PBP Commentary

Coming up we have a middleweight MMA rules bout between Rudy Duterte (ranked 0 p4p, 0 weight class) and Eijun Sawamura (ranked 0 p4p, 0 weight class). Rudy Duterte has the edge in experience - let's see if he can make that count tonight.

Duterte
vs
Sawamura

180 cm
24
185 lbs
0 - 1 - 0

190 cm
24
185 lbs
0 - 1 - 0

Decent wrestler
Solid boxing
Good in bed

BJJ White Belt
Solid Muay Thai
Tends to cut

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 - 1 - 0, fighting out of Helsinki, Rudy Duterte!
And introducing the fighter to my right, fighting out of the blue corner.
With a record of 0 - 1 - 0, fighting out of Helsinki, Eijun Sawamura!
The judges for this bout are Johanna Lukiainen, Roosa Järviläinen and Ben Zyskovitsi.

The bell rings for round one and we are underway!
Sawamura throws a body punch but Duterte moves out of range.
Duterte tries to close the distance and clinch up but Sawamura swats him away and circles back towards the center.
Duterte slaps away a takedown attempt from Sawamura, before circling back to the center of the mat.

Duterte clinches with his opponent.

Sawamura escapes the clinch and we're back to striking.
Sawamura is trying hard to land a takedown here. Duterte sprawls well and keeps this one on the feet.
Duterte circles away from the clinch attempt
and Duterte counters with a left and a right that stings Sawamura.
We've had a slow start to the round here - hopefully the action picks up.
Sawamura leaves Duterte with his face pressed against the mat as he sprawls beautifully, defending against a solid takedown attempt.
Duterte shoots in but no luck this time.
No luck with that takedown attempt from Sawamura.
Rudy Duterte has stuffed three takedown attempts in the round now. That's going to take a lot out of Eijun Sawamura.

That's one minute gone in the round.

Duterte scores with a takedown into Sawamura's guard.
Duterte working some ground and pound from guard but it's not doing any damage.
Duterte not doing a lot at the moment. He'll have to show some more aggression or the fight will get stood up.
Duterte throws a big elbow that misses.
Duterte won't allow Sawamura to get back to his feet.
Sawamura bucks up whilst keeping hold of a body lock, managing to reverse the position. Now he's in top in Duterte's guard.

Sawamura wanted to stand there but Duterte had control of the position.

That's two minutes gone in the round.
Duterte keeping moving, preventing Sawamura from controlling successfully.
Sawamura might have to switch it up a bit here because his efforts to control Duterte haven't been going to plan, at least at the current moment in time.
Duterte is trying to control the position from the bottom.
Duterte keeping moving, preventing Sawamura from controlling successfully.
Sawamura won't allow Duterte to sweep him here.

That's three minutes gone in the round.
Sawamura throwing elbows and punches but not connecting, as Duterte works some decent striking defense from the bottom.

The ref stands the fighters back up due to a lack of activity.
Sawamura tries to clinch but is not successful on this occasion.
Sawamura shoots for a takedown but Duterte saw that one coming a mile off and avoided it easily.
Sawamura looks winded!
Duterte shoots in looking for a takedown. Sawamura tries to sprawl out of it but Duterte keeps driving through. The fighters are pinned against the cage. Sawamura manages to get underhooks and after a bit of a struggle, circles away and we're back to standing.

Duterte fakes a strike and closes the distance, dragging Sawamura to the ground. Duterte is now in Sawamura's guard.
Duterte working in close now, lands a nice elbow to the side of Sawamura's head.
Duterte in full guard, throwing the ground and pound. No damage this time.

That's four minutes gone in the round.
Sawamura controlling the position.
Duterte in full guard, throwing the ground and pound. No damage this time.
Duterte won't allow Sawamura to sweep him here.
Sawamura not looking particularly offensive just at the moment.
It looks like the ref is thinking about a standup.
Duterte not doing a lot at the moment. He'll have to show some more aggression or the fight will get stood up.

