PBP Commentary

Coming up we have a middleweight MMA rules bout between Kazushi Sakuraba (ranked 0 p4p, 0 weight class) and Markello Palankis (ranked 0 p4p, 0 weight class). Man, I cannot wait for this one!

Sakuraba
vs
Palankis

185 cm
19
201 lbs
1 - 0 - 0

178 cm
25
185 lbs
0 - 1 - 0

BJJ White Belt
Solid boxing
Self confident

BJJ White Belt
Good kicks
Heavy handed

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 1 - 0 - 0, fighting out of Sydney, Kazushi Sakuraba!
And introducing the fighter to my right, fighting out of the blue corner.
With a record of 0 - 1 - 0, fighting out of Sydney, Markello Palankis!
The judges for this bout are Damien Edna, Eliza Hachem and Donatello Bradman.

The bell rings for round one and we are underway!
Danga de danga de dang - Palankis scores with a four punch combination!
Sakuraba on the wrong end of a kick to the body.
Palankis misses with a kick to the body.
Sakuraba throws a head kick but Palankis moves out of range.
That's a knee to de groin and it's over and out! Palankis crumples to the ground after an illegal strike from Sakuraba - the referee stops the clock and Palankis gets 5 minutes to recover from that one. "I'm sorry" says Sakuraba. Palankis manages to get back to his feet and the fight resumes.
That kick from Sakuraba tenderised Palankis's leg. Palankis is trying to keep his angry face on.
Sakuraba lands a beauty of a right hand that gets the crowd cheering.
Palankis throws a wild body kick that Sakuraba sees coming a mile off.

Sakuraba moves into range and clinches up with Palankis.
Fantastic stuff here - a very entertaining period of action, which has drawn cheers from the crowd.
Sakuraba throws a head punch that misses.
Sakuraba swings away with an uppercut that misses.
Sakuraba lands punches inside but they're not really causing much damage.
Sakuraba misses with a hook from the clinch.

That's one minute gone in the round.
A short uppercut from Sakuraba.
Sakuraba tries to work over Palankis's body with a swooping hook but it only glances the target.
Sakuraba lands with a light punch inside.
Sakuraba throws a head punch that misses.
Sakuraba keeps control of Palankis as he tries to wriggle out of the double underhooks.
Good body shot from Sakuraba.
With the fighters clinched against the cage, Sakuraba creates a bit of distance for himself and scores with a nice uppercut.
Sakuraba lands a body shot in the clinch.
Sakuraba throws a head punch that misses.
Palankis has had enough of the clinch and is looking to separate.
Sakuraba lands a left hand that snaps the head of Palankis backwards.
Sakuraba misses with a hook to the ribs.

That's two minutes gone in the round.
Sakuraba cracks Palankis with a nice body shot.
A nice left hand lands by Sakuraba.
We've seen a great period of action over the last minute or so - credit to both fighters for going all out!
A nice right hand lands inside from Sakuraba.
Palankis looks like he'd prefer to be striking at range right now.
Sakuraba has a couple of punches blocked by Palankis.
Palankis can't break the clinch.
Sakuraba scores with a shot to the side of Palankis's head.
Sakuraba makes some space for himself and lands an uppercut.
Nice body punch from Sakuraba.
Sakuraba stays in close to his opponent and throws a right hand to the body.
Palankis looks gassed!

Sakuraba breaks the clinch and we return to the middle of the mat.

That's three minutes gone in the round.
Palankis avoids the head kick by Sakuraba.

Sakuraba moves into the clinch.
Sakuraba lands a nice looking hook to the body, against the cage.
Palankis takes a shot to the head.
Sakuraba lands a right hand.

Palankis is rocked!
A shot in the inside from Sakuraba.
Palankis is still on wobbly legs! Can Sakuraba finish him?
With the fighters clinched against the cage, Sakuraba creates a bit of distance for himself and scores with a nice uppercut.
Sakuraba lands an uppercut in the clinch that drops Palankis to his knees! Sakuraba keeps firing more shots against his stricken opponent and the referee jumps in to save him!

Ladies and gentlemen, after 3:46 of round 1, we have a winner by way of TKO (Strikes). Kazushi Sakuraba!