PBP Commentary

Coming up we have a welterweight MMA rules bout between Abraham Durden (ranked 1268 p4p, 162 weight class) and Hayato Sakuraba (ranked 1244 p4p, 157 weight class). Chooooooooon! I think Durden might be my favorite fighter, now he's come out to Pixies - Where is my Mind. Sakuraba has chosen Deetox - Headknocker as his entrance music. This should be a great matchup!

Durden
vs
Sakuraba

180 cm
19
173 lbs
4 - 1 - 0

185 cm
22
177 lbs
5 - 2 - 0

Good wrestling
Excellent boxer
Cardio machine

Good wrestler
Excellent MT
Good gas tank

Bullet Proof System
Zenith Nutrition (160q/225$)

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 4 - 1 - 0, fighting out of Las Vegas, Abraham Durden!
And introducing the fighter to my right, fighting out of the blue corner.
With a record of 5 - 2 - 0, fighting out of Los Angeles, Hayato Sakuraba!
The judges for this bout are Daniel Franklin, Cecil Peabody and Wesley Smith.

The bell rings for round one and we are underway!
Sakuraba uses good head movement to avoid the hook from Durden.
Sakuraba misses with a body shot. Nice footwork from Durden.
A punch combination from Durden misses.
And an attempted straight right on the counter from Sakuraba! But no joy.
Durden steps to the side to avoid the strikes from Sakuraba.
Durden has been working on his boxing with his coaches at Omerta MMA in the buildup to the fight.
Abraham Durden seems to be the more aggressive standup fighter in this bout.
Durden connects with a lovely right hand, straight down the pipe.
Sakuraba takes a swing at Durden's ribcage but misses.
Durden was looking to counter that move with a punch but didn't quite pull the trigger.
Sakuraba misses with a jab and misses with a cross straight after too.
Durden takes an uppercut right on the jaw but it doesn't phase him.
Sakuraba keeping his hands up high there, blocking the jab from Durden.
We've had a slow start to the round here - hopefully the action picks up.
Durden lands a jab followed by a nice looking cross.
Durden throws an ugly left hook that misses
and Sakuraba counters with a straight right hand.
The crowd are loving this. Great action here.
Sakuraba misses with a wild body shot.
Durden missing with a left hand there. Sakuraba was out of range so wasted energy throwing that one.

That's one minute gone in the round.
Sakuraba just misses with a punch to the body.
It looked like Durden was trying to counter with a body shot coming off that last attack from Sakuraba.

Durden rushes Sakuraba and presses him up against the cage.

Durden breaks from the clinch.
Sakuraba changes levels and scores with a jab to the body.
Sakuraba lands a nice hook to Durden's body. Durden takes it in his stride and looks to land his own strikes.
A jab from Sakuraba finds it's way through Durden's defenses.
Sakuraba pushing out the jab but it's not landing.
Sakuraba bobs and weaves well there to avoid the strikes.
Sakuraba with a body punch. A glancing blow.
Sakuraba is throwing a lot of body shots here, looking to wear down Durden rather than just go for the knockout.
Durden moves in looking to clinch but Sakuraba pushes him off.
Sakuraba let fly with a counter punch to the body but it didn't land.
Durden throws out a loose jab but Sakuraba uses good head movement to avoid it.
Sakuraba has his hands up protecting his head but a hook from Durden finds it's way round the side to connect with Sakuraba's head.

That's two minutes gone in the round.
Sakuraba fails to land with a series of punches.
This has been an exciting period of action!
Sakuraba lands a jab to Durden's midsection.
Sakuraba misses with a hook to the body
and Durden counters with a nice uppercut.
Sakuraba moves his head to the side to avoid a jab but walks straight into a cross.
Durden scores with a decent looking hook.
Nice shot by Sakuraba.

Durden closes the distance and clinches.
Sakuraba tries to break free but Durden pushes him back against the cage.
Sakuraba wants to break the clinch but can't.

Durden breaks from the clinch.
Sakuraba drops his hands and takes a jab to the jaw for his troubles.
Sakuraba throws a right hand that misses
enabling Durden to counter with a crisp jab.
Durden misses with a straight right.

