Post by The Sandmen on Feb 2, 2012 13:52:58 GMT -5
Kazushi Sakuraba glares at his opponent from the opposite corner.
Fabricio Werdum is beating himself up in the corner before the fight begins, smacking himself in the face, body and legs to get ready for his scrap.
The referee of the bout is John McCarthy.
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Round 1
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Sakuraba and Werdum move forward as the bell signals the beginning of the fight!
The clock says 0:10 in the 1 round
Bone shattering straight right hand from Kazushi Sakuraba!
Werdum ducks under...
Fabricio Werdum fakes a punch and shows some footwork moving aside.
The clock says 0:35 in the 1 round
Tremendous strikes from Sakuraba!
Some big punches are landing!
The clock says 0:45 in the 1 round
Sakuraba fires low kicks
that fail to land.
Sakuraba misses a step and Fabricio Werdum sees an opportunity to counter him!
Fabricio Werdum launches a low kick
that almost wrenches Sakuraba's knee!
Fabricio Werdum and Sakuraba engage in a wild exchange of punches!
Kazushi Sakuraba is getting the best of the exchange as he lands a few blows.
Sakuraba tries to grapple
He puts Werdum in a double underhook!
The fighters are clinching.
Sakuraba gets double underhooks and looks for the takedown...
Sakuraba blocks Fabricio Werdum's knee and hits a perfectly executed knee tap! Nice move.
Kazushi Sakuraba is in closed guard over Werdum
Kazushi Sakuraba tries to pass Fabricio Werdum's guard...
Kazushi Sakuraba manages to get his leg free and moves to half guard.
Kazushi Sakuraba is in half guard over Werdum
Not a desiderable position that Werdum is in now. Kazushi Sakuraba is well knowed for his strong and relentless GnP.
Kazushi Sakuraba tries to free his leg
Fabricio Werdum moves fast and both fighters exchange some weak punches while climbing to their feet.
Both fighters have climbed to their feet and they continue the fight standing. The people who are watching this in Saitama Super Arena (Saitama, Japan) are cheering for the fighters.
Kazushi Sakuraba seems fresh. He may still have a lot of gas in his tank.
The two exchange wildly
both landing but without much steam behind the shots.
The clock says 1:55 in the 1 round
Fabricio Werdum shoots for a double leg takedown!
He hits it! Kazushi Sakuraba is taken off his feet, but he manages to pull Werdum into his guard.
Fabricio Werdum is in closed guard over Sakuraba
Sakuraba sure knows how to turn you into a pretzel. He can finish the fight anytime while on the ground.
Werdum is in closed guard... Sakuraba tries to roll on the ground!
Nice reversal! He is now in full mount over Fabricio Werdum!
Kazushi Sakuraba is in full mount over Fabricio Werdum
Fabricio Werdum tries to roll on the ground...
He makes a reversal!
Fabricio Werdum is in closed guard over Sakuraba
Fabricio Werdum is looking to pass Kazushi Sakuraba's guard...
Kazushi Sakuraba has a solid guard and keeps his ankles locked.
The clock says 2:35 in the 1 round
Fabricio Werdum is in closed guard over Sakuraba
Fabricio Werdum is looking to pass Kazushi Sakuraba's guard...
Kazushi Sakuraba has a solid guard and keeps his ankles locked.
Fabricio Werdum is in closed guard over Sakuraba
Werdum is in closed guard... Sakuraba tries to roll on the ground!
Fabricio Werdum uses his leg to keep his position on the ground
Werdum tries to get some advantage after his opponent miss move...
Werdum struggles on the ground and tries to break Kazushi Sakuraba's guard...
Fabricio Werdum is in Sakuraba open guard now
The clock says 2:55 in the 1 round
Fabricio Werdum is in open guard over Sakuraba
Werdum is in open guard over Sakuraba... he fakes a move and then tries a kneebar!
Sakuraba rolls on the ground trying to get free and after a few kicks of his own he escapes.
John McCarthy halts the fight to stand up Fabricio Werdum. The fight resumes with both fighters standing.
Both fighters continue the fight on their feet. You can hear how the people agree with that decision.
Sakuraba moves forward looking for some action
Fabricio Werdum struggles a bit before breaking Sakuraba's attemp of grappling
Fabricio Werdum fakes a punch and shows some footwork moving aside.
