PBP Commentary

Coming up we have a welterweight MMA rules bout between Yurei Sasaki (ranked 0 p4p, 0 weight class) and Jon Krueger (ranked 0 p4p, 0 weight class). Yurei Sasaki has the edge in experience - let's see if he can make that count tonight.

Sasaki
vs
Krueger

175 cm
18
175 lbs
0 - 1 - 0

170 cm
21
170 lbs
0 - 0 - 0

BJJ Blue Belt
Solid boxing
Big right hand

BJJ Blue Belt
Brawler
Intelligent

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 0 - 1 - 0, fighting out of Tokyo, Yurei Sasaki!
And introducing the fighter to my right, fighting out of the blue corner.
With a record of 0 - 0 - 0, fighting out of Tokyo, Jon Krueger!
The judges for this bout are Yukihiro Yamamoto, Yukihiro Shimada and Kenichi Hosakawa.

The bell rings for round one and we are underway!
Sasaki throws a series of strikes that have Krueger backpedaling.
Sasaki throws a combination but comes up with nothing but fresh air.
Sasaki cracks Krueger with a good jab.

Krueger shoots in for a takedown and gets it.
The referee is asking the fighters to pick up the pace.
Sasaki is trying to stand up here but Krueger is controlling him well.
Sasaki is breathing heavily.
Krueger wants to pass to mount but Sasaki is defending the position.

Krueger decides to stand and escape the position.

Krueger fakes with an overhand right and moves in to clinch with Sasaki, pushing him back against the cage.
The crowd are loving this. Great action here.
Sasaki takes an elbow to the forehead.
Krueger keeps the fight in the clinch, despite Sasaki's efforts to push away.

That's one minute gone in the round.
Krueger works for underhooks and lands a body shot in the process.
Sasaki tries to break the clinch but Krueger is controlling the position.
Sasaki has had enough of the clinch and is looking to separate.
Sasaki has had enough of the clinch and is looking to separate.
Sasaki tries to break free but Krueger pushes him back against the cage.

Krueger tightens his grip and picks Sasaki up, before dumping him to the ground. Sasaki manages to land in guard.

Krueger gets to his feet and steps away from his opponent.
No joy there for Krueger, who threw a few shots but didn't land.

Krueger dives in and scores a takedown into Sasaki's guard.
Krueger controlling from the guard. I say controlling but really, he's stalling.
Fantastic stuff here - a very entertaining period of action, which has drawn cheers from the crowd.
Krueger advances position into side control!

That's two minutes gone in the round.
Sasaki is being controlled here.
Krueger's corner are shouting for him to control the position and he seems happy to oblige.
Krueger working the head and body with strikes.
Krueger cracks Sasaki with a big right hand but Sasaki just smiles back at him and invites him to have another go.
Krueger takes a little break here. Sasaki wants to take advantage but he is being controlled well.

That's three minutes gone in the round.
Let's hope that Krueger has the urge to step up the pace any second now because for the last 15 or 20 seconds he's just been holding on tight.
We must be close to a standup if these guys don't pick up the pace.

That's four minutes gone in the round.

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

Krueger shoots in for a takedown and gets it.
As the round comes to an end the crowd are showing their appreciation for a great round of action.
Krueger content to control rather than advance.
And that’s the end of the round – the fighters go back to their corners.

Jon Krueger dominated that round.
The referee calls time. The cornermen exit stage left and we're back to business.

Sasaki throws a jab, cross combination which is slipped

and Krueger counters into the clinch. Nicely done.
Krueger has Sasaki pressed against the cage, preventing Sasaki from circling away and getting back to striking at range.

Krueger has double underhooks and is working for a body lock takedown. He's got it. The fighters land in half guard but Sasaki regains guard immediately.
Krueger landing with the ground and pound.

Krueger stands up from guard. Let's bang!

Krueger clinches with his opponent.
Krueger using the Thai plumb to throw knees but Sasaki has his back arched nicely, preventing the strike.
Sasaki is trying to force a seperation but Krueger has the dominant position.
Both fighters are absolutely exhausted here.
Sasaki wants to strike at distance but he can't break free of the clinch.
Sasaki working hard to break the clinch.

