PBP Commentary

Coming up we have a light heavyweight MMA rules bout between Brian Schulte (ranked 0 p4p, 0 weight class) and Taka Tanaka (ranked 0 p4p, 0 weight class). The crowd seem to be enjoying Tanaka's choice of entrance music: Muse - Citizen Erased. 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!

Schulte
vs
Tanaka

185 cm
22
217 lbs
8 - 3 - 1

196 cm
22
205 lbs
8 - 4 - 0

Good wrestling
Excellent boxer
Cardio machine

Decent wrestler
Excellent MT
Powerful

Broken Halo Pride Nutrition

[MMABR] WIN Nutritional
[MMABR] WIN Nutritional

Ladies and gentlemen. This fight is 3 rounds, in the light heavyweight division.
Introducing the fighter to my left, fighting out of the red corner.
With a record of 8 - 3 - 1, fighting out of Las Vegas, Brian Schulte!
And introducing the fighter to my right, fighting out of the blue corner.
With a record of 8 - 4 - 0, fighting out of Las Vegas, Taka Tanaka!
The judges for this bout are Daniel Franklin, Chris Downing and Cecil Peabody.

The bell rings for round one and we are underway!
Tanaka tries to close the distance and clinch up but Schulte swats him away and circles back towards the center.

Tanaka closes the distance and pushes Schulte back into the cage.
Tanaka looking to throw knees to the head but Schulte is blocking nicely.
Tanaka misses the knee to the body. Nice hip positioning from Schulte.
Tanaka gets double underhooks to prevent a takedown attempt from Schulte.

Schulte lands a takedown into guard.
Schulte throwing shots from guard but he's hitting more mat than opponent.
Schulte pressing down on his opponent's thigh, looking to pass guard. Tanaka is keeping the position for now.
Schulte wants to control from the top but Tanaka keeps moving.
Schulte throws a big right hand that misses.
Schulte might be looking to lock onto one of his opponent's long limbs for a submission, whilst we're on the ground.
Schulte postures up to throw the ground and pound strikes but they don't connect.

That's one minute gone in the round.
Tanaka avoiding any damage from the ground and pound.
Schulte stands up and looks to throw the legs aside to pass to side control. Tanaka swivels though and keeps the full guard.
Schulte wants to control from the top but Tanaka keeps moving.

The referee decides to stand the fighters back up.

Tanaka clinches.
Good anti-grappling being displayed by Schulte as Tanaka tries to tie him up.
Schulte tries for a takedown. No joy.
Schulte tries a shoulder strike but it doesn't do any damage.
Schulte has Tanaka pressed up against the cage and is working for takedown. Tanaka manages to improve position though and keeps the fight standing.
That's three failed takedown attempts in the round for Brian Schulte. That's going to take a lot out of him.
A head punch on the inside from Schulte fails to land.
Tanaka with an attempt at a knee that misses.

Schulte breaks the clinch.

Schulte scores with a takedown into Tanaka's guard.
Schulte postures up in Tanaka's guard and throws a big left but Tanaka blocks it.

That's two minutes gone in the round.
Schulte slows down the pace of the fight, as he sits in guard.
Tanaka avoiding any damage from the ground and pound.
Schulte wants to control from the top but Tanaka keeps moving.
Tanaka preventing the ground and pound from doing any damage.
Schulte's corner is telling him to maintain position.

That's three minutes gone in the round.
Tanaka preventing the ground and pound from doing any damage.
Schulte trying to control but Tanaka is working from the bottom.
Tanaka really doesn't want to stay on the ground with Schulte. If he can't get it back to his feet, it's only a matter of time before he'll be tapping out.

The referee has ruled that neither fighter is active enough on the ground and has stood them back up.
Tanaka doesn't manage to clinch there - Schulte circles away.

Tanaka clinches with his opponent.
Tanaka fails to pull the fight into his guard.
Tanaka tries a knee to the head but he's missed.
Schulte has a body lock and is looking for a takedown. Tanaka is bouncing around trying to prevent the takedown and somehow he has indeed managed to stay on his feet.
Nice body punch from Schulte - that landed with a thud.
Schulte is trying to break free.
Schulte misses with the head strike.
Schulte avoiding damage as Tanaka throws knees to the body.
Schulte lands a hook that snaps the head of Tanaka backwards.
Tanaka landing knees to the body. They look like they could hurt.
Schulte lands a hook to the side of the head.

Tanaka breaks the clinch.
Schulte digs a good body shot into Tanaka's ribs.

That's four minutes gone in the round.

Tanaka closes the distance and clinches.
Schulte drops down for a takedown but doesn't get it.
Schulte avoids the elbow strike from Tanaka, against the cage.
Schulte has hold of a leg and is looking for a trip takedown. Tanaka avoids it nicely though and we remain in the clinch.
Schulte effectively controlling the action here.
Schulte is trying to work for a single leg takedown but Tanaka pulls him back up using the underhooks.
Schulte lands a nice shot to the body.
Tanaka prevents Schulte from breaking the clinch.
Tanaka fails to pull the fight into his guard.
Schulte keeps control of Tanaka as he tries to wriggle out of the double underhooks.

