PBP Commentary

Coming up we have a heavyweight MMA rules bout between Xiang Li (ranked 0 p4p, 0 weight class) and Masahiro Tanaka (ranked 0 p4p, 0 weight class). Tanaka is bobbing his head along to his entrance song: Debonaire by Dope. Over to our ring announcer for the fighter introductions!

Li
vs
Tanaka

188 cm
19
225 lbs
2 - 3 - 0

195 cm
18
265 lbs
3 - 1 - 0

BJJ Blue Belt
Counter striker
Big heart

BJJ Blue Belt
Brawler
Solid chin

Ladies and gentlemen. This fight is 3 rounds, in the heavyweight division.
Introducing the fighter to my left, fighting out of the red corner.
With a record of 2 - 3 - 0, fighting out of Tokyo, Xiang Li!
And introducing the fighter to my right, fighting out of the blue corner.
With a record of 3 - 1 - 0, fighting out of Tokyo, Masahiro Tanaka!
The judges for this bout are Tatsuya Matsuyama, Ren Mimura and Yukihiro Yamamoto.

The bell rings for round one and we are underway!
Li tries to close the distance and clinch up but Tanaka swats him away and circles back towards the center.
Tanaka rushes forward with a series of wild hooks but Li moves out of range and avoids them all easily.
Masahiro Tanaka seems to be the more aggressive standup fighter in this bout.
Tanaka just misses with a punch to the body.
Li tries to clinch up.
Li tries to close the distance and clinch but Tanaka swats him to one side with an open hand palm strike and circles away.

Li has managed to clinch.

Li jumps guard.
Tanaka preventing the sweep.

Tanaka drops back for a leg but he's not going to get it - he lets go and Li dives on top into guard.

Tanaka looking for a guillotine here but Li defends easily.
Li trying to control but Tanaka is working from the bottom.
Tanaka throws a couple of weedy looking strikes off his back.
Li is looking to stand up but Tanaka won't let him.
Li trying to control the position from guard on top but Tanaka is wriggling around, looking for whatever he can.
The ref warns both fighters not to hold the cage as they work up against the meshing.

That's one minute gone in the round.
Li with a flurry of punches that miss.
Li wants to stand but Tanaka has a closed guard, so he can't escape.

Tanaka looking for submissions from the bottom here. Moving his hips around, possibly looking for an armbar.
Tanaka is pulling down on Li's head. It's preventing any offense from Li, at least for the moment.
Li trying to control but Tanaka is working from the bottom.
Li pushing down on Tanaka's thigh, trying to pass to half guard. He's managed it... Nice work.

Li seems to be looking for submissions.
Li is breathing heavily.
Tanaka is not content to let Li control the position.

Tanaka actively working from the bottom here.

That's two minutes gone in the round.
Well. There's a bit of a lull in the action here and the crowd are starting to get restless.
Tanaka wants to get back to his feet.
Li tries to stand but his arm is trapped.
The fighters are going at a pretty good pace and they're both starting to sweat now.
Tanaka is not content to let Li control the position.
Tanaka makes his way to full guard. A much better position for Tanaka.
Li has decided he wants to stand but the closed guard of Tanaka is proving hard to escape from.

It looks like we're going to have a standup here. Neither fight is doing enough on the ground.
Tanaka shoots for a double leg takedown but Li sprawls well. He's pushed Tanaka's face into the mat and manages to get back to his feet relatively easily.

Li shoots in and gets a takedown into half guard. Li showed some decent athleticism there.
Tanaka is in trouble now - Li has advanced to mount!

Li with some aggressive grappling here. He's looking for submissions here, rather than waiting for the opportunity to counter.

That's three minutes gone in the round.

Li looks like he's working for a submission but he's not found anything just yet.
Tanaka blocking the ground and pound.
Tanaka avoids a series of strikes thrown by Li.
Tanaka working to try and regain half guard.

Li is working for a guillotine from mount but Tanaka frees his head quite easily.
The fighters are pressed up against the cage, both looking to find a bit of space to work.
Tanaka is just holding on here. Li manages to take his back.
Tanaka turns into Li and is now in his guard.

Li throwing his legs up looking for a triangle.
Li 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.

That's four minutes gone in the round.
The crowd are starting to boo a lack of action.
Li can't keep his opponent in guard - Tanaka advances to half guard, no doubt looking to mount.
Tanaka is trying to control the action in half guard but Li is working away on the bottom, looking perhaps to get back to full guard.

Tanaka is trying to work for a kimura. He's got his hands clasped together - this could be trouble! No, Li has managed to free his arm - good work.
Li manages to get to full guard.
Li throws some shots to the body, keeping his opponent honest.
Tanaka passes Li's right leg, so he's now in half guard.
Li manages to get to full guard.

Li working for a triangle but Tanaka defends it easily.
Tanaka looking to pass the guard.
And that’s the end of the round – the fighters go back to their corners.

Xiang Li dominated that round.
The fighters get back to their feet, the hooter sounds and we're back to the action!

Tanaka lands with a thumping leg kick.
Tanaka tries for a takedown but Li circles away easily

and Li moves into the clinch.
Li tries to take the fight to the ground by pulling guard but can't manage it.
Li drops down for a takedown but doesn't get it.
Li tries to land a knee to the head but Tanaka blocks with his arms.
Li misses with a knee strike.
Li stalling.

Li breaks the clinch and we're back to striking at distance.
Tanaka tries for a takedown but Li circles away easily

and Li counters with a takedown into full mount! That could mean trouble for Tanaka!
Tanaka is wriggling around trying to escape.
Both fighters are absolutely exhausted here.
Li wants to control the pace but Tanaka is squirming around nicely.

That's one minute gone in the round.
Tanaka tries to hold on but Li postures up.
Tanaka is wriggling around trying to escape.
Li sends his fist crashing into the mat - the crowd let out a collective ooooooh. Let's hope he's not broken it!
Li prevents Tanaka from getting the reversal.
Tanaka is persisting with the attempt to improve his position.
Li looking to control but Tanaka is working nicely, looking to advance position himself.

Li has control of Tanaka's right arm, working for a kimura. It's a bit of a token attempt though and Tanaka regains control of the situation pretty easily.
Li lands with some vicious ground and pound - can Tanaka hang on?
Tanaka taking shots to the head.

That's two minutes gone in the round.
Li is still in mount, landing shots to his trapped opponent. Tanaka can't stay in a position like this for much longer.

Tanaka is rocked!
Xiang Li overall seems to be getting the better of the ground position in the fight so far.
Li tucks in and makes sure he doesn't lose the dominant position.
Tanaka is still in real trouble! Can Li finish him?
This has been an exciting period of action!
Li with good strikes from the mount here!
Li tries to control but Tanaka wriggling away.

Li stands up from the dominant position. He obviously fancies his chances standing.

Li shoots in for a takedown. Oh, that's a huge slam! Tanaka is on queer street and Li is pounding down on him with a barage of strikes. The ref is forced to step in and stop the fight. Great finish!

Ladies and gentlemen, after 2:29 of round 2, we have a winner by way of TKO (Slam). Xiang Li!