The referee has stepped in and called for a break in the action. We'll restart on the feet.
Sawamura tries to close the distance and clinch up against the cage but Duterte paws at him with a jab and circles away.
Sawamura fakes a couple of low kicks, before throwing one on the third attempt. It connects and Duterte has to reset his feet before getting ready to engage.

Duterte manages to get an easy takedown there - catching Sawamura on his heels. He'll look to pass Sawamura's guard now, I'm sure.
Sawamura wants to get back to his feet but Duterte passes into half guard.
The crowd thankful this round is nearly over.

This is a great period of action - very entertaining stuff!
Sawamura is looking to regain full guard. Not this time though.
And that’s the end of the round – the fighters go back to their corners.

Rudy Duterte dominated that round.
That's the end of the interval. I'm sure that seemed a lot quicker than a minute for our two fighters! Back to the action.

Duterte misses with a half-hearted attempt at a head kick.
Sawamura is clearly looking to counter with head kicks.

Sawamura tries to sprawl but Duterte drives through with a takedown into half guard.
Sawamura keeps control of the position for the meantime.
Duterte is thwarting Sawamura's attempts to control the position.
Duterte trying to pass the guard but Sawamura defending well.
We've had a slow start to the round here - hopefully the action picks up.
Duterte working to pass to mount. He's got his hand pressing down on Sawamura's thigh. Sawamura counters though and makes it back to full guard.
Duterte throwing shots from guard but he's hitting more mat than opponent.

That's one minute gone in the round.
Sawamura is working from a closed guard but he's struggling to control his opponent.
The referee is asking the fighters to pick up the pace.
Duterte wants to control from the top but Sawamura keeps moving.

The referee has decided to stand the fighters back up, so we'll restart on the feet.
Duterte avoids the body shot from Sawamura.

Duterte gets a takedown into half guard.
Sawamura is breathing heavily.

Duterte trying to work for an americana but Sawamura has managed to regain full guard.

That's two minutes gone in the round.
Sawamura controlling Duterte's posture.
Duterte is working the ground and pound from guard. He might want to try advancing position though to get more of an impact.

Sawamura working for a triangle but Duterte defends it easily.
We get told so often about how wrestlers don't like to be on their backs. Let's see if Sawamura can do anything to dispel that myth.
Duterte controls the pace of the fight for a moment.
The ref warns both fighters not to hold the cage as they work up against the meshing.

That's three minutes gone in the round.
Sawamura is trying to control the position from the bottom.
Duterte prevents Sawamura from getting back to his feet.

The referee has stepped in and called for a break in the action. We'll restart on the feet.
Sawamura throws a head kick that misses

and Duterte counters by moving into the clinch.
Come on Duterte - let's have some action - none of this stalling nonsense.
Duterte is looking to score with knees to the body. Maybe he'll change it up and go body then head. Sawamura is defending well for now.
Duterte has had enough of the clinch but Sawamura keeps him there for the moment.
Sawamura is trying to pull guard but Duterte turns him against the cage and we stay in the clinch.

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.
Duterte misses with a knee to the head.
Duterte looks like he'd prefer to be striking at range right now.

Sawamura escapes the clinch and we're back to striking.

Duterte darts in and lands a nice takedown into half guard.

Duterte decides to stand up.
Duterte misses with a takedown attempt. He shot from a bit too far out.
Boooooooooooooooooooo!!! God, this has been a terrible round. Come on you two, sort yourselves out!
Duterte blocks a low kick nicely.
Duterte attempts a counter takedown but Sawamura avoids it well and moves away.
A left and a right from Sawamura both land. Nice combination.
And that’s the end of the round – the fighters go back to their corners.

That was a close second round but I would say that Rudy Duterte will probably get the nod.
The fighters get back to their feet, the hooter sounds and we're back to the action! Let's hear some noise people - this is the final round!