The clock says 3:25 in the 1 round
Sakuraba steps backwards away from Fabricio Werdum. He seems to be cooling down the fight a bit.
Sakuraba steps backwards away from Fabricio Werdum. He seems to be cooling down the fight a bit.
Kazushi Sakuraba fakes a punch and launches himself over Fabricio Werdum
Great move by Sakuraba who pushes his opponent under a troublesome thai clinch
Fabricio Werdum tries to shrug his way out of the clinch.
Sakuraba is determined to work from the clinch. He pummeled through and managed to retain his position.
Both fighters are tied in a clinch.
Kazushi Sakuraba is clinching with Fabricio Werdum's back against the fence, Sakuraba tries a big elbow
bang!!! what an impact!!! Fabricio Werdum drops to the mat
Sakuraba is standing while Werdum is on the ground on his back
Sakuraba cartwheels towards Werdum!
He lands in side mount over a surprised Fabricio Werdum.
Kazushi Sakuraba is in side mount over Fabricio Werdum
Fabricio Werdum attempts to trap Kazushi Sakuraba in his guard.
Kazushi Sakuraba keeps control and remains in side mount.
Kazushi Sakuraba is in side mount over Fabricio Werdum
Kazushi Sakuraba tries a kimura
Werdum breaks the lock.
Kazushi Sakuraba is in side mount over Fabricio Werdum
Good looking punches from Kazushi Sakuraba on the ground
They could take their toll on Werdum.
Kazushi Sakuraba is in side mount over Fabricio Werdum
Good looking punches from Kazushi Sakuraba on the ground
They could take their toll on Werdum.
The buzzer sounds, marking the end of the round. The ref tells the fighters to go to their corner.
I would be surprised if the judges didn't see that round for Werdum.
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Round 2
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Kazushi Sakuraba closes the distance with his opponent wanting some action.
Kazushi Sakuraba launches a low kick
that almost wrenches Werdum's knee!
Fabricio Werdum goes with a looping right hand while Kazushi Sakuraba jumps back and jabs
Werdum only hits air and the subsequent exchange is fruitless.
Kazushi Sakuraba tries to take the fight to the ground with a one leg takedown...
Fabricio Werdum jumps backwards and frees his leg.
Werdum tries to get some advantage after his opponent miss move...
Fabricio Werdum tries a middle kick
Kazushi Sakuraba blocks and steps away.
Kazushi Sakuraba leans forwards and tries to grapple with Werdum
Sakuraba shows his clinching skills. Both fighters are clinching now.
Fabricio Werdum tries to shrug his way out of the clinch.
Sakuraba is determined to work from the clinch. He pummeled through and managed to retain his position.
Both fighters are tied in a clinch.
Sakuraba shows no signs of slowing down. He's in great shape.
Kazushi Sakuraba slightly pushes Werdum into the fence and tries to calm down the action.
The referee intervenes to break the clinch.
Werdum is holding Kazushi Sakuraba's left leg... He's trying to take him down.
Kazushi Sakuraba shows great balance while pushing away Fabricio Werdum
Sakuraba studies his opponent looking for a hole in his defense.
Sakuraba jumps over his opponent and tries to grapple
Kazushi Sakuraba pushes his opponent against the fence in a plum position
Werdum doesn't want to clinch as he ducks under Kazushi Sakuraba embrace and tries to move away...
Kazushi Sakuraba pushes Werdum forward and doesn't allow him to break the clinch.
Both fighters are tied in a clinch.
Sakuraba takes a break to breathe while holding Fabricio Werdum.
John McCarthy sees a lack of activity in the clinch and separates the fighters.
Bone shattering straight right hand from Kazushi Sakuraba!
Werdum is going to have a big headache after that blow!
Nice punch by Kazushi Sakuraba
who outboxes his opponent in this exchange.
Werdum's Right eye is beginning to swell
The clock says 2:00 in the 2 round
Werdum pushes Kazushi Sakuraba and moves away from him. He seems to be recovering his breath.
Kazushi Sakuraba fakes a punch and launches himself over Fabricio Werdum
Great move by Sakuraba who pushes his opponent under a troublesome thai clinch
The fighters are clinching.