That's three minutes gone in the round.
Durden tests Sakuraba's chin there with a solid looking shot.
A punch combination from Durden misses.
Durden bobs and weaves and throws out a fast jab that snaps Sakuraba's head backwards.

Durden clinches up with Sakuraba and pushes him back against the cage.
A head punch blocked on the inside by Durden.
Sakuraba has had enough of the clinch and is looking to separate.
Durden keeps control of Sakuraba as he tries to wriggle out of the double underhooks.

Sakuraba breaks the clinch.
Durden with a jab.
Sakuraba swings and misses with a hook to the body.
Sakuraba doesn't react quick enough there as he takes a shot to the body.
Sakuraba throws a series of punches but Durden moves out of range.

That's four minutes gone in the round.
Sakuraba lands the left hand.
Fantastic stuff here - a very entertaining period of action, which has drawn cheers from the crowd.
Durden works the jab nicely.
Durden uses some good footwork to avoid the body shot by Sakuraba.
Sakuraba lands a glancing blow to the side of Durden's head.
A slow jab from Durden misses its intended target.
Durden is really head hunting here, hardly looking to strike to the body at all.
Sakuraba misses with a looping right.
Durden scores with a hook to the body. Sakuraba takes a step back and tries to catch his breath.
Durden ducks right into an uppercut from Sakuraba.
Durden moves to clinch but Sakuraba breaks away
and Durden takes a counter punch right on the button for his troubles.
The crowd applaud the fighters' efforts here as the round comes to an end.
Durden is the aggressor but that punch slipped nicely by Sakuraba.
Sakuraba keeping a good distance there, avoiding the body shot.
And that’s the end of the round – the fighters go back to their corners.

Abraham Durden 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.

Durden swings and misses with a shot to the body
and Sakuraba counters with a nice uppercut.
Durden throws a right hand that misses
and Sakuraba counters with a good right hand that lands right on the jaw.
Durden misses with a wild body shot.
Durden lands a pitter patter jab to the forehead of his opponent.
A punch combination from Durden misses.
Durden throws a predictable looking body shot
and Sakuraba counters with a stiff right hand.
Abraham Durden is winning the standup battle so far.
Durden tries to clinch up.
Sakuraba scores with a sloppy right hand. Durden should have avoided that one.
We've had a slow start to the round here - hopefully the action picks up.
Jab, jab by Durden - just one landing.
Sakuraba comes forward and lands a shot to the body, then darts back out of range.
This has been an exciting period of action!
Sakuraba throws a body punch but Durden moves out of range.
A jab lands there for Sakuraba.

That's one minute gone in the round.
Durden tries to close the distance and clinch up but Sakuraba swats him away and circles back towards the center.
Durden tries to clinch but is not successful on this occasion.
Durden misses with a hook. Sakuraba ducked under it nicely.
Sakuraba throws out a counter right but Durden avoids it with no problem.
A nice combination there by Sakuraba.

Durden is rocked!
Durden throws a body punch but Sakuraba moves out of range.
Durden tries to clinch up against the cage, rushing in to close the distance. Sakuraba manages to break the clinch and circles back to the middle of the mat.
Durden uses good footwork to avoid the strikes from Sakuraba.

Durden has managed to clinch.
Durden is trying to break the clinch but Sakuraba is controlling him.
Sakuraba working some nice short punches in the clinch.
Sakuraba scores with a shoulder strike.
Oh Durden is still all over the place! His legs are completely gone! Will he be able to recover?!!

Sakuraba breaks the clinch and we're back to striking at distance.
Sakuraba slips a straight right by Durden.
Durden walks straight into a right hand from Sakuraba - that's dropped him! Sakuraba jumps into mount and starts pounding away - can he finish?! More strikes go undefended and the referee has to dive in to save Durden from any more punishment! Durden complains about the stoppage but falls over as he tries to stand back up, so it was clearly a good stoppage.

Ladies and gentlemen, after 2:58 of round 2, we have a winner by way of TKO (Punches). Hayato Sakuraba!
Hayato Sakuraba seemed lost for words in his post fight interview but he remembered to thank his fans and directed everyone to his website.