PBP Commentary

Coming up we have a welterweight MMA rules bout between kurt ehntholt (ranked 0 p4p, 0 weight class) and Hando Kato (ranked 0 p4p, 0 weight class). Well, I have no idea who's going to take this one!

ehntholt
vs
Kato

175 cm
19
174 lbs
2 - 3 - 0

190 cm
21
180 lbs
1 - 3 - 0

BJJ Blue Belt
Basic striking
Granite chin

BJJ Blue Belt
Counter striker
Solid chin

Ladies and gentlemen. This fight is 3 rounds, in the welterweight division.
Introducing the fighter to my left, fighting out of the red corner.
With a record of 2 - 3 - 0, fighting out of Rio de Janeiro, kurt ehntholt!
And introducing the fighter to my right, fighting out of the blue corner.
With a record of 1 - 3 - 0, fighting out of Rio de Janeiro, Hando Kato!
The judges for this bout are Leandro Rodrigues, Luis Engracia and Mauricio Rocha.

The bell rings for round one and we are underway!
Kato throws a couple of head shots and lands with the final one - a decent hook, which struck ehntholt on the side of the head.
Kato stuffs the takedown attempt from ehntholt. ehntholt gets slowly back to his feet.
ehntholt fails with an attempt to clinch.
ehntholt takes a hook to the side of the head. I wonder if that's got his ears ringing.
ehntholt fails with a rather predictable takedown attempt.
Kato swings away but doesn't land with a series of punches.
Kato keeps the fight on the outside.
Kato circles away from the clinch attempt.
Kato keeps the fight standing with a nice sprawl.
That's three failed takedown attempts in the round for kurt ehntholt. That's going to take a lot out of him.

Kato shoots in for a takedown and gets it. Oh and he's advanced to full mount straight away.
ehntholt tries to reverse the position but Kato maintains control.
Kato trying to control but ehntholt is having none of it.
ehntholt might be looking to lock onto one of his opponent's long limbs for a submission, whilst we're on the ground.

That's one minute gone in the round.
ehntholt working to try and regain half guard.
Kato lands an elbow that was bordering on illegal but the referee lets it go with a warning.
Kato looking to finish ehntholt with some ground and pound. This is bad for ehntholt!
Kato lands with some vicious ground and pound - can ehntholt hang on?
The crowd growing excited in anticipation of a finish here! Right on cue, Kato cracks his opponent with a massive right hand that draws loud cheers!
Kato blocks ehntholt's feeble attempts to strike from the bottom.
ehntholt is desperately trying to get back to half guard.
Kato unloading with bombs!
Kato tries to control but ehntholt wriggling away.
ehntholt swinging wildly from the bottom but he's not landing.
ehntholt 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.

That's two minutes gone in the round.
Kato is landing with some decent strikes but ehntholt is trying to advance his position so the referee is letting the fight continue.
Kato content just to control the position here.
Kato wants to control the pace but ehntholt is squirming around nicely.
Kato blocks ehntholt's feeble attempts to strike from the bottom.
Kato punishing his opponent with strikes.
A nice elbow there by Kato.
Kato really doesn't want to stay on the ground with ehntholt. If he can't get it back to his feet, it's only a matter of time before he'll be tapping out.
Kato lands a couple of nice shots there from mount.
ehntholt takes a big shot to the head but keeps on trying to improve his position.
The crowd cheering loudly, showing their appreciation for the quality fight we're seeing here.
The fighters are starting to perspire pretty heavily.
Kato prevents ehntholt from getting the reversal.
ehntholt is breathing heavily.
ehntholt bucks up and manages to get a nice reversal! He's in guard on the top - nicely done!

That's three minutes gone in the round.
Kato bucks up whilst keeping hold of a body lock, managing to reverse the position. Now he's in top in ehntholt's guard.
ehntholt throws some sloppy strikes off his back.

ehntholt looking for submissions off his back, moving his hips, looking for an opening.
ehntholt wants to sweep but no luck.
Kato is looking to stand up but ehntholt won't let him.
ehntholt wants to sweep here but Kato controlling him for the moment.
Kato stands up and looks to throw the legs aside to pass to side control. ehntholt swivels though and keeps the full guard.
Kato lands a couple of decent looking shots.
Kato wants to control from the top but ehntholt keeps moving.

