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PBP Commentary |
Coming up we have a light heavyweight MMA rules bout between Masa Saitoh (ranked 60 p4p, 338 weight class) and Johnny Hogg (ranked 9 p4p, 47 weight class). Hogg has chosen Styx - Renegade as his entrance music, which hasn't gone down very well with the crowd. Masa Saitoh has the better chin. Will he look to stand and bang today?
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| 182 cm
31
205
26 - 10 - 0 |
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190 cm
29
203
14 - 6 - 1 |
Great wrestler
World class boxer
Insanely flexible |
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BJJ Red Belt
World class boxer
Good gas tank |
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Ladies and gentlemen. This fight is 3 rounds, in the light heavyweight division.
Introducing the fighter to my left, fighting out of the red corner.
With a record of 26 - 10 - 0, fighting out of St Petersburg, Masa Saitoh!
And introducing the fighter to my right, fighting out of the blue corner.
With a record of 14 - 6 - 1, fighting out of Amsterdam, Johnny Hogg!
The judges for this bout are Tatsuya Matsuyama, Shigeki Fujiwara and Yasuomi Hirokawa.
The bell rings for round one and we are underway!
Saitoh throws a jab when Hogg was well out of range.
Saitoh looks to have improved his striking defense since last time we saw him fight.
Hogg ducks under a wild hook from Saitoh.
Saitoh misses with a straight left.
Saitoh missing with a left hand there. Hogg was out of range so wasted energy throwing that one.
Hogg lands three nice shots there - that looked like it hurt!
Saitoh waving his hands out in front of him, looking to distract Hogg.
Hogg with the counter takedown but Saitoh avoids it easily.
We've had a slow start to the round here - hopefully the action picks up.
Hogg shoots in and scores a nice double leg takedown into half guard.
Hogg throwing punches and elbows but they're not doing any damage.
The fighters are pressed up against the cage, both looking to find a bit of space to work.
That's one minute gone in the round.
Saitoh wants to get back to full guard.
Hogg trying to control from half guard but Saitoh is working away.
Hogg missing with the ground and pound from half guard.
Hogg throwing punches and elbows but they're not doing any damage.
Hogg trying to control the pace.
Hogg is scoring with some nice ground and pound from the dominant position.
Saitoh controlling the position for now.
That's two minutes gone in the round.
The crowd are showing their displeasure at the lack of action as loud boos ring out around the arena.
Saitoh slips a foot under and gets full guard. Nice work.
Hogg slows down the pace of the fight, as he sits in guard.
Hogg loading up with the ground and pound but he's missing more than he's landing in this flurry.
Saitoh looking to hit a scissor sweep but Hogg is one step ahead there.
Hogg throws a strike but Saitoh rolls with it and manages to sweep. Now he's in guard on top.
That's three minutes gone in the round.
Hogg pulls Saitoh in to control the position.
Hogg has the superior BJJ but he's also working some ground strikes into his gameplan.
Saitoh controls from within his opponent's guard.
Hogg working from the bottom, still in full guard. He's managed to get a loose triangle. Saitoh doesn't seem to be doing much to defend here, obviously he feels comfortable in the position. Saitoh manages to throw the legs off his shoulder and he's back into guard - no problem.
Saitoh scoring with punches to the head and body.
That's four minutes gone in the round.
A lull in the action here being met with boos from the crowd.
Saitoh pressing down on his opponent's thigh, looking to pass guard. Hogg is keeping the position for now.
Saitoh with a couple of shots to the head there. Not particularly brutal.
Saitoh postures up.
Hogg looking for a sweep. Not yet Hogg, not yet.
Hogg keeping moving, preventing Saitoh from controlling successfully.
The referee claps his hands together and tells the fighters to work.
Boooooooooooooooooooo!!! God, this has been a terrible round. Come on you two, sort yourselves out!
Hogg is pulling down on Saitoh's head to control his posture.
The ref stands the fighters back up due to a lack of activity.
Hogg gets his takedown attempt stuffed easily
letting Saitoh counter with a right hand.
And that is the end of the round. The fighters go back to their corners.
