Bombs Away PBP Commentary

Undercard bout

Coming up we have a light heavyweight MMA rules bout between Jin Sen (ranked 0 p4p, 0 weight class) and Kenji Murofushi (ranked 0 p4p, 0 weight class). Sen's ring entrance music is that housewives' favourite, Let It Rock. Both fighters look fresh as a daisy as they make their way towards the cage.

Sen
vs
Murofushi

194 cm
36
217 lbs
29 - 22 - 0

186 cm
21
212 lbs
3 - 3 - 0

BJJ Blue Belt
Great low kicks
Granite chin

BJJ Brown Belt
Excellent boxer
Good gas tank

Global Empire MMA Gear

Ladies and gentlemen. This fight is 3 rounds, in the light heavyweight division.
Introducing the fighter to my left, fighting out of the red corner.
With a record of 29 - 22 - 0, fighting out of Los Angeles, Jin Sen!
And introducing the fighter to my right, fighting out of the blue corner.
With a record of 3 - 3 - 0, fighting out of Tokyo, Kenji Murofushi!
The judges for this bout are Taro Takaoka, Yukihiro Shimada and Yuuki Gou.

The bell rings for round one and we are underway!
Sen uses good footwork to avoid the strikes from Murofushi.

Murofushi drives through with a takedown into Sen's guard. Let's see what he can do from the top position.
Murofushi passes into half guard.

Murofushi is trying for a guillotine from the top but the pressure isn't in the right place so Sen is just riding it out for now. Murofushi eventually gives up the hold.

Murofushi is working for a kimura but Sen is defending it quite comfortably.

Sen is defending against the submission attempts here by Murofushi.
Murofushi not throwing his punches with enough precision this time.

That's one minute gone in the round.
Murofushi with a momentary lay and pray from half guard.
Let's hope that Murofushi 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.
Sen is looking to regain full guard. Not this time though.

Murofushi seems to be looking for submissions.
Murofushi uses his free foot to push down on Sen's thigh. Eventually he works his other foot free and he's advanced to mount - this is trouble for Sen.
Murofushi lands a nice shot to the head.

That's two minutes gone in the round.
Murofushi can't quite control the action as he would like just now, as Sen is looking to escape.
Murofushi takes a little breather and maintains the position. The referee will be looking for him to stay active from such a dominant position though.
Murofushi's corner are shouting for him to control the position and he seems happy to oblige.

That's three minutes gone in the round.
Murofushi throws a wild left hand from mount and Sen manages to wriggle his way back to half guard.
Murofushi not landing any meaningful shots this time.
Murofushi landing with strikes to the body and head, softening up his opponent.
Murofushi trying to pass the guard but Sen defending well.
Murofushi has the superior BJJ but he's also working some ground strikes into his gameplan.

Murofushi is working for submissions here but there's nothing on.

Murofushi is trying for a guillotine from the top but the pressure isn't in the right place so Sen is just riding it out for now. Murofushi eventually gives up the hold.
Murofushi working Sen over with strikes.

That's four minutes gone in the round.
Murofushi is controlling the pace.
Murofushi frees up his trapped foot and advances to mount.
Murofushi sitting in mount, just looking to control for the moment.
Sen wriggling around on the bottom manages to avoid the strikes thrown by Murofushi.
The crowd applaud the fighters efforts here as the round comes to an end.
Murofushi looking to control but Sen is working nicely, looking to advance position himself.
And that’s the end of the round – the fighters go back to their corners.

Kenji Murofushi dominated that round.
The fighters' corners scream their final instructions, as the referee calls time. Here we go, back to the action!

Murofushi has a takedown stuffed.
Sen leaves Murofushi with his face pressed against the mat as he sprawls beautifully, defending against a solid takedown attempt.
Sen is the aggressor but that punch slipped nicely by Murofushi.
Murofushi throws a hook but Sen avoids it easily.
Sen jabs Murofushi right on the nose. Murofushi blinks but takes it well.
A swing and a miss from Murofushi.
Sen uses good head movement to avoid the hook from Murofushi.
A combination from Murofushi does no damage.
Nice cross by Sen.
Murofushi misses the shot to the body.
Jin Sen is looking to throw some combinations by the looks of things.
Sen rushes forward with a series of wild hooks but Murofushi moves out of range and avoids them all easily.
Murofushi swinging wildly here.

That's one minute gone in the round.
Murofushi blocks a jab.
Sen bobs and weaves well there to avoid the strikes.
Murofushi misses with a two punch combination.
Sen lands a nice leg kick that just misses Murofushi's sensitive parts.
Murofushi throws a body punch but Sen moves out of range.
No luck with that takedown attempt from Murofushi.
Jin Sen has stuffed three takedown attempts in the round now. That's going to take a lot out of Kenji Murofushi.
Sen swings for the body but Murofushi moves out of range.
Murofushi lands a lovely overhand right.
Murofushi loads up on a big right hand but Sen slips the punch.
Sen throws a leg kick but Murofushi moved away.
Sen ducks under a wild hook from Murofushi.
Murofushi tests Sen's chin there with a solid looking shot.

That's two minutes gone in the round.
Murofushi cracks Sen with a hook to the jaw. Both fighters smile at eachother and high-five before getting back down to business.
Murofushi tries to clinch but Sen moves out of range.
A slow jab from Murofushi misses its intended target.
Murofushi misses with a straight left.
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!
Murofushi gets cracked with a nice right hand there by Sen.
Murofushi ducks under a wild hook from Sen.
Murofushi just misses with a punch to the body.
Murofushi misses with a body shot.
Boom, another hit is landed. "You're gunna get knocked out" taunts Murofushi, as that shot connected.
Murofushi misses with a hook. Sen ducked under it nicely.
Murofushi throws a hook to the side of Sen's head but Sen sees it coming and ducks under it beautifully.
Murofushi misses with a jab to the body
and Sen counters with a good low kick that Murofushi was not able to check.

That's three minutes gone in the round.
Murofushi lands a really nice looking cross but Sen seems unphased.
Murofushi swings widly with a right hand
and Sen counters with a nice uppercut.
Murofushi swings away but doesn't land with a series of punches.
A big left from Sen misses.
Kenji Murofushi seems to be getting the better of the standup.
Murofushi misses with the combination.
Murofushi throws an off balance right hand
and Sen counters with a thumping low kick.
Murofushi lands with a cross.
Murofushi lands a lovely overhand right.
Murofushi takes an uppercut right on the jaw but it doesn't phase him.
Sen thuds his shin into the meat of Murofushi's side.
Wooooo! Give it up for these two warriors! They are putting on a show!
Murofushi throws a combination but comes up with nothing but fresh air.
Boom, another hit is landed. "You're gunna get knocked out" taunts Murofushi, as that shot connected.
Jab, cross, leg kick. Nice combination by Sen!

That's four minutes gone in the round.
Murofushi just misses with a punch to the body.
Murofushi fails with an attempt to clinch.
Murofushi missing with a left hand there. Sen was out of range so wasted energy throwing that one.
Murofushi smiles there as he lands a nice right hand right on the button.
Murofushi thuds a left hand into Sen's body.
Jin Sen is looking to keep the fight on the feet at all costs.
Murofushi dips down and scores with a jab to the body.
Sen avoids a punch combination nicely.
Sen throws out a token jab with nothing on it.
Sen takes a shot right to the liver - Bas would have been proud of that punch.
The crowd are going absolutely nuts as the round comes to an end - what a fantastic round of action!
Sen throws a head kick that misses.
Murofushi connects with a body shot that sends Sen's belly button to the back.
Murofushi throws an overhand right that lands on Sen's shoulder, as Sen tries to avoid the shot.
And that’s the end of the round – the fighters go back to their corners.

Kenji Murofushi showed his class in that round. I'd imagine he'll take it on all the scorecards.
That's time! Back to the action! This is the final round!

Murofushi closes the distance, clinches up and gets a nice trip takedown into side control. Very smooth.
Sen is looking for a sweep.
Murofushi wants to control but Sen is keeping him busy.
Sen prevents Murofushi from moving into mount.
Murofushi is maintaining the dominant position - no doubt Sen will start to get frustrated soon if he's not already.
Murofushi trying to control the position but Sen is working away.
Sen is looking to reverse the position.
Murofushi wants to take a breather but Sen manages to regain guard - a lesson learnt for Murofushi.
Murofushi trying to control but Sen is working from the bottom.

That's one minute gone in the round.

Murofushi thinks about going for a leg but decides against it, in order to maintain the position.
Sen keeping moving, preventing Murofushi from controlling successfully.
Sen looking to control.
Murofushi is stalling in the full guard.

The ref stands the fighters back up. Kenji Murofushi was stalling too much, according to the referee.
Murofushi uses decent footwork to sidestep a right hand from Sen.

That's two minutes gone in the round.
Murofushi throws a series of punches but Sen avoids them all with ease.
Murofushi thows a body shot but no joy.
Murofushi chopped to the floor by a nice leg kick but he springs right back up before Sen can pounce on him.
Murofushi throws a hard body shot but it just misses.
Murofushi throws a jab but it's blocked by Sen.
Murofushi stuns Sen with a nice body shot, before stepping back out of range.
Murofushi catches Sen with a nice straight right. He seems pissed - ooooh, it's on now! On like donkey kong!
Kenji Murofushi seems to be the more aggressive standup fighter in this bout.
Sen jabs Murofushi right on the nose. Murofushi blinks but takes it well.
Sen misses with a body kick.
Murofushi looks to land a right hand but Sen moved out of range.
This has been an exciting period of action!
Sen throws a leg kick
and Murofushi counters with a straight right hand.

That's three minutes gone in the round.
Donk. Murofushi catches Sen right on the button with a cross.
Murofushi cracks Sen with a hook to the jaw. Both fighters smile at eachother and high-five before getting back down to business.
Sen throws a low kick but it's checked well by Murofushi.
Sen takes one on the button.
Sen throws a body kick but he wasn't in range.
Murofushi lands three nice shots there - that looked like it hurt!
Sen throws out a loose jab but Murofushi uses good head movement to avoid it.
Murofushi misses with a looping left.
A big right from Sen misses.
Murofushi lands an overhand left. A wild punch that just about connected.

It looks like Jin Sen has been cut.
We've seen a great period of action over the last minute or so - credit to both fighters for going all out!
Murofushi dips down and scores with a jab to the body.
Murofushi throws a lazy right hand but Sen sees it coming a mile off and sidesteps it easily.
Murofushi lands a really nice looking cross but Sen seems unphased.
Jin Sen has stepped it up - he knows he needs a finish here!

