0 - 2 - 0, fighting out of Los Angeles, Phil Philsonphilen!
And introducing the fighter to my right, fighting out of the blue corner.
With a record of 2 - 8 - 0, fighting out of Los Angeles, Hanamichi Sakuragi!
The judges for this bout are Frank Antenori, Jack Bonds and .

The bell rings for round one and we are underway!
Sakuragi misses with a double jab.
Sakuragi slips a jab and a cross from Philsonphilen.
Philsonphilen avoids a punch combination nicely.
Philsonphilen dives in and grabs Sakuragi's left leg, looking for a takedown. Sakuragi pushes down on Philsonphilen's head and hops out.
Sakuragi throws a right and a left that both miss.
Sakuragi looks to score with a combo but nothing lands.
Sakuragi throws a sloppy head kick and Philsonphilen moves out of range easily.
Sakuragi throws a head kick that misses
and he gets countered with a snapping leg kick.
Sakuragi throws a sloppy head kick and Philsonphilen moves out of range easily.
Sakuragi thows a body shot but no joy.
Philsonphilen lands a head kick!
Sakuragi is a painfully thin specimen of a man. You do wonder whether a good body kick would snap him clean in two.
Philsonphilen lands a jab-cross combination.

Sakuragi is rocked!
We've seen a great period of action over the last minute or so - credit to both fighters for going all out!
Philsonphilen lands with a nice low kick. That'll leave a bruise.
Sakuragi misses with a half-hearted attempt at a head kick.
Philsonphilen blocks the body kick.
Sakuragi swings wildly with a right hand that was never going to find it's target.
Sakuragi throws a head kick but Philsonphilen moves out of range.

That's one minute gone in the round.
Philsonphilen shoots in for a double leg but Sakuragi sprawls well. That's going to sap some energy.
Sakuragi wants to slow Philsonphilen down by chopping away at his legs.
Sakuragi throws a hard body shot but it just misses.
A head kick misses from Sakuragi.
Philsonphilen is looking to clinch but Sakuragi is avoiding it.
Sakuragi fails to land with a series of punches.
Sakuragi throws a sloppy body shot
and Philsonphilen counters with a head kick.
Philsonphilen pushes forward with a 1-2 combination that forces Sakuragi back to the cage. Philsonphilen follows up with a solid lead hook to the liver.
Sakuragi is still on wobbly legs! Can Philsonphilen finish him?
Philsonphilen avoids the head kick by Sakuragi.
Sakuragi looks gassed!
Sakuragi throws a sloppy head kick
enabling Philsonphilen to counter with a crisp jab.
Philsonphilen looks frustrated there after his takedown attempt is stuffed easily.
That's three failed takedown attempts in the round for Phil Philsonphilen. That's going to take a lot out of him.
Sakuragi will need to tighten up his combinations if he doesn't want to gas himself out, swinging at thin air.
Sakuragi seems to have recovered his senses.
Philsonphilen thows a body kick. Sakuragi tries to catch it but that hurt him.
This has been an exciting period of action!
Nice takedown defense from Sakuragi. No joy for Philsonphilen on that attempt.

That's two minutes gone in the round.
Philsonphilen will have to do better than that with his takedown attempts.
Sakuragi throws a sloppy head kick and Philsonphilen moves out of range easily.
Sakuragi misses with an uppercut
and Philsonphilen counters with a stiff right hand.
Sakuragi throws a right and a left that Philsonphilen avoids nicely.
Sakuragi swings and misses with a hook to the body.
Sakuragi misses with a low kick as Philsonphilen jumps back.
Philsonphilen shoots in but Sakuragi avoids the takedown attempt easily.
Sakuragi misses with a body shot.
Sakuragi swings for the body but Philsonphilen moves out of range.
Sakuragi tries to land a leg kick but Philsonphilen saw it coming and moves away.
Philsonphilen moves out of range as Sakuragi throws a body kick.
Sakuragi throws a head kick that misses.
Sakuragi throws a head kick that misses.
Sakuragi tries a switch kick but it misses it's target.

