PBP Commentary

Coming up we have a light heavyweight MMA rules bout between Uber Balance (ranked 0 p4p, 0 weight class) and Lewis Tsushima (ranked 0 p4p, 0 weight class). I can't wait for this one - let's get the fighter introductions out of the way and get this one started!

Balance
vs
Tsushima

188 cm
22
205 lbs
2 - 1 - 0

184 cm
20
213 lbs
1 - 1 - 0

BJJ Blue Belt
Brawler
Self confident

BJJ Purple Belt
Counter striker
Tends to cut

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 2 - 1 - 0, fighting out of Tokyo, Uber Balance!
And introducing the fighter to my right, fighting out of the blue corner.
With a record of 1 - 1 - 0, fighting out of Tokyo, Lewis Tsushima!
The judges for this bout are Taro Takaoka, Sosuke Kotani and Yuuki Gou.

The bell rings for round one and we are underway!
Balance throws a nice looking combination but Tsushima bobs and weaves to avoid any damage.
Balance rushes forward with a series of wild hooks but Tsushima moves out of range and avoids them all easily.
Tsushima with a hook.

Balance is rocked!
Tsushima swats away the attempt to clinch by Balance.
Oh Balance is still all over the place! His legs are completely gone! Will he be able to recover?!!
A decent looking cross lands there for Balance.
Balance seems to have got his legs back now.
The fight stays on the outside here - Balance looks like he's thinking about clinching though.
Balance wants to clinch up but Tsushima keeps it at a distance.

Balance clinches up with Tsushima and pushes him back against the cage.

Balance breaks the clinch.
Tsushima throws a body kick that misses.
Balance tries to close the distance and clinch up against the cage but Tsushima paws at him with a jab and circles away.
Balance moves in looking to clinch but Tsushima pushes him off.
Balance throws a head kick but Tsushima moves out of range.

That's one minute gone in the round.
Tsushima moves out of range as Balance strikes.
Balance throws a hook to the body but it doesn't connect.
Tsushima misses with a low kick.
Balance will need to tighten up his combinations if he doesn't want to gas himself out, swinging at thin air.
Balance throws a body kick that sends a sickening thudding noise reverberating around the arena.

Balance has closed the distance and engaged Tsushima in a clinch.
The two fighters are working to gain dominance in the clinch.

Tsushima ties up his opponent against the cage and manages to drag the fight down to the ground. Tsushima no doubt will be looking to work submissions from his guard.
Balance trying to control but Tsushima is working from the bottom.
Tsushima is trying to keep Balance in close.

Balance has gone for a leg lock! Tsushima slips out almost immediately though and dives into Balance's guard.
Tsushima looking to pass the guard.
The fighters are pressed up against the cage, both looking to find a bit of space to work.

That's two minutes gone in the round.
Balance trying to keep a closed guard but Tsushima is proving a slippery customer.
Tsushima works a leg free and moves into half guard.
Balance on the receiving end of some nice ground and pound.
Tsushima scores with a couple of good hammerfists.
Balance trying to hold on to Tsushima's head to control him but Tsushima postures up.
Tsushima has the superior BJJ but he's also working some ground strikes into his gameplan.
Tsushima passes the half guard and he's now in mount! Big trouble for Balance!

Tsushima jumps to side control looking for an arm triangle but Balance manages to avoid the submission attempt.
Balance can't do much from the bottom here.

That's three minutes gone in the round.
Tsushima tries to move into full mount but can't pass Balance's legs.
Tsushima lands a knee to the body and a forearm to the face.

Tsushima tries for a kimura but Balance is defending well.

Tsushima working hard here to secure a kimura but he's not really in the right position for it.
Balance is breathing heavily.

The fighters are starting to get a bit slippery now, which will make submissions a bit more difficult.
Tsushima goes for an armbar! This could be all over! Wait, no, Balance rolls with the submission and now he's on top in Tsushima's guard! Nice work there by Balance!
The ref warns both fighters not to hold the cage as they work up against the meshing.

That's four minutes gone in the round.
Tsushima looking to control.

Tsushima is working actively off his back, looking to secure an arm or perhaps work for a triangle.

Tsushima throwing his legs up looking for a triangle.
Balance trying to control but Tsushima is working from the bottom.

Tsushima escapes his hips to the side and looks to be working for an armbar. Balance gives him a little smile and shakes his head. No chance.
Balance won't allow Tsushima to sweep him here.
And that’s the end of the round – the fighters go back to their corners.

Lewis Tsushima dominated that round.
That's the end of the interval. I'm sure that seemed a lot quicker than a minute for our two fighters! Back to the action.

Tsushima avoids the head kick by Balance.
Balance throws a body punch but Tsushima moves out of range.
Balance checks a leg kick.
Balance tries to clinch but Tsushima moves out of range.
Balance tries to clinch there but Tsushima circles away.
Balance slips a straight right by Tsushima.
Balance tries to clinch up but Tsushima circles away and keeps his distance.
Balance with a nice cross.
We've had a slow start to the round here - hopefully the action picks up.
Balance tries to clinch up.
Tsushima lands a beauty of a right hand that gets the crowd cheering.
Balance tries a head kick but it misses.
A big left from Balance misses.

That's one minute gone in the round.
Left hook, right uppercut from Balance.
Balance tries to close the distance and clinch up against the cage but Tsushima paws at him with a jab and circles away.
A really sloppy takedown attempt there from Tsushima.
Both fighters are absolutely exhausted here.
Tsushima swings wildly with a right hand that was never going to find it's target.
Tsushima darts in and out, connecting with a jab.
The fight stays on the outside here - Balance looks like he's thinking about clinching though.
Balance fails with the takedown
and Tsushima counters with a nice jab to the body that keeps Balance thinking.
Tsushima throws a lazy head kick
and Balance counters with a kick to the head that grazes his opponent. Tsushima is lucky that one didn't land flush.
Crunch! Tsushima slams his shin into Balance's torso.

