PBP Commentary

Coming up we have a welterweight MMA rules bout between Kazushi Sakuraba (ranked 0 p4p, 0 weight class) and John White (ranked 0 p4p, 0 weight class). Over to our ring announcer for the fighter introductions!

Sakuraba
vs
White

183 cm
22
183 lbs
10 - 6 - 0

184 cm
23
173 lbs
8 - 13 - 0

Powerful takedowns
Solid boxing
Cardio machine

BJJ Blue Belt
Decent boxing
Granite chin

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 10 - 6 - 0, fighting out of Tokyo, Kazushi Sakuraba!
And introducing the fighter to my right, fighting out of the blue corner.
With a record of 8 - 13 - 0, fighting out of Tokyo, John White!
The judges for this bout are Yasuomi Hirokawa, Shigeki Fujiwara and Sosuke Kotani.

The bell rings for round one and we are underway!

White has Sakuraba up against the cage in a clinch.
Sakuraba wants to strike at distance but he can't break free of the clinch.

White pulls guard effortlessly.

White had isolated an arm as going for a kimura. Sakuraba defends it easily.

White looking for submissions off his back, moving his hips, looking for an opening.
Sakuraba scoring with some ground and pound.

White throws his legs up looking for a submission but Sakuraba uses it to pass to side control.
Sakuraba working the ground and pound from side control.

Sakuraba working hard here to secure a kimura but he's not really in the right position for it.
This is a great period of action - very entertaining stuff!

Sakuraba decides to stand back up. Sakuraba steps back and let's White get back to his feet.
Sakuraba thuds his right hand into White's forehead from close range. That could be painful for both fighters.

That's one minute gone in the round.

White feints and then dives in with a takedown. That was a long way out but the feint bought him enough time to close the distance and complete the takedown. Now we'll play guard for a bit and see who can get the better of that position.
White must be cautious of submissions here, given that his opponent has the superior Jiu Jitsu.
Sakuraba can't do much from the bottom at the moment, as White controls the pace.
White wants to control from the top but Sakuraba keeps moving.

Sakuraba looking for submissions off his back, moving his hips, looking for an opening.
White tries to stand but Sakuraba is controlling from the bottom.

Sakuraba had isolated an arm as going for a kimura. White defends it easily.
The crowd are loving this. Great action here.
Sakuraba wants to sweep here but White controlling him for the moment.
White wants to control from the top but Sakuraba keeps moving.

That's two minutes gone in the round.

Sakuraba is active off his back here, looking for submissions.
White won't allow Sakuraba to sweep him here.
White wanted to stand there but Sakuraba had control of the position.
White trying to control the position from guard on top but Sakuraba is wriggling around, looking for whatever he can.
Sakuraba is trying to keep White in close.
Sakuraba looking for a sweep. Not yet Sakuraba, not yet.

The ref stands the fighters back up, due to lack of action by John White.

White gets taken down but at least he's managed to land in guard.

White looking for submissions off his back, moving his hips, looking for an opening.

That's three minutes gone in the round.
Sakuraba pressing down on his opponent's thigh, looking to pass guard. White is keeping the position for now.
Sakuraba sneaks a leg through and gets to half guard. That was like a knife through butter how easily he passed White's guard.
Sakuraba is working hard to pass the guard. He's done it - he's now in full mount! Trouble for White!
Sakuraba landing punches.
White is trying to get back to his feet but can't.

Sakuraba get's back to his feet.
Sakuraba misses with a series of wild punches.

White dives in and scores a takedown into Sakuraba's guard.

Sakuraba has a loose triangle. He'll be looking to tighten that up but White can see exactly what he's planning and manages to posture up and free himself.
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!
White looking to sit in guard and control but Sakuraba gets the butterfly guard and sweeps. He's now in the guard on the top.
White is looking to stand up but Sakuraba isn't so interested in that idea.

That's four minutes gone in the round.
White keeping moving, preventing Sakuraba from controlling successfully.
Sakuraba slips nicely into half guard.
White is looking to get back to is feet but Sakuraba passes into side control.
White tries to bench press Sakuraba off him but Sakuraba keeps the position.

Sakuraba thinks about going for a far side armbar but bails out and retains the dominant position instead.
Sakuraba cracks White with a big elbow.
The crowd are going absolutely nuts as the round comes to an end - what a fantastic round of action!
White gives up the full mount - oops, sloppy defensive grappling there!

Sakuraba is working for a guillotine from mount but White frees his head quite easily.
White squirming around on the bottom, looking to escape.
And that’s the end of the round – the fighters go back to their corners.

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

White takes the fight into the clinch.
Sakuraba is looking for a takedown.
Sakuraba can't get the takedown.
White looks to throw an elbow but misses.
White throws an elbow but it misses.

White pulls guard.
Sakuraba pushing down on White's thigh, trying to pass to half guard. He's managed it... Nice work.

White looking to work for a kimura from the bottom.

Sakuraba decides to stand up.
White misses with a combination
letting Sakuraba counter with a right hand.

That's one minute gone in the round.
Sakuraba with a hook.

Sakuraba gets caught on his heels momentarily as he allows White to score an easy takedown into full guard.
Sakuraba is working an open guard here, looking to improve his position. No doubt that will leave him open to counters but at least he's being more offensive.

Sakuraba had isolated an arm as going for a kimura. White defends it easily.
Sakuraba keeping moving, preventing White from controlling successfully.
White controlling from the top position.
White has decided he wants to stand but the closed guard of Sakuraba is proving hard to escape from.

That's two minutes gone in the round.
White preventing the sweep.
White trying to control but Sakuraba is working from the bottom.

OK we're going to have a standup here. John White hasn't been effective enough on the ground and the referee wants a restart.

Sakuraba is looking for a takedown here. He's shot in and has managed to get it, finishing up in White's half guard.
We've seen a great period of action over the last minute or so - credit to both fighters for going all out!
Sakuraba works his way into side control.

Sakuraba is looking for a kimura. He might have it! No, White has escaped the position, nice work there.

Sakuraba in side control, working for a kimura. He's got hold of an arm and he's torquing it... White is tapping! That's the end of the fight!

Ladies and gentlemen, after 3:55 of round 2, we have a winner by way of Submission (Kimura). Kazushi Sakuraba!
Kazushi Sakuraba gave a mention to Valhalla Fight Wear in his post fight interview. That will please them (and hopefully generate some sales).