PBP Commentary

Coming up we have a super heavyweight MMA rules bout between Hiroshi Sato (ranked 0 p4p, 0 weight class) and Alessandro Pittana (ranked 0 p4p, 0 weight class). Both these guys have solid standup skills and neither is particularly fantastic on the ground, so let's hope for a nice standup war!

Sato
vs
Pittana

175 cm
22
170 lbs
2 - 2 - 0

185 cm
22
185 lbs
2 - 0 - 0

BJJ White Belt
Excellent MT
Granite chin

BJJ Blue Belt
Excellent boxer
Powerful

Ladies and gentlemen. This fight is 3 rounds, in the super heavyweight division.
Introducing the fighter to my left, fighting out of the red corner.
With a record of 2 - 2 - 0, fighting out of Tokyo, Hiroshi Sato!
And introducing the fighter to my right, fighting out of the blue corner.
With a record of 2 - 0 - 0, fighting out of Tokyo, Alessandro Pittana!
The judges for this bout are Tatsuya Matsuyama, Yuuki Gou and Taro Takaoka.

The bell rings for round one and we are underway!
Pittana takes a body punch but keeps moving.

Sato moves into the clinch.
Pittana tries for a takedown. No joy.
Pittana takes a knee right on the jaw!
Sato throws a vicious knee straight up the middle but Pittana blocks it with crossed arms.
Pittana tries to pull guard but Sato holds him up against the cage and eventually Pittana drops back down to his feet.
Sato gets underhooks to prevent Pittana's takedown attempt.
Hiroshi Sato has stuffed three takedown attempts in the round now. That's going to take a lot out of Alessandro Pittana.
Sato lands a knee to the head there! That was nasty!
Sato putting his Muay Thai to good use. He has Pittana in a tight clinch and is doing some damage with knees to the body.
Pittana looks gassed!
Sato blocking some punches.
Pittana letting Sato take a breather here.
Sato gets double underhooks to prevent a takedown attempt from Pittana.

Sato escapes the clinch and we're back to striking.
Sato fails to land with the punch combination there - jab, cross, hook, miss, miss, miss.
A head kick misses from Sato.
Pittana misses with a straight left.
Pittana is looking to clinch.
Sato goes for a high kick. It partially lands.

That's one minute gone in the round.
Sato wants to clinch but Pittana slips to the side

and Pittana counters with a takedown into side control.
Pittana tries to cartwheel into mount but he doesn't manage it.
Sato is trying to get back to his feet.
A lull in the action here as Pittana stalls from top position.

That's two minutes gone in the round.
Pittana fails to land a wild elbow strike.
Pittana is putting a hurting on Sato here, landing some big shots from side control.
Pittana happy to just control the position for now.

That's three minutes gone in the round.
Pittana misses with a strike but at least he's keeping busy, looking to cause some damage - that will still help him when it comes to the judges scorecards.
Pittana advances to mount.

Pittana is standing up, even though he is in mount.
Sato throws a series of punches but Pittana moves out of range.

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.
Pittana fakes high and shoots in for a takedown but Sato avoids it really well and circles away.
Pittana misses with a takedown attempt. He shot from a bit too far out.
Sato fails in his attempt to clinch.

Sato closes the distance and presses his opponent up against the cage.
Sato throws a knee to the head but misses.
Pittana wants to break free but Sato has control.
Sato on the defensive, avoiding the knees to the body.
Both fighters working to control the clinch.

Sato breaks the clinch.
Sato throws a combination but comes up with nothing but fresh air.
Pittana tries to clinch but Sato moves out of range.
Pittana avoids the clinch attempt nicely.
Sato slaps away a takedown attempt from Pittana, before circling back to the center of the mat.
Sato fails to land with a series of punches.
And that’s the end of the round – the fighters go back to their corners.

A close round but Alessandro Pittana will probably get the nod.
The corners get their ten second warning. Both fighters stand from their stools and stare eachother down, ready to get back to the action.

