PBP Commentary

Coming up we have a light heavyweight MMA rules bout between Ryo Habanapa (ranked 0 p4p, 0 weight class) and Satoru Sakurai (ranked 0 p4p, 0 weight class). Satoru Sakurai has the power to score a knockout today if he connects clean with Ryo Habanapa's chin.

Habanapa
vs
Sakurai

178 cm
19
205 lbs
1 - 2 - 0

192 cm
20
205 lbs
2 - 1 - 0

BJJ White Belt
Basic striking
Intelligent

BJJ Blue Belt
Brawler
Granite chin

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 1 - 2 - 0, fighting out of Tokyo, Ryo Habanapa!
And introducing the fighter to my right, fighting out of the blue corner.
With a record of 2 - 1 - 0, fighting out of Tokyo, Satoru Sakurai!
The judges for this bout are Shigeki Fujiwara, Yukihiro Yamamoto and Hirohito Nitta.

The bell rings for round one and we are underway!
Habanapa misses with a few strikes there.
Habanapa scores with a sloppy punch to the body. Not much technique there but it did the business.
The fight stays on the outside here - Sakurai looks like he's thinking about clinching though.
Sakurai ducks down and throws a hook to the body but Habanapa moves away.
Habanapa avoids the clinch attempt nicely.
Habanapa could do with loosing a few pounds - he looks very soft around the mid section, to put it politely.
Habanapa connects with a looping right hand.
Sakurai takes an uppercut right on the jaw but it doesn't phase him.
Habanapa throws a series of punches but Sakurai moves out of range.
Habanapa uses good head movement to avoid the hook from Sakurai.
Habanapa walks forward, straight into a front kick from Sakurai.
Sakurai looks for a takedown but Habanapa sprawls well.

Habanapa has Sakurai up against the cage in a clinch.
Habanapa can't break the clinch.
Habanapa's head jolts backwards as he takes an uppercut right on the button!
Sakurai jumps guard but Habanapa stands there with Sakurai around his waist. Sakurai gives up and drops back to his feet. We remain in the clinch.

That's one minute gone in the round.
Sakurai is pressed up against the cage. Habanapa has hold of a leg and is looking to drag Sakurai down to the mat. Sakurai avoids the attempt though and has circled away. We're back to striking at a distance.
Sakurai shoots in with a takedown attempt and he has Habanapa pinned against the cage. Habanapa gets the underhooks and manages to circle away.
Ryo Habanapa has stuffed three takedown attempts in the round now. That's going to take a lot out of Satoru Sakurai.
Habanapa misses with a wild combination.
A jab from Habanapa does it's job there.
Sakurai avoids a punch combination nicely.
Habanapa fails with an attempt to clinch.
Habanapa throws a combination but it was largely blocked by Sakurai.
Habanapa scores with a punch to the gut of his opponent.
Habanapa moves out of range of the body kick from Sakurai.
Jab, jab by Habanapa - just one landing.
Habanapa scores to the head and body with a nice combination!
Habanapa misses with a low kick as Sakurai jumps back.

That's two minutes gone in the round.
Sakurai slips a straight right by Habanapa.

The fight moves into the clinch position.
Habanapa wants to strike at distance but he can't break free of the clinch.

Habanapa breaks from the clinch.
Habanapa misses with a telegraphed body shot
and Sakurai counters with an outside leg kick.
Sakurai wants to clinch
and Habanapa counters with a crisp hook to the side of the head.
Sakurai looks to clinch
and Habanapa counters with a straight punch to the midsection.
Sakurai shoots in with a takedown attempt and he has Habanapa pinned against the cage. Habanapa gets the underhooks and manages to circle away.
Habanapa misses with a combination
and Sakurai connects with a straight left hand counter down the middle.
Sakurai shoots for a takedown but Habanapa saw that one coming a mile off and avoided it easily.
Sakurai doesn't manage to clinch there - Habanapa circles away.
Sakurai looks gassed!
Sakurai is on the wrong end of a nice combination from Habanapa.
Sakurai shoots in for a takedown - he's clinched up with Habanapa but Habanapa pushes him off and we're back to square one.
Sakurai doesn't succeed with the takedown
and Habanapa counters with a right hand to the body.

That's three minutes gone in the round.
No joy there for Habanapa, who threw a few shots but didn't land.
Habanapa looks to score with a combo but nothing lands.
The fight stays on the outside here - Sakurai looks like he's thinking about clinching though.
Habanapa misses with a few strikes there.
Sakurai gets his takedown attempt stuffed easily
and Habanapa counters with a straight punch to the midsection.
Habanapa fails to land with the punch combination there - jab, cross, hook, miss, miss, miss.
Sakurai misses with a takedown attempt
and Habanapa counters with a lovely shot to the body.
Habanapa tries to close the distance and clinch up but Sakurai swats him away and circles back towards the center.
Ohhhhh! A huge head kick from Sakurai! Habanapa is out on his feet! Sakurai rushes in and throws more strikes. The ref is looking closely - Habanapa is covering up but the punishment is just too much and the ref steps in to stop the fight! Habanapa is staring into space, just thankful that the beatdown has ended. Brutal finish.

Ladies and gentlemen, after 3:47 of round 1, we have a winner by way of TKO (Strikes). Satoru Sakurai!