PBP Commentary

Coming up we have a welterweight MMA rules bout between Gouki Sakuraba (ranked 0 p4p, 0 weight class) and Xavier Morlin (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!

Sakuraba
vs
Morlin

177 cm
20
170 lbs
1 - 3 - 0

183 cm
25
178 lbs
0 - 0 - 0

Dangerous GnP
Excellent boxer
Very strong

BJJ White Belt
Good low kicks
Powerful

Ladies and gentlemen. This fight is 3 rounds, in the welterweight division.
Introducing the fighter to my left, fighting out of the red corner.
With a record of 1 - 3 - 0, fighting out of Sydney, Gouki Sakuraba!
And introducing the fighter to my right, fighting out of the blue corner.
With a record of 0 - 0 - 0, fighting out of Sydney, Xavier Morlin!
The judges for this bout are John Mangel, Steve Erwin and Bruno Hogan.

The bell rings for round one and we are underway!
A really sloppy takedown attempt there from Morlin.
Sakuraba slaps away a takedown attempt from Morlin, before circling back to the center of the mat.
Sakuraba moves out of range of the body kick from Morlin.
Morlin shoots in for a takedown. "Ole!" shouts Sakuraba as he jumps to the side.
Gouki Sakuraba has stuffed three takedown attempts in the round now. That's going to take a lot out of Xavier Morlin.
Morlin takes a punch to the jaw and another one to the bread basket.

It looks like Xavier Morlin has been cut.
Sakuraba looks to land a right hand but Morlin moved out of range.
Sakuraba tries to land with a swinging hook to the body but Morlin was well out of range. Poor timing from Sakuraba.
Gouki Sakuraba seems to be the more aggressive standup fighter in this bout.
Morlin avoids a punch combination nicely.
Sakuraba tries to land with a swinging hook to the body but Morlin was well out of range. Poor timing from Sakuraba.
Sakuraba throws a series of punches but Morlin avoids them all with ease.
Morlin thows a left - swing and a miss!
Morlin fails with the takedown.
Sakuraba scores with a big left there. The judges will like that one.

That's one minute gone in the round.
Morlin moves forwards but Sakuraba connects with a nice, crisp jab.
Sakuraba displays good takedown defense there as he swats away a double leg from Morlin.
Morlin throws a head kick that Sakuraba semi-blocks.
Sakuraba throws a combination but it was largely blocked by Morlin.
Sakuraba rushes forward with a series of wild hooks but Morlin moves out of range and avoids them all easily.
Sakuraba misses with a few strikes there.
Sakuraba thows a leg kick but Morlin checks it
and Morlin counters with a series of strikes. Sakuraba will be more careful next time no doubt.
Sakuraba scores with a three punch combo!
Morlin misses with a head kick.
Nice takedown defense from Sakuraba. No joy for Morlin on that attempt.
Sakuraba lands a jab, followed by a cross and another cross, as Morlin backs up against the cage.
Morlin fails with a takedown attempt.
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!
Sakuraba takes a push kick to the midsection and stumbles backwards.

That's two minutes gone in the round.
Sakuraba lunges in with swinging rights and lefts but Morlin circles away quickly and effectively.
Gouki Sakuraba is looking to keep the fight on the feet at all costs.
Sakuraba misses with a lunging right hand
letting Morlin counter with a right hand.
Morlin pulls out of a head kick attempt.
Sakuraba with a jab.
Morlin shoots in for a takedown. He's persisting with it as Sakuraba sprawls well. Sakuraba wins this battle and keeps the fight standing. Morlin gets slowly back to his feet.
Sakuraba lands with a nice combination. Morlin backs away looking to recover.
Sakuraba misses with a jab, cross combination.
Sakuraba throws a combination but it was largely blocked by Morlin.
No joy there for Morlin, who threw a few shots but didn't land.
Nice sprawl there from Sakuraba as Morlin shoots in.
Sakuraba tries to bum rush Morlin with a series of wild strikes but Morlin uses good footwork to avoid the assault.