That's two minutes gone in the round.
Tsushima throws a series of punches but Balance avoids them all with ease.
Balance closes the distance but Tsushima moves to the side

and Tsushima counters with a nice double leg into side control. Balance won't be happy with that.
This is a great period of action - very entertaining stuff!
Balance dodges the ground and pound from Tsushima.
Balance prevents Tsushima from moving into mount.
Balance is sneaking out the side here. He's bucked Tsushima off and has taken his back!
Balance wants to control but Tsushima is keeping busy.
Balance lands with a couple of good shots - one to the side of the head and one questionable shot that could be viewed as to the back of the head but the referee lets it go.

Balance working for a RNC but it's not happening just yet.
Balance lands a couple of good shots to his opponent's body and a final shot to the head. Good little attack there by Balance.
Balance tries to keep control of the position but Tsushima is staying busy.
Tsushima is trying to break free.

That's three minutes gone in the round.
Watch the back of the head! Comes the shout from the referee towards Balance.
Tsushima breaks Balance's hooks off and manages to turn into his guard.
Balance is controlling Tsushima's posture.

Balance is active off his back here, looking for submissions.
Balance working the defensive guard well to avoid strikes from Tsushima.
Balance is trying to keep Tsushima in close.

Tsushima drops back, looking for a kneebar! Balance looks panicked! The fighters roll across the mat, one looking to finish, one looking to escape. Balance looks to have wriggled free... Yes, he's got his leg free and he's dived into side control! Good work there from Balance!
Tsushima manages to work his way to half guard, despite Balance's best efforts.

That's four minutes gone in the round.
Tsushima is looking for a sweep. Balance is wise to his cunning plan and keeps the top position.
Balance works his foot free and advances to mount.

Balance wants to finish this one by submission but Tsushima is holding onto his waist, trying to prevent any attacks from Balance.
Tsushima is wriggling around trying to escape.
Tsushima prevents Balance from taking his back.
Balance can't quite control the action as he would like just now, as Tsushima is looking to escape.
The crowd applaud the fighters efforts here as the round comes to an end.
Tsushima manages to regain half guard. Good work.
And that’s the end of the round – the fighters go back to their corners.

Lewis Tsushima showed his class in that round. I'd imagine he'll take it on all the scorecards.
Well, the break between rounds is over. Let's get back to the scrappin! This is the final round!

Balance is looking to clinch.
Tsushima tries a head kick but it misses.
Balance tries to clinch but is not successful on this occasion.
Tsushima fails miserably with a takedown attempt.
Balance lands a two punch combo.

Balance gets a takedown into half guard.
Tsushima is looking for a sweep. Balance is wise to his cunning plan and keeps the top position.
Tsushima takes a big intake of breath there - he's definitely tired.
Balance looks towards his corner to check for any instructions. The corner give him nothing to work with, so he cracks Tsushima with a short hammerfist. I guess that's as good as any advice he could get in this position.
Balance passes to full mount!

That's one minute gone in the round.
Tsushima can't escape the position.
Balance with some aggressive grappling here, looking for the finish.
Balance prevents Tsushima from getting the reversal.
Balance controlling from the full mount.
Tsushima really trying hard to get back to half guard here.
Balance controlling his opponent.
Tsushima is trying to escape the mount.

That's two minutes gone in the round.
The crowd are hurling abuse towards the fighters... You can hardly blame them though because there isn't a lot going on in the fight.
Tsushima regains half guard.
Tsushima is trying to maintain the position but Balance is very close to passing his half guard.
Tsushima is refusing to be controlled, as Balance sits in half guard.
Tsushima punching from the bottom.
Balance trying to control from half guard but Tsushima is working away.
Balance working over Tsushima with some ground and pound. Tsushima looks like he wants out of this position, which is understandable.

That's three minutes gone in the round.
Tsushima lands with a few short shots to the body.
Tsushima wants to get back to full guard.
Tsushima manages to get to full guard.
Tsushima controls Balance momentarily but Balance frees himself.
Balance trying to control the position from guard on top but Tsushima is wriggling around, looking for whatever he can.
Tsushima can't do much from the bottom at the moment, as Balance controls the pace.

Tsushima looking for a guillotine here but Balance defends easily.
Balance trying to control the position from guard on top but Tsushima is wriggling around, looking for whatever he can.

That's four minutes gone in the round.
Tsushima looking to hit a scissor sweep but Balance is one step ahead there.
Balance with a nice head shot there.
Uber Balance has stepped it up - he knows he needs a finish here!
Balance trying to control but Tsushima is working from the bottom.
The crowd thankful this round is nearly over.
Balance preventing the sweep.

Tsushima working from the bottom, still in full guard. He's managed to get a loose triangle. Balance doesn't seem to be doing much to defend here, obviously he feels comfortable in the position. Balance manages to throw the legs off his shoulder and he's back into guard - no problem.
Balance loading up with the ground and pound but he's missing more than he's landing in this flurry.

And that's the end of the fight!
I would just about give that final round to Lewis Tsushima.
I've got Tsushima winning every round here. Surely the decision will go his way and he'll pick up a well deserved decision victory. 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 Taro Takaoka scores the fight 27:30
Judge Sosuke Kotani scores the fight 27:30
Judge Yuuki Gou scores the fight 27:30

In favor of your winner, by unanimous decision... Lewis Tsushima!