A close round but Johnny Hogg will probably get the nod.
That's the end of the interval. I'm sure that seemed a lot quicker than a minute for our two fighters! Back to the action.
Saitoh throws out a loose jab but Hogg uses good head movement to avoid it.
It looks like Johnny Hogg has been cut.
Hogg ducks under a wild hook from Saitoh.
Hogg lands a lovely overhand right.
Saitoh looks to throw the jab but Hogg is out of range.
Hogg tries a counter takedown but it's more of a dummy move, and he uses it to push himself away.
Hogg lands a nice hook to Saitoh's body. Saitoh takes it in his stride and looks to land his own strikes.
Hogg displays some good footwork, moving neatly out of range as Saitoh throws out the jab.
We've had a slow start to the round here - hopefully the action picks up.
Hogg walks into a jab.
Saitoh lands with an uppercut that bounces Hogg off the cage and back into range.
Hogg misses with a few strikes there.
That's one minute gone in the round.
Saitoh on the wrong end of a nice jab.
Hogg lands a nice shot to the body.
Saitoh takes a solid shot to the body. That one hurt him but he's trying not to show it.
Hogg closes the distance and after a bit of a stuggle, scores a takedown into Saitoh's guard.
Hogg throwing shots from guard but he's hitting more mat than opponent.
Saitoh being controlled here, momentarily.
Hogg in full guard, throwing the ground and pound. No damage this time.
That's two minutes gone in the round.
Hogg scoring with punches to the head and body.
Hogg postures up in Saitoh's guard and throws a big left but Saitoh blocks it.
Hogg controls the pace of the fight for a moment.
Saitoh is working an open guard here, looking to improve his position. No doubt that will leave him open to counters but at least he's being more offensive.
Hogg makes a bit of distance and scores with some ground and pound, still in guard.
Hogg 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.
A big thud reverberates around the arena there as Hogg accidentally thumps the mat. Hopefully he's not broken his hand.
That's three minutes gone in the round.
Saitoh utilising some decent striking defenses from the guard, preventing the ground and pound.
Hogg trying to land body shots but he keeps hitting the mat.
Hogg is looking to work some ground and pound but Saitoh has wrist control.
Hogg looking to sit in guard and control but Saitoh gets the butterfly guard and sweeps. He's now in the guard on the top.
Saitoh trying to control the position from guard on top but Hogg is wriggling around, looking for whatever he can.
Hogg is trying to control the position but Saitoh postures up.
Saitoh trying to control the position from guard on top but Hogg is wriggling around, looking for whatever he can.
Saitoh won't allow Hogg to sweep him here.
Hogg working a defensive guard here.
The referee has motioned to the fighters to stand back up.
That's four minutes gone in the round.
Saitoh wants to clinch up but Hogg keeps it at a distance.
Hogg is definitely looking for the counter takedowns here.
Masa Saitoh seems to be the more aggressive standup fighter in this bout.
Nice takedown defense from Saitoh. No joy for Hogg on that attempt.
Hogg moves away from the strike by Saitoh.
Hogg tries a counter takedown but it's more of a dummy move, and he uses it to push himself away.
Hogg has been the more effective fighter overall so far.
Hogg keeping his hands up high there, blocking the jab from Saitoh.
Hogg throws a right hand that misses
letting Saitoh counter with a right hand.
Masa Saitoh is winning the standup battle so far.
Saitoh swings wildly with a right hand that was never going to find it's target.
Hogg with the counter takedown but Saitoh avoids it easily.
The crowd thankful this round is nearly over.
Hogg closes this distance looking for a takedown but Saitoh circles away.
Masa Saitoh is looking to keep the fight on the feet at all costs.
Saitoh darts in trying to clinch
and Hogg counters with a nice double leg into guard.
And that is the end of the round. The fighters go back to their corners.
Johnny Hogg showed his class in that round. I'd imagine he'll take it on all the scorecards.
The cut man is working on Johnny Hogg's cut.
That's the end of the interval. I'm sure that seemed a lot quicker than a minute for our two fighters! Back to the action. So, we enter the final round. Let's see if either fighter can bring us a finish, or whether we're going to the judges scorecards.