That's three minutes gone in the round.
Morlin lands a head kick!
Jab by Sakuraba.
Sakuraba leaves Morlin with his face pressed against the mat as he sprawls beautifully, defending against a solid takedown attempt.
Sakuraba goes to the watering hole and comes back with a big thumbs up from the judges as he scores a three punch combo.
Sakuraba throws a two punch combo that lands nicely.
Both fighters circling a little - Morlin finishes the exchange with a kick to the body.
Sakuraba lands with a cross.
Sakuraba lands a kick to the ribs of his opponent. Nice work there - in and out in a flash.
Sakuraba with a body punch. A glancing blow.
The crowd cheering loudly, showing their appreciation for the quality fight we're seeing here.
Morlin checks a low kick from Sakuraba.
Sakuraba lands a jab. Then a cross. Then finally a nice hook to the body. Good work there by Sakuraba.
Sakuraba rushes forward with a series of wild hooks but Morlin moves out of range and avoids them all easily.

That's four minutes gone in the round.
Sakuraba cracks Morlin with an open hand slap.
Sakuraba throws a right and a left that both miss.
Sakuraba misses with a hook. Morlin ducked under it nicely.
Morlin works the jab nicely.
Morlin on the wrong end of a vicious looking body shot.
Morlin misses with a half-hearted attempt at a head kick.
Morlin throws a sloppy head kick and Sakuraba moves out of range easily.
Sakuraba is working the combinations to good effect here.
Sakuraba misses with a low kick.
Sakuraba throws a series of punches but Morlin moves out of range.
Sakuraba throws a leg kick but Morlin moved away.
The crowd are going absolutely nuts as the round comes to an end - what a fantastic round of action!
Morlin is pinned up against the cage taking some big shots here. The referee is looking closely deciding whether he should stop the fight.
Morlin misses with a half-hearted attempt at a head kick.
Sakuraba ducks under an overhand right and circles away with a smile on his face.
Sakuraba throws a right and a left that Morlin avoids nicely.
And that’s the end of the round – the fighters go back to their corners.

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

Horrible takedown by Morlin or perhaps it was just good defense by Sakuraba which made him look bad.
Sakuraba rushes forward with a series of wild hooks but Morlin moves out of range and avoids them all easily.
Sakuraba lands the left hand.
Sakuraba misses with a double jab
and Morlin counters with a leg kick.
Morlin looks for a takedown here. Will he get it? Sakuraba is fending him off so far but Morlin persists. Nope, Sakuraba circles away and we're back to standing.
Morlin pulls out of a head kick attempt.
Sakuraba throws a jab, cross combination which is slipped
and Morlin counters with a left and a right that stings Sakuraba.
Morlin checks a low kick. Bone on bone - not my idea of a good time.
Sakuraba rushes forward with a series of wild hooks but Morlin moves out of range and avoids them all easily.
Morlin shoots in looking for a takedown. Sakuraba tries to sprawl out of it but Morlin keeps driving through. The fighters are pinned against the cage. Sakuraba manages to get underhooks and after a bit of a struggle, circles away and we're back to standing.
Gouki Sakuraba has stuffed three takedown attempts in the round now. That's going to take a lot out of Xavier Morlin.
Sakuraba scores with a reasonable looking shot to the body. Morlin doesn't seem bothered though.

That's one minute gone in the round.
Sakuraba throws a series of punches but Morlin moves out of range.
Sakuraba with a body punch. A glancing blow.
Morlin misses with a takedown attempt. He shot from a bit too far out.
Sakuraba tries to land a leg kick but Morlin saw it coming and moves away.
Morlin is trying desperately to land a takedown but Sakuraba is having absolutely none of it. This is turning into a bit of a nightmare for Morlin.
Morlin tries for a takedown but Sakuraba sees it coming a mile off and avoids it easily.
A good leg kick by Sakuraba.
Sakuraba fails to land with the punch combination there - jab, cross, hook, miss, miss, miss.
Sakuraba fakes a jab and throws a low kick but Morlin checks it well.
Gouki Sakuraba is looking to throw some combinations by the looks of things.
Morlin misses with a jab, cross combination.
Sakuraba lunges in with an uppercut that skims his opponent's chin.
Well, he's not going to score with shots like that. A lazy body kick attempt from Sakuraba.
Sakuraba dodges the punch combination from Morlin.
Sakuraba throws a combination. Morlin tries to block but a couple of punches get through.

