PBP Commentary

Coming up we have a lightweight MMA rules bout between Kotaro Fuma (ranked 0 p4p, 0 weight class) and Nate Diaz (ranked 0 p4p, 0 weight class). Nate Diaz will no doubt be looking to use his reach advantage to good effect.

Fuma
vs
Diaz

169 cm
18
158 lbs
0 - 0 - 0

188 cm
23
160 lbs
0 - 1 - 0

BJJ White Belt
Counter striker
Intelligent

BJJ Blue Belt
Decent boxing
Very confident

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 - 0 - 0, fighting out of Tokyo, Kotaro Fuma!
And introducing the fighter to my right, fighting out of the blue corner.
With a record of 0 - 1 - 0, fighting out of Tokyo, Nate Diaz!
The judges for this bout are Ren Mimura, Taro Takaoka and Yuuki Gou.

The bell rings for round one and we are underway!
Diaz wants to slow Fuma down by chopping away at his legs.
Diaz misses with a half-hearted attempt at a head kick.
Nice sprawl there from Diaz as Fuma shoots in.

Fuma tries to keep at a distance but Diaz has taken the fight into the clinch.
Fuma tries to land knees in the clinch but Diaz avoids the damage to the body.
Diaz wants to break free. God knows he wants to breaaaak freeee.

Fuma decides to pull guard.
Diaz looking to control the position here, rather than advance.
Diaz's corner are shouting for him to control the position and he seems happy to oblige.

That's one minute gone in the round.
Fuma keeping moving, preventing Diaz from controlling successfully.
Diaz stays in close to Fuma's body and controls the position.
Diaz is a painfully thin specimen of a man. You do wonder whether a good body kick would snap him clean in two.

The ref stands the fighters back up, due to lack of action by Nate Diaz.
Diaz looks for the body kick but Fuma saw that one coming.
Diaz feints a straight left to the body, then turns around with a flashy move and hits Fumas jaw with a dramatic spinning back fist!

That's two minutes gone in the round.
Fuma checks a low kick from Diaz.
Diaz shoots in and drives through. Fuma sprawls well.
Fuma fails miserably with a takedown attempt.
A telegraphed takedown attempt from Diaz is defended easily by Fuma.
Diaz shoots for a double leg takedown but Fuma sprawls well. He's pushed Diaz's face into the mat and manages to get back to his feet relatively easily.
Kotaro Fuma has stuffed three takedown attempts in the round now. That's going to take a lot out of Nate Diaz.
Fuma shoots in for a takedown. "I don't think so" says Diaz as he avoids it easily.

Diaz forces Fuma back against the cage and clinches.

That's three minutes gone in the round.
Fuma goes for a takedown in the clinch but Diaz prevents it.
Diaz managing to block the knees to the body from Fuma.
Fuma is stalling here.

Fuma breaks the clinch and we return to the middle of the mat.

Diaz gets to the clinch - let's see what his plan is here.
Diaz gets underhooks to prevent Fuma's takedown attempt.
Diaz slows down the pace here.
Fuma is pressed up against the cage. Diaz has hold of a leg and is looking to drag Fuma down to the mat. Fuma avoids the attempt though and has circled away. We're back to striking at a distance.

That's four minutes gone in the round.
Diaz tries for a takedown but Fuma sees it coming a mile off and avoids it easily.
Diaz doesn't manage to clinch there - Fuma circles away.
Nate Diaz seems to be the more aggressive standup fighter in this bout.
No luck with that takedown attempt from Diaz.
Diaz looks gassed!
Diaz stuffs a takedown. It's all about dictating where the fight takes place and Diaz wants it to stay on the feet.
Diaz fails to land the takedown.
Diaz shoots in for a takedown. "Ole!" shouts Fuma as he jumps to the side.
And that’s the end of the round – the fighters go back to their corners.

Nate Diaz 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.

Diaz misses with a kick to the body.
Diaz is looking to clinch.
Diaz shoots in with a takedown attempt and he has Fuma pinned against the cage. Fuma gets the underhooks and manages to circle away.
Diaz jabs Fuma to the body, keeping him at a distance.
Diaz misses with a takedown attempt. He shot from a bit too far out.
Diaz is breathing heavily.
Fuma misses with a two punch combination.

That's one minute gone in the round.
Diaz is looking to clinch but Fuma is avoiding it.
Fuma misses with a wild body shot.

Diaz gets a clinch.

Fuma breaks the clinch.
Diaz throws a leg kick

and Fuma counters with a takedown into side control.

Fuma decides to stand back up.
A head kick misses from Fuma.
Diaz has a takedown stuffed.
Kotaro Fuma has stuffed three takedown attempts in the round now. That's going to take a lot out of Nate Diaz.
Fantastic stuff here - a very entertaining period of action, which has drawn cheers from the crowd.
Fuma throws a right and a left that both miss.

