PBP Commentary

Coming up we have a super heavyweight MMA rules bout between Paul Alexander (ranked 0 p4p, 0 weight class) and Rikiya Sonoda (ranked 0 p4p, 0 weight class). Paul Alexander has a significant reach advantage - let's see if he can make it count.

Alexander
vs
Sonoda

225 cm
28
300 lbs
9 - 5 - 0

192 cm
28
272 lbs
8 - 6 - 0

Good wrestling
Basic striking
Very strong

BJJ Purple Belt
Excellent MT
Good gas tank

Kore Fight Nutrition [TG]

Ladies and gentlemen. This fight is 3 rounds, in the super heavyweight division.
Introducing the fighter to my left, fighting out of the red corner.
With a record of 9 - 5 - 0, fighting out of Las Vegas, Paul Alexander!
And introducing the fighter to my right, fighting out of the blue corner.
With a record of 8 - 6 - 0, fighting out of Rio de Janeiro, Rikiya Sonoda!
The judges for this bout are Stewart Dunkirk, George Francis and Alan Glass.

The bell rings for round one and we are underway!
An inside leg kick lands from Sonoda.
Sonoda pulls out of a head kick attempt.
Alexander takes a body kick right on the floating rib. Ouchie.

A momentary lapse in concentration from Sonoda enables Alexander to shoot in and score with a neat double leg. Sonoda manages to secure a closed guard as the fighters hit the mat.
Alexander has to be careful here, sitting in the guard of a superior BJJ player.
It looks like the ref is thinking about a standup.
Sonoda trying to strike off his back.
Alexander postures up and lands some nice ground and pound.
Alexander trying to control but Sonoda is working from the bottom.
Alexander throwing elbows and punches but not connecting, as Sonoda works some decent striking defense from the bottom.
Sonoda is trying to stand up but he's not managed so far.
Alexander wants to pass the guard but Sonoda is keeping the position.

Sonoda escapes his hips to the side and looks to be working for an armbar. Alexander gives him a little smile and shakes his head. No chance.
Both fighters really going for it on the ground here!
Fantastic stuff here - a very entertaining period of action, which has drawn cheers from the crowd.
Sonoda keeping moving, preventing Alexander from controlling successfully.
Sonoda looks more muscular than last time we saw him. He must have been on the weights.
The fighters are pressed up against the cage, both looking to find a bit of space to work.

That's one minute gone in the round.
Alexander postures up and lands some nice ground and pound.
Sonoda throws a couple of shots from the bottom but they don't land.
Sonoda preventing the ground and pound from doing any damage.
Sonoda is looking to stand up but Alexander isn't so interested in that idea.
Sonoda keeping moving, preventing Alexander from controlling successfully.
Alexander works over Sonoda with some ground and pound from guard.
Alexander won't allow Sonoda to get back to his feet.
Alexander stands up and looks to throw the legs aside to pass to side control. Sonoda swivels though and keeps the full guard.
Alexander won't allow Sonoda to get back to his feet.
Alexander stands up and looks to throw the legs aside to pass to side control. Sonoda swivels though and keeps the full guard.

That's two minutes gone in the round.
The fighters are starting to perspire pretty heavily.
Alexander seems content to control from guard here. He's going to have to remain active though if he doesn't want to get stood back up.
The crowd are loving this. Great action here.
Alexander pushing down on Sonoda's thigh, trying to pass to half guard. He's managed it... Nice work.
Alexander with a momentary lay and pray from half guard.

Alexander is working for a submission of some sort.
Alexander stops Sonoda from getting back to his feet.
Alexander is scoring with some nice ground and pound from the dominant position.
Alexander throwing shots but Sonoda is blocking nicely.
Alexander content to control rather than advance.
Sonoda wants to get back to his feet.

That's three minutes gone in the round.
Alexander wants to lay and pray for a moment but Sonoda keeps working.
Alexander working the head and body with strikes.
Sonoda is trying to stand back up but Alexander is controlling him
Alexander wants to control but Sonoda is keeping him busy.
Sonoda is trying to defend against the ground and pound but Alexander scores with a couple of nice shots.

