PBP Commentary

Coming up we have a featherweight MMA rules bout between Eisen Sakurai (ranked 0 p4p, 0 weight class) and Tsung Wayard (ranked 0 p4p, 0 weight class). Wayard comes into a darkened arena with his song building. Savior kicks in, the lights come on and the crowd goes wild! What a showman! Eisen Sakurai could well score a knockout today. He has the power to get to Tsung Wayard's chin.

Sakurai
vs
Wayard

175 cm
18
155 lbs
2 - 0 - 0

165 cm
18
145 lbs
0 - 0 - 0

BJJ Blue Belt
Counter striker
Granite chin

BJJ Blue Belt
Good kicks
Tends to cut

Ladies and gentlemen. This fight is 3 rounds, in the featherweight division.
Introducing the fighter to my left, fighting out of the red corner.
With a record of 2 - 0 - 0, fighting out of Tokyo, Eisen Sakurai!
And introducing the fighter to my right, fighting out of the blue corner.
With a record of 0 - 0 - 0, fighting out of Tokyo, Tsung Wayard!
The judges for this bout are Hirohito Nitta, Shigeki Sano and Tatsuya Matsuyama.

The bell rings for round one and we are underway!
Wayard throws a series of punches but Sakurai avoids them all with ease.
Wayard shoots in for a takedown but Sakurai shows good takedown defense there and keeps this one on the feet.

Sakurai scores a trip takedown into side control. Nice.
You can see the frustration on Wayard's face as Sakurai controls the position.
The fighters are pressed up against the cage, both looking to find a bit of space to work.
The strikes coming from Sakurai are missing the target in this wave of attacks.
Wayard struggling a bit here.
Wayard tries to work a leg under to get back to half guard but Sakurai wriggles his own leg back out and remains in side control.
Wayard can't do much from the bottom here.
Wayard managing to avoid any damage from the strikes thrown by Sakurai.
A lull in the action here.
Sakurai moves into full mount!

That's one minute gone in the round.
Sakurai landing strikes from the mount and Wayard is in trouble!

Sakurai working for a submission but Wayard is keeping him at bay.

Sakurai has hold of Wayard's left arm, perhaps looking for a submission. The two fighters tussle over control of the isolated limb and Wayard manages to get his arm back to his side and away from danger.
Wayard bucks up and manages to get a nice reversal! He's in guard on the top - nicely done!
Wayard wants to control from the top but Sakurai keeps moving.

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.
Wayard trying to pass the guard but can't manage it just yet.
Wayard trying to control but Sakurai is working from the bottom.
Sakurai seems keen to control rather than go for a submission, at least for now.
Wayard showing good wrestling skills to control the position.

That's three minutes gone in the round.

Wayard drops back, looking for a kneebar! Sakurai looks panicked! The fighters roll across the mat, one looking to finish, one looking to escape. Sakurai looks to have wriggled free... Yes, he's got his leg free and he's dived into side control! Good work there from Sakurai!
Wayard is looking for a sweep.
Wayard is trying to stand back up. He's worked his way up against the cage but Sakurai has just dragged him back down to the mat.
Wayard looks gassed!
Wayard struggling a bit here.
Wayard on the wrong end of some ground and pound.

That's four minutes gone in the round.
The crowd are getting on the fighters' backs, as the pace has dropped off in the last minute or so.
Wayard gives up the full mount - oops, sloppy defensive grappling there!
Sakurai controlling from the full mount.
Wayard taking shots to the head.
The crowd thankful this round is nearly over.
Sakurai raining down shots from the mount!
Sakurai has been looking to land a fair amount of strikes on the ground. He might be looking to soften his opponent up in order to work for a submission.
Sakurai putting on the heat here with some good ground and pound!
And that’s the end of the round – the fighters go back to their corners.

Eisen Sakurai dominated that round.
The fighters get back to their feet, the hooter sounds and we're back to the action!

Wayard fails with the takedown

and Sakurai counters with a nice double leg into half guard.
Sakurai thumps the canvas. Not on purpose obviously - he just missed Wayard's head.
Neither fighter is being very active at the moment, with Sakurai in particular looking to stall.
Sakurai sitting in half guard, looking to land shots. Wayard defending well though.
Sakurai is looking to advance position but Wayard won't allow it.
Wayard wants to get back to his feet.
Wayard works his way to full guard. Good work.

Wayard working for submissions but it's allowed Sakurai to get to half guard.
Sakurai thumps the canvas. Not on purpose obviously - he just missed Wayard's head.
Wayard is breathing heavily.

That's one minute gone in the round.
Sakurai perhaps working for something from half guard, or maybe not. It looks like he's just sitting there.
Sakurai is keeping good posture, landing some ground and pound.
Sakurai working the head and body with strikes.
Wayard really doesn't want to stay on the ground with Sakurai. If he can't get it back to his feet, it's only a matter of time before he'll be tapping out.
Sakurai sitting and controlling from the half guard.
Sakurai trying to control the action but Wayard is working from the bottom.
Sakurai stalling.

