PBP Commentary

Coming up we have a featherweight MMA rules bout between Hatake Kakashi (ranked 2100 p4p, 3492 weight class) and Sam Salter (ranked 211 p4p, 328 weight class). Salter has chosen Dead Or Alive as his entrance music. These two fighters really are very evenly matched on the feet - it will be fascinating to see who can assert themselves in that aspect of the fight.

Kakashi
vs
Salter

181 cm
21
155
3 - 1 - 0

150 cm
28
153
12 - 10 - 0

BJJ Purple Belt
Counter fighter
Intelligent

Good takedowns
Counter fighter
Determined

Suit Up!

Ladies and gentlemen. This fight is 3 rounds, in the featherweight division.
Introducing the fighter to my left, fighting out of the red corner.
With a record of 3 - 1 - 0, fighting out of Sydney, Hatake Kakashi!
And introducing the fighter to my right, fighting out of the blue corner.
With a record of 12 - 10 - 0, fighting out of Los Angeles, Sam Salter!
The judges for this bout are Don Winkell, Percy O'Donnell and Jack Bonds.

The bell rings for round one and we are underway!
Kakashi digs a good body shot into Salter's ribs.

Salter decides to change it up a bit and drives through with a nice takedown into half guard.
Kakashi moves his hips nicely and gets into full guard.
Salter stands up and looks to throw the legs aside to pass to side control. Kakashi swivels though and keeps the full guard.
Salter trying to control the position from guard on top but Kakashi is wriggling around, looking for whatever he can.
Kakashi looking to hit a scissor sweep but Salter is one step ahead there.
Kakashi is working the butterfly guard. He manages to land a nice scissor sweep and is now in half guard on the top. Nice move.

We've had a slow start to the round here - hopefully the action picks up.
Kakashi wants to free his trapped foot but Salter is holding on for dear life with his legs.
Kakashi is looking to take a break and control but Salter is keeping him honest, looking to work from the bottom.

That's one minute gone in the round.
Kakashi wants to free his trapped foot but Salter is holding on for dear life with his legs.
Salter is looking to improve his position.

Kakashi is sneakily working for an arm triangle but Salter sees it coming and defends easily.
Salter keeping his head moving to avoid the ground and pound.
Salter is looking to improve his position.

Salter is looking to sinch up a guillotine here but Kakashi pulls his head out easily.
Kakashi wants to take a breather but Salter is having none of it.
The fighters are pressed up against the cage, both looking to find a bit of space to work.

Salter looking to work for a kimura from the bottom.
Kakashi working over Salter with some ground and pound. Salter looks like he wants out of this position, which is understandable.

That's two minutes gone in the round.
The fighters are starting to perspire pretty heavily.
Kakashi with a momentary lay and pray from half guard.
Salter felt the need to train up his defensive grappling in the buildup to the fight. Presumably he was expecting to be in a difficult position like this, so let's see if he can get out of it.
Salter moves his hips nicely and gets into full guard.
Salter is avoiding any damage by keeping wrist control.

Salter looking for submissions off his back, moving his hips, looking for an opening.
Salter keeping moving, preventing Kakashi from controlling successfully.

Salter looking for submissions from the bottom here. Moving his hips around, possibly looking for an armbar.

Salter looking for subs off his back but Kakashi has passed one foot through into half guard.

That's three minutes gone in the round.
Salter blocking the ground and pound attempt from Kakashi.
Kakashi trying to control from half guard but Salter is working away.
Kakashi stalling.
Kakashi thows a wild elbow that connects with the canvas.
Salter is refusing to be controlled, as Kakashi sits in half guard.
Salter trying to control but Kakashi postures up.

That's four minutes gone in the round.
There's not a lot going on here and the crowd are letting the fighters know they're not willing to tolerate a lack of action.

Kakashi is trying to work for a kimura but Salter is defending well.
Kakashi will need to keep those long limbs tucked in whilst he's on the ground, to prevent any submissions.
Kakashi is controlling the pace.
Kakashi is trying to control the action in half guard but Salter is working away on the bottom, looking perhaps to get back to full guard.
Kakashi passes into side control, despite Salter's attempt to control the position.
Kakashi wants to lay and pray for a moment but Salter keeps working.
Boooooooooooooooooooo!!! God, this has been a terrible round. Come on you two, sort yourselves out!

Kakashi is trying to get an arm triangle but Salter is defending well.
Salter struggling a bit here.
And that is the end of the round. The fighters go back to their corners.

Hatake Kakashi dominated that round.
The minute break is over - no more time for sponges and pep talks - back to the action!

Kakashi manages to get an easy takedown there - catching Salter on his heels. He'll look to pass Salter's guard now, I'm sure.
Salter has Kakashi pulled in close to control his posture.
Salter keeping moving, preventing Kakashi from controlling successfully.
Kakashi is taking a break and basically stalling. The referee will not allow him to do that for long.

Salter is throwing his legs up, looking for submissions. Kakashi is aware though and is defending well.
Kakashi 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.
We've had a slow start to the round here - hopefully the action picks up.

Salter looking for submissions off his back, moving his hips, looking for an opening.
Kakashi is really dominating this fight. Is there anything that Salter can do to turn this around?
Kakashi tries to free his leg and advance position but Salter is retaining full guard.

That's one minute gone in the round.
Salter can't keep his opponent in guard - Kakashi advances to half guard, no doubt looking to mount.
Kakashi is looking for the mount but instead finds himself back in full guard.
Kakashi seems content to control from guard here. He's going to have to remain active though if he doesn't want to get stood back up.

