PBP Commentary

Coming up we have a light heavyweight MMA rules bout between Hollow Ichigo (ranked 0 p4p, 0 weight class) and Masahiro Matsumoto (ranked 0 p4p, 0 weight class). Ichigo kept the crowd waiting but all that was forgotten when his ring entrance music started. The incomparable musical genuis that is Decapitated - Spheres of Madness. We have two fighters making their debuts here, so let's see who comes out of this one with their first professional victory.

Ichigo
vs
Matsumoto

190 cm
18
205 lbs
0 - 0 - 0

225 cm
18
205 lbs
0 - 0 - 0

BJJ White Belt
Brawler
Cuts easily

BJJ White Belt
Excellent boxer
Determined

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 0 - 0 - 0, fighting out of Tokyo, Hollow Ichigo!
And introducing the fighter to my right, fighting out of the blue corner.
With a record of 0 - 0 - 0, fighting out of Tokyo, Masahiro Matsumoto!
The judges for this bout are Shigeki Fujiwara, Shigeki Sano and Yuuki Gou.

The bell rings for round one and we are underway!
Matsumoto lands a slapping body shot.
Hollow Ichigo seems to be the more aggressive standup fighter in this bout.
Ichigo looks for a takedown here. Will he get it? Matsumoto is fending him off so far but Ichigo persists. Nope, Matsumoto circles away and we're back to standing.

Ichigo rushes Matsumoto and presses him up against the cage.

Ichigo gets a nice trip takedown into half guard.
Ichigo sitting and controlling from the half guard.
Ichigo prevents Matsumoto from improving his position.
Matsumoto is trying to stand back up but Ichigo is controlling him
Ichigo thows a wild elbow that connects with the canvas.
The fighters are pressed up against the cage, both looking to find a bit of space to work.
Matsumoto wants to improve his position but Ichigo is controlling well.
Matsumoto is persisting with the attempt to improve his position.
Ichigo throwing shots but Matsumoto is blocking nicely.

That's one minute gone in the round.
Ichigo not landing any meaningful shots this time.
Ichigo 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.

The referee has ruled that neither fighter is active enough on the ground and has stood them back up.
Horrible takedown by Ichigo or perhaps it was just good defense by Matsumoto which made him look bad.
Matsumoto tries to bum rush Ichigo with a series of wild strikes but Ichigo uses good footwork to avoid the assault.
Matsumoto swinging wilding here.
Ichigo wants to clinch.
Matsumoto throws a nice looking combination but Ichigo bobs and weaves to avoid any damage.
Ichigo looks for a takedown here. Will he get it? Matsumoto is fending him off so far but Ichigo persists. Nope, Matsumoto circles away and we're back to standing.
That's three failed takedown attempts in the round for Hollow Ichigo. That's going to take a lot out of him.
Matsumoto lands a two punch combo.

Ichigo has Matsumoto up against the cage in a clinch.
Matsumoto on the defensive, avoiding the knees to the body.
Ichigo lands a body shot in the clinch.
Ichigo has hold of a leg and is looking for a trip takedown. Matsumoto avoids it nicely though and we remain in the clinch.
Ichigo is breathing heavily.
Matsumoto tries to break the clinch but Ichigo is controlling the position.

That's two minutes gone in the round.
Ichigo misses with a knee to the head.
Ichigo missing with knees to the body.
Ichigo lands a damaging elbow.
Ichigo missing with knees to the body.
Matsumoto is looking to break free of the clinch but Ichigo has double underhooks.

Ichigo escapes the clinch and we're back to striking.
Matsumoto misses with a few strikes there.
Matsumoto scores with a reasonable looking shot to the body. Ichigo doesn't seem bothered though.
Matsumoto throws a shot to the body.
Matsumoto connects with a body shot.
Matsumoto displaying good standup as he scores with a three punch combination.
Matsumoto will need to tighten up his combinations if he doesn't want to gas himself out, swinging at thin air.
Matsumoto scores with a nice looking left hook and follows it up with an uppercut!
Matsumoto scores with a nice one two combo and darts back out of range to avoid anything coming in the opposite direction.
Ichigo throws a looping left and ducks down for a takedown. He's got his arms around Matsumoto's waist but Matsumoto gets an underhook and avoids the takedown by throwing Ichigo off to one side.

Ichigo closes the distance and clinches.
Ichigo tries for a takedown but Matsumoto manages to get underhooks.
Matsumoto is a painfully thin specimen of a man. You do wonder whether a good body kick would snap him clean in two.
Ichigo trying to land knees to the body.
Matsumoto is pressed up against the cage. Ichigo has hold of a leg and is looking to drag Matsumoto down to the mat. Matsumoto avoids the attempt though and has circled away. We're back to striking at a distance.
Wow, both these guys are really going for it!

Ichigo changes levels and drives through with a really nice takedown into side control. Matsumoto looks really pissed at himself for not defending that better.
Matsumoto struggling a bit here.

