PBP Commentary

Coming up we have a lightweight MMA rules bout between Kenji Togashi (ranked 0 p4p, 0 weight class) and Tevinho Souza (ranked 0 p4p, 0 weight class). Togashi kept the crowd waiting but all that was forgotten when his ring entrance music started. The incomparable musical genius that is Sadko Song of India Rimsky Korsakov. Both these guys have really solid chins. Will we see a standup war or will they both decide that a knockout is unlikely and try to win the fight elsewhere?

Togashi
vs
Souza

171 cm
19
162 lbs
0 - 4 - 0

198 cm
18
155 lbs
0 - 4 - 0

BJJ White Belt
Excellent MT
Good chin

BJJ Blue Belt
Basic striking
Solid 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 - 4 - 0, fighting out of Rio de Janeiro, Kenji Togashi!
And introducing the fighter to my right, fighting out of the blue corner.
With a record of 0 - 4 - 0, fighting out of Rio de Janeiro, Tevinho Souza!
The judges for this bout are Seu Braga, Paulo Santos and Mauricio Rocha.

The bell rings for round one and we are underway!
Souza avoids the clinch attempt nicely.
Togashi tries to clinch up against the cage, rushing in the close the distance. Souza manages to break the clinch and circles back to the middle of the mat.

Souza darts in and lands a nice takedown into half guard.
The referee is pacing around the two fighters - he looks like he's thinking about a standup.
Souza stops Togashi from getting back to his feet.
Togashi might be looking to lock onto one of his opponent's long limbs for a submission, whilst we're on the ground.
Togashi scrambles, trying to get to his feet, but Souza manages to mount him!
Souza looks gassed!
Togashi is trying to stand.
Souza tucks in and makes sure he doesn't lose the dominant position.

That's one minute gone in the round.
Togashi wants to use the cage to get back to his feet here.
Souza tucks in and makes sure he doesn't lose the dominant position.
Togashi is not a happy chappy… he wants out of there.
Souza controlling from mount.

That's two minutes gone in the round.
Togashi is trying to get to the cage to help him get back to his feet.
Souza content just to control the position here.
The fighters are starting to perspire pretty heavily.
You get the feeling that Togashi really doesn't like being in this position too much.
The ref warns both fighters not to hold the cage as they work up against the meshing.

That's three minutes gone in the round.
Souza content just to control the position here.
Togashi wants to try and get back to his feet.

Souza stands up from the dominant position. He obviously fancies his chances standing.

That's four minutes gone in the round.
Togashi tries to clinch up but Souza circles away and keeps his distance.

Souza closes the distance and presses his opponent up against the cage.
Souza is a painfully thin specimen of a man. You do wonder whether a good body kick would snap him clean in two.
With the fighters up against the cage, Togashi throws an elbow but misses.
Togashi with an attempt at a knee that misses.
Togashi is looking to score with knees to the body. Maybe he'll change it up and go body then head. Souza is defending well for now.
Togashi looking to throw knees to the head but Souza is blocking nicely.
Souza blocks a knee to the body. He'll have a nicely bruised forearm in the morning.
Souza on the defensive, avoiding the knees to the body.
Souza misses with an elbow strike.
The crowd applaud the fighters efforts here as the round comes to an end.
The pace slowing considerably in the clinch, as Souza takes a break from that fighting nonsense to think about the finer things in life.
Souza dodges an elbow strike from Togashi.
And that’s the end of the round – the fighters go back to their corners.

A close round but Tevinho Souza will probably get the nod.
OK. That's time! The bell goes and we're back to the action.

Togashi tries to close the distance and clinch up but Souza swats him away and circles back towards the center.
Souza circles away from the clinch attempt.

Souza closes the distance and clinches.
Togashi using the Thai plumb to throw knees but Souza has his back arched nicely, preventing the strike.
Togashi tries to land a knee to the head but Souza blocks with his arms.
Togashi using the Thai plumb to throw knees but Souza has his back arched nicely, preventing the strike.
Togashi throws a vicious knee straight up the middle but Souza blocks it with crossed arms.
Souza blocks a knee to the body. He'll have a nicely bruised forearm in the morning.
Souza holding his opponent close, against the cage.
Togashi throws a knee to the head but misses.
Both fighters are absolutely exhausted here.
Togashi throws an elbow that misses.
Togashi with an attempt at a knee that misses.

That's one minute gone in the round.
Togashi being controlled against the cage.
Togashi throws a vicious knee straight up the middle but Souza blocks it with crossed arms.
Souza blocks an elbow strike from Togashi.
Souza takes an elbow to the temple.
Togashi throws an elbow but it misses.
Souza misses with an elbow strike.
Souza stalling here - the referee won't stand for too much of that.
The crowd are getting on Souza's back here. They're not happy about his lack of aggression in the clinch.