Kazushi Sakuraba shoots and grab both of Fabricio Werdum's leg, attempting to take him down with a Double Leg
Sakuraba lifted Werdum's off his feet and throws him on the mat
Werdum ribs are getting hammered, they look bad!
Kazushi Sakuraba is in open guard over Werdum
Werdum switches to high guard just before trying to sink a triangle!
Sakuraba struggles and his head turns red from the choke, but he manages to slip his head of the lock!
Fabricio Werdum gets sloppy and Kazushi Sakuraba tries to take advantage...
Sakuraba moves on the ground..
He gets half guard.
Kazushi Sakuraba is in half guard over Werdum
Sakuraba tries to get a side mount...
He frees his leg and is now controlling Werdum from the side mount!
Kazushi Sakuraba is in side mount over Fabricio Werdum
Fabricio Werdum attempts to trap Kazushi Sakuraba in his guard.
Kazushi Sakuraba keeps control and remains in side mount.
Kazushi Sakuraba is in side mount over Fabricio Werdum
Kazushi Sakuraba looks to mount Fabricio Werdum...
Kazushi Sakuraba slides his knee across and gets to mount.
Kazushi Sakuraba is in full mount over Fabricio Werdum
Werdum cornermen are yelling for his man to escape from the ground as Sakuraba can finish a fight on the ground with some good pounding if you give him the chance.
Sakuraba catch Fabricio Werdum's left arm and tries a kimura
You can see the pain reflected in Werdum's eyes...
Werdum struggles to free himself
Punishing hold!
Crippling lock!
Fabricio Werdum holds his own arm and struggles until he gets free
Kazushi Sakuraba is in full mount over Fabricio Werdum
Sakuraba throws a few hammer fists to the face of Fabricio Werdum
Solid shots!
Kazushi Sakuraba is in full mount over Fabricio Werdum
Fabricio Werdum doesn't want to continue the fight in this position and tries to get back on his feet
He can't do it because of Sakuraba's moves.
The clock says 3:45 in the 2 round
Kazushi Sakuraba is in full mount over Fabricio Werdum
Kazushi Sakuraba sits high on Fabricio Werdum's chest and pulls his leg underneath Werdum's head. There's the triangle attempt!
Werdum tries to roll out. He's too quick for Kazushi Sakuraba and manages to slip out! That was a risky move by Sakuraba and it cost him top position.
Werdum tries to get some advantage after his opponent miss move...
Fabricio Werdum tries to roll to his side and trap Kazushi Sakuraba in his guard...
Kazushi Sakuraba keeps good control and remains in full mount.
Kazushi Sakuraba is in full mount over Fabricio Werdum
Werdum tries to move on the ground and escape from the full mount!
Kazushi Sakuraba doesn't want to lose his adventageous position and he struggles to mantain the full mount.
John McCarthy has seen enough passivity on the ground and stands up the fighters.
Both fighters have climbed to their feet and they continue the fight standing. The people who are watching this in Saitama Super Arena (Saitama, Japan) are cheering for the fighters.
The fighters size each other up in the center of the cage.
Sakuraba wants to take the fight to his advantage and tries to clinch.
Sakuraba moves forward and holds Werdum
Fabricio Werdum pushes away Sakuraba trying to keep the fight at striking range
Sakuraba doesn't want to break the clinch as he still is grappling with Fabricio Werdum
The fighters are clinching.
Kazushi Sakuraba shoots and grab one of Fabricio Werdum's leg, attempting to take him down with a Single Leg
Werdum lose his balance and falls to the mat
Kazushi Sakuraba is in open guard over Werdum
Sakuraba moves on the ground
Kazushi Sakuraba moves to side mount
Kazushi Sakuraba is in side mount over Fabricio Werdum
Kazushi Sakuraba is cooling the fight on the ground
The clock says 4:55 in the 2 round
Kazushi Sakuraba is in side mount over Fabricio Werdum
Kazushi Sakuraba hooks Werdum's left leg and sits back for a kneebar!
That Kneebar looks tight...
That Kneebar looks tight...
You can see the pain reflected in Werdum's eyes...
Crippling lock!
Sakuraba is locking that Kneebar...
Sakuraba is locking that Kneebar...
Fabricio Werdum manages to kick Sakuraba away and scrambles on top!
The buzzer sounds, marking the end of the round. The ref tells the fighters to go to their corner.
