PBP Commentary

Coming up we have a lightweight MMA rules bout between Jushin Kusanagi (ranked 0 p4p, 0 weight class) and Haro Okami (ranked 0 p4p, 0 weight class). Haro Okami has the eye of the tiger tonight.

Kusanagi
vs
Okami

178 cm
20
150 lbs
0 - 3 - 0

171 cm
22
160 lbs
0 - 0 - 0

BJJ Blue Belt
Counter striker
Intelligent

BJJ Blue Belt
Solid Muay Thai
Granite chin

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 0 - 3 - 0, fighting out of Tokyo, Jushin Kusanagi!
And introducing the fighter to my right, fighting out of the blue corner.
With a record of 0 - 0 - 0, fighting out of Tokyo, Haro Okami!
The judges for this bout are Shigeki Fujiwara, Ren Mimura and Sosuke Kotani.

The bell rings for round one and we are underway!
Okami keeps the fight on the outside.
Okami connects with a solid leg kick.
Kusanagi scores with a leg kick.
Okami has a takedown stuffed.
A really sloppy takedown attempt there from Okami.
Okami throws a half hearted mid kick.
Okami tries to grapple but his opponent circles

and Kusanagi counters with a nice single leg takedown and he's in Okami's guard now.
Kusanagi takes a decent strike to the side of the head.
Okami looking to control.
Kusanagi stops Okami from standing up.

That's one minute gone in the round.
Okami keeping moving, preventing Kusanagi from controlling successfully.
Okami has the superior BJJ but he's also working some ground strikes into his gameplan.
Okami wants to sweep but no luck.
Okami being controlled here, momentarily.
Kusanagi tries to stand but Okami is controlling from the bottom.

Kusanagi stands up from guard. Let's bang!
Okami fails with the takedown

and Kusanagi counters with a shoot takedown into half guard.
Jushin Kusanagi has stuffed three takedown attempts in the round now. That's going to take a lot out of Haro Okami.
Kusanagi is breathing heavily.

That's two minutes gone in the round.

Okami looking to work for a kimura from the bottom.
The ref warns both fighters not to hold the cage as they work up against the meshing.
Okami wants to control the action here but instead Kusanagi manages to pass to full mount!
Okami is looking to get to half guard.
Okami wants to hold on but Kusanagi pushes him away.
Okami tries to reverse the position but Kusanagi maintains control.

That's three minutes gone in the round.
The referee warns Okami that he has to improve his position here as he takes two more clean shots to the head.
Okami tries to hold on but Kusanagi postures up.
Okami is looking to improve his position but Kusanagi isn't that keen on the idea.
Okami tries to lock up and control but Kusanagi gives him a forearm to the face and pushes him away.
Okami tries to reverse the position but Kusanagi maintains control.

That's four minutes gone in the round.
The crowd are starting to boo a lack of action.
Okami wants to hold on but Kusanagi pushes him away.
Okami keeping his composure momentarily, calmly looking to get back to half guard.
Okami is persisting with the attempt to improve his position.
Okami gets back to half guard.
And that’s the end of the round – the fighters go back to their corners.

Jushin Kusanagi dominated that round.
The referee calls time. The cornermen exit stage left and we're back to business.

Kusanagi tries to clinch but Okami is having none of it.
Okami looking to throw a kick but he's pulled out of it.
Okami throws a body kick but he wasn't in range.
Jushin Kusanagi is looking to throw some combinations by the looks of things.
Kusanagi throws an overhand right that lands on Okami's shoulder, as Okami tries to avoid the shot.
Okami connects with a solid leg kick.
Kusanagi takes a shot to the nose. Hopefully that hasn't broken it.
Kusanagi wants to clinch.
Okami misses with a kick to the body.
We've had a slow start to the round here - hopefully the action picks up.
Kusanagi slips a jab and a cross from Okami.
Nice straight punches there by Okami. You know Roy Jones Jr respects the hands of Okami.
Both fighters are absolutely exhausted here.
Donk. Okami catches Kusanagi right on the button with a cross.
Okami throws a body kick that misses.

That's one minute gone in the round.
Kusanagi swings away but doesn't land with a series of punches.
Okami doesn't succeed with the takedown

and Kusanagi counters with a nice double leg into guard.
Okami is avoiding any damage by keeping wrist control.

Okami looking for a guillotine here but Kusanagi defends easily.
Kusanagi preventing the sweep.

Okami throwing his legs up looking for a triangle.

That's two minutes gone in the round.

