PBP Commentary

Coming up we have a bantamweight MMA rules bout between Hiruki Nakeda (ranked 0 p4p, 0 weight class) and Chuck Richards (ranked 0 p4p, 0 weight class). Richards has chosen Live your life as his entrance music. Well, the cameraman is lingering on a pretty young lady for a bit too long there. Keep your eyes on the fighters buddy or you'll miss the fighter intros!

Nakeda
vs
Richards

160 cm
22
132 lbs
2 - 2 - 0

170 cm
22
142 lbs
2 - 0 - 0

BJJ White Belt
Counter striker
Good chin

BJJ White Belt
Decent boxing
Intelligent

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 2 - 2 - 0, fighting out of Tokyo, Hiruki Nakeda!
And introducing the fighter to my right, fighting out of the blue corner.
With a record of 2 - 0 - 0, fighting out of Tokyo, Chuck Richards!
The judges for this bout are Kenichi Hosakawa, Shigeki Fujiwara and Tatsuya Matsuyama.

The bell rings for round one and we are underway!

Nakeda closes the distance and clinches.

Nakeda breaks the clinch and we're back to striking at distance.

Nakeda scores a trip takedown into side control. Nice.
Nakeda wants to control but Richards is keeping him busy.
Nakeda is moving around in side control but his primary objective seems to be to maintain the position.

Nakeda stands up and beckons Richards to his feet.
Richards misses with a double jab.

That's one minute gone in the round.
Nakeda shoots in for a takedown. "I don't think so" says Richards as he avoids it easily.
Nakeda tries to close the distance and clinch but Richards swats him to one side with an open hand palm strike and circles away.
Richards takes a body kick right on the floating rib. Ouchie.
Richards looks gassed!
Nakeda shoots in for a takedown but Richards shows good takedown defense there and keeps this one on the feet.
Richards keeps the fight on the outside.
Nakeda showing good head movement there, avoiding the strikes from Richards.
Nakeda tries to shoot in for a takedown. He's got hold of a leg but Richards swivels and escapes.
That's three failed takedown attempts in the round for Hiruki Nakeda. That's going to take a lot out of him.

That's two minutes gone in the round.
Richards misses with a straight right.
Some wild striking there from Richards.
A telegraphed takedown attempt from Nakeda is defended easily by Richards.
Richards throws a right and a left that both miss.
Nakeda circles away from the clinch attempt
and Nakeda counters with a nice body kick.

That's three minutes gone in the round.
Nakeda takes a punch right to his stomach. That took the wind out of him momentarily.
Nakeda shoots in with a takedown attempt and he has Richards pinned against the cage. Richards gets the underhooks and manages to circle away.

Nakeda gets the takedown into side control.

Nakeda has had enough of the ground for now and decides to stand.
Nakeda lands with a slapping head kick.

That's four minutes gone in the round.
Nakeda will have to do better than that with his takedown attempts.
Richards steps to his left, right into the path of a big body kick from Nakeda. That one must have hurt.
Nakeda is looking to take this fight into the clinch.
Nakeda uses some good footwork to avoid the body shot by Richards.
Richards takes a jab on the nose. He smiles like he loves it and keeps coming.
Both fighters circling a little - Nakeda finishes the exchange with a kick to the body.
Nakeda throws a nice head kick!
And that’s the end of the round – the fighters go back to their corners.

Hiruki Nakeda dominated that round.
That's the end of the round. The referee orders the cornermen out of the ring so we can get back down to business.

Nakeda doesn't manage to clinch there - Richards circles away.
Richards darts in trying to clinch

and Nakeda counters with a shoot takedown into half guard.
Nakeda missing with the ground and pound from half guard.
Nakeda trying to control the action but Richards is working from the bottom.
Nakeda thows a big elbow that misses, also allowing Richards to regain full guard.
Nakeda sitting in guard, not really doing much.

That's one minute gone in the round.
Nakeda thows a big elbow that misses.
Richards is breathing heavily.

Nakeda thinks about going for a leg but decides against it, in order to maintain the position.
Richards keeping moving, preventing Nakeda from controlling successfully.
We get told so often about how wrestlers don't like to be on their backs. Let's see if Richards can do anything to dispel that myth.
Nakeda is going to have to think about doing something other than just controlling because Richards is managing to avoid having the position dictated to him.

The referee has ruled that neither fighter is active enough on the ground and has stood them back up.
A combination from Richards does no damage.