This round is clearly for Kazushi Sakuraba.
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Round 3
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The fight was awfully one sided. Matchmakers should take this into account for future fights.
A solid combination from Fabricio Werdum
mostly hits air.
Kazushi Sakuraba seems fresh. He may still have a lot of gas in his tank.
Sakuraba moves forward looking for some action
Kazushi Sakuraba shows some wrestling skills as he put his opponent in a double overhook!
Werdum doesn't want to clinch as he ducks under Kazushi Sakuraba embrace and tries to move away...
Kazushi Sakuraba pushes Werdum forward and doesn't allow him to break the clinch.
The fighters are clinching.
Fabricio Werdum is in good position and is looking to change levels for the takedown...
Sakuraba doesn't let Werdum get in on his legs.
Werdum misses a step and Kazushi Sakuraba sees an opportunity to counter him!
Kazushi Sakuraba tries to finish this with a rear naked chocke!
That rear naked chocke from Kazushi Sakuraba appears to be unbreakable
Sakuraba is locking that rear naked chocke...
Werdum struggles to free himself
Werdum's Nose is beginning to swell
That rear naked chocke looks tight...
Werdum ducks under and pushes away his opponent.
Werdum fakes a punch and shoots a takedown!
Sakuraba sprawls and remains on his feet.
The clock says 0:55 in the 3 round
Werdum launches a furious low kick!
Sakuraba blocks.
1:03 Round 3 and Sakuraba is still in good shape. He sure has trained hard for this fight.
Sakuraba studies his opponent looking for a hole in his defense.
Some counter punches against Fabricio Werdum
land while he's on his bicycle.
Good leg kicks from Kazushi Sakuraba.
Werdum winces a bit.
The clock says 1:30 in the 3 round
A left hook from Werdum
falls short.
Sakuraba is trying to counter now!
Kazushi Sakuraba moves forward and launches a low kick.
Hard blow to Werdum's left thigh
Fabricio Werdum tries to take the fight to the ground with a one leg takedown...
Kazushi Sakuraba jumps backwards and frees his leg.
Sakuraba looks for angles as he throws a few jabs that are countered by Fabricio Werdum's punches
Sakuraba measures the resilience of Werdum's chin with an uppercut while Werdum lands some great crosses.
Sakuraba is holding Fabricio Werdum's right leg... He's trying to take him down.
Fabricio Werdum loses balance and goes to the ground.
Kazushi Sakuraba is in side mount over Fabricio Werdum
Sakuraba tries to move to full mount!
Nice move. He is in full mount now.
Kazushi Sakuraba is in full mount over Fabricio Werdum
Kazushi Sakuraba takes a deep breath as he passes his arm over Fabricio Werdum shoulder and pushes his left arm againts the mat!
That Americana from Kazushi Sakuraba appears to be unbreakable
Werdum struggles to free himself
That Americana looks tight...
Crippling lock!
Punishing hold!
Werdum struggles to free himself
You can see the pain reflected in Werdum's eyes...
That Americana from Kazushi Sakuraba appears to be unbreakable
Werdum's left arm is getting wrenched, it appears to be injured
Sakuraba secures the lock while Fabricio Werdum refuses to tap... John McCarthy jumps in and breaks the lock!
Winner is Kazushi Sakuraba by Submission (Americana) at 2:30 Round 3
Statistics: Kazushi Sakuraba
Punches 17/20 (85%)
Kicks 5/8 (62%)
Clinch strikes 1/1 (100%)
Takedowns 2/3 (67%)
GnP strikes 10/10 (100%)
Submissions 6/6 (100%)
Clinch Attempts 2/2 (100%)
Time on the ground 279 s
Statistics: Fabricio Werdum
Punches 5/14 (36%)
Kicks 1/3 (33%)
Clinch strikes 0/0 (0%)
Takedowns 1/5 (20%)
GnP strikes 0/0 (0%)
Submissions 2/2 (100%)
Clinch Attempts 0/0 (0%)
Time on the ground 287 s
Superb display of technique and MMA knowledge by Kazushi Sakuraba. This man can sell the PPV all on his own. (365 points)
Nice effort tonight from Fabricio Werdum who was thinking of the fans besides the fight itself. (84 points)
Nice effort but I'm sure we can expect more from Kazushi Sakuraba and Fabricio Werdum.
