PBP Commentary

Coming up we have a middleweight MMA rules bout between Gaston Sweet (ranked 0 p4p, 0 weight class) and Hanamichi Sakuragi (ranked 0 p4p, 0 weight class). Gaston Sweet had a look across the cage there at his opponent. He definitely means business

Sweet
vs
Sakuragi

150 cm
19
193 lbs
2 - 4 - 0

190 cm
24
185 lbs
1 - 2 - 0

BJJ Blue Belt
Counter fighter
Cuts easily

BJJ Blue Belt
Solid Muay Thai
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 2 - 4 - 0, fighting out of Tokyo, Gaston Sweet!
And introducing the fighter to my right, fighting out of the blue corner.
With a record of 1 - 2 - 0, fighting out of Tokyo, Hanamichi Sakuragi!
The judges for this bout are Yuuki Gou, Yukihiro Shimada and Sosuke Kotani.

The bell rings for round one and we are underway!

Sweet fakes an overhand right and shoots for a takedown. Sakuragi sprawls well initially but Sweet persists and gets the takedown into half guard.
Sakuragi is looking to control Sweet's leg but it's slowly edging free. Can Sakuragi avoid being mounted?

Sweet is thinking about going for an arm triangle but he can't free his leg.
Sakuragi is concentrating on defense, preventing Sweet from advancing position.
Sakuragi is looking to control Sweet's leg but it's slowly edging free. Can Sakuragi avoid being mounted?
Sakuragi is looking to improve his position.
The ref warns both fighters not to hold the cage as they work up against the meshing.
Sakuragi looks winded!

That's one minute gone in the round.

Sweet is thinking about going for an arm triangle but he can't free his leg.
Sweet throwing punches and elbows but they're not doing any damage.
Sweet wants to stand but Sakuragi has hold of a leg and an arm, so he's trapped for now.

Sweet wants to work for an arm triangle but Sakuragi is really keeping half guard well and defending the submission attempt.

Sweet is working for a submission of some sort.

That's two minutes gone in the round.

Sweet looking for a kimura but he'll have to free his other leg if he wants to finish that. Perhaps he's just using it as a distraction technique.
Sweet stops Sakuragi from getting back to his feet.

That's three minutes gone in the round.
Sakuragi slips a foot under and gets full guard. Nice work.
Sweet landing with the ground and pound.
Sakuragi is trying to control the position from the bottom.
Sweet could do with losing a few pounds - he looks very soft around the mid section, to put it politely.

That's four minutes gone in the round.
Sweet scoring with some ground and pound.
Sweet chips away with some ground and pound.
Sweet working some ground and pound from guard but it's not doing any damage.
We've been informed that Sakuragi has been working hard on his conditioning in the buildup to the fight.
Sweet in full guard, throwing the ground and pound. No damage this time.
Sweet landing with the ground and pound.
Sweet with a flurry of punches that miss.
Sweet chips away with some ground and pound.
And that’s the end of the round – the fighters go back to their corners.

Gaston Sweet dominated that round.
The fighters get back to their feet, the hooter sounds and we're back to the action!

A telegraphed takedown attempt from Sakuragi is defended easily by Sweet.
Sweet throws a head kick but Sakuragi moves out of range.
Sakuragi gets his takedown attempt stuffed easily
and Sweet counters with a stiff right hand.
Sweet lands a nice looking body shot.
Sweet misses with an uppercut.
Sakuragi is breathing heavily.
Sweet throws a hook to the body but it doesn't connect.
Sakuragi moves away from the strike by Sweet.
Hanamichi Sakuragi seems to be the more aggressive standup fighter in this bout.

That's one minute gone in the round.
Sakuragi throws a looping left and ducks down for a takedown. He's got his arms around Sweet's waist but Sweet gets an underhook and avoids the takedown by throwing Sakuragi off to one side.
Gaston Sweet has stuffed three takedown attempts in the round now. That's going to take a lot out of Hanamichi Sakuragi.
Sakuragi blocks a jab.
Sakuragi avoids the head kick by Sweet.
Sakuragi fails to land the takedown.
Sweet lands a right hook to the body.
Sakuragi will need to tighten up his combinations if he doesn't want to gas himself out, swinging at thin air.
Sweet tries to score a power double leg takedown but Sakuragi sees that one coming and sprawls well. That will dishearten Sweet somewhat.

That's two minutes gone in the round.
Sakuragi blocks a head kick by Sweet.

