PBP Commentary

Coming up we have a welterweight MMA rules bout between Aaron Andrews (ranked 0 p4p, 0 weight class) and Kazushi Sakuraba (ranked 0 p4p, 0 weight class). Aaron Andrews has the better chin. Will he look to stand and bang today?

Andrews
vs
Sakuraba

173 cm
29
180 lbs
13 - 9 - 0

183 cm
26
183 lbs
19 - 12 - 0

Abu Dhabi Champ
Excellent boxer
Granite chin

Powerful takedowns
Excellent boxer
Powerful

Ultra Fight Gear
ACME-Blood Red Q158 Always $30 (5% Laundry SALE)

Ladies and gentlemen. This fight is 5 rounds, in the welterweight division.
Introducing the fighter to my left, fighting out of the red corner.
With a record of 13 - 9 - 0, fighting out of Helsinki, Aaron Andrews!
And introducing the fighter to my right, fighting out of the blue corner.
With a record of 19 - 12 - 0, fighting out of Tokyo, Kazushi Sakuraba!
The judges for this bout are Edson Gomes, Daniel Cesar and Emerson Jorge.

The bell rings for round one and we are underway!
Andrews throws a right and a left that Sakuraba avoids nicely.
Andrews moves into range and lands a nice body kick.
Sakuraba closes the distance and clinches up with Andrews, looking for a takedown. Sakuraba pushes Andrews against the cage but Andrews circles to the side and manages to break the clinch.
Sakuraba fails with a takedown attempt.

Andrews darts in and lands a nice takedown into half guard.
The referee is asking the fighters to pick up the pace.
Sakuraba is looking for a sweep. Andrews is wise to his cunning plan and keeps the top position.
Andrews is looking to take a break and control but Sakuraba is keeping him honest, looking to work from the bottom.
Sakuraba is working for an escape here. He's hooked one of Andrews's legs and he's managed to sneak out and take Andrews's back!
Andrews just trying to survive but Sakuraba is wriggling into a better position, looking to finish.
Sakuraba is trying to stick to Andrews's back but Andrews is turning into Sakuraba. He's managed to reverse the position - now he's in Sakuraba's guard. Polite applause from the crowd in appreciation of some nice Jiu Jitsu by Andrews.
Sakuraba wants to sweep but no luck.
Wooooo! Give it up for these two warriors! They are putting on a show!
Sakuraba keeping moving, preventing Andrews from controlling successfully.
Andrews stands up and looks to throw the legs aside to pass to side control. Sakuraba swivels though and keeps the full guard.

That's one minute gone in the round.
Andrews won't allow Sakuraba to sweep him here.
The ref warns both fighters not to hold the cage as they work up against the meshing.

Sakuraba working for a triangle but Andrews defends it easily.

Andrews got a little sloppy there for a moment and Sakuraba has worked his way into a loose triangle - can he finish it?! No, Andrews has managed to get both his arms back between Sakuraba's legs - danger averted.
Sakuraba keeping moving, preventing Andrews from controlling successfully.
Andrews is really struggling to control Sakuraba but he's trying to hold on to the position.
Andrews pushes down on Sakuraba's leg and manages to get into half guard.
Sakuraba is looking for a sweep. Andrews is wise to his cunning plan and keeps the top position.
Andrews wants to pass the guard but Sakuraba is defending well.
Sakuraba manages to get to full guard.

That's two minutes gone in the round.
Andrews working some ground and pound from guard but it's not doing any damage.

Sakuraba looks to be working for a triangle here. Oh, it looks like he might have it! Andrews has picked Sakuraba up and slammed him! Sakuraba can't keep hold of the triangle and Andrews manages to pass to side control!
Sakuraba prevents Andrews from moving into mount.
Andrews wants to lay and pray for a moment but Sakuraba keeps working.
Andrews staying calm.
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!
Andrews wants to control but Sakuraba is keeping him busy.
Sakuraba gets one leg under and gets the fight to half guard.
Sakuraba tries to get to full guard but Andrews has control of the leg.

That's three minutes gone in the round.
Sakuraba is persisting with the attempt to improve his position.
Sakuraba works his way to full guard. Good work.
Andrews trying to control the position from guard on top but Sakuraba is wriggling around, looking for whatever he can.
The fighters are pressed up against the cage, both looking to find a bit of space to work.
Sakuraba wants to sweep here but Andrews controlling him for the moment.
Sakuraba is working the butterfly guard. He manages to land a nice scissor sweep and is now in half guard on the top. Nice move.
Andrews is looking to improve his position.

That's four minutes gone in the round.

Sakuraba is looking for a kimura here.
Andrews is controlling Sakuraba's position as best he can from this difficult position.
Andrews works his way to full guard. Good work.
Andrews looking to sweep here. No luck so far.
Sakuraba must be cautious of submissions here, given that his opponent has the superior Jiu Jitsu.
Andrews is trying to control the position but Sakuraba postures up.
Andrews looking to sweep using the butterfly guard but Sakuraba puts pay to that idea as he passes nicely into half guard.
This is a great period of action - very entertaining stuff!
Andrews is looking to improve his position.
Andrews trying to hold on to Sakuraba's head to control him but Sakuraba postures up.
Both fighters really going for it on the ground here!
As the round comes to an end the crowd are showing their appreciation for a great round of action.
Andrews desperately trying to maintain half guard.

Andrews is defending against the submission attempts here by Sakuraba.
And that’s the end of the round – the fighters go back to their corners.

Aaron Andrews dominated that round.
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.

Andrews gets caught napping as Sakuraba dives in and scores a takedown. Andrews manages to retain guard.
Sakuraba wants to pass the guard but Andrews is keeping the position.

Andrews has a loose triangle. He'll be looking to tighten that up but Sakuraba can see exactly what he's planning and manages to posture up and free himself.
Aaron Andrews overall seems to be getting the better of the ground position in the fight so far.
Andrews manages to land a sweep and now he's in mount on top!
Sakuraba really trying hard to get back to half guard here.
Andrews trying to control but Sakuraba is having none of it.

Andrews working for a submission but Sakuraba is keeping him at bay.

That's one minute gone in the round.
Sakuraba is working to get back to half guard.
Sakuraba wriggling around on the bottom manages to avoid the strikes thrown by Andrews.
Sakuraba is squirming around, avoiding Andrews's attempts to control the action.
Andrews controlling from the full mount.
Sakuraba sneaks a leg back under and regains half guard and is working straight away to try and get back to guard. He hasn't managed just yet though.
Andrews takes advantage of the dominant position to land a couple of big hammer fists.
Andrews prevents Sakuraba from improving his position.
Sakuraba slips a foot under and gets full guard. Nice work.

That's two minutes gone in the round.

Sakuraba is working actively from the bottom, looking for submissions. He's escaped his hips to the side and he's going for an armbar! Andrews has his hands clasped together but Sakuraba extends an breaks Andrews's desperate grasp, forcing a tap out due to armbar! Nice BJJ displayed there by Sakuraba.

Ladies and gentlemen, after 2:21 of round 2, we have a winner by way of Submission (Armbar). Kazushi Sakuraba!
Kazushi Sakuraba gave a mention to ACME-Blood Red Q158 Always $30 (5% Laundry SALE) in his post fight interview. That will please them (and hopefully generate some sales).