That's two minutes gone in the round.
Togashi with the Thai clinch. He's looking to land a big knee but he's not managed it this time.
Togashi using the Thai plumb to throw knees but Souza has his back arched nicely, preventing the strike.
Souza just leaning against Togashi, taking a breather.
Souza blocks an elbow strike.
Togashi looks to throw an elbow but misses.
Togashi looking to throw knees to the head but Souza is blocking nicely.
Togashi lands a nice elbow from the clinch.
Togashi gets an overhook and lands an elbow to the side of the head.
Togashi pushes off and fires off an elbow that misses, before clinching up again, against the cage.

That's three minutes gone in the round.
With the fighters up against the cage, Togashi throws an elbow but misses.
Souza dictating the pace here, as the fighters clinch against the cage.
Togashi throws an elbow that misses.
The fighters are pressed against the cage, as the pace of the fight slows.
Togashi connects with a knee to the head.
Togashi tries to land a knee to the head but Souza blocks with his arms.
Togashi letting Souza take a breather here.

That's four minutes gone in the round.
Togashi misses with a knee strike.
Souza taking a breather.
The ref breaks the fighters up, due to lack of action by Tevinho Souza.
Togashi tries to clinch there but Souza circles away.
Togashi wants to clinch.

Souza forces Togashi back against the cage and clinches.
Togashi looking to throw knees to the head but Souza is blocking nicely.

Souza manages to break the clinch.
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 Kenji Togashi will probably get the nod.
OK. That's time! The bell goes and we're back to the action. This is the final round!

Souza closes the distance and clinches.
Togashi tries to land a knee to the head but Souza blocks with his arms.
Togashi connects with a knee to the head.
Togashi misses with a knee strike.
Togashi looking to throw knees to the head but Souza is blocking nicely.
Togashi misses with a knee to the head.
Togashi with the Thai clinch. He's looking to land a big knee but he's not managed it this time.
Togashi throws a vicious knee straight up the middle but Souza blocks it with crossed arms.
Togashi tries a knee to the head but he's missed.
The referee is keeping an eye on Souza - much more stalling and he will separate the fighters.
Both fighters are breathing heavily.
Togashi with the Thai clinch. He's looking to land a big knee but he's not managed it this time.

That's one minute gone in the round.
Souza controlling the action here for a moment.
Togashi tries a knee to the head but Souza blocks it.
Togashi misses the knee to the body. Nice hip positioning from Souza.
Souza stalls.
Souza blocks a knee to the body. He'll have a nicely bruised forearm in the morning.

That's two minutes gone in the round.
Togashi misses with a knee to the head.
Souza has Togashi pressed against the cage.
The ref breaks the fighters up, due to lack of action by Tevinho Souza.

Souza rushes Togashi and pushes him back against the cage in a clinch.
Togashi misses with a knee strike.
Souza blocks a knee to the body. He'll have a nicely bruised forearm in the morning.
Togashi throws a vicious knee straight up the middle but Souza blocks it with crossed arms.
Souza is struggling to control the position.
Togashi tries to land a knee to the head but misses.
Souza leaning his opponent against the cage.

That's three minutes gone in the round.
Togashi misses with a knee to the head.
The fighters are pressed against the cage, as the pace of the fight slows.
Togashi using the Thai plumb to throw knees but Souza has his back arched nicely, preventing the strike.

Souza manages to break the clinch.
Togashi fails in his attempt to clinch.

Souza clinches up with Togashi and pushes him back against the cage.
Togashi lands an elbow that stopped Souza in his tracks for a moment.

That's four minutes gone in the round.
Souza is pushing Togashi up against the cage, for a bit of lean and pray action. Action being used the in the loosest possible sense of the word.
Souza blocks a knee to the body. He'll have a nicely bruised forearm in the morning.
Togashi throws a knee to the head but misses.
Togashi with the Thai clinch. He's looking to land a big knee but he's not managed it this time.
Souza throws a nice elbow but it doesn't land.
Togashi misses with a knee strike.
Togashi misses the knee to the body. Nice hip positioning from Souza.
Togashi misses with a knee strike.
Stalling in the clinch from Souza.

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 Kenji Togashi.
I think Togashi 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 Seu Braga scores the fight 29:28
Judge Paulo Santos scores the fight 28:29
Judge Mauricio Rocha scores the fight 28:29

In favor of your winner, by split decision... Tevinho Souza!
An intense looking Tevinho Souza took to the microphone post fight and gave a little speech: 'Eu sou novo aqui no MMA eu não sei muitas coisas mas estou aprendendo para minhas próximas lutas e quero ser um grande lutador'.