PBP Commentary

Coming up we have a middleweight MMA rules bout between Kazushi Sakuraba (ranked 0 p4p, 0 weight class) and Andrew Hahar (ranked 0 p4p, 0 weight class). On his way into the cage it seems that Kazushi Sakuraba has been attacked by a crazed fan! It looks like it might have been the just bleed guy! Luckily Kazushi Sakuraba seems to be OK! I thought that lunatic was in prison!?

Sakuraba
vs
Hahar

183 cm
22
190 lbs
8 - 2 - 0

190 cm
26
190 lbs
9 - 5 - 0

Powerful takedowns
Counter striker
Cardio machine

Good takedowns
Brawler
Knockout power

Ladies and gentlemen. This fight is 3 rounds, in the middleweight division.
Introducing the fighter to my left, fighting out of the red corner.
With a record of 8 - 2 - 0, fighting out of Tokyo, Kazushi Sakuraba!
And introducing the fighter to my right, fighting out of the blue corner.
With a record of 9 - 5 - 0, fighting out of Tokyo, Andrew Hahar!
The judges for this bout are Shigeki Fujiwara, Tatsuya Matsuyama and Shirou Masuda.

The bell rings for round one and we are underway!
Sakuraba doesn't react quick enough there as he takes a shot to the body.
Hahar fakes a jab and then connects with a hook.

Sakuraba dives in and scores a takedown into Hahar's guard.
Sakuraba prevents Hahar from getting back to his feet.
Hahar wants to control the position but Sakuraba says "no thanks buddy" and passes to half guard.
The fighters are battling for position here. Hahar manages to regain full guard. Nice work.
Hahar wants to sweep here but Sakuraba controlling him for the moment.
Hahar wants to get back to his feet but Sakuraba is in a dominant position and won't allow it.
Hahar seems keen to control Sakuraba's posture.
This is a great period of action - very entertaining stuff!
Sakuraba postures up in Hahar's guard and throws a big left but Hahar blocks it.

Hahar is active off his back here, looking for submissions.

That's one minute gone in the round.
Sakuraba with a flurry of punches that miss.
Sakuraba looking to pass the guard.
Sakuraba wants to control from the top but Hahar keeps moving.
Hahar bucks up whilst keeping hold of a body lock, managing to reverse the position. Now he's in top in Sakuraba's guard.
Hahar passes into half guard.
Hahar sitting in half guard, looking to land shots. Sakuraba defending well though.
Hahar wants to get back to his feet.
Sakuraba is looking for a sweep. Hahar is wise to his cunning plan and keeps the top position.

That's two minutes gone in the round.
Sakuraba is staying active underneath Hahar, who seems content to just control the action from this position.

Hahar decides he's had enough of the ground and stands up.
Sakuraba throws a jab but it's blocked by Hahar.
Hahar misses with a series of wild punches.
Hahar will need to tighten up his combinations if he doesn't want to gas himself out, swinging at thin air.
Sakuraba fails in his attempt to clinch.
Left hook, right uppercut from Hahar.

That's three minutes gone in the round.
Sakuraba fails with the takedown.
Hahar wants to slow Sakuraba down by chopping away at his legs.
Hahar misses with a wild combination.
Hahar ducks down and throws a hook to the body but Sakuraba moves away.
Hahar misses with a kick to the body.
Hahar gets his takedown attempt stuffed easily

and Sakuraba counters with a single leg into guard. Hahar didn't expect that.
Sakuraba trying to control but Hahar is working from the bottom.
The ref warns both fighters not to hold the cage as they work up against the meshing.

That's four minutes gone in the round.
Sakuraba stands and throws Hahar's legs to the side, diving into side control.
Sakuraba landing with strikes to the head and body from side control.
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!
Sakuraba throwing shots but missing, from side control.
The ground and pound from Sakuraba seems to be hitting the mat more than his opponent.
Sakuraba working the ground and pound but he's contacting the mat, not the fighter.
The referee tells the fighters to keep busy.
Hahar wants to control but Sakuraba postures up.

Sakuraba wants to work for a kimura but he's foiled early by Hahar, who protects the arm well.
Hahar struggling a bit here.
As the round comes to an end the crowd are showing their appreciation for a great round of action.
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 Kazushi Sakuraba 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.

Hahar ducks low and lands a nice hook to the body of his opponent.
Hahar bobs and weaves well there to avoid the strikes.
Hahar showing good head movement there, avoiding the strikes from Sakuraba.
Sakuraba on the wrong end of a vicious looking body shot.
Hahar slips under a jab.
Sakuraba throws a lazy right hand but Hahar sees it coming a mile off and sidesteps it easily.
Sakuraba stuffs the takedown attempt from Hahar. Hahar gets slowly back to his feet.
A slow jab from Hahar misses its intended target.

That's one minute gone in the round.

Excellent takedown into side control there by Hahar.
Kazushi Sakuraba overall seems to be getting the better of the ground position in the fight so far.
Sakuraba is trying to get back to half guard.

Hahar is looking for a kimura. He might have it! No, Sakuraba has escaped the position, nice work there.
Sakuraba tries to work a leg under to get back to half guard but Hahar wriggles his own leg back out and remains in side control.
Sakuraba is working hard here to advance position.
Sakuraba is moving his hips around well on the bottom and has managed to get back to half guard.
The fighters are pressed up against the cage, both looking to find a bit of space to work.
Sakuraba wants to get back to full guard.

Sakuraba looking for submissions from an awkward position here.
Sakuraba gets full guard.

That's two minutes gone in the round.
Sakuraba looking to hit a scissor sweep but Hahar is one step ahead there.