Alexander seems to be working for a kimura but Sonoda defends the submission attempt.
Sonoda wants to get back to his feet.
Sonoda regains full guard. Nicely done.
Alexander lands a couple of decent looking shots.
Alexander trying to control the position from guard on top but Sonoda is wriggling around, looking for whatever he can.
Alexander will need to keep those long limbs tucked in whilst he's on the ground, to prevent any submissions.
Sonoda is wriggling around but Alexander manages to pass to half guard.

That's four minutes gone in the round.
Wooooo! Give it up for these two warriors! They are putting on a show!
Sonoda is looking to regain full guard. Not this time though.
Alexander seems very keen to just sit and control from half guard but Sonoda does not like that idea so much and is remaining active off his back.
Sonoda is looking to escape.
Alexander lands with a punch from half guard.
Alexander wants to lay and pray for a moment but Sonoda keeps working.
Ground and pound from Alexander.
Sonoda looks like he's trying to stand up.
Sonoda tries to get to full guard but Alexander has control of the leg.
Alexander seems content to maintain position for now, rather than mounting any offense.
The crowd are going absolutely nuts as the round comes to an end - what a fantastic round of action!
Alexander scoring with strikes to the body and head.
Nice strikes from Alexander there.
And that’s the end of the round – the fighters go back to their corners.

Paul Alexander dominated that round.
That's time! Back to the action!

Alexander has taken the fight to the clinch.
Alexander takes an elbow to the temple.
Alexander avoiding damage as Sonoda throws knees to the body.
Both fighters working to control the clinch.
Sonoda creates a bit of distance and throws an elbow that only just misses.
Sonoda pushes off and fires off an elbow that misses, before clinching up again, against the cage.
Alexander drops down for a takedown but doesn't get it.
Sonoda lands an elbow just above Alexander 's eye.

It looks like Paul Alexander has been cut.
With the fighters up against the cage, Sonoda throws an elbow but misses.
Sonoda tries to land a knee to the head but Alexander blocks with his arms.
Alexander takes an elbow to the forehead.
Sonoda stops a takedown attempt from Alexander.

That's one minute gone in the round.
Sonoda landing knees to the body.
Sonoda lands a knee to the head there! That was nasty!
Both fighters are absolutely exhausted here.
This is a great period of action - very entertaining stuff!
Sonoda landing knees to the body.
Sonoda landing knees to the body. They look like they could hurt.
Sonoda is trying to wear down his opponent with knees to the body.
Rikiya Sonoda seems to be working more effectively in the clinch in the fight so far.
Sonoda scores with a knee to the head.
Sonoda connects with a knee to the head.
Alexander takes a knee to the side of the body.
Alexander takes an elbow to the temple.
Alexander takes a knee to the side of the body.
Sonoda lands an elbow that stopped Alexander in his tracks for a moment.
Sonoda lands a nice knee to the body.
Alexander takes an elbow to the forehead.
Sonoda working Alexander over with knees to the body.

That's two minutes gone in the round.
Kneeeeees! The crowd are calling for knees to the body. Sonoda obliges.
Sonoda using the Thai clinch to land knees to the body.
Sonoda tries to land a knee to the head but misses.
Sonoda looking to throw knees to the head but Alexander is blocking nicely.
Sonoda lands a knee to the head there! That was nasty!

Alexander is rocked!
Sonoda using the Thai plumb to throw knees but Alexander has his back arched nicely, preventing the strike.
Sonoda lands an elbow inside that Alexander shrugs off.
Oh Alexander is still all over the place! His legs are completely gone! Will he be able to recover?!!
Kneeeeees! The crowd are calling for knees to the body. Sonoda obliges.
Sonoda lands an elbow inside that Alexander shrugs off.
Clinched against the cage, Sonoda lands a big elbow that drops Alexander! The ref dives in to save him from more shots - Alexander is complaining that he's OK but he was done.

Ladies and gentlemen, after 2:51 of round 2, we have a winner by way of TKO (Strikes). Rikiya Sonoda!
Rikiya Sonoda managed to slip a mention for his sponsors, Kore Fight Nutrition [TG], into his post fight interview.