PBP Commentary

Coming up we have a middleweight MMA rules bout between Bruno Bassi (ranked 0 p4p, 0 weight class) and Sakuraba Sama (ranked 0 p4p, 0 weight class). We have two fighters making their debuts here, so let's see who comes out of this one with their first professional victory.

Bassi
vs
Sama

177 cm
22
195 lbs
0 - 0 - 0

182 cm
22
192 lbs
0 - 0 - 0

BJJ Blue Belt
Dangerous knees
Granite chin

BJJ Blue Belt
Brawler
Inexperienced

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 - 0 - 0, fighting out of Tokyo, Bruno Bassi!
And introducing the fighter to my right, fighting out of the blue corner.
With a record of 0 - 0 - 0, fighting out of Tokyo, Sakuraba Sama!
The judges for this bout are Shigeki Fujiwara, Taro Takaoka and Tatsuya Matsuyama.

The bell rings for round one and we are underway!
Bassi jabbing away but nothing is landing.
Bassi throws a nice looking combination but Sama bobs and weaves to avoid any damage.
Bassi looks frustrated there after his takedown attempt is stuffed easily.

Excellent takedown into side control there by Sama.
Bassi is trying to stand back up. He's worked his way up against the cage but Sama has just dragged him back down to the mat.
Sama controlling the position.
Sama tries to advance to mount but can't.
Sama working the body and head with strikes.
The ref warns both fighters not to hold the cage as they work up against the meshing.

Sama decides to stand up, so the ref orders Bassi to his feet.

Sama shoots in and gets a takedown into half guard. Sama showed some decent athleticism there.
The fighters are pressed up against the cage, both looking to find a bit of space to work.
Sama controlling the pace.
Bassi keeping his head moving to avoid the ground and pound.

That's one minute gone in the round.
Sama throwing shots but Bassi is blocking nicely.
Sama scoring with strikes to the body and head.
Sama wants to pass to mount but Bassi is defending the position.

Sama is working for a kimura but Bassi is defending it quite comfortably.
Sama throwing punches and elbows but they're not doing any damage.
Bassi is trying to stand back up but Sama is controlling him

Sama stands up and beckons Bassi to join him on the feet.
Bassi jabbing away but nothing is landing.

That's two 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.
Bassi connects with a body shot.
Bassi is breathing heavily.
Bassi listening to his corner there, landing a nice uppercut.
Bassi misses with a jab, cross combination.
Jab from Bassi.

Bassi gets caught flat footed, as Sama shoots in with a quick takedown into guard.
Sama looking to pass the guard.
Sama won't allow Bassi to get back to his feet.
Sama tries to free his leg and advance position but Bassi is retaining full guard.
Bassi working the defensive guard well to avoid strikes from Sama.
Sama must be cautious of submissions here, given that his opponent has the superior Jiu Jitsu.

The fighters are starting to get a bit slippery now, which will make submissions a bit more difficult.
Sama decides he's had enough of playing guard and decides to stand. Come on Bassi, up you get!

Sama changes levels and drives through with a really nice takedown into side control. Bassi looks really pissed at himself for not defending that better.
Sama has knee on belly and moves into mount.
Sama punishing his opponent with strikes.

That's three minutes gone in the round.
Bassi is in all sorts of trouble here.
Sama lands a big shot there that rocks Bassi but he's holding on and managing to survive for now.
Sama landing punches.
Sama controlling the pace for now.
Bassi is trying to stand up.
Bassi is in a horrible position here. Sama smacks him with another shot as he tries to escape the position.
Sama cracks Bassi with a nasty head shot there - the crowd let out an audible gasp there, as the noise reverberated around the arena.

That's four minutes gone in the round.
The crowd are showing their displeasure at the lack of action as loud boos ring out around the arena.
Sama has his opponent pinned against the cage, landing some nasty ground and pound that is really making a bit of a mess out of Bassi's face.
Sama looking to finish Bassi with some ground and pound. This is bad for Bassi!
A nice elbow there by Sama.
A nice elbow there by Sama.
Bassi is in all sorts of trouble here.
Sama sitting in mount, just looking to control for the moment.

Sama has hold of Bassi's left arm, perhaps looking for a submission. The two fighters tussle over control of the isolated limb and Bassi manages to get his arm back to his side and away from danger.
The crowd applaud the fighters efforts here as the round comes to an end.
Bassi really trying hard to get back to half guard here.
And that’s the end of the round – the fighters go back to their corners.

Sakuraba Sama dominated that round.
The fighters' corners scream their final instructions, as the referee calls time. Here we go, back to the action!

Sama decides to change it up a bit and drives through with a nice takedown into half guard.
Sama looks towards his corner to check for any instructions. The corner give him nothing to work with, so he cracks Bassi with a short hammerfist. I guess that's as good as any advice he could get in this position.
Sama sitting and controlling from the half guard.
Bassi is trying to stand.
Sama wants to pass the guard but Bassi is defending well.

Sama is working for a kimura but Bassi is defending it quite comfortably.
Sama is figuring out what he wants to do next.
Both fighters are absolutely exhausted here.

