PBP Commentary

Coming up we have a middleweight MMA rules bout between Obed Kunirio (ranked 0 p4p, 0 weight class) and Junior Sanchez (ranked 0 p4p, 0 weight class). Obed Kunirio has the better chin. Will he look to stand and bang today?

Kunirio
vs
Sanchez

183 cm
25
187 lbs
3 - 0 - 0

190 cm
21
190 lbs
2 - 1 - 0

BJJ White Belt
Excellent boxer
Granite chin

BJJ Purple Belt
Excellent MT
Determined

[JMFC] Arashi Fighting Nutrition Q160 Recovery

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 3 - 0 - 0, fighting out of Tokyo, Obed Kunirio!
And introducing the fighter to my right, fighting out of the blue corner.
With a record of 2 - 1 - 0, fighting out of Tokyo, Junior Sanchez!
The judges for this bout are Shigeki Sano, Tatsuya Matsuyama and Yuuki Gou.

The bell rings for round one and we are underway!
Kunirio will have to do better than that with his takedown attempts.
Obed Kunirio seems to be the more aggressive standup fighter in this bout.
Kunirio is looking to clinch.
Sanchez lands with an overhand left.

It looks like Obed Kunirio has been cut.

The fight moves into the clinch position.
Kunirio throws a punch but it's blocked by Sanchez.
Kunirio throws a head punch that misses.
Sanchez tries to land knees in the clinch but Kunirio avoids the damage to the body.
Kunirio lands with a good tight uppercut to the head.

Sanchez breaks the clinch and we're back to striking at distance.

Sanchez tries to keep at a distance but Kunirio has taken the fight into the clinch.
Kunirio scores with an uppercut up the middle.
Kunirio working aggressively here.
Kunirio is clearly stalling here... Pick up the pace son.
An uppercut on the inside fails to land for Kunirio.

That's one minute gone in the round.
Kunirio lands a left hand.
Sanchez is trying to push Kunirio away but Kunirio has him pressed against the cage, so he's going nowhere.
Kunirio working some nice short punches in the clinch.
A nice left hand lands by Kunirio.
Sanchez wants to strike at distance but he can't break free of the clinch.
Kunirio has a couple of punches blocked by Sanchez.
Sanchez looks like he'd prefer to be striking at range right now.
Kunirio jumps guard but his hands slip and he falls flat on his back. Well, he's made himself look a right mug there, as Sanchez walks away with a smile on his face. Kunirio gets slowly back to his feet and shakes his head.
Kunirio moves in looking to clinch but Sanchez pushes him off.
Sanchez wants to clinch up but Kunirio keeps it at a distance.
Kunirio cracks Sanchez with a right hand to the side of the head.
Kunirio wants to clinch up but Sanchez keeps it at a distance.
Kunirio tries to clinch but Sanchez is having none of it.

That's two minutes gone in the round.
Sanchez throws a right and a left that both miss.
Sanchez tries to clinch there but Kunirio circles away.
Sanchez will need to tighten up his combinations if he doesn't want to gas himself out, swinging at thin air.
Sanchez wants to clinch.

Kunirio rushes Sanchez and pushes him back against the cage in a clinch.
Sanchez blocks a knee to the body. He'll have a nicely bruised forearm in the morning.
A short right from Kunirio.
Kunirio misses with a punch on the inside.
A short uppercut from Kunirio.
Kunirio throws a punch but it's blocked by Sanchez.

That's three minutes gone in the round.
Kunirio misses with a hook to the ribs.

Sanchez breaks the clinch and we return to the middle of the mat.
Sanchez is looking to clinch but Kunirio is avoiding it.
Kunirio tries to clinch up against the cage, rushing in the close the distance. Sanchez manages to break the clinch and circles back to the middle of the mat.
Sanchez tries to clinch up but Kunirio circles away and keeps his distance.
Sanchez tries to clinch but Kunirio moves out of range.
Kunirio's corner calls for a 1-2. Kunirio obliges with the 1 part as he scores the single shot and moves back out of range.

It looks like Junior Sanchez has been cut.
Sanchez tries to clinch up

and Kunirio counters by moving into the clinch.
Kunirio misses with a short punch on the inside.
Sanchez blocks a punch to the side of the head.

Sanchez manages to break the clinch.

That's four minutes gone in the round.