That's four minutes gone in the round.
A lull in the action here being met with boos from the crowd.

The referee has ruled that neither fighter is active enough on the ground and has stood them back up.
Kato darts in trying to clinch

and ehntholt counters with a shoot takedown into half guard.
Kato blocking the ground and pound attempt from ehntholt.
ehntholt wants to control but Kato is keeping him busy.
We get told so often about how wrestlers don't like to be on their backs. Let's see if Kato can do anything to dispel that myth.
ehntholt not throwing his punches with enough precision this time.
Kato throws a strike from the bottom that misses.
ehntholt looks to score some points with some ground and pound.
ehntholt working the head and body with strikes.
The crowd applaud the fighters efforts here as the round comes to an end.
ehntholt takes advantage of the dominant position to land a couple of big hammer fists.
ehntholt blocks the strikes from Kato.

Well, the referee has seen enough. Neither fighter is active enough on the ground so he's stood them back up.
Kato throws a left and a right that both miss

and ehntholt counters with a nice double leg into guard.
And that’s the end of the round – the fighters go back to their corners.

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

ehntholt misses with a takedown

and Kato counters with a nice double leg into side control. ehntholt won't be happy with that.
Kato moving around in side mount but really he's just happy to control for now.
ehntholt is moving his hips around well on the bottom and has managed to get back to half guard.
ehntholt wants to improve his position but Kato is controlling well.
ehntholt gets back to full guard.
ehntholt throwing strikes off his back to little effect.
ehntholt is working the butterfly guard. He manages to land a nice scissor sweep and is now in half guard on the top. Nice move.
Both fighters are absolutely exhausted here.
Kato is trying to stand up here but ehntholt is controlling him well.

That's one minute gone in the round.
Kato wants to control but ehntholt is keeping busy.
Kato throws a strike from the bottom that misses.
ehntholt lands with an elbow from half guard - that looked like it hurt.
Kato is looking to regain full guard. Not this time though.
ehntholt content to control rather than advance.
Hando Kato has got the better of the ground game so far.
ehntholt slips a nice elbow through Kato's hands, connecting with Kato's forehead.

That's two minutes gone in the round.
A few boos can be heard. I'm sure they will multiply if the fighters don't pick up the pace.
ehntholt lands with an elbow from half guard - that looked like it hurt.
ehntholt lands a big shot. The thud that echoes around the arena is like music to the fans' ears.
The two fighters exchange a few words. I couldn't hear what they were saying but maybe it's more fun if you make it up yourself. ehntholt connects with a nice short shot to Kato's temple.
ehntholt passes the guard and advances to mount!
Kato taking shots to the head.
ehntholt breaks from Kato's wrist control and lands an elbow.
ehntholt in mount throwing good strikes here, bouncing his opponent's head off the canvas.
A nice elbow there by ehntholt.
The ref warns both fighters not to hold the cage as they work up against the meshing.

That's three minutes gone in the round.
ehntholt lands a big elbow.
BOOM! ehntholt connects with a massive shot to the dome!
Kato is in all sorts of trouble here.
Kato tries to hold on but ehntholt pushes him away.
ehntholt working away from the top, dropping strikes.
Kato can't escape the position.
ehntholt lands an elbow that was bordering on illegal but the referee lets it go with a warning.
ehntholt scoring with strikes but Kato is staying in there.
Kato is looking to get to half guard.
Kato is in a horrible position here. ehntholt smacks him with another shot as he tries to escape the position.

That's four minutes gone in the round.
A lull in the action here being met with boos from the crowd.
Kato is in all sorts of trouble here.
ehntholt pausing momentarily but resumes with a couple of decent strikes that do a bit of damage.
Kato bucks up and manages to get a nice reversal! He's in guard on the top - nicely done!
ehntholt bucks up whilst keeping hold of a body lock, managing to reverse the position. Now he's in top in Kato's guard.
ehntholt with a flurry of punches that miss.
Kato trying to keep a closed guard but ehntholt is proving a slippery customer.
Kato working the defensive guard well to avoid strikes from ehntholt.
ehntholt pressing down on his opponent's thigh, looking to pass guard. Kato is keeping the position for now.
ehntholt postures up.
And that’s the end of the round – the fighters go back to their corners.