That's three minutes gone in the round.
Philsonphilen is looking to take this fight into the clinch.
Sakuragi misses with a kick to the body.
Sakuragi circles away from the clinch attempt.
Sakuragi throws an uppercut from half a mile away. Philsonphilen sees it coming and avoids it easily.
Sakuragi just misses with a punch to the body.
Philsonphilen moves away from the strike by Sakuragi.
Sakuragi misses with a hook
and Philsonphilen counters with a quick right hand to the jaw.
Sakuragi throws a series of punches but Philsonphilen avoids them all with ease.
Philsonphilen shoots in for a takedown. "Ole!" shouts Sakuragi as he jumps to the side.
Sakuragi tries a switch kick but it misses it's target.
Sakuragi throws a front kick aimed at Philsonphilen's knee but Philsonphilen avoids it well.
Philsonphilen wants to clinch.
Philsonphilen checks the leg kick nicely there.

That's four minutes gone in the round.
Philsonphilen fails with a takedown attempt.
Philsonphilen will have to do better than that with his takedown attempts.
Sakuragi tries a switch kick but it misses it's target.
Sakuragi throws a head kick that misses.
Well, he's not going to score with shots like that. A lazy body kick attempt from Sakuragi.
Philsonphilen fails with a takedown attempt.
Philsonphilen slips a jab and a cross from Sakuragi.
As the round comes to an end the crowd are showing their appreciation for a great round of action.
Philsonphilen shoots in with a takedown attempt and he has Sakuragi pinned against the cage. Sakuragi gets the underhooks and manages to circle away.
Philsonphilen fails to land the takedown.
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 Phil Philsonphilen will probably get the nod.
The corners get their ten second warning. Both fighters stand from their stools and stare eachother down, ready to get back to the action.

Sakuragi tries to bum rush Philsonphilen with a series of wild strikes but Philsonphilen uses good footwork to avoid the assault.
Sakuragi misses with a head kick.
Philsonphilen avoids the head kick by Sakuragi.
A head kick misses from Sakuragi.
Sakuragi circles away from the clinch attempt.
Sakuragi looks to throw the jab but Philsonphilen is out of range.
Philsonphilen ducks under a wild hook from Sakuragi.
Philsonphilen looks frustrated there after his takedown attempt is stuffed easily.
Sakuragi throws a wild body kick that Philsonphilen sees coming a mile off.
Philsonphilen shoots in for a takedown. "Ole!" shouts Sakuragi as he jumps to the side.
Sakuragi throws a push kick but Philsonphilen slaps the foot to one side.
Sakuragi throws a leg kick but he was too far away and it doesn't land.
Sakuragi rushes forward with a series of wild hooks but Philsonphilen moves out of range and avoids them all easily.
Both fighters are absolutely exhausted here.
Sakuragi throws a head kick that misses.

That's one minute gone in the round.
Sakuragi throws a right and a left that both miss.
Philsonphilen tries to clinch up but Sakuragi circles away and keeps his distance.
Sakuragi misses with a half-hearted attempt at a head kick.
Philsonphilen fails in his attempt to clinch.
Donk. Philsonphilen catches Sakuragi right on the button with a cross.
Sakuragi will need to tighten up his combinations if he doesn't want to gas himself out, swinging at thin air.
Philsonphilen shoots in for a takedown. "Ole!" shouts Sakuragi as he jumps to the side.
That's three failed takedown attempts in the round for Phil Philsonphilen. That's going to take a lot out of him.
A head kick misses from Sakuragi.
Sakuragi misses with an uppercut.
No luck for Philsonphilen with that takedown attempt.
Phil Philsonphilen is looking to throw some combinations by the looks of things.
Sakuragi throws a low kick but it's checked well by Philsonphilen.
Sakuragi misses with a kick to the body.

