PBP Commentary

Coming up we have a featherweight MMA rules bout between Gerard Girard (ranked 0 p4p, 0 weight class) and Heiwajima Shizuo (ranked 0 p4p, 0 weight class). Shizuo has chosen Trollhammaren as his entrance music. Both fighters look fresh as a daisy as they make their way towards the cage.

Girard
vs
Shizuo

176 cm
18
155 lbs
0 - 0 - 0

185 cm
19
154 lbs
0 - 3 - 0

BJJ Purple Belt
Brawler
Granite chin

BJJ Blue Belt
Basic striking
Enjoys gardening

Hell's Kitchen Lab Corp (159.49 $150)

Ladies and gentlemen. This fight is 3 rounds, in the featherweight division.
Introducing the fighter to my left, fighting out of the red corner.
With a record of 0 - 0 - 0, fighting out of Tokyo, Gerard Girard!
And introducing the fighter to my right, fighting out of the blue corner.
With a record of 0 - 3 - 0, fighting out of Tokyo, Heiwajima Shizuo!
The judges for this bout are Kenichi Hosakawa, Shigeki Fujiwara and Ren Mimura.

The bell rings for round one and we are underway!
Girard avoids the clinch attempt nicely.
Heiwajima Shizuo seems to be the more aggressive standup fighter in this bout.
Shizuo tries a low kick but Girard avoids it.
Shizuo defends well against a solid takedown attempt from Girard.
Girard tries to clinch there but Shizuo circles away.
Shizuo is looking to clinch.
Shizuo is looking to clinch but Girard is avoiding it.
Girard avoids a low kick by using good footwork.

Girard dives in and scores a takedown into Shizuo's guard.
Girard controlling from the guard. I say controlling but really, he's stalling.
Girard trying to control the position from guard on top but Shizuo is wriggling around, looking for whatever he can.

That's one minute gone in the round.
Shizuo being controlled here, momentarily.

We're going to have a standup here because Gerard Girard wasn't active enough for the referee's liking.
Shizuo moves in looking to clinch but Girard pushes him off.
Girard throws the kick towards the body but Shizuo avoids it.
Girard shoots in for a takedown. "I don't think so" says Shizuo as he avoids it easily.

Shizuo has taken the fight to the clinch.
Shizuo lands a knee to the body.

Girard pulls guard effortlessly.

Shizuo gets to his feet - Girard follows without any prompting.
Girard circles away from the clinch attempt

and Girard counters with a nice double leg into guard.
Girard is breathing heavily.

That's two minutes gone in the round.
The crowd are loving this. Great action here.
Girard lands a nice shot whilst sitting in his opponent's guard.
Girard stops Shizuo from standing up.
Girard trying to control but Shizuo is working from the bottom.
Shizuo is a painfully thin specimen of a man. You do wonder whether a good body kick would snap him clean in two.
Shizuo wants to stand but Girard is controlling the position.
Girard not doing a lot at the moment. He'll have to show some more aggression or the fight will get stood up.
The referee looks like he's ready to step in and stand the fighters back up.

The ref stands the fighters back up. Gerard Girard wasn't doing enough on the ground.
Girard fails with a takedown attempt from distance.
That's three failed takedown attempts in the round for Gerard Girard. That's going to take a lot out of him.

Shizuo has Girard up against the cage in a clinch.

That's three minutes gone in the round.
Shizuo leaning his opponent against the cage.
Girard blocks a knee to the body. He'll have a nicely bruised forearm in the morning.
Shizuo missing with knees to the body.

Shizuo breaks the clinch and we return to the middle of the mat.
Shizuo wants to clinch.
Shizuo tries to close the distance and clinch up against the cage but Girard paws at him with a jab and circles away.
Girard throws a combination but it was largely blocked by Shizuo.
Shizuo goes for a high kick. It partially lands.

Shizuo gets a clinch.

Shizuo pushes off and circles away, back to the middle of the mat.

That's four minutes gone in the round.

Shizuo clinches.
Girard tries to land a knee to the body but he is off balance and Shizuo avoids it.

Shizuo manages to break the clinch.
Shizuo is looking to take this fight into the clinch.
Girard has his head slapped from side to side by a 3 punch combination. That must have hurt him.
The crowd are loving this. Great action here.
Girard on the receiving end of a decent leg kick there by Shizuo. Shizuo obviously looking to wear him down.

Shizuo pushes Girard up against the cage in a clinch.
Girard tries to pull guard but can't drag his opponent to the mat. Shizuo just stands there and leans against the cage.
Shizuo misses with a knee to the head.