kurt ehntholt dominated that second round.
That's the end of the interval. I'm sure that seemed a lot quicker than a minute for our two fighters! Back to the action. This is the final round!

ehntholt feints and as Kato raises his hands in defense, ehntholt changes levels and drives through with a takedown into guard.
ehntholt distracts Kato with his right hand and drops a big elbow with his other arm.
ehntholt is looking to work some ground and pound but Kato has wrist control.
ehntholt pushes down on Kato's leg and manages to get into half guard.
ehntholt throwing punches and elbows but they're not doing any damage.
Kato is pressing down on ehntholt's left leg trying to get back to full guard. He's managed it.
ehntholt stands up and looks to throw the legs aside to pass to side control. Kato swivels though and keeps the full guard.
Kato is trying to control the position but ehntholt postures up.
Both fighters are breathing heavily.
Kato wants to sweep but no luck.
Kato is working from a closed guard but he's struggling to control his opponent.
ehntholt is in close to Kato's body, working some short punches and elbows.

That's one minute gone in the round.
Hammerfist, elbow! yells ehntholt's corner. There ya go! There ya go!
Kato has a closed guard, preventing ehntholt from standing up.
Kato is trying to control the position from the bottom.

The referee decides to stand the fighters back up.
ehntholt shoots for a takedown but Kato saw that one coming a mile off and avoided it easily.
ehntholt fakes high and swings low for a body shot but Kato manages to avoid it.
ehntholt with a poor takedown

and Kato counters with a nice double leg into side control. ehntholt won't be happy with that.
ehntholt is sneaking out the side here. He's bucked Kato off and has taken his back!
ehntholt loading up with punches from the back mount - how long can Kato hold on?
ehntholt lands a shot to the head.

That's two minutes gone in the round.
Kato takes a big shot to the side of the head.
Kato rolls, trying to escape but ehntholt keeps control of the position.
ehntholt is working the ground and pound. Can Kato escape?
Kato is covering up but some of the strikes from ehntholt are getting through and doing damage.
ehntholt softening up his opponent with strikes here.
ehntholt scores with punches and elbows.
The referee is taking a good look at Kato as he is on the wrong end of some big shots from ehntholt!
The fighters are pressed up against the cage, both looking to find a bit of space to work.
ehntholt has Kato flattened out and is raining down punches.
ehntholt is working the ground and pound. Can Kato escape?
ehntholt gets his hooks in and is throwing strikes.

That's three minutes gone in the round.
ehntholt is punishing Kato with strikes - can he finish him?!
Kato is taking damage to the body and head.
Kato manages to reverse the position and now he's in ehntholt's guard. Nice work there by Kato.
ehntholt manages to sweep nicely, so he's now on top. Kato manages to get himself to full guard.
ehntholt stopping the sweep attempt from Kato.
ehntholt is sitting in guard, working some ground and pound.
Kato keeping moving, preventing ehntholt from controlling successfully.
ehntholt throwing strikes from guard but Kato blocks nicely.

That's four 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.

Kato working from the bottom, still in full guard. He's managed to get a loose triangle. ehntholt doesn't seem to be doing much to defend here, obviously he feels comfortable in the position. ehntholt manages to throw the legs off his shoulder and he's back into guard - no problem.
Kato is trying to control the position from the bottom.
ehntholt landing with the ground and pound.
ehntholt lands a couple of digs.

It looks like we're going to have a standup here. Neither fighter is doing enough on the ground.
ehntholt with a lazy takedown attempt
and Kato counters with a nice jab to the body that keeps ehntholt thinking.
That's three failed takedown attempts in the round for kurt ehntholt. That's going to take a lot out of him.

ehntholt shoots in from a long way out. He's driving through with the takedown attempt and he eventually gets it, landing in Kato's guard.

And that's the end of the fight!
kurt ehntholt showed his dominance in that final round.
I think ehntholt has won this one but let's see what the judges have to say. Over to the ring announcer for the scorecards.

Ladies and gentlemen, after 3 rounds of action, we go to the scorecards for a decision.
Judge Leandro Rodrigues scores the fight 29:28
Judge Luis Engracia scores the fight 29:28
Judge Mauricio Rocha scores the fight 29:28

In favor of your winner, by unanimous decision... kurt ehntholt!