PBP Commentary

Coming up we have a middleweight MMA rules bout between Amin Sax (ranked 0 p4p, 0 weight class) and Taka Sho (ranked 0 p4p, 0 weight class). Sax comes into the arena with Infected Mushroom - Smashing The Opponent blaring out of the sound system. Over to our ring announcer for the fighter introductions!

Sax
vs
Sho

181 cm
36
190 lbs
18 - 25 - 1

184 cm
26
183 lbs
10 - 9 - 0

Good wrestling
Great low kicks
Granite chin

Good wrestler
Excellent MT
Determined

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 18 - 25 - 1, fighting out of Helsinki, Amin Sax!
And introducing the fighter to my right, fighting out of the blue corner.
With a record of 10 - 9 - 0, fighting out of Tokyo, Taka Sho!
The judges for this bout are Gregory Folan, Ian Loll and William Peck.

The bell rings for round one and we are underway!
Sho misses with an uppercut.
Horrible takedown by Sho or perhaps it was just good defense by Sax which made him look bad.

Sho gets caught on his heels momentarily as he allows Sax to score an easy takedown into full guard.
Sho looking to hit a scissor sweep but Sax is one step ahead there.
Sho doesn't do any damage with a couple of strikes from the bottom.
Sho keeping full guard, as Sax tries to pass.
Sax lands a couple of decent looking shots.
Sax is looking to work some ground and pound but Sho has wrist control.

Sho is looking for a guillotine. You can't force these things though and Sax defends well.
The ref warns both fighters not to hold the cage as they work up against the meshing.
Sax sneaks a leg through and gets to half guard. That was like a knife through butter how easily he passed Sho's guard.

Sho is defending against the submission attempts here by Sax.
Sax is thwarting Sho's attempts to control the position.

That's one minute gone in the round.
Sax stalling.
Sho has no desire to be mounted, so is trying to control. Sax is working away from the top position though.
Sax wants to lay and pray for a moment but Sho keeps working.
Both fighters really going for it on the ground here!
Sax frees up his trapped foot and advances to mount.
Sho is working to get back to half guard.
Sax avoids the attempt from Sho to control.
Sho tries to get back to half guard but can't.

That's two minutes gone in the round.

Sax looks like he's working for a submission but he's not found anything just yet.

Sax working to secure an arm triangle but it's not happening for him just yet.
Sax raining down shots from the mount!
Sax wants to control the action but instead Sho gets a body lock and reverses into Sax's guard! Nice work!
Sho with a nice head shot there.
Sax keeping moving, preventing Sho from controlling successfully.
We've seen a great period of action over the last minute or so - credit to both fighters for going all out!

Sax has his foot on Sho's thigh. He's trying to push off and get in position for a triangle, I think. Sho works his way back into a safe position though.
Sho scoring with punches to the head and body.

Sax had isolated an arm as going for a kimura. Sho defends it easily.

Sax looking for a guillotine here but Sho defends easily.

That's three minutes gone in the round.
Sho postures up and lands a big shot to Sax's brow.

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

Sho avoids a guillotine attempt easily.
Sho landing with the ground and pound.
Sho working from the guard for now, landing some ground and pound.
Sho scores with a decent looking elbow strike.
Sax looking for a sweep. Not yet Sax, not yet.

Sax looking for submissions from the bottom here. Moving his hips around, possibly looking for an armbar.

That's four minutes gone in the round.
Sho makes a bit of distance and scores with some ground and pound, still in guard.
The crowd are loving this. Great action here.
Sho lands a couple of digs.
Sho wants to control from the top but Sax keeps moving.
Sax being controlled here, momentarily.
Sho postures up and scores with a shot to the body and a follow up elbow to the head.
Sho stands up over Sax, holding his feet. He dives back in and lands a decent shot to the head.

Sax is looking for a triangle but Sho pushes his legs off easily.
Sho scoring with punches to the head and body.
Sax wants to sweep here but Sho controlling him for the moment.
The crowd are going absolutely nuts as the round comes to an end - what a fantastic round of action!
Sho in full guard, throwing the ground and pound. No damage this time.
Sax keeping moving, preventing Sho from controlling successfully.
Sho works over Sax with some ground and pound from guard.
And that’s the end of the round – the fighters go back to their corners.

A close round but Taka Sho will probably get the nod.
The referee calls time. The cornermen exit stage left and we're back to business.

Sax darts in and lands a nice takedown into half guard.
Sax thows a huge punch but Sho dodges it nicely.

