PBP Commentary

Coming up we have a featherweight MMA rules bout between Keizo Sawaki (ranked 0 p4p, 0 weight class) and Matthew Kurose (ranked 0 p4p, 0 weight class). Sawaki comes to the ring accompanied by Kodo by Yoshida Brothers. Over to our ring announcer for the fighter introductions!

Sawaki
vs
Kurose

175 cm
21
155 lbs
2 - 1 - 0

176 cm
20
145 lbs
4 - 4 - 1

BJJ Blue Belt
Brawler
Big heart

BJJ Purple Belt
Counter striker
Solid chin

Ladies and gentlemen. This fight is 3 rounds, in the featherweight division.
Introducing the fighter to my left, fighting out of the red corner.
With a record of 2 - 1 - 0, fighting out of Tokyo, Keizo Sawaki!
And introducing the fighter to my right, fighting out of the blue corner.
With a record of 4 - 4 - 1, fighting out of Tokyo, Matthew Kurose!
The judges for this bout are Shigeki Sano, Sosuke Kotani and Kenichi Hosakawa.

The bell rings for round one and we are underway!
Sawaki works his jab well there, keeping his opponent at a distance.
Sawaki looks to land a combination but Kurose avoids it well.
Sawaki is looking to take this fight into the clinch.
Sawaki tries to close the distance and clinch up against the ropes but Kurose paws at him with a jab and circles away.
Sawaki throws a big shot that misses.
Sawaki throws a jab to the body, straight down the pipe. Boom. That sent Kurose stumbling backwards but he manages to regain his composure quickly.
Sawaki takes a solid shot to the body. That one hurt him but he's trying not to show it.
Sawaki jabs at Kurose's body.
Sawaki slips a jab and a cross from Kurose.
Kurose displays some good footwork, moving neatly out of range as Sawaki throws out the jab.

Kurose closes the distance and looks for a trip takedown... aaaand he's got it - Kurose lands in his opponent's guard.
Kurose trying to control but Sawaki is working from the bottom.
Kurose is fighting to break Sawaki's control of his arms but Sawaki is doing a good job of controlling the position at the moment.

That's one minute gone in the round.
Kurose slows down the pace of the fight, as he sits in guard.
Kurose is sitting in guard, working some ground and pound.
Sawaki wants to sweep but no luck.
Kurose thows a big elbow that misses.
Sawaki bucks up whilst keeping hold of a body lock, managing to reverse the position. Now he's in top in Kurose's guard.
Kurose trying to control the position.
Kurose wants to sweep but no luck.

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.
Kurose pulls Sawaki in to control the position.
Kurose striking from his own guard.
Kurose is trying to control the position but Sawaki postures up.
Kurose wants to sweep here but Sawaki controlling him for the moment.
Kurose trying to punch from his back but it's not doing any damage.
Kurose keeping moving, preventing Sawaki from controlling successfully.

The referee decides to stand the fighters back up.
Kurose slips a jab and a cross from Sawaki.
Kurose closes the distance and clinches up with Sawaki, looking for a takedown. Kurose pushes Sawaki against the ropes but Sawaki circles to the side and manages to break the clinch.
Kurose looks gassed!
Decent striking displayed by Sawaki there.
Well, he's not going to score with shots like that. A lazy body kick attempt from Sawaki.
Sawaki throws a looping overhand right but Kurose ducks down to avoid it.

That's three minutes gone in the round.
Kurose throws a looping overhand right but Sawaki ducks down to avoid it.
Sawaki's corner calls for a 1-2. Sawaki obliges with the 1 part as he scores the single shot and moves back out of range.
Kurose circles away from the clinch attempt.
Sawaki is looking to take this fight into the clinch.

Sawaki drives through with a takedown into guard.
Kurose will have to put a bit more behind his punches if he's going to do any damage from this position.
Sawaki wants to pass the guard but Kurose is keeping the position.
Kurose 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.
Kurose is persisting with the attempt to improve his position.
Sawaki has to be careful here, sitting in the guard of a superior BJJ player.

That's four minutes gone in the round.

