PBP Commentary

Coming up we have a middleweight MMA rules bout between Monty Sanchez (ranked 0 p4p, 0 weight class) and Arata Kasuga (ranked 0 p4p, 0 weight class). We have two fighters making their debuts here, so let's see who comes out of this one with their first professional victory.

Sanchez
vs
Kasuga

225 cm
18
193 lbs
0 - 0 - 0

178 cm
18
185 lbs
0 - 0 - 0

BJJ Blue Belt
Counter fighter
Cuts easily

BJJ Blue Belt
Basic striking
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 0 - 0 - 0, fighting out of Tokyo, Monty Sanchez!
And introducing the fighter to my right, fighting out of the blue corner.
With a record of 0 - 0 - 0, fighting out of Tokyo, Arata Kasuga!
The judges for this bout are Hirohito Nitta, Yasuomi Hirokawa and Sosuke Kotani.

The bell rings for round one and we are underway!
Sanchez swinging wildly here.
Sanchez swings away but doesn't land with a series of punches.
Kasuga is looking to clinch but Sanchez is avoiding it.
Sanchez tries to clinch up.
Sanchez swings and misses with a hook to the body.
And Kasuga tries to counter it with a takedown but Sanchez pushes his down on his head and steps out.

Sanchez has taken the fight to the clinch.
Sanchez takes an elbow to the temple.

It looks like Monty Sanchez has been cut.

Kasuga has picked Sanchez up - he's going for a ride! Kasuga dumps his opponent to the mat with a thud and settles into half guard.
The ref warns both fighters not to hold the cage as they work up against the meshing.
Kasuga missing with the ground and pound from half guard.
Kasuga trying to mount his opponent but Sanchez defends it.
Sanchez wants to control but Kasuga is keeping busy and won't allow it.

That's one minute gone in the round.
Sanchez throws a strike from the bottom that misses.
Kasuga is looking to advance position but Sanchez won't allow it.
Sanchez is looking to regain full guard. Not this time though.
Kasuga seems very keen to just sit and control from half guard but Sanchez does not like that idea so much and is remaining active off his back.

The ref stands the fighters back up due to a lack of activity.
Sanchez fails to land with the punch combination there - jab, cross, hook, miss, miss, miss.
Kasuga lands with a kick to the ribs.
Sanchez really does look like a pencil wearing a pair of gloves. Let's hope he has a gameplan to suit that ridiculous body shape.
A chopping leg kick lands by Kasuga.

Kasuga shoots in and scores a nice double leg takedown into half guard.

That's two minutes gone in the round.

Kasuga is working for a kimura but Sanchez is defending it quite comfortably.
Kasuga is just sitting in half guard, waiting for something to happen.
Sanchez tries to get to full guard but Kasuga has control of the leg.

That's three minutes gone in the round.
Kasuga is looking to advance position but Sanchez won't allow it.
Sanchez slips a foot under and gets full guard. Nice work.
Kasuga is frustrating his opponent with some stalling tactics from top position.
Sanchez pulls Kasuga in close to his closed guard and prevents Kasuga from doing any damage or advancing position.

The referee has decided to stand the fighters back up, so we'll restart on the feet.

That's four minutes gone in the round.
A lull in the action here being met with boos from the crowd.
Sanchez dodges the punch combination from Kasuga.
Kasuga slips under a jab from Sanchez.
Sanchez showing good head movement there, avoiding the strikes from Kasuga.
Sanchez tries to close the distance and clinch but Kasuga swats him to one side with an open hand palm strike and circles away.
Kasuga is definitely looking for the counter takedowns here.
Sanchez tries to clinch up but Kasuga circles away and keeps his distance.
Sanchez avoids a lazy jab quite easily.
Sanchez attempts a counter takedown but Kasuga avoids it well and moves away.
The crowd thankful this round is nearly over.

Kasuga looking to score a takedown here. Sanchez is defending well but Kasuga drives through and ends up in Sanchez's guard.
The fighters are pressed up against the cage, both looking to find a bit of space to work.
Sanchez is trying to control the position but Kasuga postures up.
And that’s the end of the round – the fighters go back to their corners.

Arata Kasuga dominated that round.
The cut man is working on Monty Sanchez's cut.
Well, the break between rounds is over. Let's get back to the scrappin!

That kick from Kasuga tenderised Sanchez's leg. Sanchez is trying to keep his angry face on.

Sanchez takes the fight into the clinch.
A frustrated look appears on Sanchez's face as he tries to break the clinch.
Kasuga misses with a knee to the head.
Sanchez throws a nice elbow but it doesn't land.
Kasuga wants to push off and get back to the center of the mat but Sanchez has him pressed against the cage.
Kasuga tries a knee to the head but Sanchez blocks it.
We've had a slow start to the round here - hopefully the action picks up.
Kasuga prevents Sanchez from breaking the clinch.
Kasuga has been the more effective fighter overall so far.

Kasuga pulls guard successfully.
Sanchez is just sitting in guard, looking to avoid any submissions.

That's one minute gone in the round.
Sanchez's ground tactics aren't going to win him many fans. Let's hope he's got fireworks for us if he gets back to his feet because he's not doing much on the ground.
Sanchez working in close now, lands a nice elbow to the side of Kasuga's head.
Arata Kasuga has got the better of the ground game so far.
Kasuga not looking particularly offensive just at the moment.
Kasuga has Sanchez pulled in close to control his posture.
We must be close to a standup if these guys don't pick up the pace.
Sanchez slows down the pace of the fight, as he sits in guard.

The referee has decided to stand the fighters back up, so we'll restart on the feet.