That's three minutes gone in the round.
Ichigo trying to control the action but Matsumoto is working from the bottom.
Ichigo sitting in side control, looking to soften his opponent up with elbows and hammerfists but Matsumoto is avoiding damage well and looking to escape the position.
Ichigo throwing ground and pound but whilst doing so, he forgets to control position and Matsumoto works his way back to half guard. Good composure under pressure.
Matsumoto tries to kick Ichigo off but Ichigo keeps his base steady and stays in half guard.
Ichigo prevents Matsumoto from improving his position.
Matsumoto trying to control from the bottom.

That's four 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.
Matsumoto looks like he's trying to stand up.

Well, the referee has seen enough. Neither fighter is active enough on the ground so he's stood them back up.

Ichigo gets the takedown into side control.
Ichigo tries to score with some ground and pound. Matsumoto controls his posture well this time though and the shots don't do any damage.
Matsumoto is trying to buck Ichigo off.
The ref warns both fighters not to hold the cage as they work up against the meshing.
The ground and pound from Ichigo seems to be hitting the mat more than his opponent.
Ichigo misses with a strike but at least he's keeping busy, looking to cause some damage - that will still help him when it comes to the judges scorecards.
Matsumoto tries to get back to half guard but can't.
Matsumoto can't do much from the bottom here.
And that’s the end of the round – the fighters go back to their corners.

Hollow Ichigo 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.

Ichigo takes a punch to the jaw and another one to the bread basket.
Hollow Ichigo is looking to throw some combinations by the looks of things.
Ichigo avoids a punch combination nicely.
Matsumoto avoids the clinch attempt nicely.
Ichigo fails to land with the punch combination there - jab, cross, hook, miss, miss, miss.
Matsumoto connects with a body shot.
Matsumoto moves into range and throws a combination. A nice jab followed by a hook to the body.
Ichigo shoots in with a takedown attempt and he has Matsumoto pinned against the cage. Matsumoto gets the underhooks and manages to circle away.
Matsumoto misses with a wild combination.
Ichigo fails miserably with a takedown attempt.
Matsumoto works over Ichigo's head and body with a nice combination.

Ichigo rushes Matsumoto and presses him up against the cage.
Ichigo trying to land knees to the body.
Matsumoto is breathing heavily.

Ichigo escapes the clinch and we're back to striking.
Nice uppercut lands for Matsumoto. That snapped Ichigo's head back.
Matsumoto swinging wilding here.

The fight moves into the clinch position.
Ichigo works on Matsumoto's body with a couple of short punches.

That's one minute gone in the round.

Ichigo manages to break the clinch.
Matsumoto works over Ichigo's head and body with a nice combination.
Ichigo fails with a rather predictable takedown attempt.
That's three failed takedown attempts in the round for Hollow Ichigo. That's going to take a lot out of him.
Ichigo wants to clinch up but Matsumoto keeps it at a distance.
Ichigo dodges the punch combination from Matsumoto.
Matsumoto circles away from the clinch attempt.
Matsumoto stuffs the takedown attempt from Ichigo. Ichigo gets slowly back to his feet.
Ichigo takes one on the chin but seems OK.

Ichigo is rocked!
Nice sprawl there from Matsumoto as Ichigo shoots in.
Oh Ichigo is still all over the place! His legs are completely gone! Will he be able to recover?!!
Matsumoto rushes forward with a series of wild hooks but Ichigo moves out of range and avoids them all easily.
Matsumoto misses with a wild combination.
Ichigo wants to clinch.
Matsumoto misses with a wild combination.
Matsumoto tries to bum rush Ichigo with a series of wild strikes but Ichigo uses good footwork to avoid the assault.

That's two minutes gone in the round.
Matsumoto throws a right hand that Ichigo ducks under and follows up with a left that Ichigo also avoids with ease.
Ichigo looks for a takedown but Matsumoto sprawls well.
Matsumoto rushes forward with a series of wild hooks but Ichigo moves out of range and avoids them all easily.
Matsumoto misses with a two punch combination.
Matsumoto throws a series of punches but Ichigo moves out of range.
A combination from Matsumoto does no damage.
Matsumoto misses with a double jab.
Ichigo misses with a double jab
and Matsumoto connects with a straight left hand counter down the middle.
Matsumoto throws a right and a left that both miss.
Matsumoto throws a right and a left that both miss.
Matsumoto misses with a few strikes there.
Matsumoto misses with a series of wild punches.
Matsumoto swings away but doesn't land with a series of punches.
Masahiro Matsumoto is looking to keep the fight on the feet at all costs.
Matsumoto fails to land with a series of punches.
No joy there for Matsumoto, who threw a few shots but didn't land.
Ichigo closes the distance looking to clinch
and Matsumoto counters with a left and a right... and another left... and another!! That last one turned off the lights! Ichigo has no idea who he is and is as he gazes up at the spotlights. Brutal knockout!

Ladies and gentlemen, after 2:51 of round 2, we have a winner by way of KO (Strikes). Masahiro Matsumoto!