Sax is sneakily working for an arm triangle but Sho sees it coming and defends easily.
Sho trying to control from the bottom.
Sho is looking for a sweep. Sax is wise to his cunning plan and keeps the top position.
Sax moves into full mount! Sho won't be happy about that!
Sho is squirming around, avoiding Sax's attempts to control the action.
Sho is looking to improve his position but Sax isn't that keen on the idea.
Sax wants to control the pace but Sho is squirming around nicely.
Sho is looking to get to half guard.

That's one minute gone in the round.
Sho tries to lock up and control but Sax gives him a forearm to the face and pushes him away.
Sho working to try and regain half guard.
Sax lands a big elbow.
Sax takes a little breather and maintains the position. The referee will be looking for him to stay active from such a dominant position though.
Sho is trying desperately to improve position.
Sho slips a leg in and gets back to half guard.
Sax seems content to maintain position for now, rather than mounting any offense.

Sax is looking for a kimura but he's never going to get it from there.
Sho is looking to control Sax's leg but it's slowly edging free. Can Sho avoid being mounted?

That's two minutes gone in the round.

Sho looking for submissions from an awkward position here.

Sho is defending against the submission attempts here by Sax.
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!
Sho gets back to full guard.
Sax trying to control but Sho is working from the bottom.
The fighters are pressed up against the cage, both looking to find a bit of space to work.
Sax stands up and looks to throw the legs aside to pass to side control. Sho swivels though and keeps the full guard.
Sho can't keep his opponent in guard - Sax advances to half guard, no doubt looking to mount.
Sax is trying to control the action in half guard but Sho is working away on the bottom, looking perhaps to get back to full guard.

That's three minutes gone in the round.

Sax wants to work for an arm triangle but Sho is really keeping half guard well and defending the submission attempt.
Sax wants to control but Sho is keeping him busy.
Sho manages to get to full guard.
Sho lands a beautiful switch and he's in full mount! That could spell trouble for Sax!
Sho working the ground and pound effectively.
Sax is bucking up trying to escape but Sho cracks him with another couple of good strikes.
Sho scoring with some good ground and pound from mount here. Will he manage to finish Sax?
Sax is not a happy chappy… he wants out of there.
The crowd cheering loudly, showing their appreciation for the quality fight we're seeing here.
Sho breaks from Sax's wrist control and lands an elbow.
Sax is bucking up trying to escape but Sho cracks him with another couple of good strikes.
Sax keeping his composure momentarily, calmly looking to get back to half guard.

That's four minutes gone in the round.
Sho lands a heavy elbow.
Sax is in all sorts of trouble here.
Sax in a bad spot here, taking shots to the head.
Sax is trying to stand.
Both fighters are absolutely exhausted here.
Sho working the ground and pound effectively.
Sax regains half guard.
Sax is trying to stand up here but Sho is controlling him well.
Sho landing with strikes to the body and head, softening up his opponent.
Sho looks towards his corner to check for any instructions. The corner give him nothing to work with, so he cracks Sax with a short hammerfist. I guess that's as good as any advice he could get in this position.
Sho takes advantage of the dominant position to land a couple of big hammer fists.
The crowd are going absolutely nuts as the round comes to an end - what a fantastic round of action!
Sax is trying to stand.
Sho is keeping good posture, landing some ground and pound.
Sax taking some punishment here, with Sho in his half guard.
Sax is refusing to be controlled, as Sho sits in half guard.
And that’s the end of the round – the fighters go back to their corners.

Taka Sho showed his class in that round. I'd imagine he'll take it on all the scorecards.
That's the end of the round. The referee orders the cornermen out of the cage so we can get back down to business. Ladies and gentlemen, this is the final round!

Like a baseball bat into the meat of his leg there - nice leg kick by Sho.
Sho stuffs a takedown. It's all about dictating where the fight takes place and Sho wants it to stay on the feet.
Sho lands with a shot to the body.
Sho throws a chopping leg kick but Sax manages to avoid taking any serious damage.
Sax takes a step back and watches a body kick go sailing past his mid section.
Sho keeps the fight standing with a nice sprawl.
Sax walks straight into a jab right on the nose. That one stung - he's blinking and trying to clear his head.
Sax looks shocked there as he takes a right hand to the temple.
Sho uses good footwork to get in and out and land a nice right hand before Sax has time to react.
The crowd are loving this. Great action here.
Sax takes a step back and watches a body kick go sailing past his mid section.
Sax misses with a takedown attempt - Sho sprawls well and throws a nice strike on the way out which just misses.
That's three failed takedown attempts in the round for Amin Sax. That's going to take a lot out of him.
Sax takes a step back and watches a body kick go sailing past his mid section.
Sho lands a body shot.
Amin Sax is looking to throw some combinations by the looks of things.
Both fighters are breathing heavily.
Sho scores with a spinning back kick!
Sho turns his hip over beautifully as he lands a nice leg kick.
Sax takes a body kick right on the floating rib. Ouchie.