Sato fails in his attempt to clinch.
Hiroshi Sato seems to be the more aggressive standup fighter in this bout.
Sato throws a head kick that misses and slips in the process. He scrambles back to his feet and the fighters circle.
Sato lands a head kick!
Sato keeps the fight on the outside.
Pittana misses with a low kick.
Pittana moves in looking to clinch but Sato pushes him off.
Sato lands a head kick. Pittana smiles back at him and beckons him forward.
Sato misses with a half-hearted attempt at a head kick.
Pittana moves out of range as Sato throws a body kick.
Sato tries to close the distance and clinch up against the cage but Pittana paws at him with a jab and circles away.
Pittana dives in and grabs Sato's left leg, looking for a takedown. Sato pushes down on Pittana's head and hops out.
We've had a slow start to the round here - hopefully the action picks up.
A jab from Pittana misses.
Pittana closes this distance looking for a takedown but Sato circles away.
Both fighters are absolutely exhausted here.

Sato darts in and clinches Pittana up against the cage.

Sato breaks the clinch and we're back to striking at distance.
Pittana takes a head kick and shrugs it off.

That's one minute gone in the round.
Sato lets loose with a powerful body kick. Pittana will feel that in the morning.
Pittana avoids the clinch attempt nicely.
Sato throws a nice head kick!
Hiroshi Sato is looking to throw some combinations by the looks of things.

Sato instigates a clinch.

Sato's corner calls for him to break the clinch, which he does.
Sato tries to close the distance and clinch up against the cage but Pittana paws at him with a jab and circles away.
Pittana is looking to take this fight into the clinch.
Sato walks into a straight right hand from Pittana.
Sato tries to close the distance and clinch but Pittana swats him to one side with an open hand palm strike and circles away.
A really sloppy takedown attempt there from Pittana.
Hiroshi Sato has stuffed three takedown attempts in the round now. That's going to take a lot out of Alessandro Pittana.
Pittana shoots in for a takedown. "I don't think so" says Sato as he avoids it easily.
Pittana slips a jab and a cross from Sato.
Pittana swats away the attempt to clinch by Sato.
Sato tries to close the distance and clinch but Pittana swats him to one side with an open hand palm strike and circles away.

That's two minutes gone in the round.
Sato tries to clinch up but Pittana circles away and keeps his distance.
Pittana throws a looping left and ducks down for a takedown. He's got his arms around Sato's waist but Sato gets an underhook and avoids the takedown by throwing Pittana off to one side.

Sato clinches up with Pittana and pushes him back against the cage.

Sato's corner calls for him to break the clinch, which he does.
Sato tries to clinch there but Pittana circles away.
Sato tries to clinch but Pittana is having none of it.
Sato tries to grapple but his opponent circles
and Pittana counters with a lovely straight right hand!
Pittana shoots in for a takedown - he's clinched up with Sato but Sato pushes him off and we're back to square one.
Pittana circles away from the clinch attempt.
Pittana walks forward, straight into a front kick from Sato.

Pittana scores with a nice takedown into half guard. Let's see what he's got on the ground.
Sato tries to kick Pittana off but Pittana keeps his base steady and stays in half guard.

That's three minutes gone in the round.
Sato blocking the ground and pound attempt from Pittana.
Pittana missing with some ground and pound from the half guard.
Pittana uses his free foot to push down on Sato's thigh. Eventually he works his other foot free and he's advanced to mount - this is trouble for Sato.
Pittana sitting in mount, just looking to control for the moment.
Sato is trying to get back to his feet but can't.

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.
Pittana tucks in and makes sure he doesn't lose the dominant position.
Pittana lands with some strikes.
And that’s the end of the round – the fighters go back to their corners.

That was a close second round but I would say that Hiroshi Sato will probably get the nod.
Well, the break between rounds is over. Let's get back to the scrappin! This is the final round!

Sato throws a head kick that misses and slips in the process. He scrambles back to his feet and the fighters circle.
Pittana is looking to take this fight into the clinch.
Pittana circles away from the clinch attempt.
Pittana is looking to clinch.
Sato is looking to take this fight into the clinch.
Sato keeping a good distance there, avoiding the body shot.
A head kick misses from Pittana.
Sato keeps the fight standing with a nice sprawl.
Sato is looking to clinch but Pittana is avoiding it.
We've had a slow start to the round here - hopefully the action picks up.
Sato misses with a double jab.
A decent looking body kick lands there for Sato.
Sato defends well against a solid takedown attempt from Pittana.

