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PBP Commentary |
Coming up we have a bantamweight MMA rules bout between Filip Rakovich (ranked 3767 p4p, 176 weight class) and Lee Sakuraba (ranked 3723 p4p, 171 weight class). Sakuraba is bobbing his head along to his entrance song: Pride Theme Song. Over to our ring announcer for the fighter introductions!
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| 162 cm
25
133 lbs
2 - 0 - 0 |
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169 cm
25
144 lbs
2 - 3 - 0 |
BJJ Purple Belt
Brawler
Likes comics |
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Good takedowns
Counter fighter
Determined |
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Ladies and gentlemen. This fight is 3 rounds, in the bantamweight division.
Introducing the fighter to my left, fighting out of the red corner.
With a record of
2 - 0 - 0, fighting out of London, Filip Rakovich!
And introducing the fighter to my right, fighting out of the blue corner.
With a record of
2 - 3 - 0, fighting out of Los Angeles, Lee Sakuraba!
The judges for this bout are Jack Bonds, Frank Antenori and .
The bell rings for round one and we are underway!
A head kick misses from Rakovich.
Sakuraba tries to score a power double leg takedown but Rakovich sees that one coming and sprawls well. That will dishearten Sakuraba somewhat.
Sakuraba tries to clinch up but Rakovich circles away and keeps his distance.
Rakovich slaps away a takedown attempt from Sakuraba, before circling back to the center of the mat.
Sakuraba shoots in looking for a double leg takedown. Rakovich defends it nicely.
Rakovich looks to have improved his striking defense since last time we saw him fight.
Filip Rakovich has stuffed three takedown attempts in the round now. That's going to take a lot out of Lee Sakuraba.
We've had a slow start to the round here - hopefully the action picks up.
Rakovich closes the distance and clinches.
That's one minute gone in the round.
Rakovich is trying to break free.
Rakovich is looking to break free of the clinch but Sakuraba has double underhooks.
Rakovich wants to get back to striking at distance but Sakuraba won't allow it.
Sakuraba fails to pull the fight into his guard.
Sakuraba tries to pull guard but Rakovich won't allow it.
Rakovich breaks the clinch and we're back to striking at distance.
Rakovich fails with an attempt to clinch.
Sakuraba closes the distance and after a bit of a stuggle, scores a takedown into Rakovich's guard.
Rakovich has his feet on Sakuraba's hips. He pushes off and gets to his feet. Nice work.
Sakuraba fails with the takedown
and Rakovich counters with a lovely shot to the body.
Sakuraba doesn't succeed with the takedown
and Rakovich counters with a three punch combination, finished off with a leg kick. Nice work.
Sakuraba has done a lot of speed work in the buildup to this fight.
That's two minutes gone in the round.
Wooooo! Give it up for these two warriors! They are putting on a show!
Sakuraba is trying hard to land a takedown here. Rakovich sprawls well and keeps this one on the feet.
Rakovich drives through with a takedown into guard.
Rakovich gets to his feet - Sakuraba follows without any prompting.
Sakuraba fails with the takedown
and Rakovich counters with a three punch combination, finished off with a leg kick. Nice work.
Sakuraba shoots in looking for a takedown. Rakovich tries to sprawl out of it but Sakuraba keeps driving through. The fighters are pinned against the cage. Rakovich manages to get underhooks and after a bit of a struggle, circles away and we're back to standing.
Sakuraba shoots for a double leg takedown but Rakovich sprawls well. He's pushed Sakuraba's face into the mat and manages to get back to his feet relatively easily.
Rakovich cracks a nice hook into Sakuraba's ribs.
That's three minutes gone in the round.
Nice takedown defense from Rakovich. No joy for Sakuraba on that attempt.
Rakovich's corner calls for a 1, 2 combination and Rakovich duly obliges.
Sakuraba misses with a takedown attempt - Rakovich sprawls well and throws a nice strike on the way out which just misses.
A shot to the liver by Rakovich. Beautiful body shot.
Rakovich misses with a half-hearted attempt at a head kick.
Sakuraba dives in for a single leg takedown but Rakovich sprawls and the fighters end up clinched against the cage.
Rakovich cracks Sakuraba with a right hand to the side of the head.
Sakuraba tries to clinch up against the cage, rushing in to close the distance. Rakovich manages to break the clinch and circles back to the middle of the mat.
Sakuraba shoots in from a long way out. He's driving through with the takedown attempt and he eventually gets it, landing in Rakovich's guard.
That's four minutes gone in the round.
Sakuraba trying to control but Rakovich is working from the bottom.
Sakuraba looking to control the position here, rather than advance.
Rakovich on his back here. We all know that wrestlers don't like being on their back so let's see if Rakovich tries to get out of the position.
Sakuraba trying to control but Rakovich is working from the bottom.
Sakuraba trying to pass the guard but can't manage it just yet.
Fantastic stuff here - a very entertaining period of action, which has drawn cheers from the crowd.
Sakuraba content to stall in guard here.
Rakovich keeping full guard, as Sakuraba tries to pass.
And that’s the end of the round – the fighters go back to their corners.
Filip Rakovich dominated that round.
That's the end of the round. The referee orders the cornermen out of the cage so we can get back down to business.
Rakovich tries to score a power double leg takedown but Sakuraba sees that one coming and sprawls well. That will dishearten Rakovich somewhat.
Sakuraba shoots in but no luck this time.
As Sakuraba looks to move away, Rakovich throws a big counter combo but Sakuraba just gets out of the way.
Rakovich closes the distance, clinches up and gets a nice trip takedown into side control. Very smooth.
Sakuraba is looking for a sweep.
Sakuraba sneaks back into half guard.
Sakuraba is looking to sinch up a guillotine here but Rakovich pulls his head out easily.