Krueger breaks from the clinch.
The fighters circle momentarily. Sasaki darts into range and connects with a nice straight punch.

That's one minute gone in the round.

A momentary lapse in concentration from Sasaki enables Krueger to shoot in and score with a neat double leg. Sasaki manages to secure a closed guard as the fighters hit the mat.
Sasaki being controlled here, momentarily.
The referee must be thinking about standing these guys back up.
Krueger passes easily into side control. Nice work.

Krueger thinks about going for a far side armbar but bails out and retains the dominant position instead.

That's two minutes gone in the round.

Krueger decides to stand up, so the ref orders Sasaki to his feet.

Sasaki gets caught napping as Krueger dives in and scores a takedown. Sasaki manages to retain guard.
The crowd are loving this. Great action here.
Krueger advances to half guard.
Krueger looks towards his corner to check for any instructions. The corner give him nothing to work with, so he cracks Sasaki with a short hammerfist. I guess that's as good as any advice he could get in this position.
Krueger is taking a breather. Sasaki says something to him but it's hard to make out. Perhaps he's telling him to get on with it and actually do something.

That's three minutes gone in the round.
Krueger lands with an elbow from half guard - that looked like it hurt.
Krueger works his foot free and advances to mount.

Sasaki defends a decent attempt at a guillotine from Krueger.

That's four minutes gone in the round.
Krueger controlling the pace for now.
Krueger landing shots from mount.
As the round comes to an end the crowd are showing their appreciation for a great round of action.
Krueger content just to control the position here.
Krueger avoids the attempt from Sasaki to control.
And that’s the end of the round – the fighters go back to their corners.

Jon Krueger showed his class in that round. I'd imagine he'll take it on all the scorecards.
That's time! Sasaki's corner gives him a slap on the ass as he gets ready to fight. This is the final round!

Sasaki tries to keep at a distance but Krueger has taken the fight into the clinch.
Sasaki tries to break the clinch but Krueger is controlling the position.
Krueger prevents Sasaki from breaking the clinch.

Krueger pulls guard.
Krueger is working the butterfly guard. He manages to land a nice scissor sweep and is now in half guard on the top. Nice move.
The referee walks around the fighters to get a better view of the action. Krueger lands a nice short elbow.
The referee calls for the fighters to work.

Krueger looking for a kimura but he'll have to free his other leg if he wants to finish that. Perhaps he's just using it as a distraction technique.
Both fighters are breathing heavily.

That's one minute gone in the round.
Krueger moves into full mount! Sasaki won't be happy about that!
Yurei Sasaki has stepped it up - he knows he needs a finish here!

That's two minutes gone in the round.
Neither fighter has done anything of merit for a good minute or two here and the crowd are not happy about it.

Krueger is standing up out of mount! Strange tactic there - he must really want this one on the feet!

Krueger moves into the clinch successfully.
Sasaki is trying to push Krueger away but Krueger has him pressed against the cage, so he's going nowhere.
Sasaki wants to strike at distance but he can't break free of the clinch.

Krueger manages to break the clinch.
Sloppy strikes from Sasaki. Those never looked like landing.

Krueger clinches up against the cage.
Sasaki misses with a punch on the inside.
Krueger's corner are urging him to control the action in the clinch for a moment, rather than mount any serious offense. I'm sure the crowd appreciate those instructions... not.
Sasaki tries to circle away but Krueger has him pinned against the cage.

Krueger has clasped his hands together around Sasaki's back... aaand, he's got a takedown into side control. Nicely done.

That's three minutes gone in the round.

Krueger tries for a kimura. Not really close to a finish though.
Krueger controls the position from side control.
Krueger has been the more effective fighter overall so far.

That's four minutes gone in the round.

Krueger tries for a kimura but Sasaki is defending well.
A lull in the action here.
The crowd applaud the fighters efforts here as the round comes to an end.

And that's the end of the fight!
Jon Krueger comfortably won the final round on my scorecard.
I've got Krueger winning every round here. Surely the decision will go his way and he'll pick up a well deserved decision victory. 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 Yukihiro Yamamoto scores the fight 27:30
Judge Yukihiro Shimada scores the fight 27:30
Judge Kenichi Hosakawa scores the fight 27:30

In favor of your winner, by unanimous decision... Jon Krueger!