Kunirio forces Sanchez back against the cage and clinches.
Sanchez tries to break free but Kunirio pushes him back against the cage.
Sanchez can't break the clinch.
Sanchez wants to push off and get back to the center of the mat but Kunirio has him pressed against the cage.
A nice left hand lands by Kunirio.
Kunirio tries to work over Sanchez's body with a swooping hook but it only glances the target.
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!
Sanchez lands a good knee to the midsection. Kunirio won't want to take too many of those.
Sanchez wants to break free but Kunirio has control.
Kunirio keeps control of Sanchez as he tries to wriggle out of the double underhooks.
Kunirio lands with a left to the head.
Kunirio has a couple of punches blocked by Sanchez.
As the round comes to an end the crowd are showing their appreciation for a great round of action.
Kunirio gets through Sanchez's defenses to land a nice punch to the side of the head.
Sanchez takes a shot to the head.

Sanchez pushes off and circles away, back to the middle of the mat.
And that’s the end of the round – the fighters go back to their corners.

Obed Kunirio dominated that round.
Both fighters have cut men working on them during the interval.
That's the end of the round. The referee orders the cornermen out of the cage so we can get back down to business.

A telegraphed takedown attempt from Kunirio is defended easily by Sanchez.
Sanchez scores with a kick to the midsection.
Sanchez lands a lovely overhand right.
Kunirio dips to his left and cracks Sanchez with an uppercut!
Sanchez lands with a head kick! That's gotta hurt.
This has been an exciting period of action!
Sanchez lands a jab followed by a nice looking cross.

Kunirio instigates a clinch.
Kunirio fails to land with a short punch on the inside.
Sanchez tries to break free but Kunirio pushes him back against the cage.
Kunirio presses Sanchez against the cage and delivers a mid-strength body shot.

Sanchez breaks the clinch and we return to the middle of the mat.
Junior Sanchez seems to be getting the better of the standup.

That's one minute gone in the round.
Kunirio on the wrong end of a vicious looking body shot.
Both fighters are absolutely exhausted here.
Kunirio scores with a hook.
Kunirio circles away from the clinch attempt.

Kunirio clinches.
Sanchez blocks an uppercut.
Sanchez is trying to break the clinch but Kunirio is controlling him.
Kunirio misses with a hook from the clinch.
An uppercut on the inside fails to land for Kunirio.
Sanchez looks like he'd prefer to be striking at range right now.
Sanchez wants to break free but Kunirio has control.
Sanchez is trying to break free.
Sanchez is trying to force a seperation but Kunirio has the dominant position.
Obed Kunirio has scored more points in the clinch so far.

Sanchez's corner calls for him to break the clinch, which he does.
Sanchez swats away the attempt to clinch by Kunirio.

That's two minutes gone in the round.
Sanchez is looking to clinch.
Sanchez tries to clinch but Kunirio is having none of it.
Sanchez is looking to clinch but Kunirio is avoiding it.
Junior Sanchez is looking to keep the fight on the feet at all costs.
Kunirio wants to clinch up but Sanchez keeps it at a distance.
The crowd are loving this. Great action here.
Kunirio fails in his attempt to clinch.
Kunirio connects with a looping left hand that seems like it dazed Sanchez momentarily.

Sanchez clinches up with Kunirio and pushes him back against the cage.
Kunirio has a couple of punches blocked by Sanchez.

Sanchez escapes the clinch and we're back to striking.
Sanchez circles away from the clinch attempt.
Kunirio tries to close the distance and clinch but Sanchez swats him to one side with an open hand palm strike and circles away.

That's three minutes gone in the round.
Kunirio throws a series of punches but Sanchez avoids them all with ease.
Kunirio looks frustrated there after his takedown attempt is stuffed easily.
Sanchez tries to clinch up against the cage, rushing in the close the distance. Kunirio manages to break the clinch and circles back to the middle of the mat.
Kunirio doesn't manage to clinch there - Sanchez circles away.
The fighters are going at a pretty good pace and they're both starting to sweat now.
Sanchez wants to clinch.
Sanchez goes for a high kick. It partially lands.

Obed Kunirio's cut is getting worse.
Kunirio tries to close the distance and clinch up against the cage but Sanchez paws at him with a jab and circles away.
Sanchez defending well as Kunirio loads up on a big left hand.
Sanchez avoids the head kick by Kunirio.

That's four minutes gone in the round.
Sanchez connects with a leg kick. He turned his hip over nicely there.
The fight stays on the outside here - Kunirio looks like he's thinking about clinching though.
Sanchez lands a nice hook to Kunirio's body. Kunirio takes it in his stride and looks to land his own strikes.
Wooooo! Give it up for these two warriors! They are putting on a show!
Kunirio walks forward, straight into a front kick from Sanchez.
Sanchez tries to clinch there but Kunirio circles away.