Kusanagi gets to his feet - Okami follows without any prompting.
Kusanagi looks to score with a combo but nothing lands.
Kusanagi throws and low kick but Okami moves out of range easily.
Okami has his takedown stuffed

and Kusanagi decides to take the opportunity to score a takedown. He's landed in Okami's guard.
Fantastic stuff here - a very entertaining period of action, which has drawn cheers from the crowd.
Okami looking for a sweep. Not yet Okami, not yet.
Jushin Kusanagi overall seems to be getting the better of the ground position in the fight so far.
Kusanagi stays in close to Okami's body and controls the position.

Okami working away from the bottom but not quite defensive enough there because Kusanagi has passed into half guard!

That's three minutes gone in the round.
Okami wants to control the action here but instead Kusanagi manages to pass to full mount!
Kusanagi scoring with strikes but Okami is staying in there.
Okami keeping his composure momentarily, calmly looking to get back to half guard.
The fighters are pressed up against the cage, both looking to find a bit of space to work.
Okami bucks up and manages to get a nice reversal! He's in guard on the top - nicely done!

Kusanagi looking for submissions from the bottom here. Moving his hips around, possibly looking for an armbar.
Okami stands up and looks to throw the legs aside to pass to side control. Kusanagi swivels though and keeps the full guard.

That's four minutes gone in the round.
Okami trying to control the position from guard on top but Kusanagi is wriggling around, looking for whatever he can.
Okami stands and throws Kusanagi's legs to the side, diving into side control.
Okami wants to lay and pray for a moment but Kusanagi keeps working.
Sloppy strikes there by Okami.
Okami trying to control the action but Kusanagi is working from the bottom.
Kusanagi gets back to half guard.
And that’s the end of the round – the fighters go back to their corners.

Jushin Kusanagi dominated that second 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. This is the final round!

Kusanagi will need to tighten up his combinations if he doesn't want to gas himself out, swinging at thin air.
Kusanagi misses with a jab and misses with a cross straight after too.
Kusanagi swings away but doesn't land with a series of punches.
Kusanagi misses with a head kick.
Kusanagi circles away from the clinch attempt

and Kusanagi counters with a nice double leg into half guard.
Okami is looking to regain full guard. Not this time though.
Both fighters are breathing heavily.
Okami is looking to control Kusanagi's leg but it's slowly edging free. Can Okami avoid being mounted?
Kusanagi throwing shots but they're hitting the canvas more than the man.

That's one minute gone in the round.
Okami wants to get back to his feet.
Kusanagi prevents Okami from improving his position.
Okami is trying to maintain the position but Kusanagi is very close to passing his half guard.

That's two minutes gone in the round.
A lull in the action here being met with boos from the crowd.

The referee has ruled that neither fighter is active enough on the ground and has stood them back up.
Okami tries to clinch
and Kusanagi counters with a good, hard body kick but Okami shrugs it off.
Okami tries to clinch

so Kusanagi counters with a double leg into guard. Good agility.
Okami is trying to keep Kusanagi in close.

Okami has a loose triangle. He'll be looking to tighten that up but Kusanagi can see exactly what he's planning and manages to posture up and free himself.
Okami controls Kusanagi momentarily but Kusanagi frees himself.
Okami wants to sweep here but Kusanagi controlling him for the moment.

That's three minutes gone in the round.
Okami controls Kusanagi momentarily but Kusanagi frees himself.

Okami has a loose triangle. He'll be looking to tighten that up but Kusanagi can see exactly what he's planning and manages to posture up and free himself.
Kusanagi passes Okami's right leg, so he's now in half guard.

Kusanagi stands up out of the half guard.
Kusanagi throws a right and a left that both miss.
Kusanagi throws an uppercut from half a mile away. Okami sees it coming and avoids it easily.

That's four minutes gone in the round.
Okami doesn't succeed with the takedown

and Kusanagi counters with a shoot takedown into half guard.
Kusanagi looks towards his corner to check for any instructions. The corner give him nothing to work with, so he cracks Okami with a short hammerfist. I guess that's as good as any advice he could get in this position.
Okami tries to get to full guard but Kusanagi has control of the leg.
Okami wants to get back to full guard but Kusanagi has passed into side control.
Okami wants to hold on but Kusanagi pushes him away.
Kusanagi blocks Okami's feeble attempts to strike from the bottom.
Okami manages to regain half guard. Good work.
Haro Okami has stepped it up - he knows he needs a finish here!

Okami looking for submissions off his back.

And that's the end of the fight!
Jushin Kusanagi showed his dominance in that final round.
Well I reckon that's a shut out for Kusanagi, 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 Shigeki Fujiwara scores the fight 30:27
Judge Ren Mimura scores the fight 30:27
Judge Sosuke Kotani scores the fight 30:27

In favor of your winner, by unanimous decision... Jushin Kusanagi!