Hahar avoids a guillotine attempt easily.
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!
Hahar wants to stand but Sakuraba has a closed guard, so he can't escape.

Sakuraba has an omoplata and is looking to use it perhaps as a submission or perhaps to transition. Hahar 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 Sakuraba.
Sakuraba is trying to improve his position.

That's three minutes gone in the round.
Hahar working away.
Sakuraba is not content to let Hahar control the position.

Hahar decides to stand up, so the ref orders Sakuraba to his feet.
Hahar throws an ugly left hook that misses

and Sakuraba counters with a nice double leg into side control. Hahar won't be happy with that.
Hahar is trying to improve his position.
Sakuraba throws a strike aimed at the side of Hahar's head but Hahar avoids it well.
Sakuraba working the head with strikes.
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!

Sakuraba is looking for a kimura. He might have it! No, Hahar has escaped the position, nice work there.
Hahar regains half guard.

That's four minutes gone in the round.
Sakuraba stalling away here and it's allowed Hahar to slip out his trapped foot and regain full guard.
Hahar bucks up whilst keeping hold of a body lock, managing to reverse the position. Now he's in top in Sakuraba's guard.

Sakuraba is looking for a guillotine. You can't force these things though and Hahar defends well.

Sakuraba working for a triangle but Hahar defends it easily.
Hahar trying to control but Sakuraba is working from the bottom.
And that’s the end of the round – the fighters go back to their corners.

Kazushi Sakuraba dominated that second round.
That's time! Back to the action! This is the final round!

Hahar misses with a wild body shot.
Sakuraba slips a straight right by Hahar.
Hahar shoots in for a double leg but Sakuraba sprawls well. That's going to sap some energy.
Hahar throws a hook to the body but it doesn't connect.
Sakuraba throws a jab but it's blocked by Hahar.
Sakuraba shoots in but doesn't get the takedown
and Hahar counters with a body kick that stops Sakuraba in his tracks momentarily.
Sakuraba keeping a good distance there, avoiding the body shot.
Sakuraba tries to bum rush Hahar with a series of wild strikes but Hahar uses good footwork to avoid the assault.

That's one minute gone in the round.
Nice takedown defense from Sakuraba. No joy for Hahar on that attempt.
Hahar is throwing a lot of body shots here, looking to wear down Sakuraba rather than just go for the knockout.
Sakuraba tries to close the distance and clinch but Hahar swats him to one side with an open hand palm strike and circles away.
Sakuraba avoids the body shot from Hahar.
Hahar swings wildly with a couple of big hooks

and Sakuraba counters with a single leg into guard. Hahar didn't expect that.
Sakuraba loading up with the ground and pound but he's missing more than he's landing in this flurry.
Hahar is trying to control the position from the bottom.
Sakuraba lands a couple of elbows.
Hahar keeping full guard, as Sakuraba tries to pass.
Sakuraba trying to control the position from guard on top but Hahar is wriggling around, looking for whatever he can.
Sakuraba is looking to work some ground and pound but Hahar has wrist control.

That's two minutes gone in the round.
Fantastic stuff here - a very entertaining period of action, which has drawn cheers from the crowd.
Sakuraba tries to free his leg and advance position but Hahar is retaining full guard.
Sakuraba throwing strikes from guard but Hahar blocks nicely.
Sakuraba pressing down on his opponent's thigh, looking to pass guard. Hahar is keeping the position for now.
Sakuraba working some ground and pound from guard but it's not doing any damage.
Hahar is doing well to control the posture of his opponent and prevent any damage.
Hahar looking for a sweep. Not yet Hahar, not yet.
Sakuraba pressing down on his opponent's thigh, looking to pass guard. Hahar is keeping the position for now.
Sakuraba is working Hahar over from the guard. He should look to pass the guard and do a little more damage with these strikes.

That's three minutes gone in the round.
Sakuraba slips nicely into half guard.
The two fighters exchange a few words. I couldn't hear what they were saying but maybe it's more fun if you make it up yourself. Sakuraba connects with a nice short shot to Hahar's temple.
Hahar manages to get to full guard.
Sakuraba advances position into side control!
Hahar takes a big intake of breath there - he's definitely tired.
Hahar is trying to get back to his feet.

Sakuraba wants to work for a kimura but he's foiled early by Hahar, who protects the arm well.

Sakuraba is looking to finish here, going for an Americana. Hahar knows the correct defense though, so he's OK.

That's four minutes gone in the round.
Sakuraba with the ground and pound but Hahar regains half guard under the barage of strikes.
Andrew Hahar has stepped it up - he knows he needs a finish here!
Hahar is looking to regain full guard. Not this time though.
Hahar wants to control but Sakuraba is keeping busy.
Kazushi Sakuraba is fighting for a decision here - he's started to take the cautious approach.
Sakuraba trying to control from Hahar's half guard. Hahar has other ideas though and has regained full guard.
The crowd cheering loudly, showing their appreciation for the quality fight we're seeing here.
As the round comes to an end the crowd are showing their appreciation for a great round of action.
Sakuraba missing there with some ground and pound from the guard.

And that's the end of the fight!
Kazushi Sakuraba showed his dominance in that final round.
Well I reckon that's a shut out for Sakuraba, winning every round. Will the judges agree? They are the ones who matter, even if they are often depressingly incompetent. 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 Fujiwara scores the fight 30:28
Judge Tatsuya Matsuyama scores the fight 30:27
Judge Shirou Masuda scores the fight 29:28

In favor of your winner, by unanimous decision... Kazushi Sakuraba!
An out of breath Kazushi Sakuraba thanked his loyal fans in his post fight interview, giving them credit for his success over the course of his career.