PBP Commentary

Coming up we have a lightweight MMA rules bout between Ichigo Kurosaki (ranked 0 p4p, 0 weight class) and Taka Tanaka (ranked 0 p4p, 0 weight class). Taka Tanaka has the power to score a knockout today if he connects clean with Ichigo Kurosaki's chin.

Kurosaki
vs
Tanaka

174 cm
20
164 lbs
3 - 1 - 0

178 cm
19
164 lbs
0 - 0 - 0

BJJ Purple Belt
Basic striking
Very strong

BJJ Brown Belt
Counter striker
Granite chin

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, Ichigo Kurosaki!
And introducing the fighter to my right, fighting out of the blue corner.
With a record of 0 - 0 - 0, fighting out of Tokyo, Taka Tanaka!
The judges for this bout are Hirohito Nitta, Yasuomi Hirokawa and Ren Mimura.

The bell rings for round one and we are underway!
Kurosaki wants to clinch.
Nice uppercut lands for Kurosaki. That snapped Tanaka's head back.

Tanaka looking for a takedown here - he's got it.
Kurosaki keeping full guard, as Tanaka tries to pass.

Tanaka postures up as if he's going to throw some strikes but drops back for an ankle! Kurosaki is in big trouble! He looks ready to tap! But no, he's escaped and dives on top of Tanaka, into his guard.
Tanaka will have to put a bit more behind his punches if he's going to do any damage from this position.
Tanaka wants to sweep here but Kurosaki controlling him for the moment.

That's one minute gone in the round.
Tanaka has a closed guard, preventing Kurosaki from standing up.
Tanaka 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.
Tanaka has a closed guard, preventing Kurosaki from standing up.
Tanaka looking for a sweep. Not yet Tanaka, not yet.
Kurosaki wants to get up but he can't break Tanaka's closed guard. He needs to be careful trying to break the legs open, as he's open to submissions here.
Tanaka is trying to keep Kurosaki in close.

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.

It looks like we're going to have a standup here. Neither fighter is doing enough on the ground.
Tanaka throws a head kick that misses and slips in the process. He scrambles back to his feet and the fighters circle.
Kurosaki throws a low kick, looking for Tanaka's leg but Tanaka calmly moves out of range.
Kurosaki is looking to clinch but Tanaka is avoiding it.

Excellent takedown into side control there by Tanaka.
Kurosaki is trying to stand back up. He's worked his way up against the cage but Tanaka has just dragged him back down to the mat.
Tanaka trying to control the action but Kurosaki is working from the bottom.
The ref warns both fighters not to hold the cage as they work up against the meshing.
Kurosaki is looking to work his way out of this bad position but Tanaka is controlling him well.

That's three minutes gone in the round.
Tanaka postures up a little and throws a couple of hammerfists but they don't connect properly.
Kurosaki tries to escape but Tanaka is in control.

Kurosaki throws his opponent off and manages to get back to his feet! Nicely done!
Ichigo Kurosaki seems to be the more aggressive standup fighter in this bout.
Kurosaki avoids a punch combination nicely.
Kurosaki wants to clinch up but Tanaka keeps it at a distance.
Kurosaki has his head slapped from side to side by a 3 punch combination. That must have hurt him.
Kurosaki is looking to take this fight into the clinch.
Kurosaki wants to clinch up but Tanaka keeps it at a distance.

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.
Kurosaki fails in his attempt to clinch.
Kurosaki moves out of range of the leg kick from Tanaka.
Kurosaki wants to clinch.
Tanaka lands with a slapping head kick.
Tanaka keeps the fight on the outside.
Ichigo Kurosaki is looking to keep the fight on the feet at all costs.
Kurosaki is looking to take this fight into the clinch.
Tanaka lands with a cross to side of his opponent's head.
Kurosaki tries to clinch up.
Tanaka scores with a jab to the jaw of his opponent.
Kurosaki wants to clinch up but Tanaka keeps it at a distance.
Tanaka lands a right hook to the body.
Tanaka fails to land the takedown.
Kurosaki throws a combination. Tanaka tries to block but a couple of punches get through.
And that’s the end of the round – the fighters go back to their corners.

Taka Tanaka dominated that round.
The corners get their ten second warning. Both fighters stand from their stools and stare eachother down, ready to get back to the action.

