PBP Commentary

Coming up we have a bantamweight MMA rules bout between Ulan Bator (ranked 0 p4p, 0 weight class) and Renji Narakura (ranked 0 p4p, 0 weight class). Both fighters look fresh as a daisy as they make their way towards the cage.

Bator
vs
Narakura

180 cm
23
135 lbs
1 - 0 - 0

160 cm
18
140 lbs
1 - 0 - 0

Good wrestling
Counter striker
Granite chin

BJJ Blue Belt
Brawler
Tends to cut

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 1 - 0 - 0, fighting out of Amsterdam, Ulan Bator!
And introducing the fighter to my right, fighting out of the blue corner.
With a record of 1 - 0 - 0, fighting out of Amsterdam, Renji Narakura!
The judges for this bout are Albert Achterberg, Paulsen Ambrosius and Patrick Alders.

The bell rings for round one and we are underway!
No luck with that takedown attempt from Narakura.
Narakura doesn't succeed with the takedown

and Bator counters with a shoot takedown. Narakura fights it but they end up in guard.
The referee claps his hands together and tells the fighters to work.
Narakura trying to keep a closed guard but Bator is proving a slippery customer.
Bator pressing down on his opponent's thigh, looking to pass guard. Narakura is keeping the position for now.
Bator trying to control the position from guard on top but Narakura is wriggling around, looking for whatever he can.
Bator stands up and looks to throw the legs aside to pass to side control. Narakura swivels though and keeps the full guard.
Bator won't allow Narakura to sweep him here.
Bator slips nicely into half guard.
Bator slows the pace down in half guard.
Bator really does look like a pencil wearing a pair of gloves. Let's hope he has a gameplan to suit that ridiculous body shape.
Narakura wants to control but Bator is keeping busy and won't allow it.

Bator is working for a submission of some sort.
Wooooo! Give it up for these two warriors! They are putting on a show!
Narakura is looking for a sweep. Bator is wise to his cunning plan and keeps the top position.

That's one minute gone in the round.
Narakura wants to control but Bator is keeping busy and won't allow it.
The ref warns both fighters not to hold the cage as they work up against the meshing.

Bator is looking for a kimura but Narakura is holding onto that half guard position, so it's hard for Bator to get the leverage.
Narakura trying to control from the bottom.
Bator looks over to his corner - he wants some instructions but his corner are not responding.

Well, the referee has seen enough. Neither fighter is active enough on the ground so he's stood them back up.
Narakura looks frustrated there after his takedown attempt is stuffed easily.
Ulan Bator has stuffed three takedown attempts in the round now. That's going to take a lot out of Renji Narakura.
Narakura gets his takedown attempt stuffed easily

and Bator counters with a shoot takedown. Narakura fights it but they end up in guard.

That's two minutes gone in the round.
Bator stays in close to Narakura's body and controls the position.
Bator trying to control but Narakura is working from the bottom.
Wooooo! Give it up for these two warriors! They are putting on a show!
Narakura tries to strike from the bottom.
We get told so often about how wrestlers don't like to be on their backs. Let's see if Narakura can do anything to dispel that myth.
Narakura looking to hit a scissor sweep but Bator is one step ahead there.
Narakura wants to stand but Bator is controlling the position.
Narakura looks winded!
Bator stays in close to Narakura's body and controls the position.
Bator will need to keep those long limbs tucked in whilst he's on the ground, to prevent any submissions.

The ref stands the fighters back up because Ulan Bator just wasn't active enough.

Bator shoots in and scores a nice double leg takedown into half guard.
Bator takes a deep breath and rests his weight momentarily on top of his opponent, to control the position.
Narakura tries to roll over but Bator keeps him under control.

That's three minutes gone in the round.
Bator tries to pass the half guard into mount. Narakura knows what he's doing though and prevents the attempt.

Bator seems to be working for a kimura but Narakura defends the submission attempt.
Bator slows the pace down in half guard.
Bator passes the guard and advances to mount!
Bator looking to control and managing it successfully.

Bator is working for a guillotine from mount but Narakura frees his head quite easily.
Bator trying to control but he's not successful this time.

That's four minutes gone in the round.
Narakura is wriggling around trying to escape.

Bator has hold of Narakura's left arm, perhaps looking for a submission. The two fighters tussle over control of the isolated limb and Narakura manages to get his arm back to his side and away from danger.

Bator looking for a guillotine from mount but Narakura is having none of it.
Narakura tries to hold on but Bator pushes him away.
Bator controlling from mount.
This is a great period of action - very entertaining stuff!
Bator avoids the attempt from Narakura to control.
As the round comes to an end the crowd are showing their appreciation for a great round of action.
Bator prevents Narakura from getting the reversal.
Narakura is persisting with the attempt to improve his position.
Bator sitting in mount, just looking to control for the moment.
And that’s the end of the round – the fighters go back to their corners.

Ulan Bator dominated that round.
The fighters' corners scream their final instructions, as the referee calls time. Here we go, back to the action!

Bator gets a double leg takedown into Narakura's guard.
Bator trying to control the position from guard on top but Narakura is wriggling around, looking for whatever he can.

Bator is trying to work a guillotine from the top, or something like that? Don't know how he thinks he's going to get a finish from there.
Bator advances to half guard.
Bator controlling the pace.
Narakura wants to improve his position but Bator is controlling well.
Narakura works his way to full guard. Good work.
Narakura can't do much from the bottom at the moment, as Bator controls the pace.
Bator trying to control but Narakura is working from the bottom.

That's one minute gone in the round.
Narakura trying to control the position.

