PBP Commentary

Coming up we have a featherweight MMA rules bout between Sloat Gresham (ranked 0 p4p, 0 weight class) and Tetsuya Takimoto (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.

Gresham
vs
Takimoto

173 cm
25
153 lbs
11 - 7 - 1

176 cm
26
157 lbs
11 - 6 - 0

BJJ Brown Belt
Dangerous knees
Very strong

BJJ Purple Belt
Excellent boxer
Granite chin

Ladies and gentlemen. This fight is 3 rounds, for the featherweight championship of the world!
Introducing the champion to my left, fighting out of the red corner.
With a record of 11 - 7 - 1, fighting out of Rio de Janeiro, Sloat Gresham!
And introducing the challenger to my right, fighting out of the blue corner.
With a record of 11 - 6 - 0, fighting out of Rio de Janeiro, Tetsuya Takimoto!
The judges for this bout are Seu Braga, Alexandre Firmino and Matheus Silva.

The bell rings for round one and we are underway!
Takimoto slaps away a takedown attempt from Gresham, before circling back to the center of the mat.
Gresham fails with a rather predictable takedown attempt.
Sloat Gresham seems to be the more aggressive standup fighter in this bout.
Gresham shoots in but no luck this time.
That's three failed takedown attempts in the round for Sloat Gresham. That's going to take a lot out of him.
Takimoto scores with a big left there. The judges will like that one.
Gresham thows a body shot but no joy.
Takimoto stuffs the takedown attempt from Gresham. Gresham gets slowly back to his feet.
Takimoto swings away but doesn't land with a series of punches.
Takimoto dodges the punch combination from Gresham.
Gresham looks to land a combination but Takimoto avoids it well.
Takimoto fakes a head punch and goes low to the body. Nicely done.
Takimoto defending well as Gresham loads up on a big left hand.

That's one minute gone in the round.
Gresham scores with a nice looking left hook and follows it up with an uppercut!
Gresham jabbing away but nothing is landing.
Takimoto misses with a body punch

and Gresham counters with a single leg into guard. Takimoto didn't expect that.
Gresham pushes down on Takimoto's leg and manages to get into half guard.
Takimoto is not content to let Gresham control the position.
Gresham trying to control the pace.

Takimoto looking for submissions from an awkward position here.

That's two minutes gone in the round.
Takimoto tries to roll over but Gresham keeps him under control.
The ref warns both fighters not to hold the cage as they work up against the meshing.
Gresham wants to stand but Takimoto has hold of a leg and an arm, so he's trapped for now.
Gresham keeping composed on the top, looking to control the action.
If this pace continues, the referee will definitely step in and force a standup.
Gresham wants to pass the guard but Takimoto is defending well.
Takimoto keeping his head moving to avoid the ground and pound.

Gresham looking for a kimura but he'll have to free his other leg if he wants to finish that. Perhaps he's just using it as a distraction technique.
Gresham is looking to pass the guard... He's managed it - he's now in full mount!

That's three minutes gone in the round.
Takimoto has given up his back. Will we see Gresham going for some submissions?
Takimoto covering up well and avoiding damage.

Gresham working for a choke but Takimoto reverses nicely into Gresham 's guard.

That's four minutes gone in the round.
My god... these two guys really need to pick up the pace or everyone will leave to go get a beer.

Takimoto thinks about going for a leg but decides against it, in order to maintain the position.

Takimoto decides to stand up and beckons his opponent to follow.
Gresham tries to close the distance and clinch up against the cage but Takimoto paws at him with a jab and circles away.
Gresham rushes forward with a series of wild hooks but Takimoto moves out of range and avoids them all easily.
Gresham shoots in for a takedown but Takimoto shows good takedown defense there and keeps this one on the feet.
Gresham will need to tighten up his combinations if he doesn't want to gas himself out, swinging at thin air.
Gresham misses with a combination
and Takimoto counters with a straight punch to the midsection.
Gresham misses with a double jab.
And that’s the end of the round – the fighters go back to their corners.

That was a close round but I would say that Sloat Gresham will probably get the nod.
That's time! Gresham's corner gives him a slap on the ass as he gets ready to fight.

Gresham connects with a good right hand that stumbles Takimoto. Takimoto circles away out of range and recomposes himself.
Gresham keeping a good distance there, avoiding the body shot.
Takimoto lands with a good body shot.
Takimoto throws a body punch but Gresham moves out of range.
Gresham shoots in but no luck this time.
Gresham keeping his hands up high there, blocking the jab from Takimoto.
Gresham darts in trying to clinch
enabling Takimoto to counter with a crisp jab.
Takimoto is throwing a lot of body shots here, looking to wear down Gresham rather than just go for the knockout.
Takimoto lands the left hand.
Takimoto moves away from the strike by Gresham.
Gresham lands with a good body shot.

That's one minute gone in the round.
Takimoto takes a swing at Gresham's ribcage but misses.
Takimoto darts in and out, connecting with a jab.
Gresham misses with a jab and misses with a cross straight after too.
Gresham swings wildly with a couple of big hooks
and Takimoto counters with a quick right hand to the jaw.
Gresham swinging wildly here.
Gresham loads up on a big right hand but Takimoto slips the punch.
Takimoto misses with a body shot. Nice footwork from Gresham.
Gresham throws a series of punches but Takimoto moves out of range.
Takimoto waving his hands out in front of him, looking to distract Gresham.
Gresham swings and misses with a shot to the body
and Takimoto counters with a right hand to the body.
Takimoto bobs and weaves and unloads with a good uppercut.