That's four minutes gone in the round.
Murofushi scores with a jab.
Sen throws a low kick but his opponent is out of range.
A looping hook to the body misses from Murofushi. Sen does a little dance to reset his feet.
Murofushi looks to score with a jab to the body but Sen is just out of range.
Murofushi bobbing and weaving, closes the distance and lands a hook to the side of Sen's head.

Murofushi pushes Sen up against the cage in a clinch.
Murofushi swings away with an uppercut that misses.
Kenji Murofushi is fighting for a decision - hopefully he's judged it right and he's actually winning the fight.
Murofushi stalling in the clinch.
Murofushi goes for a body shot but it's blocked.
As the round comes to an end the crowd are showing their appreciation for a great round of action.
Murofushi blocks a punch to the side of the head.
Sen misses with a hook from the clinch.
Sen tries to break the clinch but Murofushi is controlling the position.

And that's the end of the fight!
Kenji Murofushi comfortably won the final round on my scorecard.
Well Murofushi has outworked and out performed his opponent in all aspects of the game today. He was simply too good and the decision should be no more than a formality. 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 Taro Takaoka scores the fight 27:30
Judge Yukihiro Shimada scores the fight 27:30
Judge Yuuki Gou scores the fight 26:30

In favor of your winner, by unanimous decision... Kenji Murofushi!
Kenji Murofushi spent the whole post fight interview bigging himself up. It didn't go down that well with the fans after a while as they thought it was a bit arrogant.

C
A

C
B

energy
A | B

hype
A | B

pop
A | B

mgr
A | B

FIGHT
RATING
68%

Undercard bout

Coming up we have a middleweight MMA rules bout between Michael Millar (ranked 0 p4p, 0 weight class) and Yap Taylor (ranked 0 p4p, 0 weight class). Chooooooooon! I think Millar might be my favorite fighter, now he's come out to Never Say Die. There are an array of beautiful celebrities at ringside tonight! I wonder if any of them paid for their tickets.

Millar
vs
Taylor

185 cm
21
195 lbs
4 - 4 - 0

185 cm
24
185 lbs
5 - 4 - 0

BJJ Blue Belt
Brawler
KO power

Decent wrestler
Brawler
Knockout power

Global Empire MMA Gear

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 4 - 4 - 0, fighting out of Tokyo, Michael Millar!
And introducing the fighter to my right, fighting out of the blue corner.
With a record of 5 - 4 - 0, fighting out of Tokyo, Yap Taylor!
The judges for this bout are Shigeki Sano, Shirou Masuda and Shigeki Fujiwara.

The bell rings for round one and we are underway!

Taylor gets a clinch.
Millar is trying to break the clinch but Taylor is controlling him.
Millar is trying to pull guard but being pressed up against the cage enables Taylor to keep the fight standing.
Taylor scores with a hook to the body.
Millar unloads a knee to the mid-section.
A short right from Taylor on the inside.
Millar trying to control the position but instead, Taylor has worked for underhooks and has pushed Millar into the cage.
Millar drops down looking for an ankle pick but Taylor pulls his leg out and moves away.
Millar tries for a takedown but Taylor circles away easily

and Taylor counters with a single leg into guard. Millar didn't expect that.
That's three failed takedown attempts in the round for Michael Millar. That's going to take a lot out of him.
Wooooo! Give it up for these two warriors! They are putting on a show!
The referee wants the fighters to be more active or he's going to reset them on the feet.
Taylor controls from within his opponent's guard.

That's one minute gone in the round.
Let's hope that Taylor 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.

The ref stands the fighters back up, due to lack of action by Yap Taylor.

Taylor looking for a takedown here - he's got it.
Taylor's corner is telling him to maintain position.

That's two minutes gone in the round.
Taylor is pushing down on Millar's leg trying to pass to half guard. Millar is fighting to maintain full guard but Taylor has managed to sneak the leg through.
Taylor prevents Millar from improving his position.
Millar trying to control here.
Millar tries to roll over but Taylor keeps him under control.

That's three minutes gone in the round.
Taylor is controlling the pace.

The referee decides to stand the fighters back up.

Taylor shoots in and scores a nice double leg takedown into half guard.
Taylor tries to pass the half guard into mount. Millar knows what he's doing though and prevents the attempt.
The fighters are pressed up against the cage, both looking to find a bit of space to work.

That's four minutes gone in the round.
Taylor is looking to pass the guard... He's managed it - he's now in full mount!
Taylor controlling from the full mount.
Millar is wriggling around trying to escape.
As the round comes to an end the crowd are showing their appreciation for a great round of action.
Taylor sitting in mount, just looking to control for the moment.
And that’s the end of the round – the fighters go back to their corners.

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

Taylor shoots in but no luck this time.
Millar tries for a takedown but Taylor circles away easily

and Taylor holds on and brings the fighters into a clinch.
Millar drops to a knee looking for a takedown but Taylor gets the underhooks and prevents it.
Millar is trying to force a seperation but Taylor has the dominant position.
Millar misses the knee to the body. Nice hip positioning from Taylor.
Come on Taylor - let's have some action - none of this stalling nonsense.
Millar tries a knee to the head but Taylor blocks it.

Taylor drags the fight down to the ground.

That's one minute gone in the round.
Taylor has his hands on Millar's head, controlling the position.
Millar trying to stand up but can't free himself from Taylor's guard.
Taylor being controlled here, momentarily.
The referee is pacing around the two fighters - he looks like he's thinking about a standup.
Taylor wants to control here, rather than go for any submissions from the bottom. At least for now.

That's two minutes gone in the round.

Michael Millar has forced the referee to step in and bring the fight back to the feet.

Taylor rushes Millar and presses him up against the cage.

Taylor gets double underhooks and manages to take the fight to the ground.
Taylor is intent on slowing down the pace of the fight, simply looking to control.
The referee must be thinking about standing these guys back up.
Taylor is pushing down on Millar's leg trying to pass to half guard. Millar is fighting to maintain full guard but Taylor has managed to sneak the leg through.

That's three minutes gone in the round.
Taylor keeping composed on the top, looking to control the action.

The ref calls for a clean break and stands the fighters back up. Yap Taylor wasn't active enough on the ground.
Taylor checks a low kick from Millar.
Taylor misses with a takedown attempt - Millar sprawls well and throws a nice strike on the way out which just misses.
Taylor looks to land a body kick but Millar moved away.

Taylor closes the distance and after a bit of a stuggle, scores a takedown into Millar's guard.
Taylor pushing down on Millar's thigh, trying to pass to half guard. He's managed it... Nice work.

That's four minutes gone in the round.
Neither fighter is being very active at the moment, with Taylor in particular looking to stall.
The crowd applaud the fighters efforts here as the round comes to an end.
And that’s the end of the round – the fighters go back to their corners.

Yap Taylor showed his class in that round. I'd imagine he'll take it on all the scorecards.
The referee calls time. The cornermen exit stage left and we're back to business. This is the final round!

Taylor darts in and clinches Millar up against the cage.
Millar looking to slow down the pace here.

Taylor is working on a single leg takedown against the cage. Millar can't fight it off and eventually Taylor manages to take the fight to the floor. Millar looks annoyed but at least he's managed to land in guard.

Taylor drops back looking for a heel hook - he quickly realises he's not going to get it but Millar manages to dive on top of him before he can escape and now Taylor has Millar in his guard.
Taylor is controlling Millar's posture.

That's one minute gone in the round.
Millar wants to stand but Taylor is controlling his posture from full guard.
Millar trying to control but Taylor is working from the bottom.

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.
Taylor managing to control the position.

The ref stands the fighters back up because Michael Millar just wasn't active enough.

Taylor instigates a clinch.
Millar goes for a takedown in the clinch but Taylor prevents it.
A short uppercut from Taylor.

Millar is fighting off a takedown attempt but Taylor is just too persistent for him and manages to trip Millar to the mat. Millar regains guard as soon as the fighters hit the mat.
Millar wants to get back to his feet but Taylor passes into half guard.
Taylor is pressing down on Millar's thigh, looking to free his foot. Millar is holding on for now.

That's three minutes gone in the round.
Taylor slows the pace down in half guard.

That's four minutes gone in the round.
The referee is asking the fighters to pick up the pace.
Millar wants to control the action here but instead Taylor manages to pass to full mount!
Taylor tucks in and makes sure he doesn't lose the dominant position.
Millar tries to lock up and control but Taylor gives him a forearm to the face and pushes him away.

And that's the end of the fight!
Yap Taylor comfortably won the final round on my scorecard.
Well Taylor has outworked and out performed his opponent in all aspects of the game today. He was simply too good and the decision should be no more than a formality. 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 Shigeki Sano scores the fight 27:30
Judge Shirou Masuda scores the fight 27:30
Judge Shigeki Fujiwara scores the fight 27:30

In favor of your winner, by unanimous decision... Yap Taylor!

C
A

C
B

energy
A | B

hype
A | B

pop
A | B

mgr
A | B

FIGHT
RATING
39%

Undercard bout

Coming up we have a featherweight MMA rules bout between Joe Macconi (ranked 0 p4p, 0 weight class) and Aiken Cullens (ranked 0 p4p, 0 weight class). Cullens has chosen Kung Fu Fighting as his entrance music. Aiken Cullens will no doubt be looking to use his reach advantage to good effect.

Macconi
vs
Cullens

167 cm
22
154 lbs
3 - 2 - 0

185 cm
20
152 lbs
4 - 2 - 0

BJJ Blue Belt
Counter striker
Big heart

BJJ Blue Belt
Counter striker
Solid chin

Global Empire MMA Gear

Ladies and gentlemen. This fight is 3 rounds, in the featherweight division.
Introducing the fighter to my left, fighting out of the red corner.
With a record of 3 - 2 - 0, fighting out of Tokyo, Joe Macconi!
And introducing the fighter to my right, fighting out of the blue corner.
With a record of 4 - 2 - 0, fighting out of Tokyo, Aiken Cullens!
The judges for this bout are Kenichi Hosakawa, Taro Takaoka and Shigeki Sano.

The bell rings for round one and we are underway!
Macconi avoids a kick to the body.
Cullens throws a wild combination but nothing lands.
Cullens shoots in looking for a double leg takedown. Macconi defends it nicely.
Cullens fails with a takedown attempt.
Macconi shoots in for a takedown. "Ole!" shouts Cullens as he jumps to the side.
Macconi shoots in for a takedown - he's clinched up with Cullens but Cullens pushes him off and we're back to square one.
Macconi ducks under a wild hook from Cullens.

That's one minute gone in the round.

