PBP Commentary

Coming up we have a welterweight MMA rules bout between Michael Niwa (ranked 0 p4p, 0 weight class) and JB Nnep (ranked 0 p4p, 0 weight class). Michael Niwa has the better chin. Will he look to stand and bang today?

Niwa
vs
Nnep

185 cm
19
170 lbs
1 - 0 - 0

190 cm
25
175 lbs
1 - 1 - 0

BJJ Purple Belt
Brawler
Granite chin

Good takedowns
Dangerous knees
Determined

Ladies and gentlemen. This fight is 3 rounds, in the welterweight division.
Introducing the fighter to my left, fighting out of the red corner.
With a record of 1 - 0 - 0, fighting out of Tokyo, Michael Niwa!
And introducing the fighter to my right, fighting out of the blue corner.
With a record of 1 - 1 - 0, fighting out of Tokyo, JB Nnep!
The judges for this bout are Yasuomi Hirokawa, Yukihiro Yamamoto and Yuuki Gou.

The bell rings for round one and we are underway!
Niwa throws a body punch but Nnep moves out of range.

Niwa shoots in for a takedown and gets it.
Niwa prevents Nnep from improving his position.
Nnep avoiding damage under a succession of punches from Niwa.
Niwa slows the pace down in half guard.
Niwa tries to pass the half guard into mount. Nnep knows what he's doing though and prevents the attempt.
Niwa controlling the action here.
Niwa's ground tactics aren't going to win him many fans. Let's hope he's got fireworks for us if he gets back to his feet because he's not doing much on the ground.
We must be close to a standup if these guys don't pick up the pace.

The ref stands the fighters back up because Michael Niwa just wasn't active enough.
Nnep defending well as Niwa loads up on a big left hand.

That's one minute gone in the round.

Niwa changes levels and drives through with a really nice takedown into side control. Nnep looks really pissed at himself for not defending that better.
Nnep tries to improve position but can't.
Nnep struggling a bit here.
Niwa knows he needs to get back to his feet asap. He's simply no match for Nnep on the ground.
Niwa tries to advance to mount but can't.
Niwa working away.
Nnep stops Niwa from passing to mount.

Niwa tries for an arm triangle. That looks pretty tight to me. Is this one over!?! Possibly, maybe, no Niwa has let go of the choke. Obviously it wasn't as tight as we thought!
Niwa wants to control for a moment but Nnep uses the opportunity to move back to half guard.

Niwa is looking for an arm triangle, whilst trying to pass to side control. Nnep doesn't seem that keen to cooperate though. No luck this time Niwa.

That's two minutes gone in the round.
Nnep is trying to maintain the position but Niwa is very close to passing his half guard.
The fighters are going at a pretty good pace and they're both starting to sweat now.
Niwa seems very keen to just sit and control from half guard but Nnep does not like that idea so much and is remaining active off his back.
Nnep wants to get back to full guard.
Niwa wants to free his trapped foot but Nnep is holding on for dear life with his legs.
Nnep punching from the bottom.

That's three minutes gone in the round.
Niwa is looking to take a break and control but Nnep is keeping him honest, looking to work from the bottom.
Niwa wants to free his trapped foot but Nnep is holding on for dear life with his legs.
Niwa is breathing heavily.
Niwa is figuring out what he wants to do next.
Nnep is looking to regain full guard. Not this time though.
Nnep is trying to control but can't.

The ref stands the fighters back up because Michael Niwa just wasn't active enough.
Nnep shoots and misses

and Niwa counters with a shoot takedown into half guard.
Nnep wants to control but Niwa is keeping busy.
Niwa wants to control but Nnep is keeping him busy.

That's four minutes gone in the round.

Niwa is looking for a kimura but Nnep is holding onto that half guard position, so it's hard for Niwa to get the leverage.
Nnep works his way to full guard. Good work.
Nnep wants to stand but Niwa is controlling the position.
Niwa tries to free his leg and advance position but Nnep is retaining full guard.
Nnep trying to keep a closed guard but Niwa is proving a slippery customer.
Niwa trying to control the position from guard on top but Nnep is wriggling around, looking for whatever he can.
Niwa postures up.

The referee has ruled that neither fighter is active enough on the ground and has stood them back up.
Nnep lands a jab, followed by a cross and another cross, as Niwa backs up against the cage.
Niwa misses with a combination
and Nnep counters with a left to the body.
And that’s the end of the round – the fighters go back to their corners.

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

Niwa shoots in for a takedown but doesn't get it.
Niwa gets his takedown attempt stuffed easily

and Nnep counters with a driving takedown into guard. Nice work there by Nnep.
Nnep wants to control from the top but Niwa keeps moving.

Nnep stands up and waves to Niwa to follow him.
Niwa shoots and misses
and Nnep counters with a slapping leg kick.
That's three failed takedown attempts in the round for Michael Niwa. That's going to take a lot out of him.
Nnep shoots for a double leg takedown but Niwa sprawls well. He's pushed Nnep's face into the mat and manages to get back to his feet relatively easily.
Nnep looks frustrated there after his takedown attempt is stuffed easily.
Both fighters are absolutely exhausted here.
Nnep throws a nice looking combination but Niwa bobs and weaves to avoid any damage.
No luck with that takedown attempt from Niwa.
Nnep with a poor takedown

and Niwa counters with a shoot takedown. Nnep fights it but they end up in guard.

That's one minute gone in the round.
Niwa showing good wrestling skills to control the position.
Niwa trying to pass the guard but can't manage it just yet.