Kurose working for a triangle but Sawaki defends it easily.
Sawaki won't allow Kurose to sweep him here.
Sawaki content to stall in guard here.
Kurose is working from a closed guard but he's struggling to control his opponent.

Well, the referee has seen enough. Neither fighter is active enough on the ground so he's stood them back up.
Sawaki throws a head kick but Kurose moves out of range.
And that’s the end of the round – the fighters go back to their corners.

Keizo Sawaki dominated that round.
Well, the break between rounds is over. Let's get back to the scrappin!

Sawaki falls off balance throwing a combination
and Kurose counters with a straight right hand.
Sawaki thows a body shot but no joy.
A clash of legs there as Sawaki blocks the low kick.
Sawaki scores to the head and body with a nice combination!
Sawaki is looking to clinch but Kurose is avoiding it.
Kurose scores with a punch to the head.
Sawaki shoots in looking for a takedown. Kurose tries to sprawl out of it but Sawaki keeps driving through. The fighters are pinned against the ropes. Kurose manages to get underhooks and after a bit of a struggle, circles away and we're back to standing.
Sawaki keeping a good distance there, avoiding the body shot.
Kurose ducks under a wild hook from Sawaki.
Sawaki on the wrong end of a vicious looking body shot.

That's one minute gone in the round.
Kurose avoids the clinch attempt nicely.
Sawaki connects with a looping left hand that seems like it dazed Kurose momentarily.
Sawaki swings for the body but Kurose moves out of range.
Kurose uses good footwork to avoid the strikes from Sawaki.
Kurose walks forward and throws out a flicking leg kick. Sawaki checks it nicely though, as he moves to the side.
Well, he's not going to score with shots like that. A lazy body kick attempt from Sawaki.
The crowd cheers as Sawaki lands an impressive looking overhand right. Kurose doesn't seem phased though.
Sawaki ducks under an overhand right and circles away with a smile on his face.
Sawaki fails with an attempt to clinch.
Sawaki misses with a hook. Kurose ducked under it nicely.
Kurose doesn't succeed with the takedown
and Sawaki counters with a good, hard body kick but Kurose shrugs it off.
Kurose is breathing heavily.

That's two minutes gone in the round.
Sawaki misses with a looping right.
Sawaki misses the shot to the body.
Sawaki scores with a nice one two combo and darts back out of range to avoid anything coming in the opposite direction.
Kurose gets his takedown attempt stuffed easily
and Sawaki counters with a good right hand that lands right on the jaw.
Sawaki moves out of range as Kurose strikes.
Sawaki misses with a body kick.
Sawaki connects with the punch.
Sawaki misses with a body shot

and Kurose counters with a nice double leg into guard.
The fighters are tangled up in the ropes here. We might need a restart if the fighters can't break free themselves.
Wooooo! Give it up for these two warriors! They are putting on a show!
Kurose wants to control from the top but Sawaki keeps moving.
Sawaki is trying to control the position but Kurose postures up.

That's three minutes gone in the round.
Kurose trying to control but Sawaki is working from the bottom.
Sawaki trying to keep a closed guard but Kurose is proving a slippery customer.
Kurose won't allow Sawaki to sweep him here.
Sawaki looking to control.

It looks like we're going to have a standup here. Neither fighter is doing enough on the ground.
Kurose keeping a good distance there, avoiding the body shot.
Sawaki lands a right hook to the body.

That's four minutes gone in the round.
The crowd are hurling abuse towards the fighters... You can hardly blame them though because there isn't a lot going on in the fight.
Sawaki throws a jab but it's blocked by Kurose.
Kurose misses with a low kick.
Sawaki scores with a shot to the body.
Kurose throws a two punch combo that lands nicely.
Keizo Sawaki seems to be the more aggressive standup fighter in this bout.
Sawaki looks for a takedown but Kurose sprawls well.
Sawaki thows a body shot but no joy.
Jab, cross, leg kick. Nice combination by Kurose!
The crowd applaud the fighters efforts here as the round comes to an end.
Sawaki throws a leg kick

and Kurose decides to take the opportunity to score a takedown. He's landed in Sawaki's guard.
Sawaki not looking particularly offensive just at the moment.
Sawaki wants to sweep here but Kurose controlling him for the moment.
And that’s the end of the round – the fighters go back to their corners.

