PBP Commentary

Coming up we have a bantamweight MMA rules bout between Al Barru (ranked 4791 p4p, 3928 weight class) and Suki Tanaka (ranked 0 p4p, 0 weight class). Suki Tanaka is the more experienced fighter, so let's see if that makes a difference tonight.

Barru
vs
Tanaka

165 cm
25
138
0 - 0 - 0

225 cm
25
130
1 - 1 - 0

BJJ Blue Belt
Brawler
Cuts easily

BJJ Blue Belt
Brawler
Tends to cut

Ladies and gentlemen. This fight is 3 rounds, in the bantamweight division.
Introducing the fighter to my left, fighting out of the red corner.
With a record of 0 - 0 - 0, fighting out of Tokyo, Al Barru!
And introducing the fighter to my right, fighting out of the blue corner.
With a record of 1 - 1 - 0, fighting out of Tokyo, Suki Tanaka!
The judges for this bout are Shigeki Fujiwara, Yuuki Gou and Yasuomi Hirokawa.

The bell rings for round one and we are underway!
The bell rings for round one and we are underway!

Tanaka gets the takedown into side control.
Barru gets back to half guard.
Barru trying to hold on to Tanaka's head to control him but Tanaka postures up.
Barru manages to get to full guard.
Tanaka scoring with punches to the head and body.
We've had a slow start to the round here - hopefully the action picks up.
Tanaka trying to control the position from guard on top but Barru is wriggling around, looking for whatever he can.
Barru wants to sweep here but Tanaka controlling him for the moment.
Barru keeping moving, preventing Tanaka from controlling successfully.

That's one minute gone in the round.
Barru pulls Tanaka in close to his closed guard and prevents Tanaka from doing any damage or advancing position.
Tanaka controlling from the guard. I say controlling but really, he's stalling.
Barru striking from his own guard.
Barru wants to sweep here but Tanaka controlling him for the moment.
Barru not looking particularly offensive just at the moment.

The referee has motioned to the fighters to stand back up.

That's two minutes gone in the round.
The crowd are starting to boo a lack of action.

Tanaka has closed the distance and engaged Barru in a clinch.
Barru avoids a wild elbow strike from Tanaka.
Tanaka's coach down at Cozad MMA Tokyo was telling us pre-fight that they have been working on Tanaka's balance. Obviously they view that as a key factor in the outcome of this fight.
Tanaka stops a takedown attempt from Barru.
A quick uppercut on the inside from Tanaka.
Tanaka is a painfully thin specimen of a man. You do wonder whether a good body kick would snap him clean in two.
The referee calls for Barru to work.

Barru's corner calls for him to break the clinch, which he does.
Tanaka fails with a takedown attempt from distance.
Tanaka fails to land with the punch combination there - jab, cross, hook, miss, miss, miss.
Tanaka keeps the fight standing with a nice sprawl.

That's three minutes gone in the round.
Barru fails with a rather predictable takedown attempt.
That's three failed takedown attempts in the round for Al Barru. That's going to take a lot out of him.
Tanaka throws a head kick that connects with a bit of head and a bit of hand.
Tanaka fails with a takedown attempt.

Barru clinches up with Tanaka and pushes him back against the cage.

Barru pulls guard effortlessly.

Barru has managed to work for a loose triangle. I think Tanaka should be able to defend this one pretty easily though. Oh, Barru has tightened it up now! Tanaka should have reacted faster there - he's in big trouble and yes, he's tapped out! This one is all over!

Ladies and gentlemen, after 4:59 of round 1, we have a winner by way of Submission (Triangle). Al Barru!