PBP Commentary

Coming up we have a lightweight MMA rules bout between Ishida Kento (ranked 0 p4p, 0 weight class) and Eric Crester (ranked 0 p4p, 0 weight class). Kento is coming into this fight with a significant injury, which will no doubt have an effect on his cardio. Ishida Kento has the edge in experience - let's see if he can make that count tonight.

Kento
vs
Crester

180 cm
19
155 lbs
1 - 8 - 0

150 cm
20
150 lbs
0 - 2 - 0

BJJ Blue Belt
Solid boxing
Experienced

BJJ Blue Belt
Basic striking
Determined

Ladies and gentlemen. This fight is 3 rounds, in the lightweight division.
Introducing the fighter to my left, fighting out of the red corner.
With a record of 1 - 8 - 0, fighting out of Tokyo, Ishida Kento!
And introducing the fighter to my right, fighting out of the blue corner.
With a record of 0 - 2 - 0, fighting out of Tokyo, Eric Crester!
The judges for this bout are Shigeki Sano, Sosuke Kotani and Yasuomi Hirokawa.

The bell rings for round one and we are underway!
Kento gets his takedown attempt stuffed easily
and Crester connects with a straight left hand counter down the middle.
Crester looks really tired already! That doesn't bode well for a good, competitive fight!

Kento tries to keep at a distance but Crester has taken the fight into the clinch.
Kento tries to pull guard but can't drag his opponent to the mat. Crester just stands there and leans against the cage.

Crester gets control of Kento's arms and successfully pulls guard. Crester will no doubt be looking for submissions off his back.
Crester is working from a closed guard but he's struggling to control his opponent.
Crester looking for a sweep. Not yet Crester, not yet.

Crester has butterfly guard. He's looking to stand up here. He pushes Kento off him and springs to his feet nicely. The crowd applauds.

Crester closes the distance and clinches.
Kento looking for a takedown.
That's three failed takedown attempts in the round for Ishida Kento. That's going to take a lot out of him.

That's one minute gone in the round.

Crester turns his back and goes for a hip toss. It's a bit messy but it gets the job done and Crester manages to end up in side control.
You can see the frustration on Kento's face as Crester controls the position.
Crester trying to control the action but Kento is working from the bottom.
Kento can't do much from the bottom here.
Kento taking a bit of punishment here - Crester scoring with strikes.
The ground and pound from Crester seems to be hitting the mat more than his opponent.
Crester working the ground and pound.
Kento is trying to improve his position.

Crester decides to stand back up.

That's two minutes gone in the round.
Kento blocks a head kick by Crester.

Crester closes the distance and gets a double leg, slamming Kento to the mat! Kento manages to get full guard.
Crester wants to control from the top but Kento keeps moving.
Kento is trying to control the position but Crester postures up.
Crester not doing a lot at the moment. He'll have to show some more aggression or the fight will get stood up.

Crester stands up from Kento's guard - Crester perhaps looking for a knockout.
Kento tries to clinch but fails miserably

and Crester counters with a shoot takedown. Kento fights it but they end up in guard.
The fans in attendance giving it up for the two fighters, who have really let it all hang out in the last minute or so!
Crester trying to control the position from guard on top but Kento is wriggling around, looking for whatever he can.

Crester decides he's had enough of playing guard and decides to stand. Come on Kento, up you get!

That's three minutes gone in the round.

Crester feints and then dives in with a takedown. That was a long way out but the feint bought him enough time to close the distance and complete the takedown. Now we'll play guard for a bit and see who can get the better of that position.
Kento looking to sweep here. No luck so far.
Kento keeping moving, preventing Crester from controlling successfully.
The referee claps his hands together and tells the fighters to work.
Crester postures up in Kento's guard and throws a big left but Kento blocks it.
Kento keeping moving, preventing Crester from controlling successfully.

The ref stands the fighters back up. Eric Crester was stalling too much, according to the referee.
Kento tries to clinch but Crester moves away

and Crester counters with a takedown into full mount! That could mean trouble for Kento!

That's four minutes gone in the round.
Crester prevents Kento from getting the reversal.
Crester looking to control but Kento is working nicely, looking to advance position himself.
Kento tries to lock up and control but Crester gives him a forearm to the face and pushes him away.
Kento is in all sorts of trouble here.
Crester tucks in and makes sure he doesn't lose the dominant position.
Crester can't quite control the action as he would like just now, as Kento is looking to escape.
Crester lands with some strikes.
The crowd applaud the fighters efforts here as the round comes to an end.
Crester trying to control but Kento is having none of it.
And that’s the end of the round – the fighters go back to their corners.

Eric Crester dominated that round.
That's the end of the round. The referee orders the cornermen out of the cage so we can get back down to business.

Kento has his takedown stuffed

and Crester counters with a nice double leg into half guard.
Crester working over Kento with some ground and pound. Kento looks like he wants out of this position, which is understandable.
Kento is trying to stand back up but Crester is controlling him
Crester has the superior BJJ but he's also working some ground strikes into his gameplan.
Crester is looking to take a break and control but Kento is keeping him honest, looking to work from the bottom.
Kento is looking to regain full guard. Not this time though.
Crester is trying to control. Kento wants to improve his position but can't escape this time.
Both fighters are absolutely exhausted here.
Kento tries to roll over but Crester keeps him under control.

That's one minute gone in the round.