Saitoh fakes a jab and then connects with a hook.
Masa Saitoh has stepped it up - he knows he needs a finish here!
Saitoh gets caught on his heels momentarily as he allows Hogg to score an easy takedown into full guard.
Hogg throwing elbows and punches but not connecting, as Saitoh works some decent striking defense from the bottom.
Hogg looking to sit in guard and control but Saitoh gets the butterfly guard and sweeps. He's now in the guard on the top.
Saitoh wants to control from the top but Hogg keeps moving.
We've had a slow start to the round here - hopefully the action picks up.
Hogg can't keep his opponent in guard - Saitoh advances to half guard, no doubt looking to mount.
Hogg trying to control from the bottom.
That's one minute gone in the round.
Hogg moves his hips nicely and gets into full guard.
Hogg not looking particularly offensive just at the moment.
Saitoh won't allow Hogg to sweep him here.
Saitoh controls the pace of the fight for a moment.
Saitoh trying to control the position from guard on top but Hogg is wriggling around, looking for whatever he can.
Saitoh trying to pass the guard but can't manage it just yet.
Hogg working from the bottom, still in full guard. He's managed to get a loose triangle. Saitoh doesn't seem to be doing much to defend here, obviously he feels comfortable in the position. Saitoh manages to throw the legs off his shoulder and he's back into guard - no problem.
Hogg throws his legs up looking to secure a triangle. Oh, that looks pretty tight, I gotta say! Saitoh escapes and throws Hogg's legs to the side, diving into side control!
That's two minutes gone in the round.
Saitoh is looking to take a break and control but Hogg is keeping him honest, looking to work from the bottom.
Hogg tries to improve position but can't.
Hogg sneaks a leg under to get back to half guard.
Saitoh looks over to his corner - he wants some instructions but his corner are not responding.
Hogg tries to get to full guard but Saitoh has control of the leg.
That's three minutes gone in the round.
Saitoh lands strikes from half guard.
Hogg won't allow Saitoh to pass to mount.
Hogg trying to control from the bottom.
Hogg is looking to sinch up a guillotine here but Saitoh pulls his head out easily.
Saitoh with a momentary lay and pray from half guard.
Saitoh is trying to control. Hogg wants to improve his position but can't escape this time.
The referee has decided to stand the fighters back up, so we'll restart on the feet.
Hogg lands a nice shot to the body.
Hogg throws a hook but Saitoh blocks it.
That's four minutes gone in the round.
Hogg shoots for a double leg takedown but Saitoh sprawls well. He's pushed Hogg's face into the mat and manages to get back to his feet relatively easily.
Hogg moves out of range of the strikes.
Saitoh lands a nice shot to the body.
Hogg darts in looking for a takedown but Saitoh gets double underhooks and turns Hogg into the cage.
An attempted straight right counter from Saitoh misses the target.
Hogg cracks Saitoh with a nice right hand that draws applause from the crowd.
Boooooooooooooooooooo!!! God, this has been a terrible round. Come on you two, sort yourselves out!
Hogg paws at his opponent with the jab and then lunges in with a straight, right on the button.
Saitoh throws a jab when Hogg was well out of range.
And Hogg tries to counter it with a takedown but Saitoh pushes his down on his head and steps out.
And that's the end of the fight!
That was a close round. You could make an argument for either fighter but I would give it to Masa Saitoh.
I think Hogg 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 Tatsuya Matsuyama scores the fight 28:29
Judge Shigeki Fujiwara scores the fight 28:29
Judge Yasuomi Hirokawa scores the fight 27:30
In favor of your winner, by unanimous decision... Johnny Hogg!
A relieved looking Johnny Hogg thanked the fans for their support and gave the usual line about them being amazing. They seemed to believe that he actually meant it.
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| S |
C
A |
G |
S |
C
B |
G |
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S |
C |
G |
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energy
A | B |
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hype
A | B |
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pop
A | B |
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mgr
A | B |
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FIGHT
RATING
30% |
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