PBP Commentary

Coming up we have a bantamweight MMA rules bout between Joe Sai (ranked 0 p4p, 0 weight class) and Yuki Hagiwara (ranked 0 p4p, 0 weight class). Hagiwara is bobbing his head along to his entrance song: Ice Ice Baby - Vanilla Ice. Joe Sai has the better chin. Will he look to stand and bang today?

Sai
vs
Hagiwara

165 cm
19
145 lbs
0 - 1 - 0

167 cm
24
138 lbs
3 - 1 - 0

BJJ White Belt
Excellent MT
Granite chin

Decent wrestler
Brawler
Tends to cut

Ladies and gentlemen. This fight is 3 rounds, in the bantamweight division.
Introducing the fighter to my left, fighting out of the red corner.
With a record of 0 - 1 - 0, fighting out of Tokyo, Joe Sai!
And introducing the fighter to my right, fighting out of the blue corner.
With a record of 3 - 1 - 0, fighting out of Tokyo, Yuki Hagiwara!
The judges for this bout are Yukihiro Shimada, Yasuomi Hirokawa and Sosuke Kotani.

The bell rings for round one and we are underway!
Sai fails with a takedown attempt.

Sai moves into range and clinches up with Hagiwara.

Sai breaks the clinch and we return to the middle of the mat.
Sai shoots in for a takedown. He's persisting with it as Hagiwara sprawls well. Hagiwara wins this battle and keeps the fight standing. Sai gets slowly back to his feet.
Hagiwara feints the counter takedown.
Hagiwara misses with a takedown attempt. He shot from a bit too far out.
We've had a slow start to the round here - hopefully the action picks up.

Hagiwara drops down and drives through with a powerful takedown into guard.
Hagiwara chips away with some ground and pound.
Sai controls Hagiwara momentarily but Hagiwara frees himself.

That's one minute gone in the round.
Hagiwara's corner is telling him to maintain position.
Hagiwara connects with a couple of short punches.
Hagiwara's corner is telling him to maintain position.

Sai is looking for a triangle but Hagiwara pushes his legs off easily.
The ref warns both fighters not to hold the cage as they work up against the meshing.
Hagiwara looking to control the position here, rather than advance.
The referee is asking the fighters to pick up the pace.
Sai trying to keep a closed guard but Hagiwara is proving a slippery customer.

The referee has motioned to the fighters to stand back up. He just wasn't happy with the level of activity.

That's two minutes gone in the round.
The crowd are showing their displeasure at the lack of action as loud boos ring out around the arena.

Hagiwara is looking for a takedown here. He's shot in and has managed to get it, finishing up in Sai's half guard.
Sai is looking to control Hagiwara's leg but it's slowly edging free. Can Sai avoid being mounted?
Hagiwara tries to stand and escape but Sai is controlling the position.
Sai wants to improve his position but Hagiwara is controlling well.
The fighters are pressed up against the cage, both looking to find a bit of space to work.
Hagiwara working over Sai with some ground and pound. Sai looks like he wants out of this position, which is understandable.
Neither fighter is being very active at the moment, with Hagiwara in particular looking to stall.
Hagiwara winds up and cracks Sai with a swinging punch to the side of the head.

That's three minutes gone in the round.
Nice strikes from Hagiwara there.
Hagiwara is thwarting Sai's attempts to control the position.
Hagiwara moves nicely into side control.
Sai takes a nasty elbow to the side of the head.
Hagiwara landing a few strikes.
Sai tries to get back to half guard but can't.
Hagiwara has the superior BJJ but he's also working some ground strikes into his gameplan.
Hagiwara is chipping away with strikes.

That's four minutes gone in the round.
Sai takes an elbow right on the bridge of the nose and winces in pain.
Hagiwara working away.
Hagiwara working the ground and pound from side control.
Sai takes a nasty elbow to the side of the head.
Sai is trying to stand back up. He's worked his way up against the cage but Hagiwara has just dragged him back down to the mat.
Sai tries to bench press Hagiwara off him but Hagiwara keeps the position.
Hagiwara remains in side control and seems content to stay there. It's a versatile position from which he can work both strikes and submissions, whilst maintaining that control, so maybe he'll sit here for a while.
Boooooooooooooooooooo!!! God, this has been a terrible round. Come on you two, sort yourselves out!
Hagiwara advances nicely into full mount.
And that’s the end of the round – the fighters go back to their corners.

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

Hagiwara looks for a takedown but Sai sprawls well.
Sai has a takedown stuffed.
Sai looks to have improved his striking defense since last time we saw him fight.

Hagiwara fakes an overhand right and shoots for a takedown. Sai sprawls well initially but Hagiwara persists and gets the takedown into half guard.
Hagiwara stalling.
Sai wants to control but Hagiwara is keeping busy.
We've had a slow start to the round here - hopefully the action picks up.
Hagiwara works his foot free and advances to mount.

That's one minute gone in the round.
Hagiwara landing strikes, looking to finish!
Hagiwara in mount throwing good strikes here, bouncing his opponent's head off the canvas.
Yuki Hagiwara has got the better of the ground game so far.
BOOM! Hagiwara connects with a massive shot to the dome!

It looks like Joe Sai has been cut.
The referee warns Sai that he has to improve his position here as he takes two more clean shots to the head.
Hagiwara in mount throwing good strikes here, bouncing his opponent's head off the canvas.
Hagiwara lands with some strikes.

Sai is rocked!
Hagiwara lands a nice shot to the head.
Oh Sai is still in real trouble! Will he be able to recover?!!
A big strike lands for Hagiwara! That's really hurt Sai and he's turned his back - Hagiwara keeps firing away and the ref dives in to stop the fight! Hagiwara jumps to his feet to celebrate the victory!

Ladies and gentlemen, after 2:58 of round 2, we have a winner by way of TKO (Strikes). Yuki Hagiwara!
An out of breath Yuki Hagiwara thanked his loyal fans in his post fight interview, giving them credit for his success over the course of his career.