Cullens gets caught on his heels momentarily as he allows Macconi to score an easy takedown into full guard.
We must be close to a standup if these guys don't pick up the pace.
Cullens keeping full guard, as Macconi tries to pass.
Cullens is a painfully thin specimen of a man. You do wonder whether a good body kick would snap him clean in two.
Macconi is intent on slowing down the pace of the fight, simply looking to control.
Macconi might be looking to lock onto one of his opponent's long limbs for a submission, whilst we're on the ground.
Cullens keeping moving, preventing Macconi from controlling successfully.
The ref warns both fighters not to hold the cage as they work up against the meshing.
Cullens is trying to control the position but Macconi postures up.
Cullens really doesn't want to stay on the ground with Macconi. If he can't get it back to his feet, it's only a matter of time before he'll be tapping out.

The referee decides to stand the fighters back up, due to lack of activity on the part of Joe Macconi.
Cullens misses with a jab and misses with a cross straight after too.

That's two minutes gone in the round.

Macconi manages to get an easy takedown there - catching Cullens on his heels. He'll look to pass Cullens's guard now, I'm sure.
Macconi wants to control from the top but Cullens keeps moving.
Macconi controlling from the top position.
Cullens tries to land a sweep but no joy.
The fighters are pressed up against the cage, both looking to find a bit of space to work.
The crowd are loving this. Great action here.

The ref stands the fighters back up because Joe Macconi just wasn't active enough.
Cullens moves in looking to clinch but Macconi pushes him off.
Cullens throws a sloppy head kick and Macconi moves out of range easily.

That's three minutes gone in the round.
Cullens shoots in but doesn't get the takedown

and Macconi counters with a single leg into guard. Cullens didn't expect that.
Joe Macconi has stuffed three takedown attempts in the round now. That's going to take a lot out of Aiken Cullens.
Macconi tries to free his leg and advance position but Cullens is retaining full guard.
Macconi is in close to Cullens's body, working some short punches and elbows.
Macconi working from the guard for now, landing some ground and pound.
Cullens has Macconi pulled in close to control his posture.
Macconi slips effortlessly into side control - very nice.
Cullens is working to avoid the ground and pound but Macconi connects with a decent elbow.
Macconi lands a few punches from side control.
This is a great period of action - very entertaining stuff!
You can see the frustration on Cullens's face, being in this tough position on the bottom.
Cullens is looking to reverse the position.

That's four minutes gone in the round.
The referee asks Macconi politely if he wouldn't mind getting on with it and actually doing something. Macconi prefers to stall for the moment though.
Cullens wants to get back to his feet.
Macconi taking a breather here.
Macconi working away.
The fighters are starting to get a bit slippery now, which will make submissions a bit more difficult.
Macconi is chipping away with strikes.
Cullens wants to get back to his feet but Macconi drags him back down.
Cullens is looking for a sweep.
Cullens looks gassed!
As the round comes to an end the crowd are showing their appreciation for a great round of action.
Cullens can't do much from the bottom here.
Cullens being controlled for a moment.
Macconi scores with a couple of short elbows.
And that’s the end of the round – the fighters go back to their corners.

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

Macconi shoots for a takedown but Cullens saw that one coming a mile off and avoided it easily.
Cullens shoots in looking for a takedown but Macconi manages to keep the fight standing, pushing Cullens's face into the canvas for good measure before circling away.
Cullens misses with a takedown

and Macconi counters with a nice single leg takedown and he's in Cullens's guard now.
Macconi has been looking to land a fair amount of strikes on the ground. He might be looking to soften his opponent up in order to work for a submission.
Macconi chips away with some ground and pound.
Macconi stops Cullens from standing up.
Macconi sitting in guard, not really doing much.
Joe Macconi overall seems to be getting the better of the ground position in the fight so far.
Macconi pushing down on Cullens's thigh, trying to pass to half guard. He's managed it... Nice work.
Cullens on the receiving end of some nice ground and pound.
Cullens looks like he's trying to stand up.
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!
Macconi is figuring out what he wants to do next.

That's one minute gone in the round.
Cullens is in trouble now - Macconi has advanced to mount!
Macconi scoring with strikes but Cullens is staying in there.
Macconi with the ground and pound from mount.
The crowd growing excited in anticipation of a finish here! Right on cue, Macconi cracks his opponent with a massive right hand that draws loud cheers!
Macconi takes a little breather and maintains the position. The referee will be looking for him to stay active from such a dominant position though.
Macconi landing punches.
Macconi lands a couple of nice shots there from mount.

That's two minutes gone in the round.
This is a great period of action - very entertaining stuff!
Cullens is trying to stand.
Cullens is breathing heavily.
Macconi lands a big elbow.
Macconi lands with some vicious ground and pound - can Cullens hang on?
Macconi raining down shots from the mount!
Macconi lands a couple of nice shots there from mount.
Cullens is looking to get to half guard.
Cullens wants to control but Macconi is having none of it.
Cullens is bucking up trying to escape but Macconi cracks him with another couple of good strikes.
Macconi has his opponent pinned against the cage, landing some nasty ground and pound that is really making a bit of a mess out of Cullens's face.
Macconi landing punches.
Macconi lands a big elbow.

That's three minutes gone in the round.
Macconi working the ground and pound effectively.
Macconi lands with some strikes.
Macconi scoring with strikes but Cullens is staying in there.
Macconi looking to finish Cullens with some ground and pound. This is bad for Cullens!

Cullens is rocked!
Macconi controlling his opponent.
Cullens is still in real trouble! Can Macconi finish him?
Macconi scoring with some good ground and pound from mount here. Will he manage to finish Cullens?
This has been an exciting period of action!
Macconi takes a little breather and maintains the position. The referee will be looking for him to stay active from such a dominant position though.
Cullens seems to have recovered his senses.
Macconi cracks Cullens with a nasty head shot there - the crowd let out an audible gasp there, as the noise reverberated around the arena.
Macconi content just to control the position here.

That's four minutes gone in the round.
Macconi scoring with some good ground and pound from mount here. Will he manage to finish Cullens?
Macconi in mount throwing good strikes here, bouncing his opponent's head off the canvas.
Macconi controlling the pace for now.
Macconi is really dominating this fight. Is there anything that Cullens can do to turn this around?
The crowd are going absolutely nuts as the round comes to an end - what a fantastic round of action!
Macconi unloading with bombs!
Macconi with a couple of short strikes.
And that’s the end of the round – the fighters go back to their corners.

Joe Macconi dominated that second round.
That's time! Macconi's corner gives him a slap on the ass as he gets ready to fight. The crowd applaud as we get ready to start the final round!

Cullens shoots in for a takedown but doesn't get it.
Cullens shoots in but doesn't get the takedown

and Macconi counters with a takedown into full mount! That could mean trouble for Cullens!
Cullens is looking to get back to his feet - it's going to be hard from this position.
Macconi with shots to the head and body - Cullens looks very uncomfortable down there.
Macconi looking to control and managing it successfully.
Cullens takes a big intake of breath there - he's definitely tired.
Macconi prevents Cullens from getting the reversal.
Macconi takes a little breather and maintains the position. The referee will be looking for him to stay active from such a dominant position though.

That's one minute gone in the round.
Macconi lands a shot to the body, followed up by a shot to the exposed head of his trapped opponent.
A nice elbow there by Macconi.
Macconi tucks in and makes sure he doesn't lose the dominant position.
Cullens tries to hold on but Macconi postures up.
Macconi content just to control the position here.
Macconi with a couple of short strikes.

That's two minutes gone in the round.
Macconi landing strikes from the mount.
Wooooo! Give it up for these two warriors! They are putting on a show!
Macconi takes a little breather and maintains the position. The referee will be looking for him to stay active from such a dominant position though.
Cullens tries to reverse the position but Macconi maintains control.
Macconi lands with some strikes.
Macconi controlling his opponent.
Macconi in mount throwing good strikes here, bouncing his opponent's head off the canvas.

That's three minutes gone in the round.
Cullens really wants to buck Macconi off and get back to his feet.
Macconi lands with some vicious ground and pound - can Cullens hang on?
Macconi controlling from mount.
Macconi postures up and cracks his opponent a couple of times before moving back into close ground control. Cullens looks a forlorn figure.
Macconi controlling the pace for now.
Macconi cracks Cullens with a nasty head shot there - the crowd let out an audible gasp there, as the noise reverberated around the arena.
Macconi raining down shots from the mount!
Macconi controlling the position easily from mount.

That's four minutes gone in the round.
Macconi looking to finish Cullens with some ground and pound. This is bad for Cullens!
The crowd are loving this. Great action here.
Macconi controlling the pace for now.
Cullens is working to get back to half guard.
The crowd are going absolutely nuts as the round comes to an end - what a fantastic round of action!
Macconi sitting in mount, just looking to control for the moment.
Macconi putting on the heat here with some good ground and pound!

And that's the end of the fight!
Joe Macconi showed his dominance in that final round.
Well I reckon that's a shut out for Macconi, winning every round. Will the judges agree? They are the ones who matter, even if they are often depressingly incompetent. 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 Kenichi Hosakawa scores the fight 30:26
Judge Taro Takaoka scores the fight 30:26
Judge Shigeki Sano scores the fight 30:26

In favor of your winner, by unanimous decision... Joe Macconi!

C
A

C
B

energy
A | B

hype
A | B

pop
A | B

mgr
A | B

FIGHT
RATING
80%

Undercard bout

Coming up we have a light heavyweight MMA rules bout between Alex Nguyen (ranked 0 p4p, 0 weight class) and Akira Llama (ranked 0 p4p, 0 weight class). These two fighters really are very evenly matched on the feet - it will be fascinating to see who can assert themselves in that aspect of the fight.

Nguyen
vs
Llama

173 cm
28
205 lbs
2 - 10 - 0

190 cm
27
210 lbs
3 - 2 - 0

Good takedowns
Excellent boxer
Experienced

BJJ Blue Belt
Excellent boxer
Powerful

Global Empire MMA Gear

Ladies and gentlemen. This fight is 3 rounds, in the light heavyweight division.
Introducing the fighter to my left, fighting out of the red corner.
With a record of 2 - 10 - 0, fighting out of Tokyo, Alex Nguyen!
And introducing the fighter to my right, fighting out of the blue corner.
With a record of 3 - 2 - 0, fighting out of Tokyo, Akira Llama!
The judges for this bout are Shirou Masuda, Yukihiro Shimada and Yasuomi Hirokawa.

