PBP Commentary

Coming up we have a welterweight MMA rules bout between Kazuushi Sakuraba (ranked 0 p4p, 0 weight class) and Rural Advantage (ranked 0 p4p, 0 weight class). Sakuraba comes to the cage accompanied by Wax Tailor feat. The Others . Advantage is bobbing his head along to his entrance song: Drain the Blood. Rural Advantage has the eye of the tiger tonight.

Sakuraba
vs
Advantage

175 cm
24
180 lbs
8 - 10 - 1

180 cm
24
172 lbs
7 - 7 - 1

Dangerous GnP
Solid Muay Thai
Insanely flexible

BJJ Purple Belt
Excellent boxer
Powerful

[CBK] Legal Highs ↑ 160Q STAMINA + ENERGY
[CBK] Legal Highs ↑ 160Q STAMINA + ENERGY

Ladies and gentlemen. This fight is 2 rounds, in the welterweight division.
Introducing the fighter to my left, fighting out of the red corner.
With a record of 8 - 10 - 1, fighting out of Tokyo, Kazuushi Sakuraba!
And introducing the fighter to my right, fighting out of the blue corner.
With a record of 7 - 7 - 1, fighting out of Tokyo, Rural Advantage!
The judges for this bout are Sosuke Kotani, Tatsuya Matsuyama and Yasuomi Hirokawa.

The bell rings for round one and we are underway!
Sakuraba throws out a loose jab but Advantage uses good head movement to avoid it.

Advantage closes the distance and pushes Sakuraba back into the cage.
Advantage lands a nice knee to the body.
Sakuraba managing to block the knees to the body from Advantage.
Sakuraba is looking for a takedown.
Advantage is trying to break the clinch but Sakuraba has him pressed against the cage.
Advantage is looking to break free of the clinch but Sakuraba has double underhooks.
Sakuraba taking a break, stalling in the clinch.
Advantage tries to break free but Sakuraba pushes him back against the cage.

Sakuraba breaks from the clinch.
Sakuraba lands with a nice low kick. That'll leave a bruise.
Advantage throws a monster uppercut resembling something out of street fighter but it doesn't land.

Advantage has closed the distance and engaged Sakuraba in a clinch.
Sakuraba with an attempt at a knee that misses.

Sakuraba decides to pull guard.
The referee wants the fighters to be more active or he's going to reset them on the feet.

Sakuraba manages to escape and get back to his feet.
This has been an exciting period of action!
Sakuraba throws a chopping leg kick but Advantage manages to avoid taking any serious damage.
Sakuraba tries to move into range but Advantage moves to the side and lands with a nice right hand.

That's one minute gone in the round.
Advantage moves in looking to clinch but Sakuraba pushes him off.
Ouch! a nice leg kick from Sakuraba, right into the meat.
A punch combination from Advantage misses.
Sakuraba doesn't manage to clinch there - Advantage circles away.
Ooooh, nice body kick lands from Sakuraba. Advantage shrugs it off though.
Advantage swings for the body but Sakuraba moves out of range.
Sakuraba takes a body punch but keeps moving.
Advantage tries to clinch up against the cage, rushing in the close the distance. Sakuraba manages to break the clinch and circles back to the middle of the mat.
A nice inside leg kick there by Sakuraba. That's going to slow Advantage down.
Advantage throws a big shot that misses.
Advantage throws a hard body shot but it just misses.
Advantage tries to clinch up but Sakuraba circles away and keeps his distance.
Sakuraba throws a jab when Advantage was well out of range.
Advantage fakes high and swings low for a body shot but Sakuraba manages to avoid it.
Sakuraba is looking to chop away at Advantage's legs.
Sakuraba lands with a head kick! That's gotta hurt.
Sakuraba tries a head kick but it misses.

That's two minutes gone in the round.
Sakuraba throws a feint and then finishes with a kick to the body.
Advantage fails in his attempt to clinch.
We've seen a great period of action over the last minute or so - credit to both fighters for going all out!
Advantage stumbles momentarily as he takes a strong leg kick from Sakuraba.
Advantage throws a hard body shot but it just misses.
Sakuraba feints with a shoulder and throws a nice leg kick to Advantage's calf.
Good leg kick by Sakuraba there. It's the ones that make that thud noise that hurt and that was an almighty thud.
Sakuraba finds nothing but air with that leg kick attempt.