Fabricio Werdum is beating himself up in the corner before the fight begins, smacking himself in the face, body and legs to get ready for his scrap.
The referee of the bout is John McCarthy.
=========================================
Round 1
=========================================
Sakuraba and Werdum move forward as the bell signals the beginning of the fight!
The clock says 0:10 in the 1 round
Bone shattering straight right hand from Kazushi Sakuraba!
Werdum ducks under...
Fabricio Werdum fakes a punch and shows some footwork moving aside.
The clock says 0:35 in the 1 round
Tremendous strikes from Sakuraba!
Some big punches are landing!
The clock says 0:45 in the 1 round
Sakuraba fires low kicks
that fail to land.
Sakuraba misses a step and Fabricio Werdum sees an opportunity to counter him!
Fabricio Werdum launches a low kick
that almost wrenches Sakuraba's knee!
Fabricio Werdum and Sakuraba engage in a wild exchange of punches!
Kazushi Sakuraba is getting the best of the exchange as he lands a few blows.
Sakuraba tries to grapple
He puts Werdum in a double underhook!
The fighters are clinching.
Sakuraba gets double underhooks and looks for the takedown...
Sakuraba blocks Fabricio Werdum's knee and hits a perfectly executed knee tap! Nice move.
Kazushi Sakuraba is in closed guard over Werdum
Kazushi Sakuraba tries to pass Fabricio Werdum's guard...
Kazushi Sakuraba manages to get his leg free and moves to half guard.
Kazushi Sakuraba is in half guard over Werdum
Not a desiderable position that Werdum is in now. Kazushi Sakuraba is well knowed for his strong and relentless GnP.
Kazushi Sakuraba tries to free his leg
Fabricio Werdum moves fast and both fighters exchange some weak punches while climbing to their feet.
Both fighters have climbed to their feet and they continue the fight standing. The people who are watching this in Saitama Super Arena (Saitama, Japan) are cheering for the fighters.
Kazushi Sakuraba seems fresh. He may still have a lot of gas in his tank.
The two exchange wildly
both landing but without much steam behind the shots.
The clock says 1:55 in the 1 round
Fabricio Werdum shoots for a double leg takedown!
He hits it! Kazushi Sakuraba is taken off his feet, but he manages to pull Werdum into his guard.
Fabricio Werdum is in closed guard over Sakuraba
Sakuraba sure knows how to turn you into a pretzel. He can finish the fight anytime while on the ground.
Werdum is in closed guard... Sakuraba tries to roll on the ground!
Nice reversal! He is now in full mount over Fabricio Werdum!
Kazushi Sakuraba is in full mount over Fabricio Werdum
Fabricio Werdum tries to roll on the ground...
He makes a reversal!
Fabricio Werdum is in closed guard over Sakuraba
Fabricio Werdum is looking to pass Kazushi Sakuraba's guard...
Kazushi Sakuraba has a solid guard and keeps his ankles locked.
The clock says 2:35 in the 1 round
Fabricio Werdum is in closed guard over Sakuraba
Fabricio Werdum is looking to pass Kazushi Sakuraba's guard...
Kazushi Sakuraba has a solid guard and keeps his ankles locked.
Fabricio Werdum is in closed guard over Sakuraba
Werdum is in closed guard... Sakuraba tries to roll on the ground!
Fabricio Werdum uses his leg to keep his position on the ground
Werdum tries to get some advantage after his opponent miss move...
Werdum struggles on the ground and tries to break Kazushi Sakuraba's guard...
Fabricio Werdum is in Sakuraba open guard now
The clock says 2:55 in the 1 round
Fabricio Werdum is in open guard over Sakuraba
Werdum is in open guard over Sakuraba... he fakes a move and then tries a kneebar!
Sakuraba rolls on the ground trying to get free and after a few kicks of his own he escapes.
John McCarthy halts the fight to stand up Fabricio Werdum. The fight resumes with both fighters standing.
Both fighters continue the fight on their feet. You can hear how the people agree with that decision.
Sakuraba moves forward looking for some action
Fabricio Werdum struggles a bit before breaking Sakuraba's attemp of grappling
Fabricio Werdum fakes a punch and shows some footwork moving aside.
The clock says 3:25 in the 1 round
Sakuraba steps backwards away from Fabricio Werdum. He seems to be cooling down the fight a bit.
