PBP Commentary

Coming up we have a welterweight MMA rules bout between Kenji Sakuraba (ranked 0 p4p, 0 weight class) and Ebner Estavez (ranked 0 p4p, 0 weight class). Kenji Sakuraba had a look across the cage there at his opponent. He definitely means business

Sakuraba
vs
Estavez

180 cm
26
180 lbs
1 - 3 - 0

180 cm
25
165 lbs
2 - 1 - 0

BJJ Purple Belt
Brawler
Cuts easily

BJJ Purple Belt
Counter fighter
Granite chin

Ladies and gentlemen. This fight is 3 rounds, in the welterweight division.
Introducing the fighter to my left, fighting out of the red corner.
With a record of 1 - 3 - 0, fighting out of Tokyo, Kenji Sakuraba!
And introducing the fighter to my right, fighting out of the blue corner.
With a record of 2 - 1 - 0, fighting out of Tokyo, Ebner Estavez!
The judges for this bout are Yasuomi Hirokawa, Kenichi Hosakawa and Yukihiro Shimada.

The bell rings for round one and we are underway!
Sakuraba darts in looking for a takedown but Estavez gets double underhooks and turns Sakuraba into the cage.
Sakuraba dodges the punch combination from Estavez.

Estavez shoots in and scores a nice double leg takedown into half guard.
Sakuraba is looking for a sweep. Estavez is wise to his cunning plan and keeps the top position.
The ref warns both fighters not to hold the cage as they work up against the meshing.
Sakuraba trying to control but Estavez postures up.
It looks like Estavez is going to stand back up.
We've had a slow start to the round here - hopefully the action picks up.
Sakuraba moves into full guard.
Estavez preventing the sweep.

That's one minute gone in the round.
Sakuraba is trying to control the position from the bottom.

Sakuraba is working an open guard so Estavez takes the opportunity to get back to his feet.
Estavez fails with an attempt to clinch.
Sakuraba darts in looking for a takedown but Estavez gets double underhooks and turns Sakuraba into the cage.
Estavez fails with the takedown.

Estavez gets taken down but at least he's managed to land in guard.
Estavez wants to sweep but no luck.
Sakuraba slows down the pace of the fight, as he sits in guard.

That's two minutes gone in the round.

Sakuraba is holding a leg here, probably looking for an ankle lock - he drops back and goes for it! Estavez is in trouble! Is it all over??? No! Estavez has escaped and now he's on top!

I've been told that Estavez has been drilling his wrestling of late, which has already helped him take this fight to the mat. Let's see how much of an impact it has on the outcome of the ground game.

Estavez avoids a guillotine attempt easily.

Sakuraba looking for a guillotine here but Estavez defends easily.
Sakuraba looking to hit a scissor sweep but Estavez is one step ahead there.

That's three minutes gone in the round.
Estavez slips nicely into half guard.
Sakuraba gets full guard.
Estavez loading up with the ground and pound but he's missing more than he's landing in this flurry.
Estavez stands and throws Sakuraba's legs to the side, diving into side control.
Estavez working the ground and pound from side control.
Sakuraba struggling a bit here.
Sakuraba gets back to half guard.
The fighters are pressed up against the cage, both looking to find a bit of space to work.
Estavez thows a huge punch but Sakuraba dodges it nicely.

That's four minutes gone in the round.
Sakuraba manages to get to full guard.
Estavez missing there with some ground and pound from the guard.
Sakuraba is adopting a defensive guard.
Estavez trying to stand up but can't free himself from Sakuraba's guard.
Estavez trying to control but Sakuraba is working from the bottom.
Boooooooooooooooooooo!!! God, this has been a terrible round. Come on you two, sort yourselves out!

Estavez gets to his feet - Sakuraba follows without any prompting.
Sakuraba tries to shoot in for a takedown. He's got hold of a leg but Estavez swivels and escapes.
That's three failed takedown attempts in the round for Kenji Sakuraba. That's going to take a lot out of him.
A looping hook to the body misses from Sakuraba. Estavez does a little dance to reset his feet.
Estavez tries to counter with a clinch but Sakuraba shakes him off and moves away.
And that’s the end of the round – the fighters go back to their corners.

Ebner Estavez dominated that round.
That's time! Sakuraba's corner gives him a slap on the ass as he gets ready to fight.

Sloppy strikes from Estavez. Those never looked like landing.
Sakuraba closes the distance and lands a one-two.

It looks like Ebner Estavez has been cut.
Estavez lands a jab followed by a nice looking cross.
Sakuraba shoots in but doesn't get the takedown
and Estavez counters with a one-two to the body.
Sakuraba shoots in but no luck this time.
Estavez fails miserably with a takedown attempt.
As Estavez looks to move away, Sakuraba throws a big counter combo bu Estavez just gets out of the way.
Estavez swinging wildly here.
Sakuraba closes the distance and clinches up with Estavez, looking for a takedown. Sakuraba pushes Estavez against the cage but Estavez circles to the side and manages to break the clinch.
And an attempted straight right on the counter from Estavez! But no joy.
That's three failed takedown attempts in the round for Kenji Sakuraba. That's going to take a lot out of him.
Decent striking displayed by Sakuraba there.

That's one minute gone in the round.
Sakuraba throws a right hand that Estavez ducks under and follows up with a left that Estavez also avoids with ease.
A really sloppy takedown attempt there from Sakuraba.
Estavez doesn't manage to clinch there - Sakuraba circles away.
Sakuraba swung with a counter right hand that didn't connect.