Sanchez closes the distance and clinches.
A real battle for position is taking place between these two warriors.

Sanchez breaks the clinch and we're back to striking at distance.
The crowd are going absolutely nuts as the round comes to an end - what a fantastic round of action!
Sanchez pushes forward with a 1-2 combination that forces Kunirio back to the cage. Sanchez follows up with a solid lead hook to the liver.
Sanchez misses with a jab, cross combination.
Sanchez tries to close the distance and clinch but Kunirio swats him to one side with an open hand palm strike and circles away.
And that’s the end of the round – the fighters go back to their corners.

Junior Sanchez showed his class in that round. I'd imagine he'll take it on all the scorecards.
Both fighters have cut men working on them during the interval.
OK. That's time! The bell goes and we're back to the action. The crowd applaud as we get ready to start the final round!

Kunirio tries to clinch up but Sanchez circles away and keeps his distance.
Kunirio shoots in for a takedown - he's clinched up with Sanchez but Sanchez pushes him off and we're back to square one.

Sanchez has closed the distance and engaged Kunirio in a clinch.
Stalling in the clinch from Kunirio.
Kunirio lands with a short punch from the clinch.
Kunirio swings away with an uppercut that misses.
Kunirio tries to pull guard but can't drag his opponent to the mat. Sanchez just stands there and leans against the cage.
Sanchez tries to break the clinch but Kunirio is controlling the position.
Kunirio misses with some punches.
Kunirio misses with a hook from the clinch.
Kunirio working aggressively here.
Kunirio goes for a body shot but it's blocked.
Sanchez working hard to break the clinch.

That's one minute gone in the round.
Both fighters working to control the clinch.
Sanchez tries to break the clinch but Kunirio is controlling the position.
Kunirio is trying to work out of this bad position, with his back against the cage.

Kunirio breaks the clinch and we're back to striking at distance.
Kunirio tries to clinch up.
Sanchez swats away the attempt to clinch by Kunirio.
Junior Sanchez is looking to throw some combinations by the looks of things.
Sanchez tries to clinch but is not successful on this occasion.
Kunirio tries to clinch there but Sanchez circles away.
Kunirio wants to clinch up but Sanchez keeps it at a distance.
Kunirio wants to clinch.
Sanchez tries to clinch up but Kunirio circles away and keeps his distance.

That's two minutes gone in the round.
Kunirio tries to clinch but Sanchez is having none of it.
Sanchez is looking to clinch.
Sanchez feints with a shoulder and throws a nice leg kick to Kunirio's calf.
Both fighters are breathing heavily.
Sanchez moves out of range of the strikes.
Sanchez scores with a kick to the body.
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!
Sanchez throws out a powerful jab.
Sanchez fails with an attempt to clinch.
Sanchez tries to clinch but is not successful on this occasion.
Sanchez is looking to take this fight into the clinch.
Sanchez tries to close the distance and clinch but Kunirio swats him to one side with an open hand palm strike and circles away.

That's three minutes gone in the round.
Kunirio tries to clinch up but Sanchez circles away and keeps his distance.
Sanchez wants to clinch up but Kunirio keeps it at a distance.
Kunirio tries to close the distance and clinch up against the cage but Sanchez paws at him with a jab and circles away.
Sanchez tries to close the distance and clinch up but Kunirio swats him away and circles back towards the center.
Kunirio looks to throw a body kick
and Sanchez counters with a good right hand that lands right on the jaw.
Kunirio moves in looking to clinch but Sanchez pushes him off.
Sanchez tries to clinch up against the cage, rushing in the close the distance. Kunirio manages to break the clinch and circles back to the middle of the mat.

Sanchez lands a big head kick that sends Kunirio tumbling to the mat! Sanchez takes a step backwards and waves Kunirio back to his feet - he wants the finish!

Kunirio is rocked!

Obed Kunirio's cut is bleeding quite badly. He's got to try and protect it.
Fantastic stuff here - a very entertaining period of action, which has drawn cheers from the crowd.
Sanchez fakes the body blow, causing Kunirio to drop his hands! Left hook to the temple! Kunirio goes stiff, and falls face first into the mat. Goodnight!

Ladies and gentlemen, after 3:52 of round 3, we have a winner by way of KO (Punch). Junior Sanchez!