Shizuo's corner calls for him to break the clinch, which he does.
Girard has his takedown stuffed
and Shizuo counters with a flying knee. Nice.
The crowd are going absolutely nuts as the round comes to an end - what a fantastic round of action!
Girard throws a right hand that Shizuo ducks under and follows up with a left that Shizuo also avoids with ease.
Shizuo tries to clinch up.
And that’s the end of the round – the fighters go back to their corners.

Heiwajima Shizuo 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.

Shizuo fakes the leg kick and cracks Girard in the body.
The fight stays on the outside here - Shizuo looks like he's thinking about clinching though.
A punch combination from Shizuo misses.
Shizuo fails in his attempt to clinch.
Shizuo rushes forward with a series of wild hooks but Girard moves out of range and avoids them all easily.
Shizuo doesn't manage to clinch there - Girard circles away.
Girard keeps the fight on the outside.
Girard tries for a takedown but Shizuo sees it coming a mile off and avoids it easily.
Girard shoots in for a takedown but Shizuo shows good takedown defense.
Shizuo wants to clinch up but Girard keeps it at a distance.
Girard shoots in for a double leg but Shizuo sprawls well. That's going to sap some energy.
That's three failed takedown attempts in the round for Gerard Girard. That's going to take a lot out of him.
Shizuo throws a quick head kick that skims the top of Girard's head.
Girard avoids the clinch attempt nicely.
Girard avoids the clinch attempt nicely.

That's one minute gone in the round.
Shizuo delivers a nice body kick.
Both fighters are absolutely exhausted here.

Girard gets to the clinch - let's see what his plan is here.
Girard is trying to slow down the pace in the clinch, to catch his breath.
Shizuo using the Thai plumb to throw knees but Girard has his back arched nicely, preventing the strike.

Shizuo pushes off and circles away, back to the middle of the mat.

Shizuo closes the distance and presses his opponent up against the cage.
Shizuo with an attempt at a knee that misses.
Shizuo tries to land a knee to the head but Girard blocks with his arms.
Shizuo putting his Muay Thai to good use. He has Girard in a tight clinch and is doing some damage with knees to the body.
Shizuo looking to throw knees to the head but Girard is blocking nicely.
Shizuo misses the knee to the body. Nice hip positioning from Girard.
Girard is trying to pull guard but being pressed up against the cage enables Shizuo to keep the fight standing.
Girard is trying to push Shizuo away but Shizuo has him pressed against the cage, so he's going nowhere.
Shizuo with the Thai clinch. He's looking to land a big knee but he's not managed it this time.
Shizuo taking a break, stalling in the clinch.

That's two minutes gone in the round.
Shizuo stalling in the clinch but Girard improves position.
Shizuo stops a takedown attempt from Girard.
Shizuo scores with a knee to the head.
Girard tries to break free but Shizuo pushes him back against the cage.

Girard breaks the clinch and we return to the middle of the mat.
Girard closes the distance but Shizuo moves to the side
and Shizuo makes him pay by landing a thudding low kick.
The crowd cheering loudly, showing their appreciation for the quality fight we're seeing here.
The fight stays on the outside here - Shizuo looks like he's thinking about clinching though.

Girard drops down and drives through with a powerful takedown into guard.
Girard wants to control from the top but Shizuo keeps moving.
Girard looking to pass the guard.
Shizuo really doesn't want to stay on the ground with Girard. If he can't get it back to his feet, it's only a matter of time before he'll be tapping out.

That's three minutes gone in the round.
Girard looking to sit in guard and control but Shizuo gets the butterfly guard and sweeps. He's now in the guard on the top.
Shizuo throwing strikes from guard but Girard blocks nicely.
Girard can't keep his opponent in guard - Shizuo advances to half guard, no doubt looking to mount.
Girard is looking to improve his position.
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.
Shizuo thows a huge punch but Girard dodges it nicely.
Shizuo missing with some ground and pound from the half guard.
Shizuo prevents Girard from improving his position.
Shizuo performing his best blanket impression for a moment.
Shizuo throwing shots but they're hitting the canvas more than the man.
As the round comes to an end the crowd are showing their appreciation for a great round of action.
Shizuo not doing much here.
Girard keeping his head moving to avoid the ground and pound.
And that’s the end of the round – the fighters go back to their corners.

Heiwajima Shizuo showed his class in that round. I'd imagine he'll take it on all the scorecards.
That's time! Girard's corner gives him a slap on the ass as he gets ready to fight. So, we enter the final round. Let's see if either fighter can bring us a finish, or whether we're going to the judges scorecards.