Advantage moves into range and clinches up with Sakuraba.
A real battle for position is taking place between these two warriors.

Sakuraba pulls guard.
Advantage tries to stand but Sakuraba is controlling from the bottom.
Sakuraba working a defensive guard here.
Both fighters really going for it on the ground here!

Sakuraba pushes Advantage off and scrambles back to his feet.
Sakuraba comes forward and lands a shot to the body, then darts back out of range.

That's three minutes gone in the round.
A head kick misses from Sakuraba.
Advantage takes a nasty kick to the mid section... That should keep him thinking. Does he try and block and risk a head kick landing?
Sakuraba misses with a body kick.
Advantage is throwing a lot of body shots here, looking to wear down Sakuraba rather than just go for the knockout.
Sakuraba throws a nice inside leg kick.
Sakuraba misses with a leg kick.
Sakuraba misses with a jab and misses with a cross straight after too.
Advantage blocks a low kick nicely.
Sakuraba attempts a leg kick but it's missed by a good margin.
Advantage digs a good hook to Sakuraba's body.
Sakuraba throws a head kick that misses.
Sakuraba pulls out of a head kick attempt.
Sakuraba goes for a spinning back kick but it misses.
Rural Advantage is looking to keep the fight on the feet at all costs.
Advantage fakes low and throws an overhand right that catches Sakuraba on the side of the head.
Advantage tries to clinch up.
Sakuraba closes the distance and takes a jab right on the nose as he does so.
Fantastic stuff here - a very entertaining period of action, which has drawn cheers from the crowd.
Advantage displaying good standup as he scores with a three punch combination.

That's four minutes gone in the round.
Advantage cracks Sakuraba with a right hand to the side of the head.
Advantage lets the fists fly and connects with a left straight followed by a right hook.
Sakuraba goes for a spinning back kick but it misses.
Advantage circles away from the clinch attempt.
Sakuraba throws a head kick but Advantage moves out of range.
Advantage throws a wild combination but nothing lands.
Sakuraba fails to land the takedown.
Sakuraba is breathing heavily.
Advantage digs a good body shot into Sakuraba's ribs.
Advantage scores with a reasonable looking shot to the body. Sakuraba doesn't seem bothered though.

Advantage clinches.
A body shot lands from Advantage.

Advantage breaks the clinch and we return to the middle of the mat.
Advantage misses with a jab and misses with a cross straight after too.
Good exchange - Sakuraba coming out on top.
Sakuraba throws a sloppy head kick and Advantage moves out of range easily.

That's five minutes gone in the round.
Sakuraba avoids the clinch attempt nicely.
Advantage tries to close the distance and clinch but Sakuraba swats him to one side with an open hand palm strike and circles away.
Sakuraba attempts a low kick but it misses it's target.
Sakuraba shoots for a takedown but Advantage saw that one coming a mile off and avoided it easily.
That's three failed takedown attempts in the round for Kazuushi Sakuraba. That's going to take a lot out of him.
Advantage misses with a wild body shot.
Sakuraba dodges the punch combination from Advantage.
Sakuraba takes a body punch but keeps moving.
A head kick misses from Sakuraba.
Sakuraba avoids the clinch attempt nicely.
Sakuraba throws a front kick that sends Advantage stumbling back into the cage.
Advantage jabs at Sakuraba's body.
Advantage slips a jab and a cross from Sakuraba.
Advantage checks the leg kick nicely there.
Advantage is looking to take this fight into the clinch.

That's six minutes gone in the round.
Sakuraba slips a jab and a cross from Advantage.
Sakuraba takes a shot right to the liver - Bas would have been proud of that punch.
Advantage just misses with a punch to the body.
Sakuraba throws a hard body shot but it just misses.
Sakuraba throws a hook to the body but it doesn't connect.
Advantage connects with a body shot that sends Sakuraba's belly button to the back.
Fantastic stuff here - a very entertaining period of action, which has drawn cheers from the crowd.
Advantage throws a nice looking combination but Sakuraba bobs and weaves to avoid any damage.
Sakuraba dodges the punch combination from Advantage.
Sakuraba showing good head movement there, avoiding the strikes from Advantage.
Advantage blocks a head kick by Sakuraba.
The fighters are starting to get sweaty, which will make takedowns a bit more tricky.
Advantage swinging wildly here.
Sakuraba chopping away at his opponent's legs.