The ref stands the fighters back up. Eric Crester was stalling too much, according to the referee.

Crester decides to change it up a bit and drives through with a nice takedown into half guard.
Crester wants to control but Kento is keeping him busy.

Crester decides to return to a standing position.

Crester closes the distance and pushes Kento back into the cage.
Crester stalling the fight.

Crester pulls guard.
The fighters are pressed up against the cage, both looking to find a bit of space to work.
Kento sneaks a leg through and gets to half guard. That was like a knife through butter how easily he passed Crester's guard.
Crester looks like he's trying to stand up.
Crester tries to get to full guard but Kento has control of the leg.
The ref warns both fighters not to hold the cage as they work up against the meshing.

That's two minutes gone in the round.
The fighters are battling for position here. Crester manages to regain full guard. Nice work.
Kento wants to control from the top but Crester keeps moving.
Crester is looking to get back to his feet but can't, whilst Kento is controlling him.
The referee must be thinking about standing these guys back up.
A big thud reverberates around the arena there as Kento accidentally thumps the mat. Hopefully he's not broken his hand.

That's three minutes gone in the round.
Crester looking to sweep here. No luck so far.
Kento trying to control the position from guard on top but Crester is wriggling around, looking for whatever he can.

We're going to have a standup here because Ishida Kento wasn't active enough for the referee's liking.

Crester moves into the clinch successfully.

Crester gets a trip takedown into half guard.
Well, if Crester is going to just lie there, perhaps we should talk about what we're having for dinner tonight… I'm having a ham and pineapple pizza… Yum. Can't wait.
Crester wants to lay and pray for a moment but Kento keeps working.
Kento is looking to improve his position.

That's four minutes gone in the round.
Crester working the head and body with strikes.
Kento tries to get to full guard but Crester has control of the leg.
Crester prevents Kento from standing back up.
Crester is thwarting Kento's attempts to control the position.
Kento is not content to let Crester control the position.
If this pace continues, the referee will definitely step in and force a standup.
Still in half guard, Crester seems content to control.
And that’s the end of the round – the fighters go back to their corners.

Eric Crester showed his class in that round. I'd imagine he'll take it on all the scorecards.
That's time! Kento's corner gives him a slap on the ass as he gets ready to fight. This is the final round!

Kento moves to clinch but Crester breaks away

and Crester counters by moving into the clinch.

Crester gets control of Kento's arms and successfully pulls guard. Crester will no doubt be looking for submissions off his back.
Crester can't keep his opponent in guard - Kento advances to half guard, no doubt looking to mount.
Kento wants to lay and pray for a moment but Crester keeps working.
Crester trying to control here.
Both fighters are breathing heavily.

That's one minute gone in the round.
Crester is doing well to control the position and prevent Kento from advancing to side control.
Crester pushes Kento off looking to stand but Kento dives back in and keeps control.
The referee claps his hands together and tells the fighters to work.

Crester has one foot on Kento's thigh - he pushes off and manages to get back to his feet.

Crester closes the distance and gets a double leg, slamming Kento to the mat! Kento manages to get full guard.
Crester postures up and scores with a shot to the body and a follow up elbow to the head.
Crester trying to control the position from guard on top but Kento is wriggling around, looking for whatever he can.

That's two minutes gone in the round.
Kento looking to sweep here. No luck so far.
Kento wants to get back to his feet but Crester is in a dominant position and won't allow it.
Crester trying to control the position from guard on top but Kento is wriggling around, looking for whatever he can.
Kento avoiding any damage from the ground and pound.
Eric Crester has got the better of the ground game so far.
Crester wants to control from the top but Kento keeps moving.
It looks like the ref is thinking about a standup.

The ref stands the fighters back up, due to lack of action by Eric Crester.
Kento with a poor takedown

and Crester counters with a nice double leg into half guard.
Crester throws a strike but Kento avoids it easily and moves to full guard.
Crester preventing the sweep.

That's three minutes gone in the round.
Kento wants to stand up but Crester is controlling him.
Kento keeping moving, preventing Crester from controlling successfully.
Crester is intent on slowing down the pace of the fight, simply looking to control.
We may be looking at a referee standup if the pace doesn't pick up soon.

OK we're going to have a standup here. Eric Crester hasn't been effective enough on the ground and the referee wants a restart.
An inside leg kick lands from Crester.
Kento tries to clinch up

and Crester counters with a nice double leg into side control. Kento won't be happy with that.
Crester controlling from side mount.
An elbow from Crester crashes against the mat.

That's four minutes gone in the round.

Crester stands up and beckons Kento to his feet.
Crester turns his hip over beautifully as he lands a nice leg kick.

Crester fakes an overhand right and shoots for a takedown. Kento sprawls well initially but Crester persists and gets the takedown into half guard.
Kento tries to get to full guard but Crester has control of the leg.
Kento wants to control but Crester is keeping busy and won't allow it.
Crester prevents Kento from improving his position.

Crester escapes and gets back to his feet.

And that's the end of the fight!
Eric Crester comfortably won the final round on my scorecard.
Well Crester has outworked and out performed his opponent in all aspects of the game today. He was simply too good and the decision should be no more than a formality. 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 26:30
Judge Sosuke Kotani scores the fight 26:30
Judge Yasuomi Hirokawa scores the fight 26:30

In favor of your winner, by unanimous decision... Eric Crester!