PBP Commentary

Coming up we have a featherweight MMA rules bout between Akihiro Murakami (ranked 0 p4p, 0 weight class) and Kamaneto Funaki (ranked 0 p4p, 0 weight class). The key to victory for Akihiro Murakami has got to be keeping the fight on the feet.

Murakami
vs
Funaki

165 cm
22
149 lbs
1 - 2 - 0

168 cm
18
150 lbs
0 - 0 - 0

BJJ Purple Belt
Brawler
Cuts easily

BJJ Purple Belt
Brawler
Granite chin

[MMABR] SOLID Nutritional - Tokyo's Best!!

Ladies and gentlemen. This fight is 3 rounds, in the featherweight division.
Introducing the fighter to my left, fighting out of the red corner.
With a record of 1 - 2 - 0, fighting out of Tokyo, Akihiro Murakami!
And introducing the fighter to my right, fighting out of the blue corner.
With a record of 0 - 0 - 0, fighting out of Tokyo, Kamaneto Funaki!
The judges for this bout are Yuuki Gou, Shigeki Sano and Taro Takaoka.

The bell rings for round one and we are underway!
Funaki throws a sloppy head kick and Murakami moves out of range easily.
Funaki wants to clinch.
Funaki on the wrong end of a nice jab.
Murakami throws a couple of head shots and lands with the final one - a decent hook, which struck Funaki on the side of the head.
Murakami moves into range and throws a lovely three punch combination.
Funaki throws a leg kick but Murakami sees it coming and moves out of range.

Funaki moves into the clinch.
Murakami prevents Funaki from breaking the clinch.
Murakami wants to get back to striking at distance but Funaki won't allow it.
Funaki throws a punch but it's blocked by Murakami.
Funaki keeps control of Murakami as he tries to wriggle out of the double underhooks.
Funaki fails to pull the fight into his guard.
Murakami working hard to break the clinch.

Funaki's corner calls for him to break the clinch, which he does.
Funaki tries to close the distance and clinch up but Murakami swats him away and circles back towards the center.
Some wild striking there from Murakami.
Murakami misses with a two punch combination.

That's one minute gone in the round.
Funaki uses good head movement to avoid the hook from Murakami.
Funaki misses with a combination
and Murakami counters with a left and a right that stings Funaki.
Murakami will need to tighten up his combinations if he doesn't want to gas himself out, swinging at thin air.
Murakami throws a big shot that misses.

Funaki drops down and drives through with a powerful takedown into guard.
Funaki forces his way into half guard.
Funaki tries to pass the half guard into mount. Murakami knows what he's doing though and prevents the attempt.
Funaki throwing shots but Murakami is blocking nicely.
Murakami avoiding damage under a succession of punches from Funaki.

That's two minutes gone in the round.
Funaki is pressing down on Murakami's thigh, looking to free his foot. Murakami is holding on for now.

Funaki escapes and gets back to his feet.
Funaki misses with a body shot.

Funaki shoots in and scores a nice double leg takedown into half guard.
Funaki is just sitting in half guard, waiting for something to happen.

That's three minutes gone in the round.
Funaki thows a huge punch but Murakami dodges it nicely.
Funaki missing with the ground and pound from half guard.
Funaki uses his free foot to push down on Murakami's thigh. Eventually he works his other foot free and he's advanced to mount - this is trouble for Murakami.
Funaki tucks in and makes sure he doesn't lose the dominant position.
I looks like Funaki might be adopting somewhat of a lay and pray gameplan here, which I'm sure won't go down too well with the paying fans in attendance... Or the ring announcers come to think of it.

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.
Funaki throwing shots from mount but they're not landing.
Funaki throwing shots from mount but they're not landing.
Funaki tucks in and makes sure he doesn't lose the dominant position.
Funaki scoring with strikes but Murakami is staying in there.

Funaki gets to his feet and calls his opponent to stand. Here come the fireworks!

Funaki shoots in and scores a nice double leg takedown into half guard.
Funaki tries to pass the half guard into mount. Murakami knows what he's doing though and prevents the attempt.
And that’s the end of the round – the fighters go back to their corners.

Kamaneto Funaki dominated that round.
The referee calls time. The cornermen exit stage left and we're back to business.

A slow jab from Murakami misses its intended target.

Funaki drives through with a really nice takedown into side control.
Funaki tries to land with some ground and pound but misses.
Funaki is pausing for a moment. What's he doing? It looks like he's clearing his nose. Oh dude! He's shot a load of snot all down Murakami's shoulder. That is not cool.
Murakami tries to buck Funaki off but Funaki is having none of it.

