PBP Commentary

Coming up we have a middleweight MMA rules bout between Koutetsu Sakurai (ranked 0 p4p, 0 weight class) and Jiro Makoto (ranked 0 p4p, 0 weight class). Makoto has chosen P-Mon Theme as his entrance music. Over to our ring announcer for the fighter introductions!

Sakurai
vs
Makoto

189 cm
22
185 lbs
0 - 1 - 0

182 cm
20
185 lbs
0 - 0 - 0

BJJ Blue Belt
Brawler
Cuts easily

BJJ White Belt
Brawler
Determined

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 Tokyo, Koutetsu Sakurai!
And introducing the fighter to my right, fighting out of the blue corner.
With a record of 0 - 0 - 0, fighting out of Tokyo, Jiro Makoto!
The judges for this bout are Sosuke Kotani, Shigeki Sano and Yukihiro Shimada.

The bell rings for round one and we are underway!
Sakurai rushes forward with a series of wild hooks but Makoto moves out of range and avoids them all easily.
Makoto throws a right and a left that Sakurai avoids nicely.
Makoto throws a left and a right that both miss
and Sakurai makes him pay by landing a nice hook to the body before moving out of range.
Makoto takes one on the button.
Makoto throws a jab, cross combination which is slipped

and Sakurai counters by moving into the clinch.
Sakurai softening up his opponent with strikes, against the cage.
Sakurai keeps control of Makoto as he tries to wriggle out of the double underhooks.
Sakurai jumps guard but Makoto stands there with Sakurai around his waist. Sakurai gives up and drops back to his feet. We remain in the clinch.
Sakurai tries for a takedown but Makoto manages to get underhooks.
Sakurai keeps control of Makoto as he tries to wriggle out of the double underhooks.
Sakurai has Makoto pushed against the cage.

Sakurai pushes off and circles away, back to the middle of the mat.
Makoto thows a leg kick but Sakurai checks it

and Sakurai counters with a nice double leg into side control. Makoto won't be happy with that.
Fantastic stuff here - a very entertaining period of action, which has drawn cheers from the crowd.

Sakurai tries for a kimura but Makoto is defending well.

That's one minute gone in the round.
Makoto is looking to get back to his feet here but Sakurai is keeping cool and he's managed to take Makoto's back.
Makoto controlling the position well but he knows he's in a bad position.
Makoto trying to control the hands but Sakurai won't let him.
Sakurai is riding his opponent, not letting Makoto buck him off.

That's two minutes gone in the round.
A lull in the action here being met with boos from the crowd.
Makoto has the hand control, trying to stop the rear naked choke.
Sakurai scores with punches and elbows.

Sakurai patiently working for the choke. Which fighter will keep their nerve here?

Makoto is displaying good submission defense - not really looking in danger of submitting to the rear naked choke at the moment. That could change in an instant of course if Sakurai gets his way!
Sakurai is breathing heavily.

That's three minutes gone in the round.

Makoto manages to escape to his feet.
Makoto tries to close the distance and clinch up against the cage but Sakurai paws at him with a jab and circles away.
Jiro Makoto seems to be the more aggressive standup fighter in this bout.

Sakurai instigates a clinch.
Makoto is looking to break free of the clinch but Sakurai has double underhooks.
Sakurai is working for a takedown up against the cage. He can't get it on this occasion though.
That's three failed takedown attempts in the round for Koutetsu Sakurai. That's going to take a lot out of him.
Makoto tries to break the clinch but Sakurai is controlling the position.
Makoto wants to push off and get back to the center of the mat but Sakurai has him pressed against the cage.
Makoto wants to push off and get back to the center of the mat but Sakurai has him pressed against the cage.

That's four minutes gone in the round.
The crowd are starting to boo a lack of action.
Makoto is trying to break free.
Sakurai is trying to maintain a safe position but Makoto gets an underhook and turns Sakurai into the cage.
Makoto wants to push off and get back to the center of the mat but Sakurai has him pressed against the cage.
Makoto keeps control of Sakurai as he tries to wriggle out of the double underhooks.
Sakurai keeps control of Makoto as he tries to wriggle out of the double underhooks.
Makoto avoiding damage as Sakurai throws knees to the body.
Makoto wants a takedown.
Makoto avoiding damage as Sakurai throws knees to the body.
Makoto wants to push off and get back to the center of the mat but Sakurai has him pressed against the cage.
Sakurai is trying to drag Makoto to the mat but Makoto just about manages to keep his footing. He used the cage to his advantage there.

Makoto works for the underhooks and manages to get a trip takedown into guard.
And that’s the end of the round – the fighters go back to their corners.

Koutetsu Sakurai dominated that round.
That's time! Sakurai's corner gives him a slap on the ass as he gets ready to fight.

Makoto cracks a nice hook into Sakurai's ribs.
Sakurai misses with a takedown attempt. He shot from a bit too far out.
Makoto displaying good standup as he scores with a three punch combination.
Sakurai misses with a head kick.