That's two minutes gone in the round.
Sakuragi looks to throw a body kick
and Philsonphilen counters with a thumping low kick.
Philsonphilen showing good head movement there, avoiding the strikes from Sakuragi.
Sakuragi is looking to score with low kicks.
Philsonphilen doesn't manage to clinch there - Sakuragi circles away.
Hanamichi Sakuragi is looking to keep the fight on the feet at all costs.
Sakuragi waving his hands out in front of him, looking to distract Philsonphilen.
Philsonphilen avoids a punch combination nicely.
Philsonphilen uses some good footwork to avoid the body shot by Sakuragi.
Sakuragi throws a nice looking combination but Philsonphilen bobs and weaves to avoid any damage.
Sakuragi throws a sloppy head kick and Philsonphilen moves out of range easily.
Nice sprawl there from Sakuragi as Philsonphilen shoots in.
Fantastic stuff here - a very entertaining period of action, which has drawn cheers from the crowd.
Sakuragi throws a push kick but Philsonphilen slaps the foot to one side.
Sakuragi swats away the attempt to clinch by Philsonphilen.
Hanamichi Sakuragi seems to be the more aggressive standup fighter in this bout.
Sakuragi misses with a body shot.

That's three minutes gone in the round.
Sakuragi swings and misses with a hook to the body.
Sakuragi misses with a double jab.
Philsonphilen fails in his attempt to clinch.

Philsonphilen scores a trip takedown into side control. Nice.
The referee claps his hands together and tells the fighters to work.
Sakuragi is trying to improve his position.
Philsonphilen wants to control but Sakuragi is keeping him busy.
The ref warns both fighters not to hold the cage as they work up against the meshing.
Sakuragi is trying to control Philsonphilen's posture but Philsonphilen avoids it.

That's four minutes gone in the round.
Sakuragi stops Philsonphilen from passing to mount.
Philsonphilen working away.
Sakuragi stops Philsonphilen from passing to mount.
Philsonphilen working away.
Philsonphilen trying to control the action but Sakuragi is working from the bottom.
Fantastic stuff here - a very entertaining period of action, which has drawn cheers from the crowd.
The crowd applaud the fighters efforts here as the round comes to an end.

It looks like we're going to have a standup here. Neither fighter is doing enough on the ground.
Sakuragi tries a switch kick but it misses it's target.
And that’s the end of the round – the fighters go back to their corners.

A close second round but Hanamichi Sakuragi will probably get the nod - 10:9.
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!

Philsonphilen scores with a nice one two combo and darts back out of range to avoid anything coming in the opposite direction.
Philsonphilen checks the leg kick.
Sakuragi throws a head kick that misses and slips in the process. He scrambles back to his feet and the fighters circle.
Sakuragi gets off balance looking for a body kick
and Philsonphilen counters with a nice jab to the body that keeps Sakuragi thinking.
Philsonphilen tries to clinch up.
Sakuragi throws a head kick that misses.
Philsonphilen closes the distance and lands a one-two.
Nice body kick there by Philsonphilen.
Philsonphilen avoids the head kick by Sakuragi.
Philsonphilen misses with a takedown attempt. He shot from a bit too far out.
Sakuragi throws a leg kick
and Philsonphilen counters with a head kick. That will keep Sakuragi thinking before he tries any more sloppy attacks!
Some wild striking there from Sakuragi.
Sakuragi throws a leg kick
and Philsonphilen counters with a right hand to the body.
Both fighters are breathing heavily.
Sakuragi misses with a few strikes there.
The crowd cheering loudly, showing their appreciation for the quality fight we're seeing here.
Philsonphilen tries to close the distance and clinch up but Sakuragi swats him away and circles back towards the center.
Philsonphilen shoots in for a takedown. He's persisting with it as Sakuragi sprawls well. Sakuragi wins this battle and keeps the fight standing. Philsonphilen gets slowly back to his feet.

