PBP Commentary

Coming up we have a bantamweight MMA rules bout between Kekoa Kawai (ranked 0 p4p, 0 weight class) and Yoshida Kotaro (ranked 0 p4p, 0 weight class). Kawai comes to the cage accompanied by Ace of Spades. Kotaro is bobbing his head along to his entrance song: Dance Yourself Clean. This should be fireworks!

Kawai
vs
Kotaro

170 cm
27
146 lbs
9 - 4 - 0

194 cm
30
139 lbs
14 - 8 - 0

Good wrestling
Solid boxing
Experienced

BJJ Purple Belt
Good kicks
Knockout power

Black Belt Nutrition #=========||=========#

Ladies and gentlemen. This fight is 3 rounds, in the bantamweight division.
Introducing the fighter to my left, fighting out of the red corner.
With a record of 9 - 4 - 0, fighting out of Rio de Janeiro, Kekoa Kawai!
And introducing the fighter to my right, fighting out of the blue corner.
With a record of 14 - 8 - 0, fighting out of Rio de Janeiro, Yoshida Kotaro!
The judges for this bout are Felipe Paraventi, Leandro Rodrigues and Thiago Cunha.

The bell rings for round one and we are underway!
Kawai throws a leg kick
and Kotaro counters with a flying knee. Nice.
Kawai tries a head kick but it misses.
Kotaro is a painfully thin specimen of a man. You do wonder whether a good body kick would snap him clean in two.
Kawai pushes Kotaro away with a front kick.
Kotaro stumbles momentarily as he takes a strong leg kick from Kawai.
Kawai tries a head kick but it misses.
Kotaro throws a mid kick that lands with a slap.
Kawai misses with a half-hearted attempt at a head kick.
Kotaro is looking to clinch but Kawai is avoiding it.
Kawai blocks a head kick by Kotaro.
Kotaro steps to the side to avoid the strikes from Kawai.

Kotaro clinches up with Kawai and pushes him back against the cage.
Kotaro misses with a knee to the head.
Kotaro looking to throw knees to the head but Kawai is blocking nicely.
Kawai is working hard here but doesn't seem to be able to control effectively, up against the cage.
Kawai digs a right hand underneath Kotaro's ribcage. Kotaro let out a lung full of air as it connected.

That's one minute gone in the round.
Kotaro on the defensive, avoiding the knees to the body.
Kotaro lands a knee to the body.
Kawai goes for a body shot but it's blocked.
Kotaro using the Thai plumb to throw knees but Kawai has his back arched nicely, preventing the strike.
Kawai misses with a hook to the ribs.
Kawai slowing the pace effectively.
Kawai lands with a good tight uppercut to the head.
Kotaro being controlled against the cage.
Kawai scores with a shot to the side of Kotaro's head.
Kawai tries to circle away but Kotaro has him pinned against the cage.
Kawai trying to stall but Kotaro improves his position.
Kotaro is looking to break free of the clinch but Kawai has double underhooks.
Kawai misses with a shot to the kidneys.
Kotaro tries a knee to the head but Kawai blocks it.
Kawai has Kotaro pushed against the cage.

That's two minutes gone in the round.
Kotaro swings away with an uppercut that misses.
Kawai lands with a quick shot inside that doesn't really do much damage.
Kotaro scores with a knee to the head.

It looks like Kekoa Kawai has been cut.

Kawai works for the underhooks and manages to get a trip takedown into guard.
The fighters are pressed up against the cage, both looking to find a bit of space to work.
This has been an exciting period of action!
We may be looking at a referee standup if the pace doesn't pick up soon.
Kawai postures up.
Kawai working some ground and pound from guard but it's not doing any damage.
Kawai throws a strike but Kotaro rolls with it and manages to sweep. Now he's in guard on top.
Kotaro trying to control the position from guard on top but Kawai is wriggling around, looking for whatever he can.

That's three minutes gone in the round.
Kawai looking to sweep here. No luck so far.
Kotaro tries to free his leg and advance position but Kawai is retaining full guard.

OK we're going to have a standup here. Yoshida Kotaro hasn't been effective enough on the ground and the referee wants a restart.
Kotaro lands with a right hand.
Kawai lands an overhand right.
A low kick from Kawai misses
and Kotaro cracks him with a counter punch right on the button.
Kotaro tries a switch kick but it misses it's target.
Kawai misses with a head kick.
Kawai tries a head kick but it misses.

Kawai closes the distance and presses his opponent up against the cage.

That's four minutes gone in the round.
Kotaro is looking to score with knees to the body. Maybe he'll change it up and go body then head. Kawai is defending well for now.
Kotaro misses with a knee to the head.
Still in the clinch, Kawai scores with a nice short uppercut.
Kotaro is trying to slow down the pace of the fight but Kawai is keeping busy.
Kawai blocks the elbow strike.
Kawai takes a knee right on the jaw!
This has been an exciting period of action!
Kotaro misses with a knee strike.
Kotaro working on landing some head shots here - that one got through nicely.
Kawai pushes off and fires off an elbow that misses, before clinching up again, against the cage.
Kotaro landing knees to the head.

Kawai breaks the clinch and we're back to striking at distance.
Kawai misses with a leg kick.
As the round comes to an end the crowd are showing their appreciation for a great round of action.
Kawai avoids the clinch attempt nicely.
Kotaro on the wrong end of a kick to the body.
Kawai lands with a nice body kick.
And that’s the end of the round – the fighters go back to their corners.

That was a close round but I would say that Kekoa Kawai will probably get the nod.
The cut man is working on Kekoa Kawai's cut.
That's time! Kawai's corner gives him a slap on the ass as he gets ready to fight.

Kawai tries to bum rush Kotaro with a series of wild strikes but Kotaro uses good footwork to avoid the assault.
Kawai smiles there as he lands a nice right hand right on the button.
The fighters are starting to get sweaty, which will make takedowns a bit more tricky.
Kawai throws a nice head kick!

It looks like Yoshida Kotaro has been cut.
Kotaro tries a switch kick but it misses it's target.
Kotaro slips under a jab.
Kotaro connects with a looping left hand that seems like it dazed Kawai momentarily.
Kotaro avoids a kick to the body.
Kotaro will need to close the distance a bit before he attacks - that leg kick was thrown from too far away.
Kawai circles away from the clinch attempt.
Kotaro gets cracked there but stands up to it.
Kotaro scores with a head kick.
Kawai throws a head kick that misses and slips in the process. He scrambles back to his feet and the fighters circle.
Kawai lands a two punch combo.

That's one minute gone in the round.
Kawai misses with a right hand
and Kotaro counters with a good, hard body kick but Kawai shrugs it off.
Kawai avoids the head kick by Kotaro.
Kotaro tries to clinch up
and Kawai counters with a big head kick but Kotaro shrugs it off.

Kotaro is rocked!
Kekoa Kawai is winning the standup battle so far.
Kawai fakes a right and follows up with a big left that drops Kotaro to one knee - oooooh, he's wobbly! Kotaro looks to clinch but Kawai throws him off and pummels him into the canvas! Kotaro taps out under the strikes! The fight is over!

Ladies and gentlemen, after 1:33 of round 2, we have a winner by way of Submission (Strikes). Kekoa Kawai!