That's one minute gone in the round.
Sho lands a leg kick that knocks Sax off balance momentarily.
Wow, both these guys are really going for it!
Sho pivots, looking for a leg kick but Sax is out of range and Sho settles back down.
Nice body punch from Sho.
Sho fakes and then throws a beautiful body shot. Sax looks a bit winded and takes a step backwards to take a breath.
Taka Sho seems to be getting the better of the standup.
Sho misses with an attempted mid kick.
Ouch! a nice leg kick from Sho, right into the meat.
Sho misses with a body shot.
Well, he's not going to score with shots like that. A lazy body kick attempt from Sho.
Sax misses with a takedown attempt. He shot from a bit too far out.
A looping hook to the body misses from Sho. Sax does a little dance to reset his feet.
Sax takes a thudding leg kick, right into the meat of the thigh.
Sho throws a sloppy head kick and Sax moves out of range easily.
Sho looks to throw the jab but Sax is out of range.
Nice sprawl there from Sax as Sho shoots in.
Sax throws a body kick but he wasn't in range.
Sax shoots in for a takedown. "Ole!" shouts Sho as he jumps to the side.

That's two minutes gone in the round.
This is a great period of action - very entertaining stuff!
Sho lands a head shot.
Sax shoots in looking for a takedown but Sho manages to keep the fight standing, pushing Sax's face into the canvas for good measure before circling away.
Crunch! Sho slams his shin into Sax's torso.
Sho ducks down and throws a hook to the body but Sax moves away.
Sho lands a really nice looking cross but Sax seems unphased.
Sho shoots in looking for a takedown. Sax tries to sprawl out of it but Sho keeps driving through. The fighters are pinned against the cage. Sax manages to get underhooks and after a bit of a struggle, circles away and we're back to standing.
Sax on the receiving end of a decent leg kick there by Sho. Sho obviously looking to wear him down.
Sax thuds a mid kick into his opponent's body. That will wear on Sho if he has to take too many more of those.
Sho throws a half hearted mid kick.
Sho misses with a body kick.
Sho scores with a jab to the jaw.
Sax dives in and grabs Sho's left leg, looking for a takedown. Sho pushes down on Sax's head and hops out.
Sho fakes the leg kick and cracks Sax in the body.
Amin Sax has stepped it up - he knows he needs a finish here!

That's three minutes gone in the round.
Sho tries to land with a swinging hook to the body but Sax was well out of range. Poor timing from Sho.
Sax swinging wildly here.
Nice straight punches there by Sho. You know Roy Jones Jr respects the hands of Sho.
Sho defends well against a solid takedown attempt from Sax.

Excellent takedown into side control there by Sax.
Sho is looking for a sweep.
Sax is looking to take a break and control but Sho is keeping him honest, looking to work from the bottom.
Sho manages to get back to half guard.
Sax is keen to just control but Sho is a slippery customer.
Sho is trying to control but can't.

Sax is working for a kimura but Sho is defending it quite comfortably.

That's four minutes gone in the round.
Sho wants to control but Sax is keeping busy and won't allow it.

Sho actively working from the bottom here.
Sax is thwarting Sho's attempts to control the position.
This has been an exciting period of action!
The fighters are battling for position here. Sho manages to regain full guard. Nice work.
Sho is working an open guard here, looking to improve his position. No doubt that will leave him open to counters but at least he's being more offensive.
Sho keeping full guard, as Sax tries to pass.
The crowd are going absolutely nuts as the round comes to an end - what a fantastic round of action!
Sax working in close now, lands a nice elbow to the side of Sho's head.

Sho throwing his legs up looking for a triangle.
Sho preventing the ground and pound from doing any damage.

And that's the end of the fight!
Taka Sho comfortably won the final round on my scorecard.
Well Sho has outworked and out performed his opponent in all aspects of the game today. He was simply too good and the decision should be no more than a formality. 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 Gregory Folan scores the fight 27:30
Judge Ian Loll scores the fight 27:30
Judge William Peck scores the fight 27:30

In favor of your winner, by unanimous decision... Taka Sho!