That's one minute gone in the round.
Sakuragi throws a head kick but Philsonphilen moves out of range.
Philsonphilen dodges the punch combination from Sakuragi.
Sakuragi is looking to land body kicks.
Sakuragi is throwing a lot of body shots here, looking to wear down Philsonphilen rather than just go for the knockout.
Philsonphilen's corner calls for a 1, 2 combination and Philsonphilen duly obliges.
Sakuragi misses with a head kick.
Philsonphilen looks frustrated there after his takedown attempt is stuffed easily.
That's three failed takedown attempts in the round for Phil Philsonphilen. That's going to take a lot out of him.
Philsonphilen blocks a head kick by Sakuragi.
Philsonphilen dives in and grabs Sakuragi's left leg, looking for a takedown. Sakuragi pushes down on Philsonphilen's head and hops out.
Sakuragi avoids the clinch attempt nicely.
Sakuragi misses with a straight left.

That's two minutes gone in the round.
Sakuragi throws a head kick that misses and slips in the process. He scrambles back to his feet and the fighters circle.
Philsonphilen shoots in for a takedown but doesn't get it.
Sakuragi misses with the combination.
Sakuragi just misses with a punch to the body.
Philsonphilen looks frustrated there after his takedown attempt is stuffed easily.
Sakuragi looking to land some kicks to the body here.
Sakuragi misses with a half-hearted attempt at a head kick.
Philsonphilen looks for a takedown but Sakuragi sprawls well.
Sakuragi throws a right hand that Philsonphilen ducks under and follows up with a left that Philsonphilen also avoids with ease.
Philsonphilen doesn't manage to clinch there - Sakuragi circles away.
Sakuragi stuffs a takedown. It's all about dictating where the fight takes place and Sakuragi wants it to stay on the feet.
Philsonphilen avoids the head kick by Sakuragi.

That's three minutes gone in the round.
Sakuragi misses with a body shot. Nice footwork from Philsonphilen.
Sakuragi misses with a half-hearted attempt at a head kick.
Philsonphilen shoots for a double leg takedown but Sakuragi sprawls well. He's pushed Philsonphilen's face into the mat and manages to get back to his feet relatively easily.
Hanamichi Sakuragi seems to be getting the better of the standup.
Sakuragi tries to land with a swinging hook to the body but Philsonphilen was well out of range. Poor timing from Sakuragi.
Philsonphilen moves into range and throws a lovely three punch combination.
Philsonphilen moves out of range as Sakuragi throws a body kick.
Philsonphilen looks frustrated there after his takedown attempt is stuffed easily.
Sakuragi misses with a head kick.
Philsonphilen moves out of range as Sakuragi throws a body kick.
Sakuragi throws a body punch but Philsonphilen moves out of range.
Philsonphilen blocks a head kick by Sakuragi.
Philsonphilen lands a slapping body shot.

That's four minutes gone in the round.
Philsonphilen scores with a head kick. Sakuragi tried to block it but didn't get his arm up in time.
Sakuragi blocks a head kick by Philsonphilen.
Philsonphilen uses some good footwork to avoid the body shot by Sakuragi.
Sakuragi leaves Philsonphilen with his face pressed against the mat as he sprawls beautifully, defending against a solid takedown attempt.
Philsonphilen avoids a low kick by using good footwork.
Philsonphilen avoids a low kick by using good footwork.
Sakuragi misses with a series of wild punches.
Sakuragi stuffs the takedown.
Philsonphilen moves out of range of the leg kick from Sakuragi.
As the round comes to an end the crowd are showing their appreciation for a great round of action.
Philsonphilen fails miserably with a takedown attempt.
Sakuragi throws a looping overhand right but Philsonphilen ducks down to avoid it.
Sakuragi tries a switch kick but it misses it's target.

And that's the end of the fight!
I would just about give that final round to Hanamichi Sakuragi.
I think Sakuragi 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 28:29
Judge Jack Bonds scores the fight 29:28
Judge Percy O'Donnell scores the fight 28:29

In favor of your winner, by split decision... Hanamichi Sakuragi!