That's two minutes gone in the round.
Neither fighter has done anything of merit for a good minute or two here and the crowd are not happy about it.
Kasuga is looking to clinch.
Sanchez tries to clinch up but Kasuga circles away and keeps his distance.

Kasuga decides to change it up a bit and drives through with a nice takedown into half guard.
Kasuga missing with some ground and pound from the half guard.
Sanchez trying to hold on to Kasuga's head to control him but Kasuga postures up.
Kasuga wants to control but Sanchez is keeping him busy.
Sanchez wants to improve his position but Kasuga is controlling well.
Kasuga is trying to control. Sanchez wants to improve his position but can't escape this time.

That's three minutes gone in the round.
Sanchez works his way to full guard. Good work.
Kasuga postures up.

The ref stands the fighters back up due to a lack of activity.

Kasuga closes the distance and scores a nice trip takedown into half guard. Sanchez did well to prevent Kasuga getting side control.
Sanchez is looking to regain full guard. Not this time though.
Sanchez has no desire to be mounted, so is trying to control. Kasuga is working away from the top position though.
Sanchez slips a foot under and gets full guard. Nice work.

That's four minutes gone in the round.
Kasuga would like to get this fight back to the feet but can't get free from the closed guard.
Sanchez keeping full guard, as Kasuga tries to pass.
Sanchez will need to keep those long limbs tucked in whilst he's on the ground, to prevent any submissions.
Sanchez is pulling down on Kasuga's head to control his posture.
We must be close to a standup if these guys don't pick up the pace.
Boooooooooooooooooooo!!! God, this has been a terrible round. Come on you two, sort yourselves out!
Kasuga postures up to throw the ground and pound strikes but they don't connect.

The ref stands the fighters back up due to a lack of activity.
And that’s the end of the round – the fighters go back to their corners.

Arata Kasuga showed his class in that round. I'd imagine he'll take it on all the scorecards.
The cut man is working on Monty Sanchez's cut.
The fighters' corners scream their final instructions, as the referee calls time. Here we go, back to the action! The crowd applaud as we get ready to start the final round!

Sanchez looks to land a combination but Kasuga avoids it well.

Kasuga closes the distance and after a bit of a stuggle, scores a takedown into Sanchez's guard.
Kasuga looking to sit in guard and control but Sanchez gets the butterfly guard and sweeps. He's now in the guard on the top.

Kasuga is pulling down on Sanchez's head to control his posture.
Kasuga 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.
We've had a slow start to the round here - hopefully the action picks up.
Sanchez controlling from the top position.
Further stalling from Sanchez.

That's one minute gone in the round.
Sanchez scoring with some ground and pound.
Sanchez not doing a lot at the moment. He'll have to show some more aggression or the fight will get stood up.
Kasuga not looking particularly offensive just at the moment.
Sanchez controlling from the guard. I say controlling but really, he's stalling.

The referee decides to stand the fighters back up.
Arata Kasuga seems to be the more aggressive standup fighter in this bout.
Kasuga tries to close the distance and clinch up against the cage but Sanchez paws at him with a jab and circles away.

That's two minutes gone in the round.
Well. There's a bit of a lull in the action here and the crowd are starting to get restless.
Sanchez wants to clinch up but Kasuga keeps it at a distance.

Kasuga gets tackled into the cage by Sanchez. Sanchez maintains the clinch.

Sanchez manages to break the clinch.
Kasuga is the aggressor but that punch slipped nicely by Sanchez.
Sanchez tries to counter by clinching up but Kasuga breaks away and moves out of range.
Sanchez tries to clinch up.
Kasuga feints the counter takedown.
Sanchez circles away from the clinch attempt.

Sanchez moves into the clinch successfully.

Kasuga jumps guard.
Kasuga can't do much from the bottom at the moment, as Sanchez controls the pace.
Kasuga looking to control.

That's three minutes gone in the round.

Kasuga escapes his hips to the side and looks to be working for an armbar. Sanchez gives him a little smile and shakes his head. No chance.
Kasuga takes a big intake of breath there - he's definitely tired.
Kasuga has control of Sanchez's left arm, preventing Sanchez from doing any damage.
Sanchez is taking a break and basically stalling. The referee will not allow him to do that for long.

That's four minutes gone in the round.
The crowd are getting on the fighters' backs, as the pace has dropped off in the last minute or so.

The referee has decided to stand the fighters back up, so we'll restart on the feet.
Sanchez wants to clinch up but Kasuga keeps it at a distance.
Sanchez circles away from the clinch attempt.
Kasuga tries a head kick but it misses.
Like a baseball bat into the meat of his leg there - nice leg kick by Kasuga.
Arata Kasuga is fighting for a decision - hopefully he's judged it right and he's actually winning the fight.
Sanchez will need to tighten up his combinations if he doesn't want to gas himself out, swinging at thin air.
Monty Sanchez is looking to throw some combinations by the looks of things.
Boooooooooooooooooooo!!! God, this has been a terrible round. Come on you two, sort yourselves out!
Sanchez fails in his attempt to clinch.
Monty Sanchez has stepped it up - he knows he needs a finish here!
Kasuga moves in looking to clinch but Sanchez pushes him off.

And that's the end of the fight!
That was a close round. You could make an argument for either fighter but I would give it to Monty Sanchez.
I think Kasuga has won this one but let's see whether the judges agree with me. 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 Hirohito Nitta scores the fight 28:30
Judge Yasuomi Hirokawa scores the fight 28:29
Judge Sosuke Kotani scores the fight 28:29

In favor of your winner, by unanimous decision... Arata Kasuga!
Arata Kasuga seemed lost for words in his post fight interview but he remembered to thank his fans and directed everyone to his website.