The bell rings for round one and we are underway!
Nguyen misses with a series of wild punches.
Nguyen misses with a jab and misses with a cross straight after too.
Llama uses some good footwork to avoid the body shot by Nguyen.
Nice cross by Llama.
Llama uses some good footwork to avoid the body shot by Nguyen.
A jab from Llama does it's job there.
Llama is moving around nicely and scores here with a single head shot.
Nguyen misses with a combination
letting Llama counter with a right hand.
Akira Llama seems to be the more aggressive standup fighter in this bout.
Nguyen rushes forward with a series of wild hooks but Llama moves out of range and avoids them all easily.
Some wild striking there from Nguyen.
Llama swings widly with a right hand
enabling Nguyen to counter with a crisp jab.
Boom, another hit is landed. "You're gunna get knocked out" taunts Llama, as that shot connected.
We've seen a great period of action over the last minute or so - credit to both fighters for going all out!
Llama takes a hook to the side of the head. I wonder if that's got his ears ringing.
Nguyen stalks Llama and leaps in with a furious combination of punches. Uppercuts and crosses smash into Llama's face. Llama staggers backwards, shaken.
Nguyen throws a series of punches but Llama avoids them all with ease.

That's one minute gone in the round.
Nguyen throws a left and a right that both miss
and Llama connects with a straight left hand counter down the middle.
Nguyen throws out a token jab with nothing on it.
Llama lands a lovely overhand right.
Nguyen is pinned up against the cage taking some big shots here. The referee is looking closely deciding whether he should stop the fight.
Llama has used his reach advantage pretty well so far tonight.

Llama clinches up with Nguyen and pushes him back against the cage.
Llama swings away with an uppercut that misses.
Still in the clinch, Llama scores with a nice short uppercut.
Nguyen wants to strike at distance but he can't break free of the clinch.
Llama lands a right hand that snaps the head of Nguyen backwards.
Nguyen tries to pull guard but Llama won't allow it.
Llama lands punches inside but they're not really causing much damage.

Llama escapes the clinch and we're back to striking.
Llama cracks Nguyen with a right hand to the side of the head.

Llama moves into the clinch.
Fantastic stuff here - a very entertaining period of action, which has drawn cheers from the crowd.
Llama lands with a left to the head.
Llama swings wildly with an uppercut but Nguyen uses good head movement to avoid it.

That's two minutes gone in the round.
Nguyen tries to pull guard but Llama forces him back to his feet, against the cage.
Llama stalling against the cage.
Nguyen fails to pull guard.
That's three failed takedown attempts in the round for Alex Nguyen. That's going to take a lot out of him.
Llama scores with a nice hook to the head.
Nguyen tries to pull guard but can't drag his opponent to the mat. Llama just stands there and leans against the cage.
Llama stalling here - the referee won't stand for too much of that.
Llama makes some space for himself and lands an uppercut.

Llama manages to break the clinch.
Llama fakes low and throws an overhand right that catches Nguyen on the side of the head.
Llama throws the left hand but Nguyen avoids the punch easily.
Llama is using his reach advantage to land shots from outside his opponent's range.
Nguyen throws a wild combination but nothing lands.
Llama with a nice cross.

That's three minutes gone in the round.
Llama scores with a big left there. The judges will like that one.
Llama takes an uppercut right on the jaw but it doesn't phase him.
Nguyen throws a sloppy body shot
and Llama counters with a three punch combo that has Nguyen backing up. Nguyen nods at Llama to acknowledge the strikes.
Llama scores with a decent looking hook.
Nguyen takes a hook to the side of the head. I wonder if that's got his ears ringing.
Nguyen misses the body punch
and Llama counters with a quick right hand to the jaw.
Llama feints a straight left to the body, then turns around with a flashy move and hits Nguyens jaw with a dramatic spinning back fist!
Llama lands three nice shots there - that looked like it hurt!

Nguyen is rocked!
We've seen a great period of action over the last minute or so - credit to both fighters for going all out!
Nguyen misses with a wild body shot.
Nguyen scores with a jab to the body.
Llama dodges the punch combination from Nguyen.
Llama is landing a lot of head punches in this opening round! Nguyen had better start moving his head a bit unless he wants his face to turn into pâté.
Nguyen tries to bum rush Llama with a series of wild strikes but Llama uses good footwork to avoid the assault.
Nguyen is looking to wear down Llama with body shots, infact he's throwing more body shots than head shots at the moment.
Nguyen with poor footwork there. He got himself in a bit of a tangle, enabling Llama to score with a decent uppercut.

That's four minutes gone in the round.
Llama pushing out the jab but it's not landing.
Jab, jab by Llama - just one landing.
Nguyen misses with the combination.
Nguyen throws a combination that misses
and Llama counters with a straight punch to the midsection.
Llama lands a body shot.
Nguyen misses with the combination.
Some wild striking there from Nguyen.
Nguyen ducks right into an uppercut from Llama.
The crowd are going absolutely nuts as the round comes to an end - what a fantastic round of action!
Llama tests Nguyen's chin there with a solid looking shot.
Nguyen closes the distance and takes a jab right on the nose as he does so.
Llama tests Nguyen's chin there with a solid looking shot.
And that’s the end of the round – the fighters go back to their corners.

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

Nguyen misses with a two punch combination.
Nguyen throws a right and a left that Llama avoids nicely.
Llama showing good head movement there, avoiding the strikes from Nguyen.
Nguyen tries to bum rush Llama with a series of wild strikes but Llama uses good footwork to avoid the assault.
Nguyen misses with a combination
and Llama counters with a nice uppercut.
Nguyen lands with a nice body punch.
Nguyen throws a sloppy body shot
and Llama connects with a straight left hand counter down the middle.
Akira Llama seems to be getting the better of the standup.
Llama getting the better of the striking in that exchange.
No joy there for Nguyen, who threw a few shots but didn't land.
Nguyen takes a swing at Llama's ribcage but misses.
Nguyen fails to land with the punch combination there - jab, cross, hook, miss, miss, miss.
Llama cracks Nguyen with a hook to the jaw. Both fighters smile at eachother and high-five before getting back down to business.

That's one minute gone in the round.
Llama throws a quick head kick that skims the top of Nguyen's head.
Llama is the aggressor but that punch slipped nicely by Nguyen.
Nguyen swings and misses with a hook to the body.
Nguyen tries to bum rush Llama with a series of wild strikes but Llama uses good footwork to avoid the assault.
Nguyen has his head snapped back a nice jab. A little nod from Nguyen there as he acknowledges the shot.
Llama scores with a crisp jab that stopped Nguyen in his tracks.
Nguyen looks to score with a jab to the body but Llama is just out of range.
Nguyen throws a wild combination but nothing lands.
Llama scores with a sloppy right hand. Nguyen should have avoided that one.
Nguyen on the wrong end of a decent looking cross there.
A looping hook to the body misses from Nguyen. Llama does a little dance to reset his feet.
Nguyen misses with a shot to the body
and Llama cracks him with a counter punch right on the button.
Nguyen takes one to the chin there.
Oh Nguyen is still all over the place! His legs are completely gone! Will he be able to recover?!!
The crowd are loving this. Great action here.
Llama looks to score with a jab to the body but Nguyen is just out of range.
Nguyen seems to have got his legs back now.

That's two minutes gone in the round.
Nguyen with poor footwork there. He got himself in a bit of a tangle, enabling Llama to score with a decent uppercut.
Nguyen misses with a double jab
and Llama counters with a quick right hand to the jaw.
Sloppy strikes from Nguyen. Those never looked like landing.
Nguyen staying out of range there.
Nguyen throws a hook to the side of Llama's head but Llama sees it coming and ducks under it beautifully.
A slow jab from Llama misses its intended target.
Llama scores with a jab. Nguyen acknowledges it with a nod of the head.
Llama might want to mix his strikes up a bit more. He's just going for head shots at the moment and that can become a bit predictable.
Llama throws out a powerful jab.
Llama scores with a hook.
Llama takes a step towards his opponent and connects with a left hand, before circling away.
Llama keeps his opponent at a distance with a nice jab.
Nice uppercut lands for Llama. That snapped Nguyen's head back.
Llama throws a head kick that misses.
Llama lunges at Nguyen with a hook that half lands and is half blocked by Nguyen's hand.

That's three minutes gone in the round.
Llama uses good footwork to avoid the strikes from Nguyen.
Nguyen throws a left and a right that both miss
and Llama counters with a good right hand that lands right on the jaw.
Nguyen tries to bum rush Llama with a series of wild strikes but Llama uses good footwork to avoid the assault.
Llama's jab looks to have found its range, popping Nguyen under the eye.
Nguyen throws a series of strikes that have Llama backpedaling.
Nguyen takes a jab on the nose. He smiles like he loves it and keeps coming.
Llama takes a punch to the jaw and another one to the bread basket.
Nguyen looks to score with a jab to the body but Llama is just out of range.
Nguyen ducks right into an uppercut from Llama.
Llama throws a couple of head shots and lands with the final one - a decent hook, which struck Nguyen on the side of the head.
Llama connects with a crisp jab.
Nguyen on the wrong end of a nice hook.
Fantastic stuff here - a very entertaining period of action, which has drawn cheers from the crowd.
Llama throws a lazy right hand but Nguyen sees it coming a mile off and sidesteps it easily.
Llama scores with a punch to the gut of his opponent.

That's four minutes gone in the round.
A jab lands there for Llama.
Nguyen shakes his hands off, looking to compose himself, but takes a jab to the jaw whilst he does it.
Nguyen swings away but doesn't land with a series of punches.
Both fighters are absolutely exhausted here.
Nguyen looks to score with a combo but nothing lands.
Nguyen rushes forward with a series of wild hooks but Llama moves out of range and avoids them all easily.
Nguyen leaves Llama with his face pressed against the mat as he sprawls beautifully, defending against a solid takedown attempt.
Nice uppercut lands for Llama. That snapped Nguyen's head back.
Llama avoids the body shot from Nguyen.
Nguyen throws a right and a left that Llama avoids nicely.
The crowd are going absolutely nuts as the round comes to an end - what a fantastic round of action!
Nguyen on the wrong end of an overhand right that came out of nowhere.
Nguyen misses with a few strikes there.
Nguyen has his hands up protecting his head but a hook from Llama finds it's way round the side to connect with Nguyen's head.
Nguyen misses with a body shot.
And that’s the end of the round – the fighters go back to their corners.

Akira Llama showed his class in that round. I'd imagine he'll take it on all the scorecards.
The referee calls time. The cornermen exit stage left and we're back to business. Let's get this one finished - here comes the final round!

