PBP Commentary

Coming up we have a lightweight MMA rules bout between Taromaru Momoji (ranked 2249 p4p, 2140 weight class) and Kain Mack (ranked 252 p4p, 244 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.

Momoji
vs
Mack

178 cm
29
165
3 - 2 - 0

176 cm
32
158
17 - 16 - 0

Great wrestler
World class boxer
Insanely flexible

Good wrestler
World class MT
Fast

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 - 2 - 0, fighting out of Montreal, Taromaru Momoji!
And introducing the fighter to my right, fighting out of the blue corner.
With a record of 17 - 16 - 0, fighting out of New York, Kain Mack!
The judges for this bout are Arvi Lind, Tarja Halkonen and Matti Vanhoillinen.

The bell rings for round one and we are underway!
Mack swings and misses with a hook to the body.
Mack throws a right hand that Momoji ducks under and follows up with a left that Momoji also avoids with ease.
Momoji feinted with a counter takedown.
Mack throws a leg kick which misses Momoji's front leg but catches the back leg as Momoji tries to avoid it.
Momoji throws a hook but Mack avoids it easily.
Momoji cracks a nice hook into Mack's ribs.
Mack scores with a jab to the jaw of his opponent.

It looks like Taromaru Momoji has been cut.
Momoji cracks Mack with a hook to the jaw. Both fighters smile at eachother and high-five before getting back down to business.
Momoji shoots in and drives through. Mack sprawls well.
Mack pulls out of a head kick attempt.

Momoji closes the distance and clinches up, looking for a takedown. He shifts his weight and gets a nice trip into half guard.
The crowd are loving this. Great action here.
Momoji is trying to control the action in half guard but Mack is working away on the bottom, looking perhaps to get back to full guard.
The ref warns both fighters not to hold the cage as they work up against the meshing.
Mack wants to get back to his feet.
Momoji performing his best blanket impression for a moment.
Momoji is pressing down on Mack's thigh, looking to free his foot. Mack is holding on for now.
The fighters are pressed up against the cage, both looking to find a bit of space to work.

That's one minute gone in the round.
Neither fighter is being very active at the moment, with Momoji in particular looking to stall.
Momoji works his foot free and advances to mount.
Momoji trying to control but he's not successful this time.
Momoji fakes a shot to the body and cracks his opponent in the head. Nice ground and pound there!
Momoji landing punches.
Momoji wants to control the pace but Mack is squirming around nicely.
Mack really doesn't want to stay on the ground with Momoji. If he can't get it back to his feet, it's only a matter of time before he'll be tapping out.
Mack is really trying hard to get back to his feet.

That's two minutes gone in the round.
Momoji can't quite control the action as he would like just now, as Mack is looking to escape.
Momoji is going to have to think about doing something other than just controlling because Mack is managing to avoid having the position dictated to him.
Momoji controlling from the full mount.
Momoji throwing sloppy strikes, which aren't doing any damage.
Momoji trying to control but Mack is having none of it.

That's three minutes gone in the round.
Momoji controlling from mount.
We get told so often about how wrestlers don't like to be on their backs. Let's see if Mack can do anything to dispel that myth.
Mack squirming around on the bottom, looking to escape.
Momoji can't quite control the action as he would like just now, as Mack is looking to escape.
Momoji controlling the position easily from mount.
Momoji thowing shots but they're missing.

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.
Momoji lands a couple of good shots and Mack has given up his back, trying to escape the position!
Momoji keeps control of the position easily here as Mack tries to buck him off.
Mack trying to get back to his feet but Momoji is in full control for now.
Momoji trying desperately to keep hold of the dominant position.
Mack is in a world of trouble here. He's outmatched on the ground here and he'd better get Momoji off his back sharpish unless he wants to be submitted.
Momoji struggling to land strikes to the head as Mack covers up.
The crowd thankful this round is nearly over.
Mack trying to get back to his feet but Momoji is in full control for now.
Momoji throwing wild punches that miss their target.
And that is the end of the round. The fighters go back to their corners.

Taromaru Momoji dominated that round.
The cut man is working on Taromaru Momoji's cut.
The minute break is over - no more time for sponges and pep talks - back to the action!

Momoji fails miserably with a takedown attempt.
Mack connects with a good right hand that stumbles Momoji. Momoji circles away out of range and recomposes himself.
Momoji scores with a punch to the head.
Momoji feints a straight left to the body, then turns around with a flashy move and hits Macks jaw with a dramatic spinning back fist!