Shizuo moves into the clinch.
Girard fails to pull the fight into his guard.
Girard avoiding damage as Shizuo throws knees to the body.
Shizuo landing knees to the head.
Girard wants to break free. God knows he wants to breaaaak freeee.
The pace slowing considerably in the clinch, as Shizuo takes a break from that fighting nonsense to think about the finer things in life.
Shizuo throws a vicious knee straight up the middle but Girard blocks it with crossed arms.

Shizuo breaks from the clinch.
Shizuo wants to clinch up but Girard keeps it at a distance.

Shizuo moves into the clinch successfully.
Girard tries to land a knee to the body but he is off balance and Shizuo avoids it.
Shizuo connects with a nasty looking knee right to Girard's face.

Shizuo breaks the clinch and we're back to striking at distance.
Shizuo swats away the attempt to clinch by Girard.
Shizuo tries to clinch but Girard is having none of it.

That's one minute gone in the round.
Girard shoots in for a takedown but Shizuo shows good takedown defense.
Both fighters are breathing heavily.

Shizuo closes the distance and clinches.
Shizuo connects with a knee to the head.
Girard tries to break free but Shizuo pushes him back against the cage.
Shizuo looking to throw knees to the head but Girard is blocking nicely.
Knees in the clinch landing for Shizuo.

Shizuo manages to break the clinch.
Shizuo slaps away a takedown attempt from Girard, before circling back to the center of the mat.
That's three failed takedown attempts in the round for Gerard Girard. That's going to take a lot out of him.
Shizuo moves in looking to clinch but Girard pushes him off.

Shizuo moves into the clinch.

Shizuo pushes off and circles away, back to the middle of the mat.
Shizuo tries to clinch but is not successful on this occasion.
Girard fails with an attempt to clinch.

That's two minutes gone in the round.
Shizuo throws a front kick that sends Girard stumbling back into the cage.
Shizuo moves to clinch but Girard breaks away

and Girard decides to take the opportunity to score a takedown. He's landed in Shizuo's 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!
Girard won't allow Shizuo to get back to his feet.

Shizuo wriggles free and stands up.
Shizuo is looking to clinch.

Shizuo rushes Girard and pushes him back against the cage in a clinch.

Shizuo escapes the clinch and we're back to striking.
Shizuo throws a combination but it was largely blocked by Girard.
Girard tries to clinch up against the cage, rushing in the close the distance. Shizuo manages to break the clinch and circles back to the middle of the mat.

That's three minutes gone in the round.
Shizuo looks to score with a combo but nothing lands.
Shizuo is looking to take this fight into the clinch.
Girard tries to close the distance and clinch up but Shizuo swats him away and circles back towards the center.
Shizuo throws a head kick that looked like it stung.
Girard keeps the fight on the outside.
Heiwajima Shizuo is fighting for a decision - hopefully he's judged it right and he's actually winning the fight.
An inside leg kick from Shizuo misses.
Girard avoids the head kick by Shizuo.
Girard fails with a takedown attempt from distance.
The fight stays on the outside here - Shizuo looks like he's thinking about clinching though.

Shizuo rushes Girard and pushes him back against the cage in a clinch.

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

That's four minutes gone in the round.
Shizuo tries to close the distance and clinch up against the cage but Girard paws at him with a jab and circles away.
Girard circles away from the clinch attempt.
No luck for Girard with that takedown attempt.
Shizuo tries to close the distance and clinch but Girard swats him to one side with an open hand palm strike and circles away.
Shizuo is looking to clinch.
Shizuo lands a leg kick and bounces back out of range.

Shizuo moves into the clinch.
Shizuo effectively controlling the action here.
Heiwajima Shizuo seems to be working more effectively in the clinch in the fight so far.
Shizuo is looking to score with knees to the body. Maybe he'll change it up and go body then head. Girard is defending well for now.
As the round comes to an end the crowd are showing their appreciation for a great round of action.

Shizuo escapes the clinch and we're back to striking.
Gerard Girard has stepped it up - he knows he needs a finish here!
Shizuo fails with an attempt to clinch.

And that's the end of the fight!
Heiwajima Shizuo comfortably won the final round on my scorecard.
I've got Shizuo 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 Kenichi Hosakawa scores the fight 27:30
Judge Shigeki Fujiwara scores the fight 27:30
Judge Ren Mimura scores the fight 27:30

In favor of your winner, by unanimous decision... Heiwajima Shizuo!
A determined Heiwajima Shizuo didn't want to dwell on this fight in his post fight interview. Instead he was more keen to state he wants a title shot. Let's see if he gets it!