PBP Commentary

Coming up we have a middleweight MMA rules bout between Adrianus Vanderburg (ranked 0 p4p, 0 weight class) and Hidehiko Sakuraba (ranked 0 p4p, 0 weight class). I can't wait for this one - let's get the fighter introductions out of the way and get this one started!

Vanderburg
vs
Sakuraba

189 cm
22
201 lbs
5 - 2 - 0

188 cm
25
189 lbs
7 - 4 - 0

BJJ Blue Belt
World class MT
Very strong

BJJ Brown Belt
Counter striker
Solid chin

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 5 - 2 - 0, fighting out of Rio de Janeiro, Adrianus Vanderburg!
And introducing the fighter to my right, fighting out of the blue corner.
With a record of 7 - 4 - 0, fighting out of Rio de Janeiro, Hidehiko Sakuraba!
The judges for this bout are Alexandre Firmino, Thiago Cunha and Felipe Paraventi.

The bell rings for round one and we are underway!
Sakuraba takes a push kick to the midsection and stumbles backwards.
Adrianus Vanderburg seems to be the more aggressive standup fighter in this bout.
A slapping leg kick lands for Vanderburg.

Vanderburg instigates a clinch.
Vanderburg leaning against his opponent.
Vanderburg landing knees to the head.

It looks like Hidehiko Sakuraba has been cut.
Sakuraba trying to stall but Vanderburg improves his position.

Vanderburg's corner calls for him to break the clinch, which he does.
Sakuraba sees a low kick coming and goes to check it, but it's actually a body kick and it thuds into his unprotected ribs.
Sakuraba looks gassed!
The fans in attendance giving it up for the two fighters, who have really let it all hang out in the last minute or so!
Vanderburg tries to clinch there but Sakuraba circles away.
Vanderburg throws a body kick that sends a sickening thudding noise reverberating around the arena.
Vanderburg throws a quick inside leg kick.

Vanderburg rushes Sakuraba and presses him up against the cage.

Vanderburg breaks from the clinch.

Vanderburg has taken the fight to the clinch.

That's one minute gone in the round.
Vanderburg is clearly stalling here... Pick up the pace son.
Vanderburg with the Thai clinch, lands a knee to the head.
Sakuraba fails to pull guard.
Nice elbow from Vanderburg.

Vanderburg breaks the clinch and we return to the middle of the mat.
Vanderburg fails to land with the punch combination there - jab, cross, hook, miss, miss, miss.
Vanderburg tries to clinch but is not successful on this occasion.
Sakuraba avoids the head kick by Vanderburg.

Vanderburg has taken the fight to the clinch.

Vanderburg pushes off and circles away, back to the middle of the mat.
Sakuraba misses with a wild combination.

That's two minutes gone in the round.
A lull in the action here being met with boos from the crowd.
Sakuraba keeps the fight on the outside.
Vanderburg smiles there as he lands a nice right hand right on the button.
Vanderburg misses with a combination

and Sakuraba moves into the clinch.

Vanderburg breaks from the clinch.
Vanderburg looks to score with a combo but nothing lands.
Sakuraba misses with a leg kick

and Vanderburg counters by moving into the clinch.
Sakuraba wants a takedown but no success here.
Vanderburg tries a knee to the head but he's missed.

That's three minutes gone in the round.

Vanderburg pushes off and circles away, back to the middle of the mat.
Sakuraba staying out of range there.
Vanderburg throws a sloppy head kick and Sakuraba moves out of range easily.
Vanderburg tries to close the distance and clinch but Sakuraba swats him to one side with an open hand palm strike and circles away.
A jab from Vanderburg misses.
Vanderburg moves in looking to clinch but Sakuraba pushes him off.
Sakuraba misses with a takedown
and Vanderburg counters with a nice uppercut.
Adrianus Vanderburg has stuffed three takedown attempts in the round now. That's going to take a lot out of Hidehiko Sakuraba.

Vanderburg forces Sakuraba back against the cage and clinches.
Vanderburg unloads a knee to the mid-section.

Vanderburg's corner calls for him to break the clinch, which he does.

That's four minutes gone in the round.
A head kick misses from Vanderburg.
Vanderburg is looking to clinch but Sakuraba is avoiding it.
Sakuraba fails with a rather predictable takedown attempt.
Vanderburg pulls out of a head kick attempt.
Vanderburg scores with a spinning back kick!
Vanderburg fails in his attempt to clinch.
As the round comes to an end the crowd are showing their appreciation for a great round of action.

The fight moves into the clinch position.

Vanderburg's corner calls for him to break the clinch, which he does.
And that’s the end of the round – the fighters go back to their corners.

Adrianus Vanderburg dominated that round.
The cut man is working on Hidehiko Sakuraba's cut.
The fighters get back to their feet, the hooter sounds and we're back to the action!

Vanderburg doesn't manage to clinch there - Sakuraba circles away.
Like a baseball bat into the meat of his leg there - nice leg kick by Vanderburg.
Vanderburg lands a nice looking body kick.
Sakuraba blocks a head kick by Vanderburg.

Vanderburg clinches up against the cage.
Vanderburg creates a bit of space for himself and sneaks an elbow through Sakuraba's defenses.

Vanderburg manages to break the clinch.
Vanderburg throws a quick head kick that skims the top of Sakuraba's head.
Vanderburg throws a nice head kick!
The crowd are loving this. Great action here.
Vanderburg throws a quick head kick that skims the top of Sakuraba's head.
Both fighters are absolutely exhausted here.
Vanderburg avoids the body shot from Sakuraba.
Adrianus Vanderburg is winning the standup battle so far.

That's one minute gone in the round.
A left and a right from Vanderburg both land. Nice combination.