We've had a slow start to the round here - hopefully the action picks up.
Rakovich landing with strikes to the body and head, softening up his opponent.
Sakuraba looking for submissions from an awkward position here.
That's one minute gone in the round.
Sakuraba is looking to regain full guard. Not this time though.
Sakuraba looking for submissions off his back.
Sakuraba looking for submissions from an awkward position here.
Rakovich is looking to take a break and control but Sakuraba is keeping him honest, looking to work from the bottom.
Sakuraba has guillotine here! It looks pretty tight! Could this be all over! No, Rakovich escapes and passes into side control at the same time. Nice work there by Rakovich!
Sakuraba is positioning himself to get back to half guard.
That's two minutes gone in the round.
The crowd are getting on the fighters' backs, as the pace has dropped off in the last minute or so.
Rakovich looks up at the clock and then as Sakuraba takes his cue and looks up at the clock too, Rakovich smacks him right in the chops with a big elbow! How rude!
Sakuraba is trying to get back to half guard.
Sakuraba wants to control but Rakovich postures up.
Sakuraba tries to control but end up mounted... ooooh, that's bad.
Sakuraba is desperately trying to improve his position but Rakovich has a good base and remains in mount.
Filip Rakovich overall seems to be getting the better of the ground position in the fight so far.
Sakuraba sneaks a leg under to get to half guard.
That's three minutes gone in the round.
Sakuraba looking for submissions from an awkward position here.
Sakuraba moves into full guard.
Sakuraba isolates an arm and boxes in a triangle. Rakovich stacks Sakuraba on his neck as he steps over and passes to the side. He's now in a much more dominant position where he can look to do some serious damage. Nice move by Rakovich!
Rakovich tries for an arm triangle. That looks pretty tight to me. Is this one over!?! Possibly, maybe, no Rakovich has let go of the choke. Obviously it wasn't as tight as we thought!
Both fighters are absolutely exhausted here.
Sakuraba manages to get one leg in to regain half guard.
Rakovich knows he needs to get back to his feet asap. He's simply no match for Sakuraba on the ground.
That's four minutes gone in the round.
Rakovich sitting and controlling from the half guard.
Sakuraba actively working from the bottom here.
Sakuraba looking to work for a kimura from the bottom.
Sakuraba looking for submissions from an awkward position here.
Boooooooooooooooooooo!!! God, this has been a terrible round. Come on you two, sort yourselves out!
Sakuraba looking for submissions off his back.
And that’s the end of the round – the fighters go back to their corners.
Filip Rakovich dominated that second round.
The referee calls time. The cornermen exit stage left and we're back to business. This is the final round!
Rakovich tries to close the distance and clinch but Sakuraba swats him to one side with an open hand palm strike and circles away.
Filip Rakovich is looking to throw some combinations by the looks of things.
Rakovich tries to grapple but his opponent circles
so Sakuraba counters with a double leg into guard. Good agility.
Sakuraba wants to control from the top but Rakovich keeps moving.
The fighters are pressed up against the cage, both looking to find a bit of space to work.
Sakuraba gets to his feet. Rakovich looking to butt scoot but the ref puts an end to that. On your feet son!
Sakuraba throws the overhand right but ducks down into a quick takedown attempt. Rakovich was covering up waiting for the punch and Sakuraba finishes the takedown easily into guard.
We've had a slow start to the round here - hopefully the action picks up.
Sakuraba trying to control the position from guard on top but Rakovich is wriggling around, looking for whatever he can.
Sakuraba being controlled here momentarily.
That's one minute gone in the round.
Rakovich wants to sweep here but Sakuraba controlling him for the moment.
Both fighters are breathing heavily.
Sakuraba forces his way into half guard.
Sakuraba sitting and controlling from the half guard.
Sakuraba wants to control but Rakovich is keeping him busy.
That's two minutes gone in the round.
There's not a lot going on here and the crowd are letting the fighters know they're not willing to tolerate a lack of action.
Sakuraba missing with some ground and pound from the half guard.
Sakuraba is working for submissions here but there's nothing on.
Rakovich is staying active underneath Sakuraba, who seems content to just control the action from this position.
Sakuraba throwing punches and elbows but they're not doing any damage.
Rakovich is doing well to avoid being mounted. He's controlling the position at the moment.
Rakovich is trying to stand back up but Sakuraba is controlling him
Rakovich is refusing to be controlled, as Sakuraba sits in half guard.
The referee must be thinking about standing these guys back up.
Rakovich is in trouble now - Sakuraba has advanced to mount!
That's three minutes gone in the round.
Sakuraba tries to control but Rakovich wriggling away.
Sakuraba sitting in mount, just looking to control for the moment.
Rakovich is looking to improve his position but Sakuraba isn't that keen on the idea.
Sakuraba controlling from mount.
Sakuraba tries to control but Rakovich wriggling away.
That's four minutes gone in the round.
The crowd are getting on the fighters' backs, as the pace has dropped off in the last minute or so.
Sakuraba prevents Rakovich from getting the reversal.
Sakuraba tries to control but Rakovich wriggling away.
Sakuraba controlling from mount.
Boooooooooooooooooooo!!! God, this has been a terrible round. Come on you two, sort yourselves out!
And that's the end of the fight!
Lee Sakuraba comfortably won the final round on my scorecard.
I think Rakovich has won this one but let's see what the judges have to say. 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 Jack Bonds scores the fight 29:28
Judge Frank Antenori scores the fight 29:28
Judge Percy O'Donnell scores the fight 29:28
In favor of your winner, by unanimous decision... Filip Rakovich!
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| S |
C
A |
G |
S |
C
B |
G |
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S |
C |
G |
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energy
A | B |
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hype
A | B |
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pop
A | B |
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mgr
A | B |
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FIGHT
RATING
32% |
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