PBP Commentary

Coming up we have a light heavyweight MMA rules bout between Renan Fagundes (ranked 0 p4p, 0 weight class) and Gabriel Sassaki (ranked 0 p4p, 0 weight class). Sassaki is bobbing his head along to his entrance song: Apaga mais não bate. Over to our ring announcer for the fighter introductions!

Fagundes
vs
Sassaki

203 cm
22
200 lbs
0 - 4 - 0

183 cm
22
218 lbs
0 - 0 - 0

BJJ Blue Belt
Brawler
Good chin

BJJ Blue Belt
Basic striking
Determined

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 0 - 4 - 0, fighting out of Rio de Janeiro, Renan Fagundes!
And introducing the fighter to my right, fighting out of the blue corner.
With a record of 0 - 0 - 0, fighting out of Rio de Janeiro, Gabriel Sassaki!
The judges for this bout are Alexandre Firmino, Paulo Santos and Luis Engracia.

The bell rings for round one and we are underway!
Sassaki fakes with a right hand and throws a good leg kick, right into the thigh. That had to hurt Fagundes.
Fagundes looks exhausted already! Oh dear, he should have come in in better shape than this!

Sassaki drives through with a really nice takedown into side control.
Fagundes defending against the ground and pound.
Fagundes stops Sassaki from passing to mount.
Sassaki is pausing for a moment. What's he doing? It looks like he's clearing his nose. Oh dude! He's shot a load of snot all down Fagundes's shoulder. That is not cool.

Sassaki tries for a kimura but Fagundes is defending well.
You can see the frustration on Fagundes's face as Sassaki controls the position.
Fagundes takes a couple of big shots there - the referee warns him that he has to defend himself better.

That's one minute gone in the round.
Sassaki taking a breather here.

Sassaki decides to take the fight back to the feet.

Sassaki drives through with a takedown into guard.
Sassaki is just sitting in guard, looking to avoid any submissions.
Fagundes really does look like a pencil wearing a pair of gloves. Let's hope he has a gameplan to suit that ridiculous body shape.
Sassaki trying to land body shots but he keeps hitting the mat.

That's two minutes gone in the round.
Sassaki seems content to control from guard here. He's going to have to remain active though if he doesn't want to get stood back up.
If this pace continues, the referee will definitely step in and force a standup.

The ref stands the fighters back up. Gabriel Sassaki was stalling too much, according to the referee.
Fagundes takes a shot right to the bread basket.

Sassaki looking to shoot here. He's gone for it and he's landed a takedown into mount! Oh, that's bad for Fagundes!
Sassaki controlling from the full mount.

That's three minutes gone in the round.
Fagundes tries to hold on but Sassaki pushes him away.
Sassaki sitting in mount, just looking to control for the moment.

Sassaki working for a guillotine from mount but Fagundes is in no mood to give up.
Sassaki looking to control but Fagundes is working nicely, looking to advance position himself.
The fighters are pressed up against the cage, both looking to find a bit of space to work.

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.

Fagundes defends a decent attempt at a guillotine from Sassaki.
Sassaki lands with some vicious ground and pound - can Fagundes hang on?
Sassaki with the ground and pound from mount.
The crowd applaud the fighters efforts here as the round comes to an end.
Sassaki sitting in mount, just looking to control for the moment.
Sassaki landing punches.
And that’s the end of the round – the fighters go back to their corners.

Gabriel Sassaki dominated that round.
The minute break is over - no more time for sponges and pep talks - back to the action!

Sassaki tries to clinch but is not successful on this occasion.

Sassaki drops down and drives through with a powerful takedown into guard.
Sassaki stands and throws Fagundes's legs to the side, diving into side control.
Fagundes is looking to regain half guard here but Sassaki keeps moving and retains side control.
Sassaki working away diligently from side control. Landing strikes effectively there - that will score him some points on the judges scorecards.
Sassaki is pausing for a moment. What's he doing? It looks like he's clearing his nose. Oh dude! He's shot a load of snot all down Fagundes's shoulder. That is not cool.

Sassaki thinks about going for a far side armbar but bails out and retains the dominant position instead.
Both fighters are absolutely exhausted here.
Sassaki cracks Fagundes with a big right hand but Fagundes just smiles back at him and invites him to have another go.

That's one minute gone in the round.
Fagundes is not in a great position here, taking some shots.
Sassaki working the body and head with strikes.
Sassaki should think about turning a few of those tyres round his middle into muscle if he wants people to take him seriously as an athlete.
Fagundes wants to control but Sassaki postures up.
Sassaki wants to lay and pray for a moment but Fagundes keeps working.
Sassaki controlling the position.
Fagundes tries to buck Sassaki off but Sassaki is having none of it.
Sassaki has knee on belly and moves into mount.