Sakuragi takes the fight into the clinch.
Sweet gets double underhooks to prevent a takedown attempt from Sakuragi.
Sweet tries to work over Sakuragi's body with a swooping hook but it only glances the target.
Sweet can't break the clinch.

Sweet manages to break the clinch.

That's three minutes gone in the round.
Sakuragi takes a shot right to the bread basket.
Sweet tries a head kick but it misses.

Sweet gets a clinch.
Sweet misses with a hook to the ribs.
Sweet is trying to work out of this bad position, with his back against the cage.

Sakuragi manages to break the clinch.
Sakuragi shoots in for a takedown. He's persisting with it as Sweet sprawls well. Sweet wins this battle and keeps the fight standing. Sakuragi gets slowly back to his feet.
Sweet tries a switch kick but it misses it's target.

That's four minutes gone in the round.

Sakuragi instigates a clinch.
Sakuragi has had enough of the clinch and is looking to separate.
Sweet is trying to break free.

Sakuragi's corner calls for him to break the clinch, which he does.
Sakuragi shoots and misses

and Sweet counters with a nice single leg takedown and he's in Sakuragi's guard now.
The crowd are loving this. Great action here.

Sakuragi working away from the bottom but not quite defensive enough there because Sweet has passed into half guard!
Sweet working the head and body with strikes.
And that’s the end of the round – the fighters go back to their corners.

Gaston Sweet dominated that second round.
OK. That's time! The bell goes and we're back to the action. And we move into the final round!

Sweet drives through with a takedown into Sakuragi's guard. Let's see what he can do from the top position.
Gaston Sweet overall seems to be getting the better of the ground position in the fight so far.
Sakuragi wants to sweep here but Sweet controlling him for the moment.
Sweet is looking to work some ground and pound but Sakuragi has wrist control.
Sweet scoring with some ground and pound.
Sakuragi controls Sweet momentarily but Sweet frees himself.
Sweet in full guard, throwing the ground and pound. No damage this time.
The fighters are pressed up against the cage, both looking to find a bit of space to work.
Sakuragi takes a big intake of breath there - he's definitely tired.
Sweet throws a big elbow that misses.

That's one minute gone in the round.
Sweet trying to stand up but can't free himself from Sakuragi's guard.
Sweet distracts Sakuragi with his right hand and drops a big elbow with his other arm.
Sweet with a couple of shots to the head there. Not particularly brutal.
Sakuragi avoiding any damage from the ground and pound.
Sweet trying to stand up but can't free himself from Sakuragi's guard.
Sweet lands a nice shot whilst sitting in his opponent's guard.

That's two minutes gone in the round.
Sweet working from the guard for now, landing some ground and pound.
Sweet 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.
Sweet postures up and lands some nice ground and pound.
Sweet lands a couple of decent looking shots.
Sakuragi controls Sweet momentarily but Sweet frees himself.
Sweet loading up with the ground and pound but he's missing more than he's landing in this flurry.
Sweet working from the guard for now, landing some ground and pound.
Sweet is working the ground and pound from guard. He might want to try advancing position though to get more of an impact.

That's three minutes gone in the round.
Sweet throwing strikes from guard but Sakuragi blocks nicely.
Sakuragi throws a couple of weedy looking strikes off his back.
Sakuragi 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.
Hammerfist, elbow! yells Sweet's corner. There ya go! There ya go!
Sweet working some strikes from top position.
Sakuragi 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.

That's four minutes gone in the round.
Hammerfist, elbow! yells Sweet's corner. There ya go! There ya go!
Sakuragi utilising some decent striking defenses from the guard, preventing the ground and pound.
Sweet works over Sakuragi with some ground and pound from guard.
Sweet cracks Sakuragi with a solid left hand.
The crowd applaud the fighters efforts here as the round comes to an end.
Sweet distracts Sakuragi with his right hand and drops a big elbow with his other arm.
Sakuragi working the defensive guard well to avoid strikes from Sweet.

And that's the end of the fight!
Gaston Sweet showed his dominance in that final round.
Well Sweet has outscored his opponent in every aspect of the fight today. Only a scarily incompetent judge or two will keep him from a well deserved win... 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 Yuuki Gou scores the fight 30:27
Judge Yukihiro Shimada scores the fight 30:27
Judge Sosuke Kotani scores the fight 30:27

In favor of your winner, by unanimous decision... Gaston Sweet!