PBP Commentary

Coming up we have a middleweight MMA rules bout between Zhen Long (ranked 0 p4p, 0 weight class) and Claes Fleming (ranked 0 p4p, 0 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.

Long
vs
Fleming

181 cm
24
190 lbs
3 - 4 - 0

188 cm
22
185 lbs
0 - 0 - 0

BJJ White Belt
Solid boxing
Big right hand

BJJ Blue Belt
Excellent MT
Solid chin

Ladies and gentlemen. This fight is 3 rounds, in the middleweight division.
Introducing the fighter to my left, fighting out of the red corner.
With a record of 3 - 4 - 0, fighting out of Tokyo, Zhen Long!
And introducing the fighter to my right, fighting out of the blue corner.
With a record of 0 - 0 - 0, fighting out of Tokyo, Claes Fleming!
The judges for this bout are Shigeki Sano, Hirohito Nitta and Kenichi Hosakawa.

The bell rings for round one and we are underway!
Fleming avoids the clinch attempt nicely.
Long throws a head kick that misses and slips in the process. He scrambles back to his feet and the fighters circle.
Long throws a body kick but he was well out of range there.
Long fails with an attempt to clinch.
Long tries a switch kick but it misses it's target.
Nice sprawl there from Long as Fleming shoots in.
Fleming closes this distance looking for a takedown but Long circles away.
Zhen Long seems to be the more aggressive standup fighter in this bout.
Long moves into range and lands a nice leg kick.
We've had a slow start to the round here - hopefully the action picks up.
Fleming takes a body punch but keeps moving.
Fleming keeps the fight on the outside.
A telegraphed takedown attempt from Fleming is defended easily by Long.
Zhen Long has stuffed three takedown attempts in the round now. That's going to take a lot out of Claes Fleming.

That's one minute gone in the round.
Long does a little shimmy and throws a leg kick. The leg kick missed by a considerable margin though, making him look a little bit silly for doing the shimmy.
Long throws a combination but it was largely blocked by Fleming.
Fleming keeps the fight on the outside.
Long wants to clinch up but Fleming keeps it at a distance.
Long is looking to clinch.
Fleming fails miserably with a takedown attempt.
Long tries to clinch there but Fleming circles away.

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.
Long defends well against a solid takedown attempt from Fleming.
Fleming shoots in for a takedown. "I don't think so" says Long as he avoids it easily.
Long misses with a half-hearted attempt at a head kick.
Fleming lands with a nice low kick. That'll leave a bruise.
Fleming will have to do better than that with his takedown attempts.
Long connects with a good right hand that stumbles Fleming. Fleming circles away out of range and recomposes himself.
Zhen Long is looking to keep the fight on the feet at all costs.
Long tries to close the distance and clinch up but Fleming swats him away and circles back towards the center.
Long misses with the combination.

That's three minutes gone in the round.
Fleming changes levels and looks for a double leg takedown. Long tries to avoid it but Fleming manages to keep hold of a leg and drag Long to the ground. Long escapes though and pops straight back up to his feet.
Long tries to clinch but Fleming is having none of it.
Long swings for the body but Fleming moves out of range.
Long tries to clinch up.
Fleming will have to do better than that with his takedown attempts.
Fleming keeps the fight on the outside.
Fleming looks for a takedown but Long sprawls well.
Fleming keeps the fight on the outside.

That's four 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.
Fleming cracks the inside of Long's front leg.
Long tries to close the distance and clinch but Fleming swats him to one side with an open hand palm strike and circles away.
Long tries to close the distance and clinch up but Fleming swats him away and circles back towards the center.
Fleming swats away the attempt to clinch by Long.
Long is breathing heavily.
Fleming keeps the fight on the outside.
The crowd thankful this round is nearly over.
Fleming feints with a shoulder and throws a nice leg kick to Long's calf.
And that’s the end of the round – the fighters go back to their corners.

Zhen Long dominated that round.
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.

Fleming shoots for a takedown but Long saw that one coming a mile off and avoided it easily.
Fleming keeping his hands up high there, blocking the jab from Long.
Fleming changes levels and looks for a double leg takedown. Long tries to avoid it but Fleming manages to keep hold of a leg and drag Long to the ground. Long escapes though and pops straight back up to his feet.
Long is looking to clinch.
Long throws a series of punches but Fleming moves out of range.
Long wants to clinch up but Fleming keeps it at a distance.
We've had a slow start to the round here - hopefully the action picks up.
Long tries to close the distance and clinch up against the cage but Fleming paws at him with a jab and circles away.
Long swings and misses with a hook to the body.
Zhen Long is looking to throw some combinations by the looks of things.
Long fails with an attempt to clinch.

That's one minute gone in the round.
Fleming buckles his opponent's knee momentarily with a nice leg kick.
Both fighters are absolutely exhausted here.
A really sloppy takedown attempt there from Fleming.
Zhen Long has stuffed three takedown attempts in the round now. That's going to take a lot out of Claes Fleming.
Long is looking to clinch.
A head kick misses from Long.
Long stuffs the takedown attempt from Fleming. Fleming gets slowly back to his feet.
Fleming shoots in but Long avoids the takedown attempt easily.
The fight stays on the outside here - Long looks like he's thinking about clinching though.