That's one minute gone in the round.
Bassi is looking to escape.

Sama decides he's had enough of the ground and stands up.
Sama walks straight into an uppercut. Luckily it didn't land flush.
Bassi tries to close the distance and clinch up against the cage but Sama paws at him with a jab and circles away.

Sama drives through with a really nice takedown into side control.
Sama connects with a decent looking elbow from side control that caused Bassi some visible discomfort.
Sama in side control, trying to ground and pound but not landing this time.

That's two minutes gone in the round.
Sama slows the pace down.

Sama wants to work for a kimura but he's foiled early by Bassi, who protects the arm well.
Bassi is trying to buck Sama off.
Bassi seems a little lost for a moment, as Sama dominates the positioning.
Bassi wants to control but Sama postures up.
A lull in the action here as Sama stalls from top position.
Bassi is trying to escape and get back to his feet.

That's three minutes gone in the round.

Sama tries for an arm triangle. That looks pretty tight to me. Is this one over!?! Possibly, maybe, no Sama has let go of the choke. Obviously it wasn't as tight as we thought!
Bassi is trying to stand back up. He's worked his way up against the cage but Sama has just dragged him back down to the mat.
Sama cracks Bassi with an elbow. That is naaassty.
Bassi is pushing Sama's head away, looking to escape. Sama manages to hold on to the position though.
A lull in the action here as Sama stalls from top position.
Sama prevents Bassi from escaping the position.

That's four minutes gone in the round.
A few boos can be heard. I'm sure they will multiply if the fighters don't pick up the pace.
Bassi is being controlled here.

Sama stands up.

Bassi gets caught flat footed, as Sama shoots in with a quick takedown into guard.
Bassi is trying to control the position but Sama postures up.
Sama works over Bassi with some ground and pound from guard.
Bassi wants to stand up but Sama is controlling him.
Bassi wants to control the position but Sama says "no thanks buddy" and passes to half guard.
Sama looks over to his corner - he wants some instructions but his corner are not responding.
Bassi is looking to escape.
And that’s the end of the round – the fighters go back to their corners.

Sakuraba Sama showed his class in that round. I'd imagine he'll take it on all the scorecards.
That's time! Back to the action! This is the final round!

The fighters circling - Bassi throws out the jab but it was never going to land.

Sama shoots in from a long way out. He's driving through with the takedown attempt and he eventually gets it, landing in Bassi's guard.
Bassi can't do much from the bottom at the moment, as Sama controls the pace.
Sama stops Bassi from standing up.
Sama with a couple of shots to the head there. Not particularly brutal.
Sakuraba Sama has got the better of the ground game so far.
Hammerfist, elbow! yells Sama's corner. There ya go! There ya go!
Sama not doing a lot at the moment. He'll have to show some more aggression or the fight will get stood up.
Bassi wants to stand but Sama is controlling the position.
Sama is just sitting in guard, looking to avoid any submissions.
Bassi wants to stand but Sama is controlling the position.
Both fighters are breathing heavily.

That's one minute gone in the round.
Sama pressing down on his opponent's thigh, looking to pass guard. Bassi is keeping the position for now.
Bassi is looking to stand up but Sama isn't so interested in that idea.
Sama postures up and scores with a shot to the body and a follow up elbow to the head.
Bassi is looking to stand up but Sama isn't so interested in that idea.

The referee has ruled that neither fighter is active enough on the ground and has stood them back up.

Sama shoots in for a takedown from distance. He catches Bassi napping and manages to drive through into side control!
Bassi sneaks back into half guard.
Bassi looks like he's trying to stand up.
Bruno Bassi has stepped it up - he knows he needs a finish here!
Sakuraba Sama is fighting for a decision here - he's started to take the cautious approach.

That's two minutes gone in the round.
Sama frees up his trapped foot and advances to mount.
BOOM! Sama connects with a massive shot to the dome!
Sama sitting in mount, just looking to control for the moment.
Bassi is really trying hard to get back to his feet.
Sama landing strikes from the mount.
Bassi is writhing around trying to get back to his feet.

That's three minutes gone in the round.
Sama lands a big elbow.
Sama breaks from Bassi's wrist control and lands an elbow.
Sama controlling the pace for now.
Sama landing strikes from the mount and Bassi is in trouble!
Sama controlling his opponent.
Sama working Bassi over with strikes here.
Bassi is really trying hard to get back to his feet.
Sama content just to control the position here.

That's four minutes gone in the round.
A lull in the action here being met with boos from the crowd.
Bassi is wriggling around trying to escape.
Sama controlling the position easily from mount.
Let's hope that Sama 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.

And that's the end of the fight!
Sakuraba Sama comfortably won the final round on my scorecard.
I've got Sama winning every round here. Surely the decision will go his way and he'll pick up a well deserved decision victory. 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 Shigeki Fujiwara scores the fight 27:30
Judge Taro Takaoka scores the fight 27:30
Judge Tatsuya Matsuyama scores the fight 27:30

In favor of your winner, by unanimous decision... Sakuraba Sama!