That's two minutes gone in the round.
Sassaki controlling his opponent.
Sassaki prevents Fagundes from getting the reversal.
Fagundes wants to hold on but Sassaki pushes him away.
Sassaki lands with some strikes.
Sassaki tucks in and makes sure he doesn't lose the dominant position.
Fagundes is desperately trying to improve his position but Sassaki has a good base and remains in mount.

That's three minutes gone in the round.
Sassaki controlling the pace for now.
Fagundes is in all sorts of trouble here.

Sassaki with some aggressive grappling here. He's looking for submissions here, rather than waiting for the opportunity to counter.
Gabriel Sassaki has got the better of the ground game so far.
Sassaki breaks from Fagundes's wrist control and lands an elbow.
Sassaki trying to control but Fagundes is having none of it.
Sassaki sitting in mount, just looking to control for the moment.

That's four minutes gone in the round.
Fagundes tries to lock up and control but Sassaki gives him a forearm to the face and pushes him away.
Sassaki lands a big elbow.
Sassaki breaks from Fagundes's wrist control and lands an elbow.
Sassaki controlling his opponent.
Fagundes is wriggling around trying to escape.
And that’s the end of the round – the fighters go back to their corners.

Gabriel Sassaki showed his class in that round. I'd imagine he'll take it on all the scorecards.
That's the end of the interval. I'm sure that seemed a lot quicker than a minute for our two fighters! Back to the action. This is the final round!

Fagundes avoids a punch combination nicely.

Fagundes tries to keep at a distance but Sassaki has taken the fight into the clinch.
Sassaki is trying to work for a single leg takedown but Fagundes pulls him back up using the underhooks.
Sassaki lands a right hand.

Sassaki has managed to pull guard. Let's see whether he can work an aggressive guard. It will also be interesting to see what tactics Fagundes uses from the top position.
Fagundes will need to keep those long limbs tucked in whilst he's on the ground, to prevent any submissions.
Fagundes trying to control the position from guard on top but Sassaki is wriggling around, looking for whatever he can.
Sassaki looking to sweep here. No luck so far.
We've had a slow start to the round here - hopefully the action picks up.
Sassaki is persisting with the attempt to improve his position.
Fagundes trying to control the position from guard on top but Sassaki is wriggling around, looking for whatever he can.
Both fighters are breathing heavily.

That's one minute gone in the round.
Sassaki looking to control.
Fagundes throws a strike but Sassaki rolls with it and manages to sweep. Now he's in guard on top.
Sassaki controls the pace of the fight for a moment.

Well, the referee has seen enough. Neither fighter is active enough on the ground so he's stood them back up.
Fagundes fails with an attempt to clinch.

Sassaki shoots in for a takedown from distance. He catches Fagundes napping and manages to drive through into side control!

That's two minutes gone in the round.
Sassaki takes advantage of some sloppy striking from Fagundes to pass into mount.
Sassaki controlling the pace for now.
Sassaki lands a big shot there that rocks Fagundes but he's holding on and managing to survive for now.
Fagundes is looking to get to half guard.
Fagundes wants to control but Sassaki is having none of it.
Sassaki controlling the position easily from mount.

That's three minutes gone in the round.
Fagundes really trying hard to get back to half guard here.

Sassaki moves into side control, trying to work for a kimura. That looks painful! Will he finish!!?? No, Fagundes has worked his arm free - good work by Fagundes!
Fagundes seems a little lost for a moment, as Sassaki dominates the positioning.
Sassaki postures up a little and throws a couple of hammerfists but they don't connect properly.

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.
Fagundes tries to bench press Sassaki off him but Sassaki keeps the position.
Sassaki remains in side control and seems content to stay there. It's a versatile position from which he can work both strikes and submissions, whilst maintaining that control, so maybe he'll sit here for a while.
Sassaki lands a nice forearm strike.
Fagundes is trying to get back to his feet.
Fagundes is not in a great position here, taking some shots.
Sassaki controlling from side mount.
The crowd thankful this round is nearly over.
You can see the frustration on Fagundes's face, being in this tough position on the bottom.

And that's the end of the fight!
Gabriel Sassaki comfortably won the final round on my scorecard.
Well Sassaki has outworked and out performed his opponent in all aspects of the game today. He was simply too good and the decision should be no more than a formality. 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 26:30
Judge Paulo Santos scores the fight 26:30
Judge Luis Engracia scores the fight 26:30

In favor of your winner, by unanimous decision... Gabriel Sassaki!