That's seven minutes gone in the round.
Sakuraba tries a head kick but it misses.

Sakuraba has Advantage up against the cage in a clinch.

Sakuraba jumps guard.

Advantage gets to his feet. Sakuraba looking to butt scoot but the ref puts an end to that. On your feet son!
Advantage scores with a sloppy right hand. Sakuraba should have avoided that one.
Sakuraba keeps Advantage at a distance using the push kick.
Sakuraba scores with a push kick.
Sakuraba throws a head kick but Advantage moves out of range.
Sakuraba misses with a low kick.
Sakuraba looks to land a combination but Advantage avoids it well.
Advantage fakes a head punch and goes low to the body. Nicely done.
Sloppy strikes from Advantage. Those never looked like landing.
Advantage has developed a nice purple lump on his ribcage, as a result of some heavy body kicks from Sakuraba.
Advantage tries to close the distance and clinch up against the cage but Sakuraba paws at him with a jab and circles away.
Advantage's leg has a nasty welt from taking a succession of leg kicks. That must be slowing him down.
This is a great period of action - very entertaining stuff!
Sakuraba fakes high and swings low for a body shot but Advantage manages to avoid it.

That's eight minutes gone in the round.
Advantage moves in looking to clinch but Sakuraba pushes him off.
Advantage fakes a head shot and lands one to the body.
Advantage misses with a body shot. Nice footwork from Sakuraba.
Advantage takes a swing at Sakuraba's ribcage but misses.
Advantage lands with a nice combination. Sakuraba backs away looking to recover.
Advantage looks to score with a combo but nothing lands.
Sakuraba uses some good footwork to avoid the body shot by Advantage.
Advantage checks a leg kick nicely.
Well, he's not going to score with shots like that. A lazy body kick attempt from Sakuraba.
Sakuraba dives in and grabs Advantage's left leg, looking for a takedown. Advantage pushes down on Sakuraba's head and hops out.
Advantage connects with a single shot there.
Sakuraba throws a leg kick which misses Advantage's front leg but catches the back leg as Advantage tries to avoid it.
Advantage scores with a nice one two combo and darts back out of range to avoid anything coming in the opposite direction.

Advantage clinches.
Advantage tries to land a knee to the body but he is off balance and Sakuraba avoids it.

That's nine minutes gone in the round.
Sakuraba tries a knee to the head but he's missed.
Advantage can't break the clinch.
Advantage wants to stall.

Advantage breaks the clinch and we return to the middle of the mat.
Advantage misses with a series of wild punches.
Advantage looks to score with a combo but nothing lands.
Advantage is looking to clinch.
Sakuraba plants his feet and lands a nice head kick!
The crowd are going absolutely nuts as the round comes to an end - what a fantastic round of action!
Sakuraba looking to throw a kick but he's pulled out of it.
Sakuraba wants to slow Advantage down by chopping away at his legs.
Sakuraba lands a kick to the ribs of his opponent. Nice work there - in and out in a flash.
And that’s the end of the round – the fighters go back to their corners.

Rural Advantage dominated that round.
That's time! Back to the action! This is the final round!

Sakuraba connects with a leg kick. Advantage looked like he was expecting something else and didn't defend it.
Advantage rushes forward with a series of wild hooks but Sakuraba moves out of range and avoids them all easily.
Advantage fails in his attempt to clinch.
Sakuraba stalks Advantage and leaps in with a furious combination of punches. Uppercuts and crosses smash into Advantage's face. Advantage staggers backwards, shaken.
Advantage blocks a head kick by Sakuraba.
Sakuraba showing good head movement there, avoiding the strikes from Advantage.
Sakuraba dodges the punch combination from Advantage.
Sakuraba misses with a half-hearted attempt at a head kick.
Advantage looks shocked there as he takes a right hand to the temple.
Advantage misses with a two punch combination.
Advantage takes a step back and watches a body kick go sailing past his mid section.
Advantage scores with a sloppy punch to the body. Not much technique there but it did the business.
Advantage rushes forward with a series of wild hooks but Sakuraba moves out of range and avoids them all easily.
Sakuraba lands with a slapping head kick.