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.
Long misses with a half-hearted attempt at a head kick.
Fleming shoots in looking for a takedown. Long tries to sprawl out of it but Fleming keeps driving through. The fighters are pinned against the cage. Long manages to get underhooks and after a bit of a struggle, circles away and we're back to standing.
Fleming avoids the clinch attempt nicely.
Long throws a series of punches but Fleming moves out of range.

That's three minutes gone in the round.
Fleming fails with a rather predictable takedown attempt.
Fleming shoots in looking for a takedown. Long tries to sprawl out of it but Fleming keeps driving through. The fighters are pinned against the cage. Long manages to get underhooks and after a bit of a struggle, circles away and we're back to standing.
A nice leg kick lands there from Fleming.
Fleming shoots in looking for a takedown. Long tries to sprawl out of it but Fleming keeps driving through. The fighters are pinned against the cage. Long manages to get underhooks and after a bit of a struggle, circles away and we're back to standing.
Long takes a nice looking leg kick right on the meat of his thigh there.

That's four minutes gone in the round.
A nice leg kick lands there from Fleming.
Fleming shoots in for a takedown but doesn't get it.
A telegraphed takedown attempt from Fleming is defended easily by Long.
Long takes a nice looking leg kick right on the meat of his thigh there.
Boooooooooooooooooooo!!! God, this has been a terrible round. Come on you two, sort yourselves out!
Fleming tries to shoot in for a takedown. He's got hold of a leg but Long swivels and escapes.
And that’s the end of the round – the fighters go back to their corners.

A close second round but Claes Fleming will probably get the nod - 10:9.
That's the end of the round. The referee orders the cornermen out of the cage so we can get back down to business. This is the final round!

Fleming has Long up against the cage in a clinch.
Long misses with a knee strike.
Long throws a knee to the head but misses.
Fleming is pushing Long up against the cage, for a bit of lean and pray action. Action being used the in the loosest possible sense of the word.

Fleming manages to break the clinch.
Fleming shoots in and drives through. Long sprawls well.
We've had a slow start to the round here - hopefully the action picks up.
A chopping leg kick lands by Fleming.
Long throws a wild combination but nothing lands.
Fleming looks for a takedown here. Will he get it? Long is fending him off so far but Fleming persists. Nope, Long circles away and we're back to standing.
Long is hobbling a little on that front leg after taking quite a few leg kicks so far in this fight.
Both fighters are breathing heavily.

That's one minute gone in the round.
Long tries to clinch up.
Long fails to land with a series of punches.
Long is looking to clinch.
Fleming fakes high and shoots in for a takedown but Long avoids it really well and circles away.
Zhen Long has stuffed three takedown attempts in the round now. That's going to take a lot out of Claes Fleming.
A nice leg kick lands there from Fleming.
Fleming fails with a takedown attempt.

That's two minutes gone in the round.
The crowd are starting to boo a lack of action.
Fleming shoots in for a double leg but Long sprawls well. That's going to sap some energy.
Fleming thumps Long with a low kick.
Fleming shoots in but no luck this time.
Good leg kick by Fleming there. It's the ones that make that thud noise that hurt and that was an almighty thud.
Fleming cracks the inside of Long's front leg.
Fleming tries for a takedown but Long sees it coming a mile off and avoids it easily.
Long leaves Fleming with his face pressed against the mat as he sprawls beautifully, defending against a solid takedown attempt.

That's three minutes gone in the round.
Fleming is trying hard to land a takedown here. Long sprawls well and keeps this one on the feet.
Fleming avoids the clinch attempt nicely.
An inside leg kick lands from Fleming.
Long keeps the fight standing with a nice sprawl.
Fleming is trying hard to land a takedown here. Long sprawls well and keeps this one on the feet.
Horrible takedown by Fleming or perhaps it was just good defense by Long which made him look bad.

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.
A solid leg kick lands there for Fleming.
Fleming shoots for a double leg takedown but Long sprawls well. He's pushed Fleming's face into the mat and manages to get back to his feet relatively easily.
Fleming shoots in but Long avoids the takedown attempt easily.
Fleming looks for a takedown here. Will he get it? Long is fending him off so far but Fleming persists. Nope, Long circles away and we're back to standing.
The crowd thankful this round is nearly over.
Fleming buckles his opponent's knee momentarily with a nice leg kick.

And that's the end of the fight!
I would just about give that final round to Claes Fleming.
I think Fleming has won this one but let's see whether the judges agree with me. 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 Shigeki Sano scores the fight 28:29
Judge Hirohito Nitta scores the fight 28:29
Judge Kenichi Hosakawa scores the fight 28:29

In favor of your winner, by unanimous decision... Claes Fleming!