PBP Commentary

Coming up we have a welterweight MMA rules bout between Masa Sanada (ranked 149 p4p, 26 weight class) and Mat Diaz (ranked 185 p4p, 34 weight class). Diaz has chosen I Got Five On It as his entrance music. There are an array of beautiful celebrities at ringside tonight! I wonder if any of them paid for their tickets.

Sanada
vs
Diaz

180 cm
25
174 lbs
12 - 1 - 1

180 cm
30
184 lbs
16 - 8 - 0

Abu Dhabi Champ
World class boxer
Insanely flexible

Olympic wrestler
Lethal high kicks
Good gas tank

Aspire Clothing
Urban Fighter

Aspire Clothing
Bullet Proof System

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 12 - 1 - 1, fighting out of St Petersburg, Masa Sanada!
And introducing the fighter to my right, fighting out of the blue corner.
With a record of 16 - 8 - 0, fighting out of New York, Mat Diaz!
The judges for this bout are Roosa Järviläinen, Ben Zyskovitsi and Anni Minnemäki.

The bell rings for round one and we are underway!
Sanada slips under a jab from Diaz.
Diaz steps to the side to avoid the strikes from Sanada.
Diaz shapes to counter with a head kick.
Sanada misses the shot to the body.
A big right from Diaz misses.
Sanada swung with a counter right hand that didn't connect.
Diaz misses with a hook
and Sanada cracks him with a counter punch right on the button.
Sanada with a body punch. A glancing blow.
Diaz throws a head kick but Sanada moves out of range.
Sanada misses with an uppercut. Diaz saw that one coming.
Sanada clobbers Diaz with an overhand right that has the crowd gasping. That made a horrendous noise.
Diaz scores with a sloppy right hand. Sanada should have avoided that one.
Sanada ducks under an overhand right and circles away with a smile on his face.
Sanada throwing a counter right hand but Diaz manages to avoid it.
Jab from Sanada.
Diaz scores with the left hand. Sanada knows he should have avoided that one.
Fantastic stuff here - a very entertaining period of action, which has drawn cheers from the crowd.
Diaz lands with a cross to side of his opponent's head.
Sanada slips a straight right by Diaz.

Diaz manages to get an easy takedown there - catching Sanada on his heels. He'll look to pass Sanada's guard now, I'm sure.

That's one minute gone in the round.
Sanada pulls Diaz in close to prevent any damage.
Diaz lands a couple of elbows.
Sanada thows some rabbit punches from the bottom but they don't do any damage.
Diaz slows down the pace of the fight for a moment. He'll need to remain active if he doesn't want to see the fight stood back up.
Diaz throwing shots from guard but he's hitting more mat than opponent.
Sanada is pulling down on Diaz's head to control his posture.
Diaz throws a big right hand that misses.
Sanada is working from a closed guard but he's struggling to control his opponent.
Diaz working some ground and pound from guard but it's not doing any damage.

That's two minutes gone in the round.
A lull in the action here being met with boos from the crowd.
Sanada working the defensive guard well to avoid strikes from Diaz.
Diaz engaging in some classic timewasting tactics.
Diaz being controlled here momentarily.
Diaz lands a couple of elbows.
Sanada trying to control the position here.
Sanada looking to control.
Sanada controlling the position.
The referee must be thinking about standing these guys back up.

That's three minutes gone in the round.
Sanada keeping moving, preventing Diaz from controlling successfully.

The referee has decided to stand the fighters back up, so we'll restart on the feet.
Sanada takes a punch right to his stomach. That took the wind out of him momentarily.
A jab from Sanada misses.
Diaz misses the shot to the body.
Diaz misses the jab.
We've been told by Sanada's head coaches at Rings Russia that he's been working on his takedown defense in preparation for this fight.
Diaz throws a lazy right hand but Sanada sees it coming a mile off and sidesteps it easily.
Sanada throwing a counter right hand but Diaz manages to avoid it.
Diaz changes levels and scores with a jab to the body.
Diaz ducks low and lands a nice hook to the body of his opponent.
Diaz throws a hard body shot but it just misses.
Sanada moves out of range as Diaz strikes.
Diaz thows a left - swing and a miss!
Diaz just misses with a punch to the body.
Diaz misses with a hook
and Sanada counters with a lovely straight right hand!

Sanada tries to sprawl but Diaz drives through with a takedown into half guard.

That's four minutes gone in the round.
The fans in attendance giving it up for the two fighters, who have really let it all hang out in the last minute or so!
Diaz missing with the ground and pound from half guard.
Sanada is trying is best to control the position here.
Diaz has the superior BJJ but he's also working some ground strikes into his gameplan.
Diaz is trying to advance to mount but he's lost his balance and Sanada reverses the position - he's now on top in Diaz's guard.
Sanada pressing down on his opponent's thigh, looking to pass guard. Diaz is keeping the position for now.
Sanada slows down the pace of the fight, as he sits in guard.
Sanada has controlled the position for a good 20 seconds, which will no doubt be starting to frustrate his opponent.
And that’s the end of the round – the fighters go back to their corners.

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

Sanada defending well as Diaz loads up on a big left hand.
Sanada is looking to counter with a shot to the body.
Diaz has been the more effective fighter overall so far.
Diaz bobs and weaves and throws out a fast jab that snaps Sanada's head backwards.
Diaz misses with a left hand
enabling Sanada to counter with a crisp jab.

It looks like Mat Diaz has been cut.
Mat Diaz seems to be the more aggressive standup fighter in this bout.
Diaz scores with a nice strike.
Horrible takedown attempt by Diaz or perhaps it was just good defense by Sanada, which made it look bad.
Diaz scores with a one two! Sanada had his feet all tangled up there and couldn't avoid the strikes.
Diaz is the aggressor but that punch slipped nicely by Sanada.
Sanada throws out a token jab with nothing on it.
We've had a slow start to the round here - hopefully the action picks up.
Diaz lands with a straight right. Sanada didn't see that one coming.
Sanada is really head hunting here, hardly looking to strike to the body at all.
Sanada takes a jab right on the kisser.
This has been an exciting period of action!
Sanada looks to land a right hand but Diaz moved out of range.

Sanada sends Diaz crashing to the mat with a devastating uppercut! Sanada is motioning to the referee to let Diaz up. He wants to try and finish this one on the feet!

Diaz is rocked!
Mat Diaz seems to be getting the better of the standup.
Diaz just misses with a punch to the body.
Diaz is still on wobbly legs! Can Sanada finish him?

That's one minute gone in the round.
Sanada lands a slapping body shot.
Diaz misses with an uppercut

and Sanada counters with a crisp right hand that drops Diaz! Sanada lets Diaz back up to his feet, looking for a finish!
Diaz throws a jab when Sanada was well out of range.
Diaz avoids the body shot from Sanada.
Diaz throws a hook to the body but it doesn't connect.
Diaz looks up at the clock. Bad move! Sanada lands a right hand from hell, dropping Diaz. Sanada pounces and finishes the fight with a flurry of punches and elbows.

Ladies and gentlemen, after 1:26 of round 2, we have a winner by way of TKO (Strikes). Masa Sanada!
Masa Sanada very nearly forgot to thank Aspire Clothing amongst all the excitement of his win but just as the interview came to a close, he screamed their name. Hopefully he'll get a few nice freebies in the mail as a thank you.