Llama paws at his opponent with the jab and then lunges in with a straight, right on the button.
Llama ducks under a wild hook from Nguyen.
Llama lands the left hand.
Nguyen needs to keep his hands up - Llama had a free shot at his head there.
Llama lands a right hook to the body.
Llama uses some good footwork to avoid the body shot by Nguyen.
Nguyen scores with a crisp jab that stopped Llama in his tracks.
Llama lands a straight punch to the body, keeping Nguyen at a distance.
Llama connects with a good right hand that stumbles Nguyen. Nguyen circles away out of range and recomposes himself.
Nguyen on the wrong end of an overhand right that came out of nowhere.
Nguyen gets cracked there but stands up to it.
Llama lands a nice shot to the body.
Llama has been the more effective fighter overall so far.
Fantastic stuff here - a very entertaining period of action, which has drawn cheers from the crowd.
Nguyen walks into a left hand.
Nguyen's corner calls for a 1, 2 combination and Nguyen duly obliges.
Llama cracks Nguyen with a right hand to the side of the head.

That's one minute gone in the round.
Nguyen takes a body punch but keeps moving.

Oooooh!!! Llama has knocked Nguyen down with a huge combo! Llama steps away and waves a wobbly Nguyen back to his feet! This one might not go much longer!
Both fighters are breathing heavily.
Llama throws an overhand right that drops Nguyen like a sack of potatoes! Llama dives in to finish the fight with more strikes and this one is all over!

Ladies and gentlemen, after 1:18 of round 3, we have a winner by way of TKO (Strikes). Akira Llama!
Akira Llama made sure to mention his sponsor, Global Empire MMA Gear in his post fight interview.

C
A

C
B

energy
A | B

hype
A | B

pop
A | B

mgr
A | B

FIGHT
RATING
100%

Undercard bout

Coming up we have a featherweight MMA rules bout between Barry Sanders (ranked 0 p4p, 0 weight class) and Wayne Gail (ranked 0 p4p, 0 weight class). Both fighters look fresh as a daisy as they make their way towards the cage.

Sanders
vs
Gail

170 cm
27
156 lbs
4 - 6 - 0

170 cm
19
151 lbs
4 - 3 - 0

BJJ Purple Belt
Excellent boxer
Cardio machine

Good wrestler
Basic striking
Determined

Global Empire MMA Gear

Ladies and gentlemen. This fight is 3 rounds, in the featherweight division.
Introducing the fighter to my left, fighting out of the red corner.
With a record of 4 - 6 - 0, fighting out of Tokyo, Barry Sanders!
And introducing the fighter to my right, fighting out of the blue corner.
With a record of 4 - 3 - 0, fighting out of Tokyo, Wayne Gail!
The judges for this bout are Yasuomi Hirokawa, Ren Mimura and Shirou Masuda.

The bell rings for round one and we are underway!
Sanders defending well as Gail loads up on a big left hand.

Gail closes the distance, clinches up and gets a nice trip takedown into side control. Very smooth.

Gail tries for an arm triangle. That looks pretty tight to me. Is this one over!?! Possibly, maybe, no Gail has let go of the choke. Obviously it wasn't as tight as we thought!
Gail happy to just control the position for now.
Gail wants to control but Sanders is keeping him busy.
The referee tells the fighters to keep busy.

Gail is looking for a kimura. He might have it! No, Sanders has escaped the position, nice work there.
Gail taking a breather here.

That's one minute gone in the round.
Gail trying to control the position but Sanders is working away.

That's two minutes gone in the round.

The ref stands the fighters back up, due to lack of action by Wayne Gail.

Gail decides to change it up a bit and drives through with a nice takedown into half guard.
Gail is trying to control the action in half guard but Sanders is working away on the bottom, looking perhaps to get back to full guard.
Gail trying to control the pace.
Gail really doesn't want to stay on the ground with Sanders. If he can't get it back to his feet, it's only a matter of time before he'll be tapping out.
Gail wants to lay and pray for a moment but Sanders keeps working.

That's three minutes gone in the round.

The ref stands the fighters back up. Wayne Gail was stalling too much, according to the referee.
Sanders throws a combination but comes up with nothing but fresh air.
Sanders lands a slapping body shot.

Sanders tries to sprawl but Gail drives through with a takedown into half guard.
Gail wants to lay and pray for a moment but Sanders keeps working.
Gail stalling away here and it's allowed Sanders to slip out his trapped foot and regain full guard.
Sanders keeping moving, preventing Gail from controlling successfully.

That's four minutes gone in the round.
Gail wants to pass the guard but Sanders is keeping the position.
Gail is persisting with the attempt to improve his position.
Gail not doing a lot at the moment. He'll have to show some more aggression or the fight will get stood up.
Let's hope that Gail 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.
The crowd applaud the fighters efforts here as the round comes to an end.

The ref calls for a clean break and stands the fighters back up. Wayne Gail wasn't active enough on the ground.

Gail drops down and drives through with a powerful takedown into guard.
And that’s the end of the round – the fighters go back to their corners.

Wayne Gail dominated that round.
The fighters' corners scream their final instructions, as the referee calls time. Here we go, back to the action!

Gail decides to change it up a bit and drives through with a nice takedown into half guard.
Gail trying to control from half guard but Sanders is working away.

Sanders is defending against the submission attempts here by Gail.
Gail is looking to take a break and control but Sanders is keeping him honest, looking to work from the bottom.

That's one minute gone in the round.
Sanders won't allow Gail to pass to mount.
Sanders is staying active underneath Gail, who seems content to just control the action from this position.
Gail controlling the pace.

OK we're going to have a standup here. Wayne Gail hasn't been effective enough on the ground and the referee wants a restart.
Sanders misses with a wild combination.
Sanders cracks Gail with a right hand to the side of the head.
Barry Sanders is looking to throw some combinations by the looks of things.
Gail misses with a low kick.
Barry Sanders is looking to keep the fight on the feet at all costs.
Gail avoids a punch combination nicely.

Gail 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.

That's two minutes gone in the round.
Gail engaging in some classic timewasting tactics.
Gail trying to control the position from guard on top but Sanders is wriggling around, looking for whatever he can.
Gail controlling from the guard. I say controlling but really, he's stalling.

The ref stands the fighters back up. Wayne Gail was stalling too much, according to the referee.

Gail shoots in and bounces Sanders off the cage to secure the takedown into guard.
This has been an exciting period of action!
Gail trying to control the position from guard on top but Sanders is wriggling around, looking for whatever he can.

That's three minutes gone in the round.
Gail is stalling in the full guard.
The ref warns both fighters not to hold the cage as they work up against the meshing.
Gail tries to free his leg and advance position but Sanders is retaining full guard.

That's four minutes gone in the round.
Gail trying to control the position from guard on top but Sanders is wriggling around, looking for whatever he can.

Wayne Gail has forced the referee to step in and restart the fight on the feet.
Good exchange - Sanders coming out on top.
Gail avoids a punch combination nicely.

Gail bobs and weaves into range and then changes levels and scores with a nice takedown into side control.
Gail looking to control but instead Sanders has slipped a leg in, to regain half guard.

Gail is looking for a kimura but Sanders is holding onto that half guard position, so it's hard for Gail to get the leverage.
The crowd applaud the fighters efforts here as the round comes to an end.
Gail stalling away here and it's allowed Sanders to slip out his trapped foot and regain full guard.
Gail trying to control the position from guard on top but Sanders is wriggling around, looking for whatever he can.
And that’s the end of the round – the fighters go back to their corners.

Wayne Gail showed his class in that round. I'd imagine he'll take it on all the scorecards.
OK. That's time! The bell goes and we're back to the action. This is the final round!

Gail is looking for a takedown here. He's shot in and has managed to get it, finishing up in Sanders's half guard.
Wayne Gail has got the better of the ground game so far.
Gail is looking to stall here but Sanders recovers full guard.
Gail passes Sanders's left leg - he's now in half guard.
Sanders is looking for a sweep. Gail is wise to his cunning plan and keeps the top position.
Gail slows the pace down in half guard.
Sanders is looking for a sweep. Gail is wise to his cunning plan and keeps the top position.

That's one minute gone in the round.
Gail is looking to take a break and control but Sanders is keeping him honest, looking to work from the bottom.
Gail might have to switch it up a bit here because his efforts to control Sanders kaven't been going to plan, at least at the current moment in time.
Gail keeping composed on the top, looking to control the action.

OK we're going to have a standup here. Wayne Gail hasn't been effective enough on the ground and the referee wants a restart.
Gail throws a hook but Sanders blocks it.
Gail misses with a straight left.
Sanders lunges at Gail with a hook that half lands and is half blocked by Gail's hand.

That's two minutes gone in the round.

Gail feints and as Sanders raises his hands in defense, Gail changes levels and drives through with a takedown into guard.
Gail tries to free his leg and advance position but Sanders is retaining full guard.
Gail wants to control from the top but Sanders keeps moving.
Gail stays in close to Sanders's body and controls the position.
This has been an exciting period of action!
We must be close to a standup if these guys don't pick up the pace.

Gail is holding a leg here, probably looking for an ankle lock - he drops back and goes for it! Sanders is in trouble! Is it all over??? No! Sanders has escaped and now he's on top!
Gail 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.

That's three minutes gone in the round.
Barry Sanders has stepped it up - he knows he needs a finish here!

Gail working for submissions but it's allowed Sanders to get to half guard.
Gail tries to get to full guard but Sanders has control of the leg.

Gail looking for submissions off his back.

That's four minutes gone in the round.
Gail wants to improve his position but Sanders is controlling well.
Wayne Gail is fighting for a decision - hopefully he's judged it right and he's actually winning the fight.
Gail tries to regain full guard. Instead though, Sanders has advanced to mount. Uh oh.
Gail working to try and regain half guard.

And that's the end of the fight!
Wayne Gail comfortably won the final round on my scorecard.
I've got Gail 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 Yasuomi Hirokawa scores the fight 27:30
Judge Ren Mimura scores the fight 27:30
Judge Shirou Masuda scores the fight 27:30

In favor of your winner, by unanimous decision... Wayne Gail!
A very excited looking Wayne Gail made sure he remembered to thank all the fans both in the arena and on the internet. He said all the coolest people spend all day on MMA websites, which got a big reaction.

C
A

C
B

energy
A | B

hype
A | B

pop
A | B

mgr
A | B

FIGHT
RATING
52%

Undercard bout

Coming up we have a heavyweight MMA rules bout between Rolf Winkler (ranked 0 p4p, 0 weight class) and Rambo Kawajiri (ranked 0 p4p, 0 weight class). Both fighters really staring each other down here, as Rambo Kawajiri enters the cage!