Salter is throwing his legs up, looking for submissions. Kakashi is aware though and is defending well.
Kakashi landing with the ground and pound.
Kakashi pressing down on his opponent's thigh, looking to pass guard. Salter is keeping the position for now.
Kakashi distracts Salter with his right hand and drops a big elbow with his other arm.

That's two minutes gone in the round.
Kakashi trying to control the position from guard on top but Salter is wriggling around, looking for whatever he can.
Kakashi is just sitting in guard, looking to avoid any submissions.

Salter working from the bottom, still in full guard. He's managed to get a loose triangle. Kakashi doesn't seem to be doing much to defend here, obviously he feels comfortable in the position. Kakashi manages to throw the legs off his shoulder and he's back into guard - no problem.
Kakashi trying to control but Salter is working from the bottom.
Kakashi pressing down on his opponent's thigh, looking to pass guard. Salter is keeping the position for now.
The ref warns both fighters not to hold the cage as they work up against the meshing.

That's three minutes gone in the round.
Kakashi trying to control but Salter is working from the bottom.
Salter looking for a sweep. Not yet Salter, not yet.
Kakashi postures up to throw the ground and pound strikes but they don't connect.
Kakashi has to be careful here, sitting in the guard of a superior BJJ player.

Salter is looking for a triangle but Kakashi pushes his legs off easily.

Kakashi got a little sloppy there for a moment and Salter has worked his way into a loose triangle - can he finish it?! No, Kakashi has managed to get both his arms back between Salter's legs - danger averted.
Hatake Kakashi overall seems to be getting the better of the ground position in the fight so far.
Kakashi wants to control from the top but Salter keeps moving.
Kakashi passes into half guard.
Kakashi trying to pass the guard but Salter defending well.

That's four minutes gone in the round.

Kakashi is trying a forearm choke… I don't think that's going to do much at this level of the game.
Kakashi is figuring out what he wants to do next.
Salter tries to roll over but Kakashi keeps him under control.

Salter is looking to sinch up a guillotine here but Kakashi pulls his head out easily.
Boooooooooooooooooooo!!! God, this has been a terrible round. Come on you two, sort yourselves out!
Salter is working for an escape here. He's hooked one of Kakashi's legs and he's managed to sneak out and take Kakashi's back!
Salter keeps control of the position as Kakashi tries to break free.
And that is the end of the round. The fighters go back to their corners.

That was a close second round but I would say that Hatake Kakashi will probably get the nod.
That's time! Back to the action! This is the final round!

Kakashi fakes the leg kick and cracks Salter in the body.
Kakashi looks to have improved his striking defense since last time we saw him fight.
Sam Salter is looking to throw some combinations by the looks of things.
Kakashi just misses with a punch to the body.

Kakashi shoots in and scores a nice double leg takedown into half guard.
Salter is trying to maintain the position but Kakashi is very close to passing his half guard.
Salter desperately trying to maintain half guard.
We've had a slow start to the round here - hopefully the action picks up.
Kakashi is looking to take a break and control but Salter is keeping him honest, looking to work from the bottom.

Kakashi seems to be looking for submissions.

That's one minute gone in the round.
Kakashi works his foot free and advances to mount.

Kakashi is going oldschool here, as he tries to force Salter to tap using a forearm choke. This isn't 1993 though, so Salter shrugs it off.
Kakashi is looking to work his way around to Salter's back. He needs to be careful though, as he's in danger of losing this dominant position.
Salter is desperately trying to get back to half guard.
Kakashi tucks in and makes sure he doesn't lose the dominant position.
Salter is writhing around trying to get back to his feet.
Kakashi throws some wild stikes that Salter manages to avoid easily.

That's two minutes gone in the round.
Salter working to try and regain half guard.
Kakashi tries to control but Salter wriggling away.

Kakashi get's back to his feet.

Salter closes the distance and after a bit of a stuggle, scores a takedown into Kakashi's guard.
Kakashi is trying to control the position from the bottom.
Kakashi keeping moving, preventing Salter from controlling successfully.

Kakashi looking for a guillotine here but Salter defends easily.
Kakashi controlling the position.

That's three minutes gone in the round.
Salter wants to control from the top but Kakashi keeps moving.
Kakashi wants to improve his position but instead Salter has moved into half guard.
Salter not doing much here.
Kakashi pushes Salter off looking to stand but Salter dives back in and keeps control.

Salter is trying a forearm choke… I don't think that's going to do much at this level of the game.
Kakashi won't allow Salter to pass to mount.
Hatake Kakashi is fighting for a decision here - he's started to take the cautious approach.

That's four 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.
Kakashi is trying to get back to full guard.
Kakashi is trying to control but can't.
Salter controlling the action here.
Kakashi trying to hold on to Salter's head to control him but Salter postures up.
The referee wants the fighters to be more active or he's going to reset them on the feet.
Boooooooooooooooooooo!!! God, this has been a terrible round. Come on you two, sort yourselves out!
Kakashi keeps control of the position for the meantime.

The referee has motioned to the fighters to stand back up.

And that's the end of the fight!
Hatake Kakashi showed his dominance in that final round.
Well Kakashi has outscored his opponent in every aspect of the fight today. Only a scarily incompetent judge or two will keep him from a well deserved win... 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 Don Winkell scores the fight 30:27
Judge Percy O'Donnell scores the fight 30:27
Judge Jack Bonds scores the fight 30:27

In favor of your winner, by unanimous decision... Hatake Kakashi!
Hatake Kakashi was full of energy after the big win and talked about how he thinks he can do big things in this sport. The crowd were appreciative of his determination to succeed.
The defeated Sam Salter had this to say: 'Losing my last 7 of 10 I think it may be time to hang up the gloves. Its been fun at times but Im over this time to go kill myself and family chris benoit style.'.