That's two minutes gone in the round.
Diaz shoots in for a takedown but Fuma shows good takedown defense there and keeps this one on the feet.
Diaz throws a combination but comes up with nothing but fresh air.
Fuma throws a right and a left that Diaz avoids nicely.
Fuma shoots in for a takedown. "I don't think so" says Diaz as he avoids it easily.
Fuma closes the distance and clinches up with Diaz, looking for a takedown. Fuma pushes Diaz against the cage but Diaz circles to the side and manages to break the clinch.
Nice sprawl there from Fuma as Diaz shoots in.
Diaz throws a head kick but Fuma moves out of range.

That's three minutes gone in the round.
Fuma tries to bum rush Diaz with a series of wild strikes but Diaz uses good footwork to avoid the assault.

Diaz gets a clinch.
Diaz wants to take the fight to the mat but Fuma manages to get underhooks and keep the fight in the clinch.

Diaz pulls Fuma into guard.
Diaz is trying to control the position but Fuma postures up.
Diaz is wriggling around but Fuma manages to pass to half guard.
Fuma is trying to control the action in half guard but Diaz is working away on the bottom, looking perhaps to get back to full guard.

That's four minutes gone in the round.
Diaz is trying to control but can't.

The referee decides to stand the fighters back up.
Diaz scores with a nice one two combo and darts back out of range to avoid anything coming in the opposite direction.
Fuma keeps the fight standing with a nice sprawl.
Diaz avoids the clinch attempt nicely.
The crowd applaud the fighters efforts here as the round comes to an end.
Fuma defends well against a solid takedown attempt from Diaz.
Fuma tries to clinch up but Diaz circles away and keeps his distance.
And that’s the end of the round – the fighters go back to their corners.

That was a close second round but I would say that Kotaro Fuma will probably get the nod.
The fighters get back to their feet, the hooter sounds and we're back to the action! This is the final round!

A good leg kick by Fuma.
Diaz tries to clinch but is not successful on this occasion.
Diaz doesn't manage to clinch there - Fuma circles away.
Diaz shoots in for a takedown. He's persisting with it as Fuma sprawls well. Fuma wins this battle and keeps the fight standing. Diaz gets slowly back to his feet.
Diaz misses with the combination.
Diaz dives in and grabs Fuma's left leg, looking for a takedown. Fuma pushes down on Diaz's head and hops out.

That's one minute gone in the round.
Fuma keeps the fight on the outside.
Diaz takes a big intake of breath there - he's definitely tired.
Fuma dives in and grabs Diaz's left leg, looking for a takedown. Diaz pushes down on Fuma's head and hops out.
Diaz misses with a few strikes there.
Diaz stuffs the takedown.
Diaz misses with a head kick.
Fuma stuffs the takedown.
Kotaro Fuma has stuffed three takedown attempts in the round now. That's going to take a lot out of Nate Diaz.
Fuma throws a looping left and ducks down for a takedown. He's got his arms around Diaz's waist but Diaz gets an underhook and avoids the takedown by throwing Fuma off to one side.
A really sloppy takedown attempt there from Fuma.
Diaz misses with a takedown attempt. He shot from a bit too far out.

That's two minutes gone in the round.
Diaz shoots in looking for a takedown. Fuma tries to sprawl out of it but Diaz keeps driving through. The fighters are pinned against the cage. Fuma manages to get underhooks and after a bit of a struggle, circles away and we're back to standing.
Fuma throws a leg kick but Diaz moved away.
Fuma leaves Diaz with his face pressed against the mat as he sprawls beautifully, defending against a solid takedown attempt.
Kotaro Fuma is looking to throw some combinations by the looks of things.
Fuma slips a jab and a cross from Diaz.

That's three minutes gone in the round.
Fuma scores with a nice body kick.
A solid leg kick lands there for Fuma.
Fuma shoots in but no luck this time.
A telegraphed takedown attempt from Diaz is defended easily by Fuma.
Diaz lands with a cross to side of his opponent's head.

That's four minutes gone in the round.
The fight stays on the outside here - Fuma looks like he's thinking about clinching though.
Diaz fails with the takedown
and Fuma counters with a good, hard body kick but Diaz shrugs it off.
Fuma shoots in with a takedown attempt and he has Diaz pinned against the cage. Diaz gets the underhooks and manages to circle away.
Diaz will have to do better than that with his takedown attempts.
Fuma tries to clinch up.

And that's the end of the fight!
That was a close round. You could make an argument for either fighter but I would give it to Kotaro Fuma.
I think Fuma has won this one but let's see what the judges have to say. 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 Ren Mimura scores the fight 29:29
Judge Taro Takaoka scores the fight 29:28
Judge Yuuki Gou scores the fight 28:29

The fight is ruled a draw!