Winkler
vs
Kawajiri

189 cm
25
242 lbs
3 - 2 - 0

205 cm
25
242 lbs
5 - 3 - 0

BJJ Brown Belt
Counter striker
Cuts easily

BJJ Purple Belt
Counter striker
Determined

Global Empire MMA Gear

Global Empire MMA Gear
Torment Fightwear

Ladies and gentlemen. This fight is 3 rounds, in the heavyweight division.
Introducing the fighter to my left, fighting out of the red corner.
With a record of 3 - 2 - 0, fighting out of Tokyo, Rolf Winkler!
And introducing the fighter to my right, fighting out of the blue corner.
With a record of 5 - 3 - 0, fighting out of Tokyo, Rambo Kawajiri!
The judges for this bout are Hirohito Nitta, Shigeki Sano and Yukihiro Shimada.

The bell rings for round one and we are underway!

Winkler scores with a takedown into Kawajiri's guard.
The ref warns both fighters not to hold the cage as they work up against the meshing.
The referee claps his hands together and tells the fighters to work.
Winkler trying to control the position from guard on top but Kawajiri is wriggling around, looking for whatever he can.
Winkler trying to land body shots but he keeps hitting the mat.
Winkler wants to control from the top but Kawajiri keeps moving.

Kawajiri pushes Winkler off and gets back to his feet.

Kawajiri shoots in looking for a single leg takedown. Winkler is trying to defend but Kawajiri finishes it well and ends up in half guard. Let's see if he can advance position further.

Kawajiri has hold of the far side arm. He's working for the Kimura, can Winkler defend it? Kawajiri steps over the head and cranks it - Winkler is tapping out! That was textbook stuff right there - nice submission victory for Kawajiri!

Ladies and gentlemen, after 0:54 of round 1, we have a winner by way of Submission (Kimura). Rambo Kawajiri!

C
A

C
B

energy
A | B

hype
A | B

pop
A | B

mgr
A | B

FIGHT
RATING
44%

Undercard bout

Coming up we have a lightweight MMA rules bout between Tim Write (ranked 0 p4p, 0 weight class) and Charles St Lickitung (ranked 0 p4p, 0 weight class). Write kept the crowd waiting but all that was forgotten when his ring entrance music started. The incomparable musical genius that is Dark Knight metal theme. St Lickitung has chosen Pokemon Red Gym Leader Battle Music as his entrance music. Well, I have no idea who's going to take this one!

Write
vs
St Lickitung

173 cm
28
165 lbs
4 - 4 - 0

169 cm
26
160 lbs
9 - 7 - 0

Good wrestling
Basic striking
Cardio machine

Powerful takedowns
Basic striking
Granite chin

Global Empire MMA Gear

Ladies and gentlemen. This fight is 3 rounds, in the lightweight division.
Introducing the fighter to my left, fighting out of the red corner.
With a record of 4 - 4 - 0, fighting out of Tokyo, Tim Write!
And introducing the fighter to my right, fighting out of the blue corner.
With a record of 9 - 7 - 0, fighting out of Tokyo, Charles St Lickitung!
The judges for this bout are Tatsuya Matsuyama, Yuuki Gou and Yukihiro Yamamoto.

The bell rings for round one and we are underway!
Jab, jab by St Lickitung - just one landing.
St Lickitung chopped to the floor by a nice leg kick but he springs right back up before Write can pounce on him.
Write stuffs the takedown attempt from St Lickitung. St Lickitung gets slowly back to his feet.
Write misses with a low kick.
Write checks a leg kick.
Write throws a nice inside leg kick.
Write throws a quick inside leg kick.
St Lickitung has a takedown stuffed.
A slapping leg kick lands for Write.
Write fakes a jab and scores with a low kick.
St Lickitung shoots in but no luck this time.
Tim Write has stuffed three takedown attempts in the round now. That's going to take a lot out of Charles St Lickitung.
St Lickitung wants to clinch.
Write circles away from the clinch attempt.
St Lickitung fails with a takedown attempt from distance.
Write fakes a couple of low kicks, before throwing one on the third attempt. It connects and St Lickitung has to reset his feet before getting ready to engage.
Write misses with a leg kick

and St Lickitung counters with a nice double leg into guard.
The crowd cheering loudly, showing their appreciation for the quality fight we're seeing here.
St Lickitung trying to control the position from guard on top but Write is wriggling around, looking for whatever he can.
Write working a defensive guard here.

That's one minute gone in the round.
St Lickitung pressing down on his opponent's thigh, looking to pass guard. Write is keeping the position for now.
Write working a defensive guard here.

Write is active off his back here, looking for submissions.
St Lickitung looking to sit in guard and control but Write gets the butterfly guard and sweeps. He's now in the guard on the top.
Write landing some decent shots from guard.
St Lickitung manages to land a sweep and now he's in mount on top!
Write wants to control but St Lickitung is having none of it.
Write really trying hard to get back to half guard here.

That's two minutes gone in the round.
St Lickitung can't quite control the action as he would like just now, as Write is looking to escape.

St Lickitung working to secure an arm triangle but it's not happening for him just yet.
The fighters are pressed up against the cage, both looking to find a bit of space to work.
Write wriggling around on the bottom manages to avoid the strikes thrown by St Lickitung.
Write is wriggling around trying to escape.
Write is in a horrible position here. St Lickitung smacks him with another shot as he tries to escape the position.
Fantastic stuff here - a very entertaining period of action, which has drawn cheers from the crowd.
The fighters are going at a pretty good pace and they're both starting to sweat now.
St Lickitung looking to ground and pound but Write is blocking nicely.
Write is looking to improve his position but St Lickitung isn't that keen on the idea.
St Lickitung misses with a series of strikes from mount. He'll no doubt be working on his ground and pound when he gets back to the gym.
The ref warns both fighters not to hold the cage as they work up against the meshing.

St Lickitung looks like he's working for a submission but he's not found anything just yet.
St Lickitung trying to control but he's not successful this time.

That's three minutes gone in the round.
Write wants to hold on but St Lickitung pushes him away.
St Lickitung misses with a series of strikes from mount. He'll no doubt be working on his ground and pound when he gets back to the gym.
St Lickitung trying to control but Write is having none of it.
Both fighters really going for it on the ground here!
Write tries to reverse the position but St Lickitung maintains control.
Write is working hard here to advance position.
St Lickitung trying to control but he's not successful this time.
Write gets back to half guard.
St Lickitung works his way into side control.
St Lickitung trying to control the action but Write is working from the bottom.
Write is sneaking out the side here. He's bucked St Lickitung off and has taken his back!

That's four minutes gone in the round.
Oooh a big shot gets through from Write. Many more shots like that and the referee will have to think about stepping in!
Write is hanging on to St Lickitung's back as he tries to escape.
St Lickitung has the superior BJJ but he's also working some ground strikes into his gameplan.
We've seen a great period of action over the last minute or so - credit to both fighters for going all out!

Write is remaining active here, looking for the choke. The more discerning members of the crowd will appreciate his efforts.
St Lickitung rolls and manages to get back to half guard. Nicely done.
St Lickitung wants to control but Write is keeping busy.
Nice strikes from Write there.
St Lickitung trying to control but Write postures up.

St Lickitung looking for submissions from an awkward position here.
Write tries to pass to full mount but St Lickitung defends it.
The crowd are going absolutely nuts as the round comes to an end - what a fantastic round of action!

St Lickitung looking for submissions from an awkward position here.

Write is looking for a kimura here.
And that’s the end of the round – the fighters go back to their corners.

A close round but Charles St Lickitung will probably get the nod.
That's time! Write's corner gives him a slap on the ass as he gets ready to fight.

St Lickitung tries to clinch but fails miserably

and Write counters with a shoot takedown into half guard.
Write looks to score some points with some ground and pound.
St Lickitung wants to control but Write is keeping busy and won't allow it.
St Lickitung moves his hips nicely and gets into full guard.
Charles St Lickitung has got the better of the ground game so far.
Write chips away with some ground and pound.
Write lands a couple of digs.

Write got a little sloppy there for a moment and St Lickitung has worked his way into a loose triangle - can he finish it?! No, Write has managed to get both his arms back between St Lickitung's legs - danger averted.
The crowd are loving this. Great action here.
Write distracts St Lickitung with his right hand and drops a big elbow with his other arm.
Write throwing strikes but missing.
St Lickitung is trying to control the position from the bottom.
Write slips nicely into half guard.
Write is scoring with some nice ground and pound from the dominant position.
Write is pressing down on St Lickitung's thigh, looking to free his foot. St Lickitung is holding on for now.
St Lickitung trying to control from the bottom.

That's one minute gone in the round.
St Lickitung is on the bottom, trying to hold on to half guard. He's throwing a few small shots here, to keep his opponent honest.

Write is trying a forearm choke… I don't think that's going to do much at this level of the game.
Write seems to be taking a bit of a break to think of his next move. He lands a short punch in the meantime.

St Lickitung is looking to sinch up a guillotine here but Write pulls his head out easily.
Write tries to pass to full mount but St Lickitung defends it.
Write landing with strikes to the body and head, softening up his opponent.
Write is keen to just control but St Lickitung is a slippery customer.
St Lickitung manages to get to full guard.
St Lickitung looking for a sweep. Not yet St Lickitung, not yet.
Write lands a nice shot whilst sitting in his opponent's guard.

That's two minutes gone in the round.
St Lickitung controls Write momentarily but Write frees himself.

St Lickitung has a loose triangle. He'll be looking to tighten that up but Write can see exactly what he's planning and manages to posture up and free himself.

St Lickitung is looking for a triangle but Write pushes his legs off easily.
Hammerfist, elbow! yells Write's corner. There ya go! There ya go!
This has been an exciting period of action!
Write landing some decent shots from guard.
St Lickitung is working the butterfly guard. He manages to land a nice scissor sweep and is now in half guard on the top. Nice move.
Write is trying to get back to full guard.
Write is staying active underneath St Lickitung, who seems content to just control the action from this position.

That's three minutes gone in the round.
St Lickitung trying to mount his opponent but Write defends it.
Write is in trouble now - St Lickitung has advanced to mount!
Write is in all sorts of trouble here.

St Lickitung wants to finish this one by submission but Write is holding onto his waist, trying to prevent any attacks from St Lickitung.
St Lickitung lands a big elbow.
Write is squirming around, avoiding St Lickitung's attempts to control the action.
Write tries to reverse the position but St Lickitung maintains control.

That's four minutes gone in the round.
St Lickitung thowing shots but they're missing.
St Lickitung trying to control but he's not successful this time.
Write bucks up and manages to get a nice reversal! He's in guard on the top - nicely done!
Write trying to control but St Lickitung is working from the bottom.
This has been an exciting period of action!
St Lickitung looking to control.
St Lickitung keeping moving, preventing Write from controlling successfully.
Write working some strikes from top position.