That's two minutes gone in the round.
Gresham shoots in but Takimoto avoids the takedown attempt easily.
No luck with that takedown attempt from Gresham.
That's three failed takedown attempts in the round for Sloat Gresham. That's going to take a lot out of him.
Both fighters are absolutely exhausted here.
Gresham tests Takimoto's chin there with a solid looking shot.
Gresham throws a couple of head shots and lands with the final one - a decent hook, which struck Takimoto on the side of the head.
Gresham lands with a cross to side of his opponent's head.
Takimoto uses good footwork to avoid the strikes from Gresham.
Gresham is looking to clinch.
Sloppy strikes from Gresham. Those never looked like landing.
Gresham is trying hard to land a takedown here. Takimoto sprawls well and keeps this one on the feet.

That's three minutes gone in the round.
Takimoto scores with a sloppy right hand. Gresham should have avoided that one.
Gresham closes the distance looking to clinch
and Takimoto counters with a lovely straight right hand!
Takimoto leaves Gresham with his face pressed against the mat as he sprawls beautifully, defending against a solid takedown attempt.
Takimoto misses the jab.
Gresham misses with a series of wild punches.
Gresham scores with a jab to the jaw.
Takimoto slips a jab and a cross from Gresham.
Takimoto ducks down and throws a hook to the body but Gresham moves away.

That's four minutes gone in the round.
Gresham gets his takedown attempt stuffed easily
and Takimoto counters with a shot to the ribs. That looked like it hurt.
Takimoto thows a body shot but no joy.
A looping hook to the body misses from Takimoto. Gresham does a little dance to reset his feet.
Gresham tries to clinch there but Takimoto circles away.
Takimoto misses with a body shot. Nice footwork from Gresham.
Gresham lands a two punch combo.
Gresham swings wildly with a couple of big hooks
and Takimoto counters with a straight punch to the midsection.
Gresham takes one to the side of the head.
The crowd applaud the fighters efforts here as the round comes to an end.
Takimoto swings for the body but Gresham moves out of range.
Tetsuya Takimoto is looking to keep the fight on the feet at all costs.
Gresham slips a straight right by Takimoto.
And that’s the end of the round – the fighters go back to their corners.

Tetsuya Takimoto showed his class in that round. I'd imagine he'll take it on all the scorecards.
The referee calls time. The cornermen exit stage left and we're back to business. And we move into the final round!

Gresham shoots in looking for a takedown. Takimoto tries to sprawl out of it but Gresham keeps driving through. The fighters are pinned against the cage. Takimoto manages to get underhooks and after a bit of a struggle, circles away and we're back to standing.
Gresham tries to close the distance and clinch up but Takimoto swats him away and circles back towards the center.
Takimoto dodges the punch combination from Gresham.
Takimoto lands a jab to the head.
A jab from Takimoto misses.
We've had a slow start to the round here - hopefully the action picks up.
Gresham shoots and misses
enabling Takimoto to counter with a crisp jab.
Gresham throws a shot from downtown. Takimoto moves away and avoids it.
A swing and a miss from Takimoto.
Takimoto is the aggressor but that punch slipped nicely by Gresham.

That's one minute gone in the round.
Gresham takes a punch to the jaw and another one to the bread basket.
Gresham throws a combination but it was largely blocked by Takimoto.
Gresham misses with a hook.
Takimoto lands a beauty of a right hand that gets the crowd cheering.
Takimoto throws a body punch but Gresham moves out of range.
Takimoto swats away the attempt to clinch by Gresham.
Gresham lets the fists fly and connects with a left straight followed by a right hook.

Gresham throws the overhand right but ducks down into a quick takedown attempt. Takimoto was covering up waiting for the punch and Gresham finishes the takedown easily into guard.

Takimoto is looking for a triangle but Gresham pushes his legs off easily.

That's two minutes gone in the round.
Gresham passes Takimoto's left leg - he's now in half guard.

Gresham is looking for a kimura here.
Gresham thumps the canvas. Not on purpose obviously - he just missed Takimoto's head.
Takimoto trying to control from the bottom.

Gresham is sneakily working for an arm triangle but Takimoto sees it coming and defends easily.

That's three minutes gone in the round.

Gresham decides to stand up.
Gresham throws a left and a right that both miss
and Takimoto counters with a crisp hook to the side of the head.
Nice takedown defense from Takimoto. No joy for Gresham on that attempt.
That's three failed takedown attempts in the round for Sloat Gresham. That's going to take a lot out of him.
Both fighters are breathing heavily.
Takimoto showing good head movement there, avoiding the strikes from Gresham.
Gresham avoids a lazy jab quite easily.
Takimoto keeps the fight standing with a nice sprawl.
Gresham misses with a two punch combination.
Takimoto throws an overhand right that lands on Gresham's shoulder, as Gresham tries to avoid the shot.

That's four minutes gone in the round.
Gresham misses with a two punch combination.
Gresham throws a left and a right that both miss
and Takimoto connects with a straight left hand counter down the middle.
Takimoto throws an overhand right from the outside, which connects and sends Gresham stumbling backwards into the cage! Gresham bounces back off the cage towards Takimoto, who cracks him with a two punch combination that drops him to his knees! Takimoto lands two more shots before the referee has chance to intervene - what a finish! Takimoto celebrates with his corner as the crowd cheer loudly.

Ladies and gentlemen, after 4:21 of round 3, we have a winner by way of TKO (Punches). Tetsuya Takimoto!
Tetsuya Takimoto is the new featherweight champion!