Sakuraba steps backwards away from Fabricio Werdum. He seems to be cooling down the fight a bit.
Kazushi Sakuraba fakes a punch and launches himself over Fabricio Werdum
Great move by Sakuraba who pushes his opponent under a troublesome thai clinch
Fabricio Werdum tries to shrug his way out of the clinch.
Sakuraba is determined to work from the clinch. He pummeled through and managed to retain his position.
Both fighters are tied in a clinch.
Kazushi Sakuraba is clinching with Fabricio Werdum's back against the fence, Sakuraba tries a big elbow
bang!!! what an impact!!! Fabricio Werdum drops to the mat
Sakuraba is standing while Werdum is on the ground on his back
Sakuraba cartwheels towards Werdum!
He lands in side mount over a surprised Fabricio Werdum.
Kazushi Sakuraba is in side mount over Fabricio Werdum
Fabricio Werdum attempts to trap Kazushi Sakuraba in his guard.
Kazushi Sakuraba keeps control and remains in side mount.
Kazushi Sakuraba is in side mount over Fabricio Werdum
Kazushi Sakuraba tries a kimura
Werdum breaks the lock.
Kazushi Sakuraba is in side mount over Fabricio Werdum
Good looking punches from Kazushi Sakuraba on the ground
They could take their toll on Werdum.
Kazushi Sakuraba is in side mount over Fabricio Werdum
Good looking punches from Kazushi Sakuraba on the ground
They could take their toll on Werdum.
The buzzer sounds, marking the end of the round. The ref tells the fighters to go to their corner.
I would be surprised if the judges didn't see that round for Werdum.
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Round 2
=========================================
Kazushi Sakuraba closes the distance with his opponent wanting some action.
Kazushi Sakuraba launches a low kick
that almost wrenches Werdum's knee!
Fabricio Werdum goes with a looping right hand while Kazushi Sakuraba jumps back and jabs
Werdum only hits air and the subsequent exchange is fruitless.
Kazushi Sakuraba tries to take the fight to the ground with a one leg takedown...
Fabricio Werdum jumps backwards and frees his leg.
Werdum tries to get some advantage after his opponent miss move...
Fabricio Werdum tries a middle kick
Kazushi Sakuraba blocks and steps away.
Kazushi Sakuraba leans forwards and tries to grapple with Werdum
Sakuraba shows his clinching skills. Both fighters are clinching now.
Fabricio Werdum tries to shrug his way out of the clinch.
Sakuraba is determined to work from the clinch. He pummeled through and managed to retain his position.
Both fighters are tied in a clinch.
Sakuraba shows no signs of slowing down. He's in great shape.
Kazushi Sakuraba slightly pushes Werdum into the fence and tries to calm down the action.
The referee intervenes to break the clinch.
Werdum is holding Kazushi Sakuraba's left leg... He's trying to take him down.
Kazushi Sakuraba shows great balance while pushing away Fabricio Werdum
Sakuraba studies his opponent looking for a hole in his defense.
Sakuraba jumps over his opponent and tries to grapple
Kazushi Sakuraba pushes his opponent against the fence in a plum position
Werdum doesn't want to clinch as he ducks under Kazushi Sakuraba embrace and tries to move away...
Kazushi Sakuraba pushes Werdum forward and doesn't allow him to break the clinch.
Both fighters are tied in a clinch.
Sakuraba takes a break to breathe while holding Fabricio Werdum.
John McCarthy sees a lack of activity in the clinch and separates the fighters.
Bone shattering straight right hand from Kazushi Sakuraba!
Werdum is going to have a big headache after that blow!
Nice punch by Kazushi Sakuraba
who outboxes his opponent in this exchange.
Werdum's Right eye is beginning to swell
The clock says 2:00 in the 2 round
Werdum pushes Kazushi Sakuraba and moves away from him. He seems to be recovering his breath.
Kazushi Sakuraba fakes a punch and launches himself over Fabricio Werdum
Great move by Sakuraba who pushes his opponent under a troublesome thai clinch
The fighters are clinching.
Kazushi Sakuraba shoots and grab both of Fabricio Werdum's leg, attempting to take him down with a Double Leg
Sakuraba lifted Werdum's off his feet and throws him on the mat
Werdum ribs are getting hammered, they look bad!