St Lickitung is looking for a guillotine. You can't force these things though and Write defends well.
The crowd are going absolutely nuts as the round comes to an end - what a fantastic round of action!
Write stands up over St Lickitung, holding his feet. He dives back in and lands a decent shot to the head.
St Lickitung has momentary wrist control but Write slips an elbow through the middle.

Write drops back looking for a heel hook - he quickly realises he's not going to get it but St Lickitung manages to dive on top of him before he can escape and now Write has St Lickitung in his guard.
And that’s the end of the round – the fighters go back to their corners.

Tim Write dominated that second 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. Let's hear some noise people - this is the final round!

Write throws out a leg kick but St Lickitung moves out of range and Write only half commits.
Write swings away with a leg kick that misses.
Tim Write seems to be the more aggressive standup fighter in this bout.
Write throws a low kick, looking for St Lickitung's leg but St Lickitung calmly moves out of range.
Write throws a leg kick that misses.
St Lickitung fails with an attempt to clinch.

Write decides to change it up a bit and drives through with a nice takedown into half guard.

Write is working for a submission of some sort.
Write looks towards his corner to check for any instructions. The corner give him nothing to work with, so he cracks St Lickitung with a short hammerfist. I guess that's as good as any advice he could get in this position.
Write controlling the action here.
Ground and pound from Write.

Write 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.

That's one minute gone in the round.
Write is controlling the pace.
The referee walks around the fighters to get a better view of the action. Write lands a nice short elbow.
St Lickitung slips a foot under and gets full guard. Nice work.

St Lickitung is looking for a guillotine. You can't force these things though and Write defends well.
Write connects with a couple of short punches.
Write won't allow St Lickitung to sweep him here.

St Lickitung is active off his back here, looking for submissions.
Write has to be careful here, sitting in the guard of a superior BJJ player.

That's two minutes gone in the round.

Write avoids a guillotine attempt easily.
St Lickitung takes a big intake of breath there - he's definitely tired.
St Lickitung 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.

St Lickitung is throwing his legs up, looking for submissions. Write is aware though and is defending well.
Write stands and throws St Lickitung's legs to the side, diving into side control.
The crowd are loving this. Great action here.
St Lickitung is looking to regain half guard here but Write keeps moving and retains side control.

Write tries for an arm triangle. That looks pretty tight to me. Is this one over!?! Possibly, maybe, no Write has let go of the choke. Obviously it wasn't as tight as we thought!
Write wants to lay and pray for a moment but St Lickitung keeps working.
Write lands a knee to the body and follows it up with some ground and pound to the head. That will wear St Lickitung down.

That's three minutes gone in the round.
St Lickitung tries to get back to half guard but can't.
Write connects with a decent looking elbow from side control that caused St Lickitung some visible discomfort.
Write scores with punches from side control.
Write creates a bit of distance and throws down some hard shots.
Write lands a knee to the body and a forearm to the face.
Write scores with punches from side control.

Write tries for a kimura. Not really close to a finish though.
St Lickitung takes a big shot right to the temple there but he's taken it well.
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!
St Lickitung is looking to reverse the position.
You can see the frustration on St Lickitung's face, being in this tough position on the bottom.
St Lickitung is trying to get back to half guard.

Write is looking to finish here, going for an Americana. St Lickitung knows the correct defense though, so he's OK.

That's four minutes gone in the round.
You can see the frustration on St Lickitung's face, being in this tough position on the bottom.
St Lickitung tries to work a leg under to get back to half guard but Write wriggles his own leg back out and remains in side control.
Write landing a few strikes.
St Lickitung is trying to control Write's posture but Write avoids it.
Write trying to control the position but St Lickitung is working away.
St Lickitung manages to work his way to half guard, despite Write's best efforts.
The crowd are going absolutely nuts as the round comes to an end - what a fantastic round of action!
Write lands with a punch from half guard.
St Lickitung missing with punches from the bottom.
Write lands strikes from half guard.

And that's the end of the fight!
Tim Write showed his dominance in that final round.
Well Write has outscored his opponent in every aspect of the fight today. Only a scarily incompetent judge or two will keep him from a well deserved win... 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 Tatsuya Matsuyama scores the fight 29:28
Judge Yuuki Gou scores the fight 29:28
Judge Yukihiro Yamamoto scores the fight 29:28

In favor of your winner, by unanimous decision... Tim Write!
Our winner, Tim Write, made sure he spent some time buttering up the crowd during his post fight interview, which will no doubt bring him a few more fans.

C
A

C
B

energy
A | B

hype
A | B

pop
A | B

mgr
A | B

FIGHT
RATING
100%

Co-main event

Coming up we have a lightweight MMA rules bout between Erick Noble (ranked 0 p4p, 0 weight class) and Akira Hayabusa (ranked 0 p4p, 0 weight class). Hayabusa has chosen Bombs Away as his entrance music. Erick Noble could well score a knockout today. He has the power to get to Akira Hayabusa's chin.

Noble
vs
Hayabusa

175 cm
21
154 lbs
3 - 1 - 0

167 cm
22
166 lbs
7 - 3 - 0

Abu Dhabi Champ
Basic striking
Granite chin

ADCC Champion
Decent boxing
Heavy handed

TFP Graphics - Pit Inc

Ladies and gentlemen. This fight is 3 rounds, in the lightweight division.
Introducing the fighter to my left, fighting out of the red corner.
With a record of 3 - 1 - 0, fighting out of Tokyo, Erick Noble!
And introducing the fighter to my right, fighting out of the blue corner.
With a record of 7 - 3 - 0, fighting out of Tokyo, Akira Hayabusa!
The judges for this bout are Yukihiro Shimada, Shirou Masuda and Sosuke Kotani.

The bell rings for round one and we are underway!
Hayabusa shoots in looking for a takedown. Noble tries to sprawl out of it but Hayabusa keeps driving through. The fighters are pinned against the cage. Noble manages to get underhooks and after a bit of a struggle, circles away and we're back to standing.
Noble misses the shot to the body.

Noble scores a trip takedown into side control. Nice.
It looks like the ref is thinking about a standup.
Hayabusa wants to control but Noble postures up.
Noble moving around in side mount but really he's just happy to control for now.
Hayabusa is looking for a sweep.
Hayabusa is persisting with the attempt to improve his position.
Noble scoring with punches from side control.
Hayabusa is looking to reverse the position.
Noble wants to lay and pray for a moment but Hayabusa keeps working.
Hayabusa prevents Noble from improving position.
Noble has been looking to land a fair amount of strikes on the ground. He might be looking to soften his opponent up in order to work for a submission.
Noble taking a breather here.

That's one minute gone in the round.
Hayabusa is trying to control Noble's posture but Noble avoids it.
The ref warns both fighters not to hold the cage as they work up against the meshing.
Noble cracks Hayabusa with an elbow. That is naaassty.
Noble sitting in side control, looking to soften his opponent up with elbows and hammerfists but Hayabusa is avoiding damage well and looking to escape the position.
Noble lands a nice forearm strike.
Noble creates some space and throws a big elbow, but Hayabusa sees it coming and moves his head just enough to avoid the strike.
The fighters are pressed up against the cage, both looking to find a bit of space to work.
The strikes coming from Noble are missing the target in this wave of attacks.
Noble throws a strike aimed at the side of Hayabusa's head but Hayabusa avoids it well.

That's two minutes gone in the round.
Hayabusa is looking to regain half guard here but Noble keeps moving and retains side control.
Hayabusa is working to avoid the ground and pound but Noble connects with a decent elbow.
Noble throws a strike aimed at the side of Hayabusa's head but Hayabusa avoids it well.
Hayabusa is looking to reverse the position.
Noble takes a little break here. Hayabusa wants to take advantage but he is being controlled well.
Noble throws an elbow but Hayabusa slips to the side and avoids it well.
Noble remains in side control and seems content to stay there. It's a versatile position from which he can work both strikes and submissions, whilst maintaining that control, so maybe he'll sit here for a while.
The crowd are loving this. Great action here.
Noble postures up a little and throws a couple of hammerfists but they don't connect properly.

That's three minutes gone in the round.
Noble wants to lay and pray for a moment but Hayabusa keeps working.
Noble just content to control the position.
Noble wants to lay and pray for a moment but Hayabusa keeps working.
Hayabusa dodges the ground and pound from Noble.
Hayabusa is not content to let Noble control the position.
Noble postures up a little and throws a couple of hammerfists but they don't connect properly.
Noble works a knee to the body and follows up with a nice elbow to the head.
Hayabusa struggling a bit here.

That's four minutes gone in the round.
Noble tries to land with some ground and pound but misses.
An elbow from Noble crashes against the mat.
Hayabusa tries to improve position but can't.
Noble trying to control the action but Hayabusa is working from the bottom.
Hayabusa defending against the ground and pound.
As the round comes to an end the crowd are showing their appreciation for a great round of action.
Noble wants to control but Hayabusa is keeping him busy.
Hayabusa struggling a bit here.
And that’s the end of the round – the fighters go back to their corners.

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

A swing and a miss from Noble.
Hayabusa tried to score with a low kick but Noble checks it.
Noble slips a jab from Hayabusa.
Hayabusa throws a combination but comes up with nothing but fresh air.
Noble misses the shot to the body.
Noble misses with an uppercut. Hayabusa saw that one coming.
Hayabusa lands with a shot to the body.
The crowd cheers as Hayabusa lands an impressive looking overhand right. Noble doesn't seem phased though.
Noble tries to clinch there but Hayabusa circles away.
Hayabusa misses with a takedown attempt - Noble sprawls well and throws a nice strike on the way out which just misses.
Noble circles away from the clinch attempt.
Hayabusa tries to clinch but is not successful on this occasion.
Noble misses with an uppercut. Hayabusa saw that one coming.
Noble throws a lazy right hand but Hayabusa sees it coming a mile off and sidesteps it easily.
Hayabusa misses with a looping right.

That's one minute gone in the round.
Hayabusa throws an uppercut from half a mile away. Noble sees it coming and avoids it easily.
A jab from Hayabusa does it's job there.

Hayabusa gets a double leg takedown into Noble's guard.
Noble throws a couple of shots from the bottom but they don't land.
Hayabusa advances to half guard.
Noble wants to get back to full guard.
Noble gets full guard.
Hayabusa with a nice head shot there.
Hayabusa throwing strikes but missing.
Noble looking to hit a scissor sweep but Hayabusa is one step ahead there.
The crowd are loving this. Great action here.
Noble doesn't do any damage with a couple of strikes from the bottom.

That's two minutes gone in the round.

Noble throwing his legs up looking for a triangle.
Noble is trying to keep Hayabusa in close.
Hayabusa trying to control but Noble is working from the bottom.
Hayabusa lands a nice shot whilst sitting in his opponent's guard.
Hayabusa preventing the sweep.