Niwa decides he's had enough of playing guard and decides to stand. Come on Nnep, up you get!
Niwa thows a leg kick but Nnep checks it
and Niwa takes a counter punch right on the button for his troubles.
Nnep fails with the takedown

and Niwa counters with a nice single leg takedown and he's in Nnep's guard now.
Niwa looking to control the position here, rather than advance.
Niwa preventing the sweep.

That's two minutes gone in the round.
Niwa tries to free his leg and advance position but Nnep is retaining full guard.
Niwa wants to control from the top but Nnep keeps moving.
Nnep trying to control the position.

The referee decides to stand the fighters back up, due to lack of activity on the part of Michael Niwa.

Niwa scores with a takedown into Nnep's guard.
Nnep wants to get back to his feet but Niwa is in a dominant position and won't allow it.
Nnep can't keep his opponent in guard - Niwa advances to half guard, no doubt looking to mount.

That's three minutes gone in the round.

Niwa decides he's had enough of the ground and stands up.
Nnep misses with a takedown

and Niwa counters with a nice single leg takedown and he's in Nnep's guard now.
Niwa not doing a lot at the moment. He'll have to show some more aggression or the fight will get stood up.
Nnep tries to land a sweep but no joy.
Niwa trying to pass the guard but can't manage it just yet.
Niwa sneaks a leg through and gets to half guard. That was like a knife through butter how easily he passed Nnep's guard.
Nnep trying to control from the bottom.
Michael Niwa overall seems to be getting the better of the ground position in the fight so far.

Niwa is working for a submission of some sort.

That's four minutes gone in the round.
Nnep trying to control from the bottom.
Niwa looks towards his corner to check for any instructions. The corner give him nothing to work with, so he cracks Nnep with a short hammerfist. I guess that's as good as any advice he could get in this position.
Niwa seems very keen to just sit and control from half guard but Nnep does not like that idea so much and is remaining active off his back.
Nnep wants to control but Niwa is keeping busy and won't allow it.
Niwa with a momentary lay and pray from half guard.
The fighters are pressed up against the cage, both looking to find a bit of space to work.
As the round comes to an end the crowd are showing their appreciation for a great round of action.
The referee is pacing around the two fighters - he looks like he's thinking about a standup.

Well, the referee has seen enough. Neither fighter is active enough on the ground so he's stood them back up.
Nnep slips under a jab from Niwa.
And that’s the end of the round – the fighters go back to their corners.

Michael Niwa dominated that second round.
Well, the break between rounds is over. Let's get back to the scrappin! This is the final round!

Nnep shoots in looking for a single leg takedown. Niwa is trying to defend but Nnep finishes it well and ends up in half guard. Let's see if he can advance position further.
Nnep is looking to take a break and control but Niwa is keeping him honest, looking to work from the bottom.
Nnep tries to pass to full mount but Niwa defends it.
Niwa is looking to improve his position.
Niwa regains full guard. Nicely done.
Both fighters are breathing heavily.

That's one minute gone in the round.
Nnep trying to control but Niwa is working from the bottom.
It looks like the ref is thinking about a standup.

OK we're going to have a standup here. JB Nnep hasn't been effective enough on the ground and the referee wants a restart.

Nnep gets taken down but at least he's managed to land in guard.

Nnep is working an open guard so Niwa takes the opportunity to get back to his feet.

Niwa throws a loose over hand right and dives in with a double leg takedown. Nnep tries to sprawl but it's too late and the fighters hit the mat. Niwa is in Nnep's guard.
Nnep is trying to control the position but Niwa postures up.
The ref warns both fighters not to hold the cage as they work up against the meshing.
Niwa sneaks a leg through and gets to half guard. That was like a knife through butter how easily he passed Nnep's guard.
Niwa is keen to just control but Nnep is a slippery customer.

That's two minutes gone in the round.
Nnep trying to hold on to Niwa's head to control him but Niwa postures up.
Ground and pound from Niwa.
Nnep trying to control here.
Nnep works his way to full guard. Good work.

Nnep isolates an arm and boxes in a triangle. Niwa stacks Nnep on his neck as he steps over and passes to the side. He's now in a much more dominant position where he can look to do some serious damage. Nice move by Niwa!
Nnep tries to control but Niwa manages to take his back.

That's three minutes gone in the round.

Niwa has his opponent's back and is working for the choke.
Nnep manages to reverse the position and now he's in Niwa's guard. Nice work there by Nnep.

Niwa had isolated an arm as going for a kimura. Nnep defends it easily.
Nnep trying to stand up but can't free himself from Niwa's guard.
Niwa looking to sweep here. No luck so far.

That's four 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.
Nnep is frustrating his opponent with some stalling tactics from top position.
Nnep lands a nice shot whilst sitting in his opponent's guard.
Nnep trying to control the position from guard on top but Niwa is wriggling around, looking for whatever he can.
Niwa tries to land a sweep but no joy.
Niwa is trying to keep Nnep in close.
JB Nnep has stepped it up - he knows he needs a finish here!
Michael Niwa is fighting for a decision here - he's started to take the cautious approach.

And that's the end of the fight!
Michael Niwa showed his dominance in that final round.
Well I reckon that's a shut out for Niwa, 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 Yasuomi Hirokawa scores the fight 30:27
Judge Yukihiro Yamamoto scores the fight 30:27
Judge Yuuki Gou scores the fight 30:27

In favor of your winner, by unanimous decision... Michael Niwa!