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.
Nakeda tries to clinch but Richards moves out of range.
Richards swings wildly with a couple of big hooks
and he gets countered with a snapping leg kick.
Horrible takedown by Nakeda or perhaps it was just good defense by Richards which made him look bad.
A really sloppy takedown attempt there from Nakeda.
Nakeda fails miserably with a takedown attempt.
That's three failed takedown attempts in the round for Hiruki Nakeda. That's going to take a lot out of him.
Nakeda shoots in for a takedown but Richards shows good takedown defense.
Chuck Richards seems to be the more aggressive standup fighter in this bout.

That's three minutes gone in the round.

Nakeda darts in and clinches Richards up against the ropes.

Nakeda's corner calls for him to break the clinch, which he does.
Richards avoids the body shot from Nakeda.
Richards darts in trying to clinch

and Nakeda counters with a nice shoot takedown that brings the fighters to the ground.
Nakeda wants to control from the top but Richards keeps moving.
Nakeda content to stall in guard here.

That's four minutes gone in the round.
Nakeda advances position into side control!
And that’s the end of the round – the fighters go back to their corners.

Hiruki Nakeda dominated that second round.
The referee calls time. The cornermen exit stage left and we're back to business. This is the final round!

Crunch! Nakeda slams his shin into Richards's torso.
Nakeda fails in his attempt to clinch.

Nakeda moves into the clinch.
Richards wants to strike at distance but he can't break free of the clinch.
Nakeda blocks a couple of punches on the inside.

Nakeda lands a takedown into guard.
The fighters are trapped in the ropes so we're going to have a reposition here. The ref calls for a break and repositions the fighters in the center of the ring.
Nakeda controlling from the guard. I say controlling but really, he's stalling.
Nakeda passes easily into side control. Nice work.
Richards takes a big intake of breath there - he's definitely tired.

That's one minute gone in the round.

Nakeda decides to take the fight back to the feet.

Nakeda has managed to clinch.

Nakeda has hold of one of Richards's legs. Richards is fighting the takedown attempt but Nakeda gets the trip and lands the takedown into guard.
Richards preventing the ground and pound from doing any damage.
Richards keeping moving, preventing Nakeda from controlling successfully.
Nakeda looking to pass the guard.
Nakeda working from the guard for now, landing some ground and pound.

That's two minutes gone in the round.
Nakeda trying to control but Richards is working from the bottom.
Nakeda throwing strikes but missing.
Nakeda tries to free his leg and advance position but Richards is retaining full guard.
Nakeda stays in close to Richards's body and controls the position.

The referee has ruled that neither fighter is active enough on the ground and has stood them back up.
Richards tries to clinch
and Nakeda counters with a slapping leg kick.

That's three minutes gone in the round.
Richards avoids the clinch attempt nicely.
Richards avoids the clinch attempt nicely.
Nakeda fails with a takedown attempt.
Nakeda tries to score a power double leg takedown but Richards sees that one coming and sprawls well. That will dishearten Nakeda somewhat.

Nakeda rushes Richards and pushes him back against the ropes in a clinch.

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.
Richards stops a takedown attempt from Nakeda.
That's three failed takedown attempts in the round for Hiruki Nakeda. That's going to take a lot out of him.
A nice right hand lands inside from Richards.
Richards takes an elbow to the forehead.
Chuck Richards has stepped it up - he knows he needs a finish here!
Nakeda prevents Richards from breaking the clinch.
Nakeda fails to pull guard.

Nakeda breaks the clinch and we're back to striking at distance.

The fight moves into the clinch position.
Nakeda drops down for a takedown but doesn't get it.

Richards is fighting off a takedown attempt but Nakeda is just too persistent for him and manages to trip Richards to the mat. Richards regains guard as soon as the fighters hit the mat.
The fighters are tangled up in the ropes here. We might need a restart if the fighters can't break free themselves.
Richards keeping moving, preventing Nakeda from controlling successfully.
Nakeda pushes down on Richards's leg and manages to get into half guard.

And that's the end of the fight!
Hiruki Nakeda showed his dominance in that final round.
Well Nakeda has outscored his opponent in every aspect of the fight today. Only a scarily incompetent judge or two will keep him from a well deserved win... 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 Kenichi Hosakawa scores the fight 30:27
Judge Shigeki Fujiwara scores the fight 30:27
Judge Tatsuya Matsuyama scores the fight 30:27

In favor of your winner, by unanimous decision... Hiruki Nakeda!