Sakuraba shoots in with a lovely double leg takedown. Estavez manages to land in full guard to minimise the damage.
Estavez is trying to stand up but he's not managed so far.
Sakuraba trying to control but Estavez is working from the bottom.
Sakuraba controlling from the guard. I say controlling but really, he's stalling.

That's two minutes gone in the round.
Estavez is pulling down on Sakuraba's head. It's preventing any offense from Sakuraba, at least for the moment.
Sakuraba is stalling in the full guard.
Sakuraba working some strikes from top position.
Sakuraba is intent on slowing down the pace of the fight, simply looking to control.

That's three minutes gone in the round.
Estavez keeping moving, preventing Sakuraba from controlling successfully.

The referee has motioned to the fighters to stand back up. He just wasn't happy with the level of activity.
A nice combination there by Estavez.
Sakuraba takes a kick to the body and keeps moving.
Some bone on bone action there as Sakuraba checks a low kick. Luckily it wasn't a particularly hard one.

Sakuraba shoots in for a takedown and gets it.
Estavez won't allow Sakuraba to pass to mount.
Sakuraba missing with the ground and pound from half guard.

Sakuraba is working for a kimura here but Estavez manages to reverse the position and he's now in Sakuraba's guard.

That's four minutes gone in the round.
Sakuraba seems keen to control Estavez's posture.

Sakuraba is active off his back here, looking for submissions.
Sakuraba trying to control the position.
Estavez is sitting in guard, working some ground and pound.

Sakuraba is active off his back here, looking for submissions.
Estavez advances to half guard.
And that’s the end of the round – the fighters go back to their corners.

A close second round but Ebner Estavez will probably get the nod - 10:9.
The cut man is working on Ebner Estavez's cut.
OK. That's time! The bell goes and we're back to the action. This is the final round!

Estavez looks frustrated there after his takedown attempt is stuffed easily.
Sakuraba fails with a takedown attempt.
Estavez shoots in but no luck this time.
Sakuraba shoots in looking for a double leg takedown. Estavez defends it nicely.
We've had a slow start to the round here - hopefully the action picks up.

Estavez darts in and lands a nice takedown into half guard.
Estavez wants to take a breather but Sakuraba is having none of it.

That's one minute gone in the round.

Sakuraba looking for submissions off his back.
Sakuraba is working for an escape here. He's hooked one of Estavez's legs and he's managed to sneak out and take Estavez's back!

Sakuraba is persistently looking for the submission but Estavez is defending it well.
Estavez turns into Sakuraba and is now in his guard.
Estavez advances position into side control!
Estavez fails to land a wild elbow strike.

That's two minutes gone in the round.
Estavez working away.

Estavez is trying to get an arm triangle but Sakuraba is defending well.
Sakuraba is looking to reverse the position.
Sakuraba manages to get one leg in to regain half guard.
Sakuraba wants to control but Estavez is keeping busy and won't allow it.
Estavez wants to stand up but Sakuraba has a hold of him and won't allow it.
Estavez is keen to just control but Sakuraba is a slippery customer.
Sakuraba tries to strike from the bottom but it doesn't land.
Sakuraba is looking to get back to full guard here but Estavez has managed to pass to side control instead.

That's three minutes gone in the round.
Sakuraba manages to get back to half guard.
Both fighters are breathing heavily.

Sakuraba actively working from the bottom here.
Estavez tries to pass the half guard into mount. Sakuraba knows what he's doing though and prevents the attempt.
Sakuraba wants to control but Estavez is keeping busy and won't allow it.
Sakuraba tries to roll over but Estavez keeps him under control.
Sakuraba has no desire to be mounted, so is trying to control. Estavez is working away from the top position though.
Estavez wants to take a breather but Sakuraba is having none of it.
The referee is asking the fighters to pick up the pace.
Sakuraba wants to get back to full guard.

That's four minutes gone in the round.
A few boos can be heard. I'm sure they will multiply if the fighters don't pick up the pace.
Sakuraba blocking the ground and pound attempt from Estavez.

The referee decides to stand the fighters back up.
Estavez shoots in for a takedown. He's persisting with it as Sakuraba sprawls well. Sakuraba wins this battle and keeps the fight standing. Estavez gets slowly back to his feet.
Sakuraba changes levels looking for a counter takedown but doesn't commit.
Kenji Sakuraba has stuffed three takedown attempts in the round now. That's going to take a lot out of Ebner Estavez.
Estavez throws a sloppy head kick and Sakuraba moves out of range easily.
Sakuraba shoots in for a takedown but Estavez shows good takedown defense.
Nice takedown defense from Estavez. No joy for Sakuraba on that attempt.
Despite the aggression on Estavez's face he doesn't fully commit to the counter.
Estavez dives in for a single leg takedown but Sakuraba sprawls and the fighters end up clinched against the cage.

Estavez fakes an overhand right and shoots for a takedown. Sakuraba sprawls well initially but Estavez persists and gets the takedown into half guard.
The crowd thankful this round is nearly over.
Estavez is looking to take a break and control but Sakuraba is keeping him honest, looking to work from the bottom.
Estavez missing with the ground and pound from half guard.

And that's the end of the fight!
Ebner Estavez comfortably won the final round on my scorecard.
Well Estavez 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 Yasuomi Hirokawa scores the fight 27:30
Judge Kenichi Hosakawa scores the fight 27:30
Judge Yukihiro Shimada scores the fight 27:30

In favor of your winner, by unanimous decision... Ebner Estavez!