That's two minutes gone in the round.
Neither fighter has done anything of merit for a good minute or two here and the crowd are not happy about it.

The referee decides to stand the fighters back up, due to lack of activity on the part of Eisen Sakurai.
Wayard throws a left and a right that both miss

and Sakurai counters with a nice shoot takedown that brings the fighters to the ground.
Wayard working the defensive guard well to avoid strikes from Sakurai.
Sakurai cracks Wayard with a solid left hand.
Sakurai landing with the ground and pound.
Sakurai slips effortlessly into side control - very nice.
Wayard tries to buck Sakurai off but Sakurai is having none of it.

That's three minutes gone in the round.
Wayard is not content to let Sakurai control the position.
You can see the frustration on Wayard's face as Sakurai controls the position.
Sakurai working the head and body with strikes.
A lull in the action here as Sakurai stalls from top position.
Sakurai works a knee to the body and follows up with a nice elbow to the head.
Sakurai lands a knee to the body and a forearm to the face.
Sakurai landing a few strikes.
Sakurai is staying tight to Wayard's torso, preventing him from escaping.

That's four minutes gone in the round.
Wayard gives up the full mount - oops, sloppy defensive grappling there!
Sakurai controlling from mount.
Sakurai looking to control but Wayard is working nicely, looking to advance position himself.
Sakurai is still in mount, landing shots to his trapped opponent. Wayard can't stay in a position like this for much longer.

Sakurai is working on an americana here. Ooh, that looks pretty nasty! Nope, Wayard has managed to escape the submission attempt.
Sakurai postures up and cracks his opponent a couple of times before moving back into close ground control. Wayard looks a forlorn figure.
And that’s the end of the round – the fighters go back to their corners.

Eisen Sakurai dominated that second round.
That's the end of the round. The referee orders the cornermen out of the cage so we can get back down to business. This is the final round!

Wayard doesn't succeed with the takedown

and Sakurai counters with a nice double leg into side control. Wayard won't be happy with that.
Sakurai is looking to take a break and control but Wayard is keeping him honest, looking to work from the bottom.
Wayard tries to buck Sakurai off but Sakurai is having none of it.
Wayard is persisting with the attempt to improve his position.
Sakurai lands a decent elbow from side control.
The referee asks Sakurai politely if he wouldn't mind getting on with it and actually doing something. Sakurai prefers to stall for the moment though.
Both fighters are breathing heavily.
Sakurai working the ground and pound but he's contacting the mat, not the fighter.
Sakurai trying to control the action but Wayard is working from the bottom.
The ref warns both fighters not to hold the cage as they work up against the meshing.
Sakurai passes to full mount! That's big trouble for Wayard!

That's one minute gone in the round.
Sakurai working away from the top, dropping strikes.
Sakurai in mount throwing good strikes here, bouncing his opponent's head off the canvas.

Sakurai goes for an armbar but Wayard turns quickly into his guard - lovely anticipation from Wayard.
Sakurai controlling Wayard's posture.

That's two minutes gone in the round.

The referee decides to stand the fighters back up, due to lack of activity on the part of Eisen Sakurai.
Sakurai dodges the punch combination from Wayard.
Eisen Sakurai is looking to throw some combinations by the looks of things.
Sakurai scores with a sloppy punch to the body. Not much technique there but it did the business.
Wayard with a lazy takedown attempt

and Sakurai counters with a nice double leg into guard.
Eisen Sakurai overall seems to be getting the better of the ground position in the fight so far.
Sakurai keeps in close for a moment and lands a decent shot to the side of Wayard's head.
Sakurai is pushing down on Wayard's leg trying to pass to half guard. Wayard is fighting to maintain full guard but Sakurai has managed to sneak the leg through.

That's three minutes gone in the round.
Sakurai works his foot free and advances to mount.
Sakurai controlling from the full mount.
Sakurai working Wayard over with strikes here.
Wayard in a bad spot here, taking shots to the head.
Wayard is trying to stand up.
Sakurai lands with some strikes.

Sakurai looking to secure an arm triangle but Wayard defends it well.
Sakurai controlling his opponent.

That's four minutes gone in the round.
Sakurai scores with a couple of good head shots there.
Sakurai controlling from mount.
Wayard tries to lock up and control but Sakurai gives him a forearm to the face and pushes him away.
Sakurai cracks Wayard with a nasty head shot there - the crowd let out an audible gasp there, as the noise reverberated around the arena.
Tsung Wayard has stepped it up - he knows he needs a finish here!
Eisen Sakurai is fighting for a decision here - he's started to take the cautious approach.
Sakurai sitting in mount, just looking to control for the moment.

And that's the end of the fight!
Eisen Sakurai showed his dominance in that final round.
Well Sakurai has outscored his opponent in every aspect of the fight today. Only a scarily incompetent judge or two will keep him from a well deserved win... 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 Hirohito Nitta scores the fight 30:27
Judge Shigeki Sano scores the fight 30:27
Judge Tatsuya Matsuyama scores the fight 30:27

In favor of your winner, by unanimous decision... Eisen Sakurai!