Sato moves into the clinch.
Sato has Pittana pressed against the cage, preventing Pittana from circling away and getting back to striking at range.
Both fighters are breathing heavily.

That's one minute gone in the round.
Pittana is trying to stall.
Sato with a knee to the head.
Sato scores with a knee to the head.

Sato's corner calls for him to break the clinch, which he does.
Sato tries to clinch but is not successful on this occasion.
Nice takedown defense from Sato. No joy for Pittana on that attempt.
Hiroshi Sato has stuffed three takedown attempts in the round now. That's going to take a lot out of Alessandro Pittana.
Sato throws a head kick that connects with a bit of head and a bit of hand.
Pittana is looking to clinch but Sato is avoiding it.
Sato doesn't manage to clinch there - Pittana circles away.
Pittana misses with a takedown attempt - Sato sprawls well and throws a nice strike on the way out which just misses.

Sato rushes Pittana and pushes him back against the cage in a clinch.
Sato misses the knee to the body. Nice hip positioning from Pittana.
Pittana tries to jump guard but he falls flat on his backside. Sato smiles and moves away.
Pittana keeps the fight on the outside.

That's two minutes gone in the round.

Pittana shoots in for a takedown and gets it.

Pittana decides to stand up and try his luck on the feet.
Hiroshi Sato is looking to keep the fight on the feet at all costs.
Sato stuffs the takedown attempt from Pittana. Pittana gets slowly back to his feet.

Pittana tries to keep at a distance but Sato has taken the fight into the clinch.
Sato tries a knee to the head but he's missed.
Sato throws a knee to the head but misses.
Sato tries to stall but Pittana uses the opportunity to gain a better position.

That's three minutes gone in the round.
Pittana wants to push off and get back to the center of the mat but Sato has him pressed against the cage.
Pittana using the Thai plumb to throw knees but Sato has his back arched nicely, preventing the strike.
Sato is trying to break free.
Sato working hard to break the clinch.
Pittana fails to pull guard.
Pittana tries to pull guard but Sato won't allow it.
A knee to the head by Sato.
Sato blocks a couple of punches on the inside.
Sato with an attempt at a knee that misses.
Come on Pittana - let's have some action - none of this stalling nonsense.
Sato using the Thai plumb to throw knees but Pittana has his back arched nicely, preventing the strike.
Sato looks like he'd prefer to be striking at range right now.
Pittana stalling in the clinch but Sato improves position.
Pittana fails to pull the fight into his guard.
Sato with the Thai clinch, lands a knee to the head.
Pittana trying to land knees to the body.
Pittana drops down for a takedown but doesn't get it.
Sato lands a good knee to the midsection. Pittana won't want to take too many of those.

That's four minutes gone in the round.
The crowd are starting to boo a lack of action.

Sato pushes off and circles away, back to the middle of the mat.

Sato closes the distance and clinches.
Pittana tries to score a body lock takedown but Sato shows good agility there to stay on his feet.
Sato landing some nice looking knees to the body.
Sato misses with a knee strike.

Sato breaks the clinch and we're back to striking at distance.
Pittana tries a head kick but it misses.
Pittana shoots in but no luck this time.
Sato tries to clinch there but Pittana circles away.
Sato tries to clinch there but Pittana circles away.
Sato displays good takedown defense there as he swats away a double leg from Pittana.
A head kick from Sato lands but Pittana takes it in his stride.
Sato tries to clinch but is not successful on this occasion.
Sato gets cracked with a nice right hand there by Pittana.

And that's the end of the fight!
Hiroshi Sato showed his dominance in that final round.
I think Sato has won this one but let's see what the judges have to say. 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 29:28
Judge Yuuki Gou scores the fight 28:29
Judge Taro Takaoka scores the fight 30:28

In favor of your winner, by split decision... Hiroshi Sato!