PBP Commentary

Coming up we have a bantamweight MMA rules bout between Yoshihiro Asai (ranked 1602 p4p, 2036 weight class) and Great Tiger (ranked 82 p4p, 108 weight class). Asai kept the crowd waiting but all that was forgotten when his ring entrance music started. The incomparable musical genius that is Grand Sword. Great Tiger told me before the fight that he's been watching a lot of DVDs so let's see if that helps him in this one! I can't wait to find out!

Asai
vs
Tiger

172 cm
47
140
49 - 33 - 2

172 cm
36
146
27 - 33 - 1

Decent wrestler
Dangerous knees
Granite chin

Good wrestler
Excellent MT
Powerful

Voodoo Nutrition

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 49 - 33 - 2, fighting out of Las Vegas, Yoshihiro Asai !
And introducing the fighter to my right, fighting out of the blue corner.
With a record of 27 - 33 - 1, fighting out of Amsterdam, Great Tiger!
The judges for this bout are Saam Ante, Aafke Stam and Nard Betker.

The bell rings for round one and we are underway!
Asai avoids the clinch attempt nicely.
Tiger goes for a spinning back kick but it misses.
Tiger bobs and weaves and throws out a fast jab that snaps Asai 's head backwards.
Asai will need to close the distance a bit before he attacks - that leg kick was thrown from too far away.
Asai misses with a leg kick
and Tiger counters nicely by changing levels and landing a hook to the body.
Tiger with a nice calf kick.
Asai staying out of range there.
Tiger ducks under a wild hook from Asai .
The sound of bone on bone echoes around the arena as Tiger checks a leg kick.
Tiger misses with a low kick.
Asai misses with a half-hearted attempt at a head kick.
We've had a slow start to the round here - hopefully the action picks up.
Asai swings away with a leg kick that misses.
Tiger's coach down at Sprawl & Brawl was telling us pre-fight that they have been working on Tiger's balance. Obviously they view that as a key factor in the outcome of this fight.
Asai avoids a lazy jab quite easily.
Tiger swings and misses with a hook to the body.
Asai delivers a nice body kick.
Tiger tries to clinch but is not successful on this occasion.

That's one minute gone in the round.
Tiger changes levels and scores with a jab to the body.
Asai throws a lazy right hand but Tiger sees it coming a mile off and sidesteps it easily.
A countering left hand to the body from Tiger misses.
Asai misses with a low kick.
Tiger misses the body punch
and Asai counters with a stiff right hand.
Asai takes one to the side of the head.
Asai misses with a lunging right hand
and Tiger counters with a quick right hand to the jaw.
Asai goes to the watering hole and comes back with a big thumbs up from the judges as he scores a three punch combo.
Asai misses with a looping right.
Asai is looking to land body kicks.
Asai thows a leg kick but Tiger checks it

and Tiger decides to take the opportunity to score a takedown. He's landed in Asai 's guard.
Wooooo! Give it up for these two warriors! They are putting on a show!
Tiger content to stall in guard here.
The fighters are pressed up against the cage, both looking to find a bit of space to work.

That's two minutes gone in the round.
Let's hope that Tiger 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.
Asai has a closed guard, preventing anything of note from happening. Perhaps he's looking to stall.
The ref warns both fighters not to hold the cage as they work up against the meshing.
Tiger postures up to throw the ground and pound strikes but they don't connect.
We've had a lack of effective grappling in the last minute or so, which could well see a referee standup.

That's three minutes gone in the round.
Tiger chips away with some ground and pound.
Asai keeping full guard, as Tiger tries to pass.
Asai is controlling Tiger's posture.
Tiger throwing elbows and punches but not connecting, as Asai works some decent striking defense from the bottom.

The referee decides to stand the fighters back up.
Asai throws a lazy uppercut
and Tiger counters with a slapping leg kick.
Tiger checks the leg kick nicely there.
Asai looks to throw a body kick

and Tiger counters with a nice shoot takedown that brings the fighters to the ground.
Tiger postures up in Asai 's guard and throws a big left but Asai blocks it.

That's four minutes gone in the round.
Tiger throwing shots from guard but he's hitting more mat than opponent.
Tiger slows down the pace of the fight for a moment. He'll need to remain active if he doesn't want to see the fight stood back up.
Tiger is in close to Asai 's body, working some short punches and elbows.
Tiger slows down the pace of the fight for a moment. He'll need to remain active if he doesn't want to see the fight stood back up.
And that is the end of the round. The fighters go back to their corners.

Great Tiger dominated that round.
The corners get their ten second warning. Both fighters stand from their stools and stare each other down, ready to get back to the action.

