PBP Commentary

Coming up we have a light heavyweight MMA rules bout between Mickey Sapolu (ranked 4760 p4p, 570 weight class) and Vai Funaki (ranked 25048 p4p, 863 weight class). Both these guys have solid standup skills and neither is particularly fantastic on the ground, so let's hope for a nice standup war!

Sapolu
vs
Funaki

190 cm
22
221 lbs
1 - 0 - 0

190 cm
26
222 lbs
0 - 2 - 0

BJJ White Belt
Excellent MT
Cuts easily

BJJ White Belt
Excellent MT
Very confident

Aspire Nutrition

Ladies and gentlemen. This fight is 3 rounds, in the light heavyweight division.
Introducing the fighter to my left, fighting out of the red corner.
With a record of 1 - 0 - 0, fighting out of Sydney, Mickey Sapolu!
And introducing the fighter to my right, fighting out of the blue corner.
With a record of 0 - 2 - 0, fighting out of Sydney, Vai Funaki!
The judges for this bout are Anthony Taglia, Jorge Garcia and David Schapiro.

The bell rings for round one and we are underway!
Funaki is looking to take this fight into the clinch.
Sapolu throws a jab when Funaki was well out of range.
Funaki steps in looking to clinch after the strikes miss from Sapolu.
Sapolu throws a leg kick which misses Funaki's front leg but catches the back leg as Funaki tries to avoid it.

Funaki darts in and clinches Sapolu up against the cage.
Sapolu cracks Funaki with a nice body shot.
Sapolu's head jolts backwards as he takes an uppercut right on the button!
Sapolu misses with a knee to the head.
Sapolu is leaning against Funaki and scores with a nice uppercut to the body.
Funaki misses with a hook from the clinch.
Funaki struggles to land a body shot inside as Sapolu controls his hands.
We've been informed that Funaki has been sparring a lot of Muay Thai in the buildup to this fight so let's see if that has an impact on the result.
Funaki lands a left hand.
Sapolu misses with a punch to the body.
We've had a slow start to the round here - hopefully the action picks up.
Funaki misses with a body punch.
Sapolu lands a left hand that snaps the head of Funaki backwards.
Sapolu tries to land a knee to the head but misses.
Funaki lands with a light punch inside.
Sapolu looking to throw knees to the head but Funaki is blocking nicely.
This has been an exciting period of action!
A right handed body shot lands from Funaki.

That's one minute gone in the round.
Funaki has a couple of punches blocked by Sapolu.
Sapolu can't find room to land a body shot as Funaki controls the action.
Funaki working some nice short punches in the clinch.
Funaki lands a short shot on the inside that snaps the head of Sapolu backwards.
A head punch blocked on the inside by Sapolu.
Sapolu digs a right hand underneath Funaki's ribcage. Funaki let out a lung full of air as it connected.
Sapolu misses with a shot to the kidneys.
Funaki lands punches inside but they're not really causing much damage.
Sapolu using the Thai plumb to throw knees but Funaki has his back arched nicely, preventing the strike.
Sapolu using the Thai plumb to throw knees but Funaki has his back arched nicely, preventing the strike.
Funaki lands with a left to the head.
Sapolu tries a knee to the head but Funaki blocks it.
A nice right hand lands inside from Funaki.
Funaki blocks a couple of punches on the inside.
Sapolu with the Thai clinch. He's looking to land a big knee but he's not managed it this time.
Sapolu blocks an uppercut.

That's two minutes gone in the round.
Sapolu is looking for a takedown up against the cage. Funaki gets underhooks though and prevents the takedown attempt.
I was talking to Sapolu's coach per-fight and he was telling me that they'd been working on the clinch in the runup to this fight.
Sapolu misses with a knee to the head.
The crowd are loving this. Great action here.
Funaki tries to throw a body punch but Sapolu avoids it by throwing Funaki back against the cage.
Sapolu using the Thai plumb to throw knees but Funaki has his back arched nicely, preventing the strike.
Sapolu misses with a knee to the head.
Funaki softening up his opponent with strikes, against the cage.
A head punch on the inside from Sapolu fails to land.
An uppercut on the inside fails to land for Funaki.
Funaki lands an uppercut.
Funaki blocks a body shot from Sapolu.
Still in the clinch, Funaki scores with a nice short uppercut.
Sapolu lands a knee to the head there! That was nasty!
A hook to the body from Sapolu.
Funaki tries to work over Sapolu's body with a swooping hook but it only glances the target.
Funaki is trying to break the clinch but Sapolu has him pressed against the cage.
Sapolu tries to land a shot to the body but it's blocked.
An uppercut to the body lands inside from Funaki.

That's three minutes gone in the round.
Funaki lands with a left to the head.
A head punch on the inside from Funaki fails to land.
Funaki lands a right uppercut that snaps the head of Sapolu backwards.
Sapolu prevents a body shot from Funaki.
Funaki misses with a short punch on the inside.
Funaki working some nice short punches in the clinch.
Sapolu tries a knee to the head but Funaki blocks it.
Funaki tries to land a shot to the body but it's blocked.
Sapolu misses with a punch to the body.
Sapolu misses with a shot to the kidneys.
Funaki doesn't land with the attempted body shot.
Funaki blocks a body shot from Sapolu.
Sapolu with a knee to the head.
Funaki tried to land a shot to the body but connects with Sapolu's elbow.
Sapolu scores with a knee to the head.
Sapolu goes for a body shot but it's blocked.
A nice right hand lands inside from Funaki.

That's four minutes gone in the round.
Funaki takes a shot to the head.

Funaki is rocked!
This is a great period of action - very entertaining stuff!
Sapolu creates a bit of space for himself and rocks Funaki with a big uppercut! Funaki tries to clinch up but Sapolu pushes him back against the cage and lands another monster strike that crumples Funaki to the mat! Funaki covers up and Sapolu unloads with more strikes until the referee steps in to end the bout!

Ladies and gentlemen, after 4:15 of round 1, we have a winner by way of TKO (Punches). Mickey Sapolu!