That's one minute gone in the round.
Sakuraba throws a leg kick but Advantage checks it.
Advantage tries to close the distance and clinch but Sakuraba swats him to one side with an open hand palm strike and circles away.
Sakuraba lands a jab-cross combination.
Sakuraba misses with a low kick.
Advantage throws a hook to the body but it doesn't connect.
Sakuraba is looking to land body kicks.
Sakuraba avoids a punch combination nicely.
Crunch! Sakuraba slams his shin into Advantage's torso.
Rural Advantage seems to be getting the better of the standup.
Advantage takes a shot to the body in his stride.
Sakuraba avoids the body shot from Advantage.
Advantage stuffs the takedown attempt from Sakuraba. Sakuraba gets slowly back to his feet.
Both fighters are absolutely exhausted here.
Sakuraba keeps the fight on the outside.
Advantage swings for the body but Sakuraba moves out of range.

That's two minutes gone in the round.
Advantage throws a nice looking combination but Sakuraba bobs and weaves to avoid any damage.
Sakuraba misses with a half-hearted attempt at a head kick.
Sakuraba is looking to take this fight into the clinch.
Sloppy strikes from Advantage. Those never looked like landing.
Advantage throws a looping overhand right but Sakuraba ducks down to avoid it.
Sakuraba scores with a leg kick.
Sakuraba thumps Advantage with a low kick.

Advantage clinches.
Advantage is trying to work out of this bad position, with his back against the cage.
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 throws a vicious knee straight up the middle but Advantage blocks it with crossed arms.

Advantage breaks the clinch and we're back to striking at distance.
Sakuraba swinging wildly here.
Sakuraba uses some good footwork to avoid the body shot by Advantage.

That's three minutes gone in the round.
Advantage looks to clinch
and Sakuraba counters with a nice low kick that buckles Advantage's knee momentarily.
Advantage throws a series of punches but Sakuraba moves out of range.
Sakuraba takes a shot to the eye socket. That's gotta hurt.
Advantage takes a thudding leg kick, right into the meat of the thigh.
Advantage checks a leg kick.
Advantage misses with a hook.
Advantage fails to land with the punch combination there - jab, cross, hook, miss, miss, miss.
Advantage misses with a few strikes there.
Sakuraba is looking to chop away at Advantage's legs.
Kazuushi Sakuraba is looking to throw some combinations by the looks of things.
Sakuraba goes to the watering hole and comes back with a big thumbs up from the judges as he scores a three punch combo.
Advantage lands a jab, followed by a cross and another cross, as Sakuraba backs up against the cage.
Advantage looks to clinch
and Sakuraba counters with a nice leg kick.
Advantage takes a kick to the side of the head.
Sakuraba moves into range and throws a lovely three punch combination.

That's four minutes gone in the round.
Advantage avoids a kick to the body.
Sakuraba throws a sloppy head kick and Advantage moves out of range easily.
Advantage tries to clinch but Sakuraba moves away
and Sakuraba makes him pay by landing a thudding low kick.
Sakuraba avoids the clinch attempt nicely.

Advantage drives through and clinches with Sakuraba against the cage.
Wooooo! Give it up for these two warriors! They are putting on a show!

Advantage breaks from the clinch.
Sakuraba with a nice looking leg kick. You could hear that one land in a back row.
Advantage blocks a head kick by Sakuraba.
Advantage tries to close the distance and clinch up against the cage but Sakuraba paws at him with a jab and circles away.
Advantage tries to close the distance and clinch but Sakuraba swats him to one side with an open hand palm strike and circles away.
Advantage moves his head to the side to avoid a jab but walks straight into a cross.
Advantage avoids the head kick by Sakuraba.
A bone on bone clash there as Advantage blocks the leg kick.