That has opened up Hidehiko Sakuraba's cut even more.
Vanderburg throws a front kick that sends Sakuraba stumbling back into the cage.
A head kick misses from Vanderburg.
Adrianus Vanderburg is looking to keep the fight on the feet at all costs.

Vanderburg clinches.
The pace slowing considerably in the clinch, as Vanderburg takes a break from that fighting nonsense to think about the finer things in life.
Vanderburg gets underhooks to prevent Sakuraba's takedown attempt.
The pace really dropping off here, momentarily.

That's two minutes gone in the round.

Vanderburg breaks from the clinch.

Vanderburg moves into the clinch.

Vanderburg breaks from the clinch.
Sakuraba walks into a jab.
Vanderburg wants to clinch.
Vanderburg clinches but Sakuraba breaks the clinch

and Sakuraba counters with a nice double leg into side control. Vanderburg won't be happy with that.
Wooooo! Give it up for these two warriors! They are putting on a show!
Sakuraba is looking to take a break and control but Vanderburg is keeping him honest, looking to work from the bottom.
Vanderburg bucks up and tries to throw Sakuraba off but instead Sakuraba has got his back!

That's three minutes gone in the round.

Sakuraba looking for the RNC.
Vanderburg trying to get back to his feet but Sakuraba is in full control for now.

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.
The fighters are starting to get a bit slippery now, which will make submissions a bit more difficult.
Sakuraba struggling to land strikes to the head as Vanderburg covers up.
The fighters are pressed up against the cage, both looking to find a bit of space to work.
As the round comes to an end the crowd are showing their appreciation for a great round of action.
Vanderburg controlling the position well but he knows he's in a bad position.
And that’s the end of the round – the fighters go back to their corners.

Adrianus Vanderburg dominated that second round.
The cut man is working on Hidehiko Sakuraba's cut.
Well, the break between rounds is over. Let's get back to the scrappin! This is the final round!

Vanderburg pulls out of a head kick attempt.
Vanderburg is really dominating this fight. Is there anything that Sakuraba can do to turn this around?
Sakuraba throws a hook but Vanderburg avoids it easily.
Vanderburg is looking to clinch but Sakuraba is avoiding it.
Vanderburg ducks under a wild hook from Sakuraba.
Adrianus Vanderburg is looking to throw some combinations by the looks of things.
Vanderburg lands with a nice body kick.
Vanderburg moves in looking to clinch but Sakuraba pushes him off.
Sakuraba takes a big intake of breath there - he's definitely tired.
We've had a slow start to the round here - hopefully the action picks up.
Vanderburg keeps the fight on the outside.
Vanderburg lands with a nice low kick. That'll leave a bruise.

Vanderburg clinches up with Sakuraba and pushes him back against the cage.

That's one minute gone in the round.

Vanderburg breaks the clinch and we're back to striking at distance.
A jab from Vanderburg finds it's way through Sakuraba's defenses.
Sakuraba takes a head kick and shrugs it off.
Vanderburg throws a head kick that misses and slips in the process. He scrambles back to his feet and the fighters circle.
No luck for Sakuraba with that takedown attempt.
Vanderburg lands with a two punch combination before moving back out of range.
A head kick misses from Vanderburg.
Vanderburg keeps his opponent at a distance with a nice jab.

Vanderburg gets a clinch.

That's two minutes gone in the round.

Vanderburg breaks from the clinch.
Vanderburg lands a nice looking body kick.
This is a great period of action - very entertaining stuff!
Vanderburg lands with a right hand.
Sakuraba blocks a head kick by Vanderburg.

Sakuraba tries to keep at a distance but Vanderburg has taken the fight into the clinch.

Vanderburg breaks the clinch and we're back to striking at distance.
Sakuraba is the more experienced fighter here and he's going to need to draw on some of that experience if he's going to pull this one out the bag.
Vanderburg throws a head kick that looked like it stung.

The cut above Hidehiko Sakuraba's eye is starting to cause him problems now.
Vanderburg is looking to clinch.
Vanderburg tries to clinch up but Sakuraba circles away and keeps his distance.

That's three minutes gone in the round.
Vanderburg throws a sloppy head kick and Sakuraba moves out of range easily.
Vanderburg bobs and weaves and throws out a fast jab that snaps Sakuraba's head backwards.
Vanderburg throws a sloppy head kick and Sakuraba moves out of range easily.
Vanderburg throws a looping overhand right but Sakuraba ducks down to avoid it.
Vanderburg moves in looking to clinch but Sakuraba pushes him off.
Vanderburg misses with an uppercut.
Vanderburg tries to clinch but Sakuraba moves away

and Sakuraba counters with a shoot takedown. Vanderburg fights it but they end up in guard.
Sakuraba looking to sit in guard and control but Vanderburg gets the butterfly guard and sweeps. He's now in the guard on the top.
We could do with one of the fighters taking the initiative a bit more on the ground - they're both waiting to capitalize on a mistake.

That's four minutes gone in the round.

Sakuraba working for a triangle but Vanderburg defends it easily.
Hidehiko Sakuraba has stepped it up - he knows he needs a finish here!

Sakuraba is working actively off his back, looking to secure an arm or perhaps work for a triangle.

And that's the end of the fight!
Adrianus Vanderburg showed his dominance in that final round.
Well I reckon that's a shut out for Vanderburg, winning every round. Will the judges agree? They are the ones who matter, even if they are often depressingly incompetent. 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 Alexandre Firmino scores the fight for Adrianus Vanderburg!
Judge Thiago Cunha scores the fight for Adrianus Vanderburg!
Judge Felipe Paraventi scores the fight for Adrianus Vanderburg!

Adrianus Vanderburg wins by unanimous decision!