That's two minutes gone in the round.
Morlin tries to shoot in for a takedown. He's got hold of a leg but Sakuraba swivels and escapes.
Morlin is breathing heavily.
Morlin misses with a double jab
and Sakuraba counters with a right hand to the body.
Sakuraba lands a two punch combo.
This has been an exciting period of action!
Sakuraba connects with a body shot that sends Morlin's belly button to the back.
A punch combination from Sakuraba misses.
Sakuraba tries to work over Morlin's front leg with a kick but Morlin checks it.
Sakuraba misses with a jab, cross combination.
Sakuraba looks to score with a combo but nothing lands.
Sakuraba closes the distance and lands a one-two.
Morlin lands a head kick!
Morlin moves forwards but Sakuraba connects with a nice, crisp jab.

That's three minutes gone in the round.
Sakuraba throws a low kick but it's checked well by Morlin.
Sakuraba throws a hard body shot but it just misses.
Morlin fails with a takedown attempt from distance.
A head kick misses from Morlin.
A solid body kick from Morlin.
Sakuraba throws a series of punches but Morlin avoids them all with ease.
Sakuraba throws a right and a left that both miss.
Gouki Sakuraba is winning the standup battle so far.
Sakuraba fakes and then throws a beautiful body shot. Morlin looks a bit winded and takes a step backwards to take a breath.
Sakuraba throws a right hand that Morlin ducks under and follows up with a left that Morlin also avoids with ease.
Sakuraba rushes forward with a series of wild hooks but Morlin moves out of range and avoids them all easily.
Sakuraba stuffs a takedown. It's all about dictating where the fight takes place and Sakuraba wants it to stay on the feet.
A punch combination from Morlin misses.
Morlin fails with a takedown attempt.

That's four minutes gone in the round.
Morlin throws a looping left and ducks down for a takedown. He's got his arms around Sakuraba's waist but Sakuraba gets an underhook and avoids the takedown by throwing Morlin off to one side.
Sakuraba fakes a jab and then connects with a hook.
Morlin misses with a body kick.
Morlin shoots in and drives through. Sakuraba sprawls well.
No joy there for Sakuraba, who threw a few shots but didn't land.
Sakuraba looks to land a combination but Morlin avoids it well.
Morlin misses with a takedown attempt. He shot from a bit too far out.
Sakuraba scores with a hook.
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!
As the round comes to an end the crowd are showing their appreciation for a great round of action.
Morlin avoids a punch combination nicely.
Sakuraba misses with a few strikes there.
And that’s the end of the round – the fighters go back to their corners.

Gouki Sakuraba dominated that second round.
The cut man is working on Xavier Morlin's cut.
That's time! Back to the action! This is the final round!

Morlin takes a shot to the body in his stride.
Morlin throws a head kick but Sakuraba moves out of range.
A head kick misses from Morlin.
Sakuraba looks to land a combination but Morlin avoids it well.
Morlin tries to score a power double leg takedown but Sakuraba sees that one coming and sprawls well. That will dishearten Morlin somewhat.
Sakuraba stuffs a takedown. It's all about dictating where the fight takes place and Sakuraba wants it to stay on the feet.
Sakuraba connects with a nice looking jab.
Sakuraba throws a series of punches but Morlin avoids them all with ease.
Morlin fails miserably with a takedown attempt.
Gouki Sakuraba has stuffed three takedown attempts in the round now. That's going to take a lot out of Xavier Morlin.
Sakuraba moves into range and throws a combination. A nice jab followed by a hook to the body.
Morlin takes a big intake of breath there - he's definitely tired.
Morlin looks frustrated there after his takedown attempt is stuffed easily.