Kazushi Sakuraba is in open guard over Werdum
Werdum switches to high guard just before trying to sink a triangle!
Sakuraba struggles and his head turns red from the choke, but he manages to slip his head of the lock!
Fabricio Werdum gets sloppy and Kazushi Sakuraba tries to take advantage...
Sakuraba moves on the ground..
He gets half guard.
Kazushi Sakuraba is in half guard over Werdum
Sakuraba tries to get a side mount...
He frees his leg and is now controlling Werdum from the side mount!
Kazushi Sakuraba is in side mount over Fabricio Werdum
Fabricio Werdum attempts to trap Kazushi Sakuraba in his guard.
Kazushi Sakuraba keeps control and remains in side mount.
Kazushi Sakuraba is in side mount over Fabricio Werdum
Kazushi Sakuraba looks to mount Fabricio Werdum...
Kazushi Sakuraba slides his knee across and gets to mount.
Kazushi Sakuraba is in full mount over Fabricio Werdum
Werdum cornermen are yelling for his man to escape from the ground as Sakuraba can finish a fight on the ground with some good pounding if you give him the chance.
Sakuraba catch Fabricio Werdum's left arm and tries a kimura
You can see the pain reflected in Werdum's eyes...
Werdum struggles to free himself
Punishing hold!
Crippling lock!
Fabricio Werdum holds his own arm and struggles until he gets free
Kazushi Sakuraba is in full mount over Fabricio Werdum
Sakuraba throws a few hammer fists to the face of Fabricio Werdum
Solid shots!
Kazushi Sakuraba is in full mount over Fabricio Werdum
Fabricio Werdum doesn't want to continue the fight in this position and tries to get back on his feet
He can't do it because of Sakuraba's moves.
The clock says 3:45 in the 2 round
Kazushi Sakuraba is in full mount over Fabricio Werdum
Kazushi Sakuraba sits high on Fabricio Werdum's chest and pulls his leg underneath Werdum's head. There's the triangle attempt!
Werdum tries to roll out. He's too quick for Kazushi Sakuraba and manages to slip out! That was a risky move by Sakuraba and it cost him top position.
Werdum tries to get some advantage after his opponent miss move...
Fabricio Werdum tries to roll to his side and trap Kazushi Sakuraba in his guard...
Kazushi Sakuraba keeps good control and remains in full mount.
Kazushi Sakuraba is in full mount over Fabricio Werdum
Werdum tries to move on the ground and escape from the full mount!
Kazushi Sakuraba doesn't want to lose his adventageous position and he struggles to mantain the full mount.
John McCarthy has seen enough passivity on the ground and stands up the fighters.
Both fighters have climbed to their feet and they continue the fight standing. The people who are watching this in Saitama Super Arena (Saitama, Japan) are cheering for the fighters.
The fighters size each other up in the center of the cage.
Sakuraba wants to take the fight to his advantage and tries to clinch.
Sakuraba moves forward and holds Werdum
Fabricio Werdum pushes away Sakuraba trying to keep the fight at striking range
Sakuraba doesn't want to break the clinch as he still is grappling with Fabricio Werdum
The fighters are clinching.
Kazushi Sakuraba shoots and grab one of Fabricio Werdum's leg, attempting to take him down with a Single Leg
Werdum lose his balance and falls to the mat
Kazushi Sakuraba is in open guard over Werdum
Sakuraba moves on the ground
Kazushi Sakuraba moves to side mount
Kazushi Sakuraba is in side mount over Fabricio Werdum
Kazushi Sakuraba is cooling the fight on the ground
The clock says 4:55 in the 2 round
Kazushi Sakuraba is in side mount over Fabricio Werdum
Kazushi Sakuraba hooks Werdum's left leg and sits back for a kneebar!
That Kneebar looks tight...
That Kneebar looks tight...
You can see the pain reflected in Werdum's eyes...
Crippling lock!
Sakuraba is locking that Kneebar...
Sakuraba is locking that Kneebar...
Fabricio Werdum manages to kick Sakuraba away and scrambles on top!
The buzzer sounds, marking the end of the round. The ref tells the fighters to go to their corner.
This round is clearly for Kazushi Sakuraba.
