PBP Commentary

Coming up we have a middleweight MMA rules bout between Hayato Sakuraba (ranked 480 p4p, 177 weight class) and Lucas Barbosa (ranked 69 p4p, 23 weight class). There are an array of beautiful celebrities at ringside tonight! I wonder if any of them paid for their tickets.

Sakuraba
vs
Barbosa

180 cm
27
190
6 - 2 - 0

178 cm
27
190
8 - 1 - 0

BJJ Purple Belt
Counter fighter
Cardio machine

Powerful takedowns
Counter fighter
Granite chin

Beachside Supplements

Ladies and gentlemen. This fight is 5 rounds, for the middleweight championship of the world!
Introducing the champion to my left, fighting out of the red corner.
With a record of 6 - 2 - 0, fighting out of The Island, Hayato Sakuraba!
And introducing the challenger to my right, fighting out of the blue corner.
With a record of 8 - 1 - 0, fighting out of The Island, Lucas Barbosa!
The judges for this bout are Peter Branson, Sandra Marshall and David Hoff.

The bell rings for round one and we are underway!

Barbosa gets taken down but at least he's managed to land in guard.
Sakuraba scoring with punches to the head and body.
Sakuraba looking to sit in guard and control but Barbosa gets the butterfly guard and sweeps. He's now in the guard on the top.

The ref warns both fighters not to hold the cage as they work up against the meshing.
Barbosa postures up.
Barbosa forces his way into half guard.
Barbosa is looking to take a break and control but Sakuraba is keeping him honest, looking to work from the bottom.

Barbosa wants to work for an arm triangle but Sakuraba is really keeping half guard well and defending the submission attempt.
Sakuraba moves his hips nicely and gets into full guard.
We've had a slow start to the round here - hopefully the action picks up.

Barbosa thinks about going for a leg but decides against it, in order to maintain the position.
Barbosa won't allow Sakuraba to sweep him here.
Sakuraba keeping moving, preventing Barbosa from controlling successfully.

That's one minute gone in the round.
Barbosa is intent on slowing down the pace of the fight, simply looking to control.
Sakuraba manages to sweep nicely, so he's now on top. Barbosa manages to get himself to full guard.

Barbosa wants to sweep but no luck.
Sakuraba works over Barbosa with some ground and pound from guard.
Sakuraba throwing shots from guard but he's hitting more mat than opponent.

Barbosa is working for submissions here. He's thrown up his legs looking for a triangle but Sakuraba frees his head nicely. Oh but Barbosa has switched to an armbar! Sakuraba is tapping furiously! Lovely submission there!

Ladies and gentlemen, after 1:51 of round 1, we have a winner by way of Submission (Triangle Armbar). Lucas Barbosa! Lucas Barbosa retains his middleweight title!