Tanaka shoots for a double leg takedown but Kurosaki sprawls well. He's pushed Tanaka's face into the mat and manages to get back to his feet relatively easily.
Tanaka keeps the fight on the outside.
Tanaka scores to the head and body with a nice combination!
Kurosaki tries to clinch there but Tanaka circles away.
Kurosaki keeps the fight standing with a nice sprawl.
Kurosaki tries to close the distance and clinch up against the cage but Tanaka paws at him with a jab and circles away.
Kurosaki tries to close the distance and clinch up against the cage but Tanaka paws at him with a jab and circles away.
Kurosaki motions for Tanaka to come forward. Kurosaki throws a leg kick but it misses it's target.
Left hook, right uppercut from Tanaka.
Kurosaki is looking to clinch.
Ichigo Kurosaki is looking to throw some combinations by the looks of things.
Kurosaki keeping a good distance there, avoiding the body shot.
The fight stays on the outside here - Kurosaki looks like he's thinking about clinching though.
Kurosaki dodges the punch combination from Tanaka.
Kurosaki tries to clinch but is not successful on this occasion.

That's one minute gone in the round.
Tanaka lands a two punch combo.
Kurosaki tries to clinch up.
Tanaka goes to the watering hole and comes back with a big thumbs up from the judges as he scores a three punch combo.
Kurosaki tries to clinch up but Tanaka circles away and keeps his distance.
Kurosaki is looking to clinch.
Kurosaki tries to close the distance and clinch but Tanaka swats him to one side with an open hand palm strike and circles away.
Kurosaki tries to close the distance and clinch up against the cage but Tanaka paws at him with a jab and circles away.
Kurosaki tries to close the distance and clinch but Tanaka swats him to one side with an open hand palm strike and circles away.
Kurosaki tries to clinch but is not successful on this occasion.
The fight stays on the outside here - Kurosaki looks like he's thinking about clinching though.
Tanaka rushes forward with a series of wild hooks but Kurosaki moves out of range and avoids them all easily.

Tanaka drops down and drives through with a powerful takedown into guard.

Tanaka has gone for a leg lock! Kurosaki slips out almost immediately though and dives into Tanaka's guard.

That's two minutes gone in the round.
Tanaka 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.
Kurosaki has decided he wants to stand but the closed guard of Tanaka is proving hard to escape from.

Tanaka working from the bottom, still in full guard. He's managed to get a loose triangle. Kurosaki doesn't seem to be doing much to defend here, obviously he feels comfortable in the position. Kurosaki manages to throw the legs off his shoulder and he's back into guard - no problem.

Tanaka looking for submissions from the bottom but instead Kurosaki passes into half guard.

That's three minutes gone in the round.

Tanaka looking for submissions off his back.
It looks like Kurosaki is going to stand back up.

Kurosaki postures up and decides to stand up, from the half guard. The ref calls for Tanaka to stand up.
Kurosaki tries to clinch but Tanaka moves out of range.

That's four minutes gone in the round.
The crowd are hurling abuse towards the fighters... You can hardly blame them though because there isn't a lot going on in the fight.
Kurosaki tries to clinch up.
Tanaka throws a series of strikes that have Kurosaki backpedaling.
Tanaka throws a hard body shot but it just misses.
Tanaka scores with a jab to the body.
Tanaka throws a looping left and ducks down for a takedown. He's got his arms around Kurosaki's waist but Kurosaki gets an underhook and avoids the takedown by throwing Tanaka off to one side.
Ichigo Kurosaki has stuffed three takedown attempts in the round now. That's going to take a lot out of Taka Tanaka.
Tanaka throws a right and a left that Kurosaki avoids nicely.
Kurosaki lands a front kick.
Kurosaki is looking to take this fight into the clinch.
Kurosaki tries to clinch up but Tanaka circles away and keeps his distance.
Kurosaki moves in looking to clinch but Tanaka pushes him off.
Kurosaki tries to close the distance and clinch but Tanaka swats him to one side with an open hand palm strike and circles away.
Kurosaki moves in looking to clinch but Tanaka pushes him off.
Kurosaki wants to clinch up but Tanaka keeps it at a distance.
Kurosaki tries to close the distance and clinch up against the cage but Tanaka paws at him with a jab and circles away.
And that’s the end of the round – the fighters go back to their corners.

Taka Tanaka showed his class in that round. I'd imagine he'll take it on all the scorecards.
Well, the break between rounds is over. Let's get back to the scrappin! Let's get this one finished - here comes the final round!