A close second round but Matthew Kurose will probably get the nod - 10:9.
OK. That's time! The bell goes and we're back to the action. The crowd applaud as we get ready to start the final round!

Sawaki keeps the fight standing with a nice sprawl.
Kurose throws a couple of head shots and lands with the final one - a decent hook, which struck Sawaki on the side of the head.
Kurose will have to do better than that with his takedown attempts.
Sawaki throws a combination that misses
and Kurose counters with a nice uppercut.
Sawaki stuffs the takedown attempt from Kurose. Kurose gets slowly back to his feet.
Keizo Sawaki has stuffed three takedown attempts in the round now. That's going to take a lot out of Matthew Kurose.
Kurose scores with a one two! Sawaki had his feet all tangled up there and couldn't avoid the strikes.
We've had a slow start to the round here - hopefully the action picks up.
Sawaki tries a head kick but it misses.
Sawaki takes a swing at Kurose's ribcage but misses.
Both fighters are breathing heavily.
Sawaki throws a body kick but he wasn't in range.

That's one minute gone in the round.
Kurose throws a left and a right that both miss
enabling Sawaki to counter with a crisp jab.
Kurose throws a nice looking combination but Sawaki bobs and weaves to avoid any damage.
Sawaki throws a head kick that misses.
Sawaki tries to clinch there but Kurose circles away.
Sawaki moves out of range of the strikes.
Sawaki connects with a leg kick. He turned his hip over nicely there.
Sawaki misses with a body kick.
Sawaki misses with a head kick.
This fight brought to you by 5M nutrition - it's mmmmm tasty. Nice jab by Sawaki.
Sawaki connects nicely with a jab. Noted by the judges no doubt.
Sawaki moves into range and connects with a jab.

That's two minutes gone in the round.
Sawaki loads up on a big right hand but Kurose slips the punch.
A low kick from Kurose is predictable there
and Sawaki counters with a nice kick to the body.
Kurose shoots for a double leg takedown but Sawaki sprawls well. He's pushed Kurose's face into the mat and manages to get back to his feet relatively easily.
Kurose takes a body kick right on the floating rib. Ouchie.
Sawaki throws a sloppy head kick
and Kurose counters with a nice uppercut.
Sawaki blocks a leg kick.
Sawaki throws a looping overhand right but Kurose ducks down to avoid it.
Sawaki lands with a nice low kick. That'll leave a bruise.
Sawaki scores with a jab to the head.
A punch combination from Sawaki misses.
Sawaki misses with the combination.

That's three minutes gone in the round.
Kurose cracks Sawaki with a nice right hand that draws applause from the crowd.
Kurose closes this distance looking for a takedown but Sawaki circles away.
Sawaki throws a couple of head shots and lands with the final one - a decent hook, which struck Kurose on the side of the head.
Keizo Sawaki is looking to throw some combinations by the looks of things.
Kurose keeps the fight on the outside.
A nice combination there by Sawaki.
A solid body kick from Sawaki.
Sawaki walks into a jab.
Kurose throws a one two combo.
Sawaki throws a jab, cross combination which is slipped
and Kurose counters with a shot to the ribs. That looked like it hurt.
Sawaki throws a head kick that misses

and Kurose counters with a takedown into full mount! That could mean trouble for Sawaki!

That's four minutes gone in the round.
Kurose takes a little breather and maintains the position. The referee will be looking for him to stay active from such a dominant position though.
Kurose with a couple of short strikes.
Sawaki is looking to improve his position but Kurose isn't that keen on the idea.
Kurose landing strikes from the mount and Sawaki is in trouble!
Sawaki regains half guard.
Kurose thows a wild elbow that connects with the canvas.
Sawaki moves into full guard.
Kurose throwing shots from guard but he's hitting more mat than opponent.

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 Keizo Sawaki.
I think Sawaki has won this one but let's see what the judges have to say. 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 Shigeki Sano scores the fight 29:28
Judge Sosuke Kotani scores the fight 29:28
Judge Kenichi Hosakawa scores the fight 29:28

In favor of your winner, by unanimous decision... Keizo Sawaki!