Funaki decides to stand back up.
Murakami thows a body shot but no joy.

That's one minute gone in the round.
No joy there for Murakami, who threw a few shots but didn't land.
Murakami fails to land with the punch combination there - jab, cross, hook, miss, miss, miss.
Both fighters are absolutely exhausted here.

Funaki has managed to clinch.
Funaki trying to stall but Murakami improves his position.
The fighters are pressed against the cage, as the pace of the fight slows.
Murakami prevents a takedown attempt there.
Murakami wants to push off and get back to the center of the mat but Funaki has him pressed against the cage.
Funaki tries to take the fight to the ground by pulling guard but can't manage it.
Funaki tries to take the fight to the ground by pulling guard but can't manage it.
Akihiro Murakami has stuffed three takedown attempts in the round now. That's going to take a lot out of Kamaneto Funaki.

Funaki's corner calls for him to break the clinch, which he does.

Funaki looks for a takedown. He's got it. We're now in half guard.
Funaki looking to pass the half guard. Not this time.

That's two minutes gone in the round.

Funaki gets to his feet - back to striking we go!

Funaki shoots in and scores a nice double leg takedown into half guard.
Murakami is trying to stand.
Funaki content to control rather than advance.

Funaki is looking for a kimura here.

That's three minutes gone in the round.
Murakami keeping his head moving to avoid the ground and pound.
Murakami wants to get back to his feet.
Funaki thumps the canvas. Not on purpose obviously - he just missed Murakami's head.

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.
Funaki throwing punches and elbows but they're not doing any damage.
Funaki throwing shots but they're hitting the canvas more than the man.
The ref warns both fighters not to hold the cage as they work up against the meshing.

Well, the referee has seen enough. Neither fighter is active enough on the ground so he's stood them back up.

Funaki shoots in from a long way out. He's driving through with the takedown attempt and he eventually gets it, landing in Murakami's guard.
Funaki is frustrating his opponent with some stalling tactics from top position.
Murakami avoiding any damage from the ground and pound.
And that’s the end of the round – the fighters go back to their corners.

Kamaneto Funaki showed his class in that round. I'd imagine he'll take it on all the scorecards.
That's time! Murakami's corner gives him a slap on the ass as he gets ready to fight. Ladies and gentlemen, this is the final round!

Funaki misses with a head kick.
Murakami throws a hook to the body but it doesn't connect.
A jab from Murakami misses.
Murakami misses with a hook.
Murakami circles away from the clinch attempt.
Murakami swinging wilding here.
Murakami swinging wilding here.
Funaki misses with a double jab.
Murakami throws a right and a left that both miss.

Funaki shoots in for a takedown and gets it. Oh and he's advanced to full mount straight away.
Funaki controlling the position easily from mount.
Both fighters are breathing heavily.

That's one minute gone in the round.
Funaki throwing sloppy strikes here. Perhaps if he tightened up his striking from such a dominant position, he'd be able to finish easier.
Funaki misses with a series of strikes from mount. He'll no doubt be working on his ground and pound when he gets back to the gym.
Murakami is really trying hard to get back to his feet.
Funaki misses with a series of strikes from mount. He'll no doubt be working on his ground and pound when he gets back to the gym.
Funaki controlling from mount.
Kamaneto Funaki has got the better of the ground game so far.

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.

That's three minutes gone in the round.

Funaki jumps to side control looking for an arm triangle but Murakami manages to avoid the submission attempt.
Funaki tries to land with some ground and pound but misses.

Funaki decides to stand back up. Funaki steps back and let's Murakami get back to his feet.
Murakami misses with a wild body shot.

Funaki shoots in looking for a single leg takedown. Murakami is trying to defend but Funaki finishes it well and ends up in half guard. Let's see if he can advance position further.

That's four minutes gone in the round.
Funaki sitting in half guard, looking to land shots. Murakami defending well though.
Funaki stalling.
Funaki moves nicely into side control.
The crowd thankful this round is nearly over.
Murakami pushes Funaki away and creates a bit of space to escape. He's almost out here... but no, Funaki gets a good hold of his legs and remains firmly in side control.

And that's the end of the fight!
Kamaneto Funaki comfortably won the final round on my scorecard.
I've got Funaki 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 Yuuki Gou scores the fight 27:30
Judge Shigeki Sano scores the fight 27:30
Judge Taro Takaoka scores the fight 27:30

In favor of your winner, by unanimous decision... Kamaneto Funaki!