=========================================
Round 3
=========================================
The fight was awfully one sided. Matchmakers should take this into account for future fights.
A solid combination from Fabricio Werdum
mostly hits air.
Kazushi Sakuraba seems fresh. He may still have a lot of gas in his tank.
Sakuraba moves forward looking for some action
Kazushi Sakuraba shows some wrestling skills as he put his opponent in a double overhook!
Werdum doesn't want to clinch as he ducks under Kazushi Sakuraba embrace and tries to move away...
Kazushi Sakuraba pushes Werdum forward and doesn't allow him to break the clinch.
The fighters are clinching.
Fabricio Werdum is in good position and is looking to change levels for the takedown...
Sakuraba doesn't let Werdum get in on his legs.
Werdum misses a step and Kazushi Sakuraba sees an opportunity to counter him!
Kazushi Sakuraba tries to finish this with a rear naked chocke!
That rear naked chocke from Kazushi Sakuraba appears to be unbreakable
Sakuraba is locking that rear naked chocke...
Werdum struggles to free himself
Werdum's Nose is beginning to swell
That rear naked chocke looks tight...
Werdum ducks under and pushes away his opponent.
Werdum fakes a punch and shoots a takedown!
Sakuraba sprawls and remains on his feet.
The clock says 0:55 in the 3 round
Werdum launches a furious low kick!
Sakuraba blocks.
1:03 Round 3 and Sakuraba is still in good shape. He sure has trained hard for this fight.
Sakuraba studies his opponent looking for a hole in his defense.
Some counter punches against Fabricio Werdum
land while he's on his bicycle.
Good leg kicks from Kazushi Sakuraba.
Werdum winces a bit.
The clock says 1:30 in the 3 round
A left hook from Werdum
falls short.
Sakuraba is trying to counter now!
Kazushi Sakuraba moves forward and launches a low kick.
Hard blow to Werdum's left thigh
Fabricio Werdum tries to take the fight to the ground with a one leg takedown...
Kazushi Sakuraba jumps backwards and frees his leg.
Sakuraba looks for angles as he throws a few jabs that are countered by Fabricio Werdum's punches
Sakuraba measures the resilience of Werdum's chin with an uppercut while Werdum lands some great crosses.
Sakuraba is holding Fabricio Werdum's right leg... He's trying to take him down.
Fabricio Werdum loses balance and goes to the ground.
Kazushi Sakuraba is in side mount over Fabricio Werdum
Sakuraba tries to move to full mount!
Nice move. He is in full mount now.
Kazushi Sakuraba is in full mount over Fabricio Werdum
Kazushi Sakuraba takes a deep breath as he passes his arm over Fabricio Werdum shoulder and pushes his left arm againts the mat!
That Americana from Kazushi Sakuraba appears to be unbreakable
Werdum struggles to free himself
That Americana looks tight...
Crippling lock!
Punishing hold!
Werdum struggles to free himself
You can see the pain reflected in Werdum's eyes...
That Americana from Kazushi Sakuraba appears to be unbreakable
Werdum's left arm is getting wrenched, it appears to be injured
Sakuraba secures the lock while Fabricio Werdum refuses to tap... John McCarthy jumps in and breaks the lock!
Winner is Kazushi Sakuraba by Submission (Americana) at 2:30 Round 3
Statistics: Kazushi Sakuraba
Punches 17/20 (85%)
Kicks 5/8 (62%)
Clinch strikes 1/1 (100%)
Takedowns 2/3 (67%)
GnP strikes 10/10 (100%)
Submissions 6/6 (100%)
Clinch Attempts 2/2 (100%)
Time on the ground 279 s
Statistics: Fabricio Werdum
Punches 5/14 (36%)
Kicks 1/3 (33%)
Clinch strikes 0/0 (0%)
Takedowns 1/5 (20%)
GnP strikes 0/0 (0%)
Submissions 2/2 (100%)
Clinch Attempts 0/0 (0%)
Time on the ground 287 s
Superb display of technique and MMA knowledge by Kazushi Sakuraba. This man can sell the PPV all on his own. (365 points)
Nice effort tonight from Fabricio Werdum who was thinking of the fans besides the fight itself. (84 points)
Nice effort but I'm sure we can expect more from Kazushi Sakuraba and Fabricio Werdum.
Have 9 points in celebration of this monumental achievement!