Sakurai changes levels and drives through with a really nice takedown into side control. Makoto looks really pissed at himself for not defending that better.
Makoto tries to work a leg under to get back to half guard but Sakurai wriggles his own leg back out and remains in side control.
Makoto is looking to work his way out of this bad position but Sakurai is controlling him well.
Makoto prevents Sakurai from improving position.
Makoto tries to get back to half guard but can't.
Both fighters are absolutely exhausted here.
Makoto is trying to buck Sakurai off.

That's one minute gone in the round.
Makoto is trying to control Sakurai's posture but Sakurai avoids it.
The ref warns both fighters not to hold the cage as they work up against the meshing.
Makoto tries to escape but Sakurai is in control.

Well, the referee has seen enough. Neither fighter is active enough on the ground so he's stood them back up.

Makoto closes the distance and gets a double leg, slamming Sakurai to the mat! Sakurai manages to get full guard.
Sakurai has a closed guard, preventing Makoto from standing up.

Makoto gets to his feet. Sakurai looking to butt scoot but the ref puts an end to that. On your feet son!

That's two minutes gone in the round.
Sakurai lands a beauty of a right hand that gets the crowd cheering.
A combination from Makoto does no damage.
Sakurai has his takedown stuffed

so Makoto counters with a double leg into guard. Good agility.
Makoto looking to sit in guard and control but Sakurai gets the butterfly guard and sweeps. He's now in the guard on the top.
Makoto working a defensive guard but Sakurai passes into half guard.

That's three minutes gone in the round.
Sakurai wants to free his trapped foot but Makoto is holding on for dear life with his legs.

Makoto kicks off Sakurai and gets to his feet.
Makoto throws a combination. Sakurai tries to block but a couple of punches get through.
Makoto misses with a wild combination.
Makoto swings wildly with a couple of big hooks

so Sakurai counters with a double leg into guard. Good agility.
A big thud reverberates around the arena there as Sakurai accidentally thumps the mat. Hopefully he's not broken his hand.

Makoto wriggles free and stands up.
Makoto throws a jab, cross combination which is slipped

and Sakurai counters with a driving takedown into guard. Nice work there by Sakurai.
We've seen a great period of action over the last minute or so - credit to both fighters for going all out!
Makoto pulls Sakurai in close to prevent any damage.

That's four minutes gone in the round.
Makoto's corner are shouting for him to control the position and he seems happy to oblige.
Makoto wants to sweep here but Sakurai controlling him for the moment.
Sakurai trying to control but Makoto is working from the bottom.
The crowd applaud the fighters efforts here as the round comes to an end.
Sakurai wants to stand and escape but instead Makoto has hit a sweep and he's now on top in guard.
And that’s the end of the round – the fighters go back to their corners.

A close second round but Jiro Makoto will probably get the nod - 10:9.
That's the end of the round. The referee orders the cornermen out of the cage so we can get back down to business. This is the final round!

Makoto throws a left and a right that both miss

and Sakurai counters with a single leg into guard. Makoto didn't expect that.
Sakurai wants to control from the top but Makoto keeps moving.
Koutetsu Sakurai overall seems to be getting the better of the ground position in the fight so far.
Makoto lands a beautiful switch and he's in full mount! That could spell trouble for Sakurai!
Sakurai is trying to escape but when you're mounted that's not too easy.
Both fighters are breathing heavily.
Makoto takes a little breather and maintains the position. The referee will be looking for him to stay active from such a dominant position though.

That's one minute gone in the round.
Sakurai is trying to escape the mount.
Makoto controlling from the full mount.
Let's hope that Makoto has the urge to step up the pace any second now because for the last 15 or 20 seconds he's just been holding on tight.

That's two minutes gone in the round.
The crowd are getting on the fighters' backs, as the pace has dropped off in the last minute or so.
Sakurai wants to control but Makoto is having none of it.

That's three minutes gone in the round.
Makoto content just to control the position here.

Despite being in the dominant position, Jiro Makoto just isn't active enough and the referee decides to stand the fighters back up.

Makoto fakes an overhand right and shoots for a takedown. Sakurai sprawls well initially but Makoto persists and gets the takedown into half guard.

That's four minutes gone in the round.
Makoto slows the pace down in half guard.
Makoto wants to stand up but Sakurai is controlling the position.

Sakurai looking for a kimura from the bottom but Makoto passes into side control!
Sakurai is trying to escape and get back to his feet.

And that's the end of the fight!
I would just about give that final round to Jiro Makoto.
I think Makoto has won this one but let's see whether the judges agree with me. 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 Sosuke Kotani scores the fight 29:28
Judge Shigeki Sano scores the fight 28:29
Judge Yukihiro Shimada scores the fight 28:29

In favor of your winner, by split decision... Jiro Makoto!