Kurosaki tries to close the distance and clinch but Tanaka swats him to one side with an open hand palm strike and circles away.
Kurosaki wants to clinch.
Kurosaki is looking to clinch but Tanaka is avoiding it.
Kurosaki misses with a low kick.
Kurosaki dodges the punch combination from Tanaka.
Tanaka avoids the clinch attempt nicely.
Tanaka will need to tighten up his combinations if he doesn't want to gas himself out, swinging at thin air.
Tanaka throws a series of punches but Kurosaki avoids them all with ease.
We've had a slow start to the round here - hopefully the action picks up.
Tanaka just misses with a punch to the body.
Kurosaki tries to clinch but Tanaka moves out of range.
Kurosaki throws a sloppy head kick and Tanaka moves out of range easily.
Kurosaki tries to clinch there but Tanaka circles away.

That's one minute gone in the round.
Tanaka throws a sloppy head kick and Kurosaki moves out of range easily.
Tanaka swats away the attempt to clinch by Kurosaki.
Tanaka circles away from the clinch attempt.
Kurosaki tries to close the distance and clinch up but Tanaka swats him away and circles back towards the center.
Tanaka swats away the attempt to clinch by Kurosaki.
Kurosaki fails in his attempt to clinch.
Tanaka swats away the attempt to clinch by Kurosaki.
Tanaka scores with a body shot.
Kurosaki stuffs the takedown.
Tanaka swats away the attempt to clinch by Kurosaki.
Tanaka misses with a wild body shot.

That's two minutes gone in the round.
My god... these two guys really need to pick up the pace or everyone will leave to go get a beer.

Tanaka decides to change it up a bit and drives through with a nice takedown into half guard.
Tanaka winds up and cracks Kurosaki with a swinging punch to the side of the head.
Tanaka missing with some ground and pound from the half guard.

Tanaka is sneakily working for an arm triangle but Kurosaki sees it coming and defends easily.
Kurosaki is trying to stand back up but Tanaka is controlling him
Tanaka looks to score some points with some ground and pound.
Kurosaki pushes Tanaka off looking to stand but Tanaka dives back in and keeps control.
The fighters are pressed up against the cage, both looking to find a bit of space to work.
Tanaka passes the half guard and he's now in mount! Big trouble for Kurosaki!
Kurosaki has given up his back here. Will Tanaka look for the submission or keep pounding away?

That's three minutes gone in the round.
Kurosaki controlling the position well but he knows he's in a bad position.
Tanaka is throwing strikes from the back here. Oh that last one was to the back of the head. Tanaka gets a warning from the referee. He throws another strike to the back of the head straight away though and the referee has seen enough. He breaks up the two fighters and stands them back up. Tanaka gets a real talking to here and is lucky not to get a point deducted. Tanaka apologises and we restart here on the feet.
Ichigo Kurosaki has stepped it up - he knows he needs a finish here!
Tanaka throws a wild combination but nothing lands.
Kurosaki fails with an attempt to clinch.

Kurosaki rushes Tanaka and presses him up against the cage.
Kurosaki tries a knee to the head but Tanaka blocks it.
Kurosaki is pressed up against the cage. Tanaka has hold of a leg and is looking to drag Kurosaki down to the mat. Kurosaki avoids the attempt though and has circled away. We're back to striking at a distance.
Tanaka fails with a takedown attempt.
Ichigo Kurosaki has stuffed three takedown attempts in the round now. That's going to take a lot out of Taka Tanaka.

That's four 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.
Tanaka misses with a takedown attempt. He shot from a bit too far out.
Tanaka takes a big intake of breath there - he's definitely tired.
Kurosaki misses with a low kick.
Tanaka circles away from the clinch attempt.
Tanaka throws a series of punches but Kurosaki avoids them all with ease.
Kurosaki throws a leg kick but Tanaka moved away.
Kurosaki tries to clinch up but Tanaka circles away and keeps his distance.
Tanaka throws a series of punches but Kurosaki avoids them all with ease.
Kurosaki lands with a nice body kick.
The crowd thankful this round is nearly over.
Kurosaki doesn't manage to clinch there - Tanaka circles away.
Tanaka shoots in for a takedown. "Ole!" shouts Kurosaki as he jumps to the side.
Tanaka throws a hard body shot but it just misses.

And that's the end of the fight!
Taka Tanaka comfortably won the final round on my scorecard.
I've got Tanaka 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 Hirohito Nitta scores the fight 27:30
Judge Yasuomi Hirokawa scores the fight 27:30
Judge Ren Mimura scores the fight 27:30

In favor of your winner, by unanimous decision... Taka Tanaka!