That's one minute gone in the round.
Sakuraba throws a nice looking combination but Morlin bobs and weaves to avoid any damage.
Sakuraba throws a left and a right that both miss
and Morlin counters with a solid body kick.
Sakuraba wants to land a leg kick but Morlin is out of range.
Sakuraba defends well against a solid takedown attempt from Morlin.
Sakuraba will need to tighten up his combinations if he doesn't want to gas himself out, swinging at thin air.
Morlin looks to score with a combo but nothing lands.
Sakuraba throws a couple of head shots and lands with the final one - a decent hook, which struck Morlin on the side of the head.
Morlin will have to do better than that with his takedown attempts.
Morlin has a pretty nasty looking mouse under his right eye.
Sakuraba looks to land a body kick but Morlin moved away.
Sakuraba scores with a jab to the jaw.
Sakuraba fakes a head shot and lands one to the body.
Both these guys seem content to just stand up and trade with eachother but Morlin might want to think about changing up his gameplan a bit because over the course of the fight, Sakuraba has got the better of the exchanges.
Some wild striking there from Sakuraba.

That's two minutes gone in the round.
Sakuraba lands a nice looking body shot.
Sakuraba is really dominating this fight. Is there anything that Morlin can do to turn this around?
Sakuraba stalks Morlin and leaps in with a furious combination of punches. Uppercuts and crosses smash into Morlin's face. Morlin staggers backwards, shaken.
Sakuraba throws a chopping leg kick but Morlin manages to avoid taking any serious damage.
Sakuraba throws a right and a left that both miss.
Sakuraba works over Morlin's head and body with a nice combination.
We've seen a great period of action over the last minute or so - credit to both fighters for going all out!
Morlin connects with a solid leg kick.
Morlin shoots in for a takedown but Sakuraba shows good takedown defense.
Morlin throws a combination but it was largely blocked by Sakuraba.
Sakuraba will need to close the distance a bit before he attacks - that leg kick was thrown from too far away.
Sakuraba misses with a series of wild punches.
Sakuraba throws a combination but it was largely blocked by Morlin.

That's three minutes gone in the round.
Sakuraba takes a nasty kick to the mid section... That should keep him thinking. Does he try and block and risk a head kick landing?
Sakuraba tries to score with a leg kick but it misses it's target.
Sakuraba lands a nice hook to Morlin's body. Morlin takes it in his stride and looks to land his own strikes.
Sakuraba blocks a head kick by Morlin.
Morlin's hands are dropping dangerously low here and Sakuraba connects clean with a right hook that sends him down to one knee! Morlin scrambles back to his feet.
Morlin shoots in for a takedown but Sakuraba shows good takedown defense there and keeps this one on the feet.
Sakuraba misses with a few strikes there.
Sakuraba tries to work over Morlin's front leg with a kick but Morlin checks it.
Sakuraba tries to work over Morlin's front leg with a kick but Morlin checks it.
The crowd cheers as Sakuraba lands an impressive looking overhand right. Morlin doesn't seem phased though.
Sakuraba slaps away a takedown attempt from Morlin, before circling back to the center of the mat.
Sakuraba lands with an overhand left.

That's four minutes gone in the round.
Sakuraba thuds a left hand into Morlin's body.
Sakuraba misses with a wild body shot.
Sakuraba displaying good standup as he scores with a three punch combination.
Sakuraba scores with a punch to the head.
Morlin lands with a head kick! That's gotta hurt.
Fantastic stuff here - a very entertaining period of action, which has drawn cheers from the crowd.
A punch combination from Sakuraba misses.
Nice takedown defense from Sakuraba. No joy for Morlin on that attempt.
Sakuraba tries to bum rush Morlin with a series of wild strikes but Morlin uses good footwork to avoid the assault.
Sakuraba misses with a double jab.
As the round comes to an end the crowd are showing their appreciation for a great round of action.
Sakuraba throws a body kick the misses
and Morlin counters with a nice jab to the body that keeps Sakuraba thinking.
Sakuraba misses with a double jab
and Morlin counters with a kick to the head that grazes his opponent. Sakuraba is lucky that one didn't land flush.

And that's the end of the fight!
Gouki Sakuraba showed his dominance in that final round.
Well Sakuraba 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 John Mangel scores the fight 30:27
Judge Steve Erwin scores the fight 30:27
Judge Bruno Hogan scores the fight 30:27

In favor of your winner, by unanimous decision... Gouki Sakuraba!
A relieved looking Gouki Sakuraba thanked the fans for their support and gave the usual line about them being amazing. They seemed to believe that he actually meant it.