The referee decides to stand the fighters back up, due to lack of activity on the part of Ulan Bator.

Bator closes the distance, clinches up and gets a nice trip takedown into side control. Very smooth.
Bator in side control, just content to control the action for now.
Bator is looking to take a break and control but Narakura is keeping him honest, looking to work from the bottom.
Narakura is letting Bator control him for a moment.
Narakura struggling a bit here.

Bator tries for a kimura but Narakura is defending well.

That's two minutes gone in the round.

Bator tries for an arm triangle. That looks pretty tight to me. Is this one over!?! Possibly, maybe, no Bator has let go of the choke. Obviously it wasn't as tight as we thought!
Bator wants to lay and pray for a moment but Narakura keeps working.
What's Narakura going to do here then? He's in a bit of a pickle.

Bator looking for an arm triangle but it's way too loose to do anything.

Bator working hard here to secure a kimura but he's not really in the right position for it.
We've seen a great period of action over the last minute or so - credit to both fighters for going all out!
Narakura is positioning himself to get back to half guard.

That's three minutes gone in the round.
Narakura wants to control but Bator postures up.
Narakura is looking for a sweep.
Bator is moving around in side control but his primary objective seems to be to maintain the position.

Bator tries for a kimura but Narakura is defending well.

Bator is trying to land an Americana. He has the arm isolated but Narakura is keeping cool and he's avoided the danger for now.

Bator is looking to finish here, going for an Americana. Narakura knows the correct defense though, so he's OK.

That's four minutes gone in the round.
Narakura tries to work a leg under to get back to half guard but Bator wriggles his own leg back out and remains in side control.
Bator trying to control the position but Narakura is working away.
The fighters are pressed up against the cage, both looking to find a bit of space to work.

Bator tries for an arm triangle. That looks pretty tight to me. Is this one over!?! Possibly, maybe, no Bator has let go of the choke. Obviously it wasn't as tight as we thought!

Bator is looking for a kimura. He might have it! No, Narakura has escaped the position, nice work there.
As the round comes to an end the crowd are showing their appreciation for a great round of action.
Bator working away.
And that’s the end of the round – the fighters go back to their corners.

Ulan Bator dominated that second round.
That's time! Back to the action! This is the final round!

Narakura gets caught napping as Bator dives in and scores a takedown. Narakura manages to retain guard.
Narakura wants to get back to his feet but Bator is in a dominant position and won't allow it.
Narakura keeping moving, preventing Bator from controlling successfully.
Narakura manages to land a sweep and now he's in mount on top!
Bator gets back to half guard.

Bator actively working from the bottom here.
Ulan Bator overall seems to be getting the better of the ground position in the fight so far.
Narakura lands with a punch from half guard.

That's one minute gone in the round.
Bator moves his hips nicely and gets into full guard.

Bator working for a triangle but Narakura defends it easily.

Bator is throwing his legs up, looking for submissions. Narakura is aware though and is defending well.
Bator looking to sweep here. No luck so far.
Narakura postures up in Bator's guard and throws a big left but Bator blocks it.

Bator working from the bottom, still in full guard. He's managed to get a loose triangle. Narakura doesn't seem to be doing much to defend here, obviously he feels comfortable in the position. Narakura manages to throw the legs off his shoulder and he's back into guard - no problem.
A big thud reverberates around the arena there as Narakura accidentally thumps the mat. Hopefully he's not broken his hand.
Ulan Bator is fighting for a decision here - he's started to take the cautious approach.

That's two minutes gone in the round.

Bator had isolated an arm as going for a kimura. Narakura defends it easily.

Bator is working actively off his back, looking to secure an arm or perhaps work for a triangle.
Fantastic stuff here - a very entertaining period of action, which has drawn cheers from the crowd.
Bator is controlling Narakura's posture.
Bator is working an open guard here, looking to improve his position. No doubt that will leave him open to counters but at least he's being more offensive.
Narakura loading up with the ground and pound but he's missing more than he's landing in this flurry.

That's three minutes gone in the round.
Bator wants to sweep but no luck.
Narakura missing there with some ground and pound from the guard.
Bator has his hands on Narakura's head, controlling the position.
Narakura throws a strike but Bator rolls with it and manages to sweep. Now he's in guard on top.
Narakura not looking particularly offensive just at the moment.
Narakura takes a big intake of breath there - he's definitely tired.
Narakura keeping moving, preventing Bator from controlling successfully.
Narakura trying to control the position.

That's four minutes gone in the round.

The referee has ruled that neither fighter is active enough on the ground and has stood them back up.
Narakura misses with a takedown attempt

and Bator counters with a shoot takedown into half guard.
Bator wants to control but Narakura is keeping him busy.
Bator content to control rather than advance.
Narakura throws a strike from the bottom that misses.
We've seen a great period of action over the last minute or so - credit to both fighters for going all out!
Bator is keen to just control but Narakura is a slippery customer.
Renji Narakura has stepped it up - he knows he needs a finish here!
Bator stops Narakura from getting back to his feet.

Bator is working for submissions here but there's nothing on.
Bator passes into side control, despite Narakura's attempt to control the position.

Bator has worked his way into a potential kimura here. Narakura is trying to get out of the position but his squirming has just got him deeper into trouble. Bator yanks on the arm and Narakura is forced to tap due to a very painful looking submission! Nice work by Bator.

Ladies and gentlemen, after 4:59 of round 3, we have a winner by way of Submission (Kimura). Ulan Bator!
In his post fight interview, Ulan Bator started talking himself up. Luckily his charisma kept the crowd on side and gave him a good reception.