PBP Commentary

Coming up we have a middleweight MMA rules bout between Kazushi Sakuraba (ranked 0 p4p, 0 weight class) and Mieszko Szczygiel (ranked 0 p4p, 0 weight class). This should be a great matchup!

Sakuraba
vs
Szczygiel

183 cm
24
190 lbs
12 - 4 - 0

175 cm
27
192 lbs
9 - 7 - 0

Powerful takedowns
Counter striker
Insanely flexible

BJJ Brown Belt
Good kicks
Granite chin

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 12 - 4 - 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 - 7 - 0, fighting out of Tokyo, Mieszko Szczygiel!
The judges for this bout are Shirou Masuda, Yuuki Gou and Yukihiro Shimada.

The bell rings for round one and we are underway!

Sakuraba shoots in from a long way out. He's driving through with the takedown attempt and he eventually gets it, landing in Szczygiel's guard.
Sakuraba looking to sit in guard and control but Szczygiel gets the butterfly guard and sweeps. He's now in the guard on the top.
Sakuraba manages to sweep nicely, so he's now on top. Szczygiel manages to get himself to full guard.
There's a bit of a scramble here and now Szczygiel is on top in guard.

Sakuraba is looking for a triangle but Szczygiel pushes his legs off easily.

Szczygiel avoids a guillotine attempt easily.
Sakuraba trying to keep a closed guard but Szczygiel is proving a slippery customer.
Sakuraba wants to sweep here but Szczygiel controlling him for the moment.
Szczygiel wants to control from the top but Sakuraba keeps moving.

That's one minute gone in the round.

Sakuraba had isolated an arm as going for a kimura. Szczygiel defends it easily.
Szczygiel looking to control the position here, rather than advance.
Szczygiel trying to control but Sakuraba is working from the bottom.

OK we're going to have a standup here. Mieszko Szczygiel hasn't been effective enough on the ground and the referee wants a restart.
Szczygiel wants to clinch up but Sakuraba keeps it at a distance.

That's two minutes gone in the round.
Sakuraba sees a low kick coming and goes to check it, but it's actually a body kick and it thuds into his unprotected ribs.
Szczygiel is looking to take this fight into the clinch.
Szczygiel tries to clinch but Sakuraba is having none of it.

Sakuraba clinches with his opponent.
Sakuraba tries to pull guard but can't drag his opponent to the mat. Szczygiel just stands there and leans against the ropes.
Sakuraba jumps guard but Szczygiel turns him against the ropes and keeps the fight standing.
Szczygiel stalling in the clinch.
Sakuraba tries to pull guard but Szczygiel won't allow it.
That's three failed takedown attempts in the round for Kazushi Sakuraba. That's going to take a lot out of him.
Szczygiel prevents a takedown attempt there.
Szczygiel lands a good knee to the midsection. Sakuraba won't want to take too many of those.

That's three minutes gone in the round.
Szczygiel avoiding damage.
Szczygiel landing knees to the body.
Sakuraba is trying to pull guard but Szczygiel turns him against the ropes and we stay in the clinch.
Szczygiel is looking to control Sakuraba's arms but Sakuraba gets an underhook and turns him. Now Szczygiel has his back to the ropes.
Sakuraba is trying to work for a single leg takedown but Szczygiel pulls him back up using the underhooks.
Szczygiel lands an elbow that stopped Sakuraba in his tracks for a moment.
Sakuraba wants to take the fight to the mat but Szczygiel manages to get underhooks and keep the fight in the clinch.
Szczygiel with the Thai clinch, lands a knee to the head.
Szczygiel landing knees to the head.
Szczygiel unloads a knee to the mid-section. Sakuraba lets out a prehistoric sounding urrrrgh.
Sakuraba is breathing heavily.
Szczygiel throws a knee to the head but misses.
Szczygiel lands an elbow that stopped Sakuraba in his tracks for a moment.
Szczygiel controlling the action here for a moment.
This has been an exciting period of action!
Szczygiel lands an elbow inside.

That's four minutes gone in the round.
Szczygiel with a knee to the head.
Szczygiel lands a nice knee to the body.
Szczygiel is pressed up against the ropes. Sakuraba has hold of a leg and is looking to drag Szczygiel down to the mat. Szczygiel avoids the attempt though and has circled away. We're back to striking at a distance.

Szczygiel gets to the clinch - let's see what his plan is here.
Stalling in the clinch from Szczygiel.
Sakuraba fails to pull the fight into his guard.
Szczygiel connects with a knee to the head.
Szczygiel is trying to wear down his opponent with knees to the body.
The crowd are going absolutely nuts as the round comes to an end - what a fantastic round of action!
Szczygiel with a knee to the head.

Sakuraba is rocked!
Szczygiel stalling here - the referee won't stand for too much of that.
Oh Sakuraba is still all over the place! His legs are completely gone! Will he be able to recover?!!
Szczygiel scores with a knee to the head.
Szczygiel has the Thai clinch. He lands a big knee to the head that stumbles Sakuraba - he's in trouble! Another big knee to the head from Szczygiel, and another! Sakuraba is out on his feet - the ref jumps in to save him and ends the fight!

Ladies and gentlemen, after 4:59 of round 1, we have a winner by way of TKO (Knees). Mieszko Szczygiel!