PBP Commentary

Coming up we have a middleweight MMA rules bout between Dennis Grande (ranked 23994 p4p, 1683 weight class) and Junichi Sasai (ranked 711 p4p, 214 weight class). Sasai has chosen I Love Trash as his entrance music. The atmosphere really building for this one as we go over to our ring announcer for the fighter introductions!

Grande
vs
Sasai

177 cm
21
190
0 - 1 - 0

188 cm
21
194
9 - 6 - 0

BJJ Purple Belt
Decent elbows
Good chin

Decent wrestler
Excellent boxer
Good gas tank

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 Las Vegas, Dennis Grande!
And introducing the fighter to my right, fighting out of the blue corner.
With a record of 9 - 6 - 0, fighting out of Las Vegas, Junichi Sasai!
The judges for this bout are Jack Bonds, Timothy Bukovac and Frank Antenori.

The bell rings for round one and we are underway!
Sasai connects with a single shot there.
Grande fails with a rather predictable takedown attempt.
Sasai misses with a straight right.
Grande definitely looks more muscular than last time we saw him fight.
Grande takes a body punch but keeps moving.

Grande drives through and clinches with Sasai against the cage.
Sasai lands a shoulder strike that jolts his opponent's head backwards.
Grande with the Thai clinch. He's looking to land a big knee but he's not managed it this time.
Grande misses with a knee strike.
Sasai looks more muscular than last time we saw him. He must have been on the weights.
Sasai leaning against his opponent.
Grande is looking to control Sasai's arms but Sasai gets an underhook and turns him. Now Grande has his back to the cage.
An uppercut on the inside fails to land for Grande.
We've had a slow start to the round here - hopefully the action picks up.
Grande scores with a shoulder strike.
Grande throws a head punch that misses.
Sasai blocking some punches.
Grande misses with a hook from the clinch.

Sasai breaks from the clinch.

That's one minute gone in the round.
Sasai stuns Grande with a nice body shot, before stepping back out of range.
Grande slips a straight right by Sasai.
An attempted straight right counter from Grande misses the target.
A left lands for Sasai.
Sasai looks to score with a jab to the body but Grande is just out of range.
Grande went nuts there looking for a big combo counter but none of the flurry connected.
Junichi Sasai is looking to keep the fight on the feet at all costs.
Sasai just misses with a punch to the body.
Grande throwing a counter right hand but Sasai manages to avoid it.
Grande shoots in but doesn't get the takedown
and Sasai counters with a good right hand that lands right on the jaw.
Grande shoots in for a takedown. "Ole!" shouts Sasai as he jumps to the side.
That's three failed takedown attempts in the round for Dennis Grande. That's going to take a lot out of him.
Sasai throws a body punch but Grande moves out of range.
Grande goes for a double leg but Sasai avoids the attempt and the two fighters end up clinched against the cage as Sasai continues to drive forward.
Grande lands with a short head shot on the inside.
Grande throws a vicious knee straight up the middle but Sasai blocks it with crossed arms.

Sasai ties up his opponent against the cage and manages to drag the fight down to the ground. Sasai no doubt will be looking to work submissions from his guard.

Grande drops back, looking for a kneebar! Sasai looks panicked! The fighters roll across the mat, one looking to finish, one looking to escape. Sasai looks to have wriggled free... Yes, he's got his leg free and he's dived into side control! Good work there from Sasai!

We've seen a great period of action over the last minute or so - credit to both fighters for going all out!
Grande gets back to half guard.

That's two minutes gone in the round.

Grande looking for submissions off his back.
Sasai is trying to get back to his feet now but his leg is trapped.
Grande moves his hips nicely and gets into full guard.
Sasai wants to stand but Grande is controlling his posture from full guard.

That's three minutes gone in the round.

Grande looking for submissions from the bottom but instead Sasai passes into half guard.
Sasai seems to have lost interest with the ground game and is thinking about standing back up.

Sasai postures up and decides to stand up, from the half guard. The ref calls for Grande to stand up.

That's four minutes gone in the round.
Well. There's a bit of a lull in the action here and the crowd are starting to get restless.
Grande darts in looking for a takedown but Sasai gets double underhooks and turns Grande into the cage.
Sasai blocks a body shot from Grande.
Sasai blocks an uppercut.
A head punch on the inside from Grande fails to land.
Grande tries a shoulder strike but it doesn't do any damage.
Grande misses the knee to the body. Nice hip positioning from Sasai.
Sasai blocks a knee to the body. He'll have a nicely bruised forearm in the morning.
Grande missing with knees to the body.
A battle for position here, against the cage.
Grande missing with knees to the body.
Grande has a couple of punches blocked by Sasai.
Grande misses with a knee to the head.
Grande with the Thai clinch. He's looking to land a big knee but he's not managed it this time.
And that is the end of the round. The fighters go back to their corners.

Junichi Sasai dominated that round.
That's time! Back to the action!

Grande fails with the takedown
and Grande takes a counter punch right on the button for his troubles.
Grande shoots in looking for a takedown. Sasai tries to sprawl out of it but Grande keeps driving through. The fighters are pinned against the cage. Sasai manages to get underhooks and after a bit of a struggle, circles away and we're back to standing.
Sasai scores with a punch to the gut of his opponent.
Grande shoots in for a double leg but Sasai sprawls well. That's going to sap some energy.
That's three failed takedown attempts in the round for Dennis Grande. That's going to take a lot out of him.
A really sloppy takedown attempt there from Grande.
Grande throws a looping left and ducks down for a takedown. He's got his arms around Sasai's waist but Sasai gets an underhook and avoids the takedown by throwing Grande off to one side.

Sasai cracks Grande with a big right hand that sends him crashing to the floor. Sasai has the opportunity to follow him to the ground but instead he's beckoning Grande to stand back up!
Wooooo! Give it up for these two warriors! They are putting on a show!
and Sasai counters with a massive uppercut that badly hurts Grande! He's just covering up as Sasai starts to tee off till the referee steps in and stops the fight!

Ladies and gentlemen, after 0:45 of round 2, we have a winner by way of TKO (Strikes). Junichi Sasai!
In his post fight interview, Junichi Sasai started talking himself up. Luckily his charisma kept the crowd on side and gave him a good reception.