Duterte shoots in with a takedown attempt and he has Sawamura pinned against the cage. Sawamura gets the underhooks and manages to circle away.
Sawamura keeping a good distance there, avoiding the body shot.
Like a baseball bat into the meat of his leg there - nice leg kick by Sawamura.

Sawamura has Duterte up against the cage in a clinch.
Sawamura prevents the takedown attempt.
We've had a slow start to the round here - hopefully the action picks up.
The fighters are pressed against the cage, as the pace of the fight slows.
Sawamura just leaning against Duterte, taking a breather.

That's one minute gone in the round.

Sawamura breaks from the clinch.
The fight stays on the outside here - Duterte looks like he's thinking about clinching though.
Nice sprawl there from Sawamura as Duterte shoots in.
Sawamura wants to counter the offense by Duterte and move into the clinch position.
That's three failed takedown attempts in the round for Rudy Duterte. That's going to take a lot out of him.
Both fighters are breathing heavily.
Duterte throws a head kick but Sawamura moves out of range.
Duterte is looking to clinch.
Sawamura tests Duterte's chin there with a solid looking shot.
Sawamura shoots in for a takedown but Duterte shows good takedown defense there and keeps this one on the feet.
Duterte misses the body punch
and Sawamura counters with a series of strikes. Duterte will be more careful next time no doubt.
Duterte fails with a takedown attempt.

That's two minutes gone in the round.
Sawamura fakes high and swings low for a body shot but Duterte manages to avoid it.

Sawamura rushes Duterte and pushes him back against the cage in a clinch.

Sawamura breaks the clinch and we're back to striking at distance.
Sawamura stuffs a takedown. It's all about dictating where the fight takes place and Sawamura wants it to stay on the feet.
Sawamura wants to counter with a clinch but Duterte pushes him away.
Sawamura shoots for a takedown but Duterte saw that one coming a mile off and avoided it easily.
Duterte appears to be looking for a big counter.
A really sloppy takedown attempt there from Duterte.
Sawamura swings away but doesn't land with a series of punches.
Wooooo! Give it up for these two warriors! They are putting on a show!
Sawamura pivots as if he's going to throw a leg kick but stops half way.

Duterte instigates a clinch.

That's three minutes gone in the round.
Duterte is trying to break free.
Sawamura is stalling here.
Duterte displaying some good clinch control by pressing Sawamura up against the cage.
Sawamura goes for a takedown attempt but Duterte pushes him away and we're back to fighting at a distance.

Sawamura drives through and clinches with Duterte against the cage.
Duterte scores with a shot to the side of Sawamura's head.

That's four minutes gone in the round.
Sawamura changes levels and goes for a takedown here. Duterte fights it off and pushes away nicely.

Duterte rushes Sawamura and pushes him back against the cage in a clinch.
Duterte wants to strike at distance but he can't break free of the clinch.
Sawamura avoiding damage as Duterte throws knees to the body.

Sawamura breaks the clinch and we're back to striking at distance.
Duterte throws a looping left and ducks down for a takedown. He's got his arms around Sawamura's waist but Sawamura gets an underhook and avoids the takedown by throwing Duterte off to one side.
The crowd thankful this round is nearly over.

Sawamura closes the distance and presses his opponent up against the cage.

Sawamura breaks the clinch and we return to the middle of the mat.
Eijun Sawamura has stepped it up - he knows he needs a finish here!
Rudy Duterte is fighting for a decision here - he's started to take the cautious approach.
Sawamura misses with a few strikes there.

And that's the end of the fight!
Eijun Sawamura comfortably won the final round on my scorecard.
I think Duterte 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 Johanna Lukiainen scores the fight 29:28
Judge Roosa Järviläinen scores the fight 29:28
Judge Ben Zyskovitsi scores the fight 29:28

In favor of your winner, by unanimous decision... Rudy Duterte!