That's three minutes gone in the round.
Noble keeping moving, preventing Hayabusa from controlling successfully.

Noble isolates an arm and boxes in a triangle. Hayabusa stacks Noble 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 Hayabusa!
Hayabusa is looking to take a break and control but Noble is keeping him honest, looking to work from the bottom.
Hayabusa connects with a decent looking elbow from side control that caused Noble some visible discomfort.
Hayabusa trying to control the position but Noble is working away.

That's four minutes gone in the round.

Hayabusa decides to take the fight back to the feet.
Noble is looking to clinch.
Hayabusa misses with an uppercut. Noble saw that one coming.
Hayabusa swinging wildly here.
Hayabusa tries for a takedown but Noble sees it coming a mile off and avoids it easily.
Hayabusa swings wildly with a right hand that was never going to find it's target.

Hayabusa tries to keep at a distance but Noble has taken the fight into the clinch.
As the round comes to an end the crowd are showing their appreciation for a great round of action.
A frustrated look appears on Hayabusa's face as he tries to break the clinch.
Noble tries to pull guard but Hayabusa holds him up against the cage and eventually Noble drops back down to his feet.
The crowd are loving this. Great action here.
Noble swings away with an uppercut that misses.
And that’s the end of the round – the fighters go back to their corners.

Akira Hayabusa showed his class in that round. I'd imagine he'll take it on all the scorecards.
The minute break is over - no more time for sponges and pep talks - back to the action! Let's get this one finished - here comes the final round!

Noble clinches with his opponent.
Hayabusa blocks a body shot from Noble.

Noble breaks the clinch.

Noble shoots in from a long way out. He's driving through with the takedown attempt and he eventually gets it, landing in Hayabusa's guard.
Hayabusa is working the butterfly guard. He manages to land a nice scissor sweep and is now in half guard on the top. Nice move.

Hayabusa 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.

Noble looking for submissions from an awkward position here.

That's one minute gone in the round.
Hayabusa content to sit in half guard and control for a moment.
Hayabusa wants to take a breather but Noble is having none of it.
Noble wants to sweep but Hayabusa has passed to side control!
Noble tries to bench press Hayabusa off him but Hayabusa keeps the position.

Hayabusa wants to work for a kimura but he's foiled early by Noble, who protects the arm well.

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

That's two minutes gone in the round.
Hayabusa trying to control the action but Noble is working from the bottom.
Noble tries to buck Hayabusa off but Hayabusa is having none of it.
Noble is pushing Hayabusa's head away, looking to escape. Hayabusa manages to hold on to the position though.

That's three minutes gone in the round.
Hayabusa landing with strikes to the head and body from side control.
Noble is looking to reverse the position.

Hayabusa swings around for an armbar but Noble sees it coming a mile off and turns beautifully into Hayabusa's guard.
Noble trying to land body shots but he keeps hitting the mat.
Noble throws an elbow that misses. Hayabusa uses the momentum to reverse the position. He's now in Noble's guard. Nice move by Hayabusa!
Noble trying to keep a closed guard but Hayabusa is proving a slippery customer.

Noble is throwing his legs up, looking for submissions. Hayabusa is aware though and is defending well.
Noble working a defensive guard here.
Noble working the defensive guard well to avoid strikes from Hayabusa.

That's four minutes gone in the round.
Hayabusa is taking a break and basically stalling. The referee will not allow him to do that for long.
Noble is working from a closed guard but he's struggling to control his opponent.
Noble preventing the ground and pound from doing any damage.
Hayabusa slips nicely into half guard.

Hayabusa is sneakily working for an arm triangle but Noble sees it coming and defends easily.
We've seen a great period of action over the last minute or so - credit to both fighters for going all out!
The crowd applaud the fighters efforts here as the round comes to an end.
Hayabusa wants to control but Noble is keeping him busy.

And that's the end of the fight!
I would just about give that final round to Akira Hayabusa.
I think Hayabusa has won this one but let's see whether the judges agree with me. 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 Shimada scores the fight 28:29
Judge Shirou Masuda scores the fight 28:29
Judge Sosuke Kotani scores the fight 28:29

In favor of your winner, by unanimous decision... Akira Hayabusa!
After winning the bout, Akira Hayabusa thanked all his fans and promised he'd do even better in his next fight. The crowd seemed to love his humility.

C
A

C
B

energy
A | B

hype
A | B

pop
A | B

mgr
A | B

FIGHT
RATING
59%

Main event

Coming up we have a middleweight MMA rules bout between Chad Looney (ranked 0 p4p, 0 weight class) and Ramdhani Lestalahu (ranked 0 p4p, 0 weight class). Ramdhani Lestalahu struggled to make weight for this fight. He only made it down to 187.9lbs at the first attempt and had to take the additional two hours to make the official bout weight. Let's see how much it's taken out of him. Man, I cannot wait for this one!

Looney
vs
Lestalahu

175 cm
26
185 lbs
7 - 3 - 0

175 cm
25
200 lbs
6 - 4 - 0

Good takedowns
Counter striker
Experienced

Good wrestler
Counter striker
Granite chin

Global Empire MMA Gear

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 7 - 3 - 0, fighting out of Tokyo, Chad Looney!
And introducing the fighter to my right, fighting out of the blue corner.
With a record of 6 - 4 - 0, fighting out of Tokyo, Ramdhani Lestalahu!
The judges for this bout are Shirou Masuda, Yukihiro Shimada and Sosuke Kotani.

The bell rings for round one and we are underway!

Lestalahu closes the distance and gets a trip takedown into side control. Looney quickly recovers to half guard.
The referee claps his hands together and tells the fighters to work.
Looney is trying to defend against the ground and pound but Lestalahu scores with a couple of nice shots.
Lestalahu working Looney over with strikes.
Lestalahu lands strikes from half guard.
Lestalahu wants to take a breather but Looney is having none of it.
Looney tries to get to full guard but Lestalahu has control of the leg.
Lestalahu looks to score some points with some ground and pound.
We've seen a great period of action over the last minute or so - credit to both fighters for going all out!
Lestalahu sitting in half guard, looking to land shots. Looney defending well though.
Looney is pressing down on Lestalahu's left leg trying to get back to full guard. He's managed it.
Lestalahu works over Looney with some ground and pound from guard.
Lestalahu looking to sit in guard and control but Looney gets the butterfly guard and sweeps. He's now in the guard on the top.
The ref warns both fighters not to hold the cage as they work up against the meshing.

Looney drops back looking for a leg! Lestalahu is in trouble here! The fighters roll with the hold and Lestalahu manages to kick Looney off! Looney jumps back into Lestalahu's guard.
Lestalahu wants to stand and escape but Looney is having none of it.
Lestalahu really doesn't want to stay on the ground with Looney. If he can't get it back to his feet, it's only a matter of time before he'll be tapping out.

That's one minute gone in the round.

Looney thinks about going for a leg but decides against it, in order to maintain the position.
Lestalahu is looking to stand up but Looney isn't so interested in that idea.
Lestalahu looking to sweep here. No luck so far.

Looney has gone for a leg lock! Lestalahu slips out almost immediately though and dives into Looney's guard.
Lestalahu with a nice head shot there.
Lestalahu is working Looney over from the guard. He should look to pass the guard and do a little more damage with these strikes.
Lestalahu working some strikes from top position.
Looney manages to land a sweep and now he's in mount on top!

That's two minutes gone in the round.
Lestalahu is writhing around trying to get back to his feet.

Looney working to secure an arm triangle but it's not happening for him just yet.
Looney is breathing heavily.
Lestalahu is writhing around trying to get back to his feet.

Looney wants to finish this one by submission but Lestalahu is holding onto his waist, trying to prevent any attacks from Looney.
This is a great period of action - very entertaining stuff!
Looney prevents Lestalahu from getting the reversal.

Looney working for a guillotine from mount but Lestalahu is in no mood to give up.

Looney with some aggressive grappling here. He's looking for submissions here, rather than waiting for the opportunity to counter.
Lestalahu trying desperately to get to his feet.

That's three minutes gone in the round.
Lestalahu is desperately trying to improve his position but Looney has a good base and remains in mount.

Looney working to secure an arm triangle but it's not happening for him just yet.

Lestalahu defends a decent attempt at a guillotine from Looney.
Lestalahu wants to control but Looney is having none of it.
Lestalahu keeping his composure momentarily, calmly looking to get back to half guard.
Looney won't let Lestalahu get back to his feet... He wants to keep the fight where it is for now.

Looney is thinking about an arm triangle here, looking to tighten it up before moving to side control. Lestalahu can see it coming though and defends well with a couple of strikes to the head and some good arm positioning.

Looney looks like he's working for a submission but he's not found anything just yet.

That's four minutes gone in the round.
Lestalahu tries to reverse the position but Looney maintains control.

Looney working to secure an arm triangle but it's not happening for him just yet.

Looney working for a guillotine from mount but Lestalahu is in no mood to give up.
Lestalahu throwing hammer fists to the chest of Looney. What's that going to do exactly?

Looney jumps to the side looking to secure the arm triangle…. Ooooh, that looks tight… Lestalahu is gargling but he's managed to escape! Nice work there by Lestalahu and Looney has given up the dominant position trying to land that submission.
This has been an exciting period of action!
The crowd are going absolutely nuts as the round comes to an end - what a fantastic round of action!
What's Lestalahu going to do here then? He's in a bit of a pickle.
You can see the frustration on Lestalahu's face, being in this tough position on the bottom.
And that’s the end of the round – the fighters go back to their corners.

Ramdhani Lestalahu dominated that round.
OK. That's time! The bell goes and we're back to the action.

Lestalahu looks for a takedown here. Will he get it? Looney is fending him off so far but Lestalahu persists. Nope, Looney circles away and we're back to standing.
Looney fails with a rather predictable takedown attempt.

The fight moves into the clinch position.
Lestalahu looking for a takedown.
Lestalahu wants to take the fight to the mat but Looney manages to get underhooks and keep the fight in the clinch.
Chad Looney has stuffed three takedown attempts in the round now. That's going to take a lot out of Ramdhani Lestalahu.
Lestalahu has a body lock and is looking for a takedown. Looney is bouncing around trying to prevent the takedown and somehow he has indeed managed to stay on his feet.

That's one minute gone in the round.

Looney decides to pull guard.

Looney is working for submissions here. He's thrown up his legs looking for a triangle but Lestalahu frees his head nicely. Oh but Looney has switched to an armbar! Lestalahu is tapping furiously! Lovely submission there!

Ladies and gentlemen, after 1:25 of round 2, we have a winner by way of Submission (Triangle Armbar). Chad Looney!