That's five minutes gone in the round.
Advantage takes a kick to the side of the head.
Sakuraba misses with a head kick.
Advantage throws a combination but comes up with nothing but fresh air.
A telegraphed takedown attempt from Sakuraba is defended easily by Advantage.
Advantage misses with a jab, cross combination.
Sakuraba misses with a half-hearted attempt at a head kick.
Sakuraba scores with a nice body kick.
Advantage moves out of range of the body kick from Sakuraba.
Sakuraba throws a head kick that misses and slips in the process. He scrambles back to his feet and the fighters circle.
Sakuraba drops his hands and takes a jab to the jaw for his troubles.
Sakuraba pushes Advantage away with a front kick.
Advantage avoids a kick to the body.
A combination from Advantage does no damage.

That's six minutes gone in the round.
Advantage cracks a nice hook into Sakuraba's ribs.
Advantage swinging wildly here.
Sakuraba misses with a kick to the body.
Advantage fails with an attempt to clinch.
Advantage looks to score with a jab to the body but Sakuraba is just out of range.
Sakuraba swings for the body but Advantage moves out of range.
Sakuraba misses with a body shot.
Advantage moves out of range of the body kick from Sakuraba.
Advantage just misses with a punch to the body.
Advantage tries to clinch but fails miserably
and Sakuraba counters with a nice low kick that buckles Advantage's knee momentarily.
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 connects with a single shot there.
Advantage throws out a token jab with nothing on it.
Sakuraba keeping a good distance there, avoiding the body shot.
Advantage misses with a double jab.

That's seven minutes gone in the round.
A looping hook to the body misses from Advantage. Sakuraba does a little dance to reset his feet.
Sakuraba lands a high kick!
Sakuraba is looking to slow Advantage down with leg kicks.
Sakuraba dodges the punch combination from Advantage.
Nice body kick there by Sakuraba.
Sakuraba lands a leg kick and bounces back out of range.

Advantage tries to sprawl but Sakuraba drives through with a takedown into half guard.
Advantage is trying to stand back up but Sakuraba is controlling him
Advantage trying to control from the bottom.
Advantage keeping his head moving to avoid the ground and pound.
Sakuraba thumps the canvas. Not on purpose obviously - he just missed Advantage's head.

That's eight minutes gone in the round.
Advantage won't allow Sakuraba to pass to mount.
Still in half guard, Sakuraba seems content to control.
We may be looking at a referee standup if the pace doesn't pick up soon.
Sakuraba throwing shots but Advantage is blocking nicely.
Advantage pushes Sakuraba off but Sakuraba dives into side control.
Fantastic stuff here - a very entertaining period of action, which has drawn cheers from the crowd.
Sakuraba wants to control but Advantage is keeping him busy.
Sakuraba with the ground and pound but Advantage regains half guard under the barage of strikes.
Sakuraba thows a wild elbow that connects with the canvas.

That's nine minutes gone in the round.

Sakuraba seems to be working for a kimura but Advantage defends the submission attempt.
Sakuraba is trying to control the action in half guard but Advantage is working away on the bottom, looking perhaps to get back to full guard.
Advantage wants to get back to his feet.
Sakuraba 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.
Advantage has hold of Sakuraba's hands but Sakuraba slips his arm to the side and lands an elbow.
As the round comes to an end the crowd are showing their appreciation for a great round of action.
Sakuraba working to pass to mount. He's got his hand pressing down on Advantage's thigh. Advantage counters though and makes it back to full guard.

And that's the end of the fight!
Kazuushi Sakuraba showed his dominance in that final round.
I have no idea who won that fight. Let's wait and see whether the judges are as confused as me! Time for a split decision perhaps?!. Over to the ring announcer for the scorecards.

Ladies and gentlemen, after 2 rounds of action, we go to the scorecards for a decision.

Judge Sosuke Kotani scores the fight for Rural Advantage!
Judge Tatsuya Matsuyama scores the fight for Rural Advantage!
Judge Yasuomi Hirokawa scores the fight for Rural Advantage!

Rural Advantage wins by unanimous decision!
An out of breath Rural Advantage thanked his loyal fans in his post fight interview, giving them credit for his success over the course of his career.