Asai misses with a telegraphed body shot
letting Tiger counter with a right hand.
Asai misses with a right hand
and Tiger counters with a lovely shot to the body.
Asai lands a front kick.
Asai throws a body kick but he wasn't in range.
Tiger fakes low and throws an overhand right that catches Asai on the side of the head.
Asai thows a leg kick but Tiger checks it
and Tiger counters with a slapping leg kick.
Asai throws a poor cross that misses
and Tiger counters with a straight punch to the midsection.
Asai uses some good footwork to avoid the body shot by Tiger.
A clash of legs there as Asai blocks the low kick.
Tiger is throwing a lot of body shots here, looking to wear down Asai rather than just go for the knockout.
Asai lands with a kick to the ribs.
Asai throws a leg kick

and Tiger counters with a takedown into side control.
We've seen a great period of action over the last minute or so - credit to both fighters for going all out!
The fighters are starting to get a bit slippery now, which will make submissions a bit more difficult.
Asai tries to improve position but can't.
Tiger lands an elbow.
Tiger works to advance to full mount. Asai defends for a few seconds but eventually he succumbs.
Asai knows he needs to get back to his feet asap. He's simply no match for Tiger on the ground.

That's one minute gone in the round.
Tiger looking to ground and pound but Asai is blocking nicely.
Tiger controlling the pace for now.
Asai wants to hold on but Tiger pushes him away.
Asai in a bad spot here, taking shots to the head.
Tiger controlling from mount.
Tiger fakes a shot to the body and cracks his opponent in the head. Nice ground and pound there!
Tiger looking to control and managing it successfully.

That's two minutes gone in the round.
Tiger lands with some strikes.
Tiger controlling his opponent.
Asai wants to hold on but Tiger pushes him away.
Tiger has the superior BJJ but he's also working some ground strikes into his gameplan.
Tiger is landing with some decent strikes but Asai is trying to advance his position so the referee is letting the fight continue.
Asai is trying desperately to improve position.
Tiger looking to control and managing it successfully.
Tiger dominating with strikes here.

That's three minutes gone in the round.
Tiger controlling his opponent.
BOOM! Tiger connects with a massive shot to the dome!
Tiger with a couple of short strikes.
Asai is trying to escape the mount.
Tiger 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 four minutes gone in the round.
Tiger's corner are shouting for him to control the position and he seems happy to oblige.
Tiger is continuing to stall.
Asai wriggling around on the bottom manages to avoid the strikes thrown by Tiger.
Tiger with a couple of short strikes.
And that is the end of the round. The fighters go back to their corners.

Great Tiger 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. Let's get this one finished - here comes the final round!

Asai looks to land a left hand but Tiger moved out of range nicely.
Asai looks to have improved his striking defense since last time we saw him fight.
Asai with a nice cross.
Yoshihiro Asai seems to be the more aggressive standup fighter in this bout.
Tiger moves into range and lands a nice leg kick.
Tiger wants to clinch.
Tiger misses the shot to the body.
Asai swung with a counter right hand that didn't connect.
A looping hook to the body misses from Asai . Tiger does a little dance to reset his feet.
Well, he's not going to score with shots like that. A lazy body kick attempt from Asai .
Tiger looks to score with a jab to the body but Asai is just out of range.
Great Tiger seems to be getting the better of the standup.
Asai pushing out the jab but it's not landing.
We've had a slow start to the round here - hopefully the action picks up.
A low kick from Asai is predictable there
and Tiger counters with a nice body shot.
Asai misses with a telegraphed body shot
enabling Tiger to counter with a crisp jab.
Tiger uses decent footwork to sidestep a right hand from Asai .

Tiger fakes a strike and closes the distance, dragging Asai to the ground. Tiger is now in Asai 's guard.
Tiger controlling from the top position.

That's one minute gone in the round.
More stalling from Tiger.
Tiger has been the more effective fighter overall so far.
Yoshihiro Asai has stepped it up - he knows he needs a finish here!

That's two minutes gone in the round.
The crowd are getting on the fighters' backs, as the pace has dropped off in the last minute or so.
Tiger pushing down on Asai 's thigh, trying to pass to half guard. He's managed it... Nice work.
Tiger passes the half guard and he's now in mount! Big trouble for Asai !
Asai on his back here. We all know that wrestlers don't like being on their back so let's see if Asai tries to get out of the position.
Asai blocking the ground and pound.

That's three minutes gone in the round.
Tiger controlling from mount.
Asai blocking the ground and pound.
Tiger postures up and cracks his opponent a couple of times before moving back into close ground control. Asai looks a forlorn figure.
Tiger looking to ground and pound his opponent to a finish here.
Tiger sitting in mount, just looking to control for the moment.
The adventures of Tiger the control monster continue. Boring.

That's four minutes gone in the round.
Tiger with more of the same as he continues to hold on.
Tiger landing strikes, looking to finish!
Great Tiger is fighting for a decision - hopefully he's judged it right and he's actually winning the fight.
Tiger controlling from the full mount.
The crowd thankful this round is nearly over.

And that's the end of the fight!
Great Tiger comfortably won the final round on my scorecard.
Well Tiger 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 Saam Ante scores the fight 27:30
Judge Aafke Stam scores the fight 27:30
Judge Nard Betker scores the fight 27:30

In favor of your winner, by unanimous decision... Great Tiger!
Great Tiger seemed lost for words in his post fight interview but he remembered to thank his fans and directed everyone to his website.
In defeat, Yoshihiro Asai stepped up to the mic, saying 'Ill Train Harder And Win My Next Fight'.