Momoji shoots in and gets a takedown into half guard. Momoji showed some decent athleticism there.
Momoji stalling away here and it's allowed Mack to slip out his trapped foot and regain full guard.
Mack wants to get back to his feet but Momoji is in a dominant position and won't allow it.
Momoji is taking a break and basically stalling. The referee will not allow him to do that for long.
Momoji pushes down on Mack's leg and manages to get into half guard.

That's one minute gone in the round.
Momoji wants to pass to mount but Mack is defending the position.
Momoji frees up his trapped foot and advances to mount.
Mack in a bad spot here, taking shots to the head.
Momoji controlling from mount.
Mack wants to get back to his feet.
Momoji breaks from Mack's wrist control and lands an elbow.
Momoji looking to ground and pound but Mack is blocking nicely.

That's two minutes gone in the round.
Momoji throws some wild stikes that Mack manages to avoid easily.
Momoji scoring with strikes but Mack is staying in there.
Momoji looking to control but Mack is working nicely, looking to advance position himself.
Momoji controlling the position easily from mount.
Momoji can't quite control the action as he would like just now, as Mack is looking to escape.
Mack is trying to stand.

That's three minutes gone in the round.
Momoji controlling from the full mount.
Momoji can't quite control the action as he would like just now, as Mack is looking to escape.
Momoji working the ground and pound effectively.
Momoji looking to control but Mack is working nicely, looking to advance position himself.

That's four minutes gone in the round.
Taromaru Momoji overall seems to be getting the better of the ground position in the fight so far.
Momoji is really struggling to control Mack but he's trying to hold on to the position.
Momoji is in the full mount, landing strikes.
The crowd thankful this round is nearly over.
Momoji is still in mount, landing shots to his trapped opponent. Mack can't stay in a position like this for much longer.
Momoji looking to ground and pound his opponent to a finish here.
Momoji content just to control the position here.
And that is the end of the round. The fighters go back to their corners.

Taromaru Momoji dominated that second round.
The cut man is working on Taromaru Momoji's cut.
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. Let's hear some noise people - this is the final round!

Momoji scores with a jab to the jaw.
Nice defenses there by Mack.
Kain Mack is looking to throw some combinations by the looks of things.
Mack is looking to chop away at Momoji's legs.
Mack looks to land a left hand but Momoji moved out of range nicely.

Momoji changes levels and drives through with a really nice takedown into side control. Mack looks really pissed at himself for not defending that better.
Momoji looking to punish the body of his opponent here but Mack is avoiding damage well.
The referee tells the fighters to keep busy.
Momoji is looking to take a break and control but Mack is keeping him honest, looking to work from the bottom.
Momoji looking to control but instead Mack has slipped a leg in, to regain half guard.
We've had a slow start to the round here - hopefully the action picks up.
Momoji trying to control the action but Mack is working from the bottom.
Momoji slows the pace down in half guard.

That's one minute gone in the round.
Momoji stops Mack from getting back to his feet.
Momoji looks over to his corner - he wants some instructions but his corner are not responding.
Mack wants to get back to his feet.
Momoji works his way into side control.
Momoji slows the pace down.

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.
Momoji scoring with punches and elbows.
Momoji controls the position from side control.
Momoji is looking to take a break and control but Mack is keeping him honest, looking to work from the bottom.
Momoji controlling the position.
Momoji landing with strikes to the head and body from side control.

That's three minutes gone in the round.
Momoji advances to mount.
Momoji punishing his opponent with strikes.
Kain Mack has stepped it up - he knows he needs a finish here!
Momoji looking to control but Mack is working nicely, looking to advance position himself.
Momoji looking to finish with strikes here!
Mack taking shots to the head.

That's four minutes gone in the round.
Momoji lands a big shot there that rocks Mack but he's holding on and managing to survive for now.
Momoji controlling from mount.
Momoji trying to control but Mack is having none of it.
Momoji cracks Mack with a nasty head shot there - the crowd let out an audible gasp there, as the noise reverberated around the arena.
The crowd thankful this round is nearly over.
Momoji can't quite control the action as he would like just now, as Mack is looking to escape.
Momoji controlling the position easily from mount.

And that's the end of the fight!
Taromaru Momoji showed his dominance in that final round.
Well I reckon that's a shut out for Momoji, 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 Arvi Lind scores the fight 30:27
Judge Tarja Halkonen scores the fight 30:27
Judge Matti Vanhoillinen scores the fight 30:27

In favor of your winner, by unanimous decision... Taromaru Momoji!