Tanaka's corner calls for him to break the clinch, which he does.
Tanaka throws a head kick that misses.
Tanaka doesn't succeed with the takedown
and Schulte counters with a series of strikes. Tanaka will be more careful next time no doubt.
Schulte misses with a jab and misses with a cross straight after too.
Tanaka uses some good footwork to avoid the body shot by Schulte.
And that’s the end of the round – the fighters go back to their corners.

Brian Schulte 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.

Schulte will need to tighten up his combinations if he doesn't want to gas himself out, swinging at thin air.
Tanaka throws a head kick that misses and slips in the process. He scrambles back to his feet and the fighters circle.
Schulte bobs and weaves and throws out a fast jab that snaps Tanaka's head backwards.
Schulte lands a jab followed by a nice looking cross.
Tanaka tries to clinch but fails miserably

and Schulte counters with a takedown into side control.
Tanaka is not content to let Schulte control the position.
Schulte working the ground and pound but he's contacting the mat, not the fighter.
Schulte with the ground and pound but Tanaka regains half guard under the barage of strikes.

Schulte is sneakily working for an arm triangle but Tanaka sees it coming and defends easily.

That's one minute gone in the round.
Schulte trying to control the pace.
Schulte has been looking to land a fair amount of strikes on the ground. He might be looking to soften his opponent up in order to work for a submission.

Tanaka is defending against the submission attempts here by Schulte.
Tanaka is looking to escape.

That's two minutes gone in the round.
There's not a lot going on here and the crowd are letting the fighters know they're not willing to tolerate a lack of action.
Schulte is looking to pass the guard... He's managed it - he's now in full mount!
The referee warns Tanaka that he has to improve his position here as he takes two more clean shots to the head.

Schulte working to secure an arm triangle but it's not happening for him just yet.
Schulte punishing his opponent with strikes.

That's three minutes gone in the round.
Schulte trying to control but he's not successful this time.
Schulte throwing sloppy strikes here. Perhaps if he tightened up his striking from such a dominant position, he'd be able to finish easier.
Tanaka is looking to improve his position but Schulte isn't that keen on the idea.
Schulte content just to control the position here.

Schulte jumps to side control looking for an arm triangle but Tanaka manages to avoid the submission attempt.

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.
Schulte wants to lay and pray for a moment but Tanaka keeps working.
Schulte is working Tanaka over with some ground and pound from side control.
Tanaka being controlled for a moment.
And that’s the end of the round – the fighters go back to their corners.

Brian Schulte dominated that second round.
That's time! Schulte's corner gives him a slap on the ass as he gets ready to fight. This is the final round!

Schulte lands a jab to Tanaka's midsection.
Tanaka doesn't succeed with the takedown
and Schulte counters with a shot to the ribs. That looked like it hurt.
Schulte scores with a shot to the body.

Schulte drops down and drives through with a powerful takedown into guard.
Schulte's corner is telling him to maintain position.
Schulte loading up with the ground and pound but he's missing more than he's landing in this flurry.
Schulte trying to control but Tanaka is working from the bottom.

That's one minute gone in the round.
Schulte trying to pass the guard but can't manage it just yet.
Schulte throwing strikes from guard but Tanaka blocks nicely.
Schulte lands a couple of decent looking shots.
Schulte slows down the pace of the fight, as he sits in guard.
Tanaka keeping moving, preventing Schulte from controlling successfully.

That's two 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.

The referee stands the fighters back up. Brian Schulte just wasn't active enough from the dominant position.

Schulte shoots in and bounces Tanaka off the cage to secure the takedown into guard.
The ref warns both fighters not to hold the cage as they work up against the meshing.
Schulte throwing strikes but missing.
The fighters are pressed up against the cage, both looking to find a bit of space to work.
A big thud reverberates around the arena there as Schulte accidentally thumps the mat. Hopefully he's not broken his hand.
Schulte postures up and lands a big shot to Tanaka's brow.

That's three minutes gone in the round.
Schulte wants to pass the guard but Tanaka is keeping the position.
Schulte trying to control the position from guard on top but Tanaka is wriggling around, looking for whatever he can.
Schulte with a flurry of punches that miss.
Schulte throwing strikes from guard but Tanaka blocks nicely.
Schulte wants to control from the top but Tanaka keeps moving.
Schulte pressing down on his opponent's thigh, looking to pass guard. Tanaka is keeping the position for now.

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.
Schulte throwing strikes but missing.
Schulte trying to control the position from guard on top but Tanaka is wriggling around, looking for whatever he can.

Well, the referee has seen enough. Neither fighter is active enough on the ground so he's stood them back up.
Schulte circles away from the clinch attempt
and Schulte counters with a shot to the ribs. That looked like it hurt.
Schulte lands with a straight right. Tanaka didn't see that one coming.
Taka Tanaka has stepped it up - he knows he needs a finish here!

Tanaka moves into the clinch successfully.
Schulte is trying to work out of this bad position, with his back against the cage.

And that's the end of the fight!
Brian Schulte showed his dominance in that final round.
Well I reckon that's a shut out for Schulte, 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 Daniel Franklin scores the fight 30:27
Judge Chris Downing scores the fight 30:27
Judge Cecil Peabody scores the fight 30:27

In favor of your winner, by unanimous decision... Brian Schulte!