PBP Commentary

Coming up we have a middleweight MMA rules bout between Takeshi Kusimuki (ranked 0 p4p, 0 weight class) and Martin O Neill (ranked 0 p4p, 0 weight class). Kusimuki comes into the arena with National Anthem Of Japan blaring out of the sound system. O Neill is bouncing up and down as he enters the arena, backed by Sing for the moment - Eminem. Fingers crossed for an exciting fight - I'm sure both fighters are looking for a nice under the table bonus!

Kusimuki
vs
O Neill

180 cm
30
190 lbs
25 - 9 - 0

180 cm
30
195 lbs
18 - 14 - 2

Good wrestling
World class boxer
Cardio machine

ADCC Champion
Excellent boxer
Granite chin

Hell's Balls Recovery (160)

Ladies and gentlemen. This fight is 3 rounds, in the middleweight division.
Introducing the fighter to my left, fighting out of the red corner.
With a record of 25 - 9 - 0, fighting out of New York, Takeshi Kusimuki!
And introducing the fighter to my right, fighting out of the blue corner.
With a record of 18 - 14 - 2, fighting out of New York, Martin O Neill!
The judges for this bout are Steven Brown, Colin Fotheringham and Daniel Bishop.

The bell rings for round one and we are underway!
Kusimuki tries a low kick but O Neill avoids it.
Kusimuki throws a front kick aimed at O Neill's knee but O Neill avoids it well.
Kusimuki thumps O Neill with a low kick.
Kusimuki staying out of range there.
O Neill connects with a hook to the side of his opponent's head.
O Neill misses with a straight right.
Kusimuki connects with a crisp jab.
Kusimuki walks straight into a jab right on the nose. That one stung - he's blinking and trying to clear his head.
O Neill takes one on the chin but keeps coming.
This is a great period of action - very entertaining stuff!
A big right from O Neill misses.
O Neill throws a hook but Kusimuki blocks it.
Kusimuki throws a lazy head kick
and O Neill counters nicely by changing levels and landing a hook to the body.
Kusimuki throws a wild body kick that O Neill sees coming a mile off.
Kusimuki misses with a double jab.

That's one minute gone in the round.
O Neill misses the shot to the body.
O Neill fails to land with the punch combination there - jab, cross, hook, miss, miss, miss.
O Neill tries to bum rush Kusimuki with a series of wild strikes but Kusimuki uses good footwork to avoid the assault.
Kusimuki fails to land with the punch combination there - jab, cross, hook, miss, miss, miss.
Oooooooooooh, not good. A low kick from Kusimuki lands where it shouldn't have, right in the... well, you know what he did? He kicked him in the penis. He's injured, injured bad. The referee sends both fighters to their corners and O Neill has 5 minutes to recover. He's OK now though... a thumbs up from O Neill and we're back underway with a touch of gloves.
Kusimuki ducks down and throws a hook to the body but O Neill moves away.
O Neill throws a head kick that misses and slips in the process. He scrambles back to his feet and the fighters circle.
Kusimuki blocks a jab.
Kusimuki scores with a jab to the jaw of his opponent.
O Neill throws a right hand that misses
and Kusimuki counters with a slapping leg kick.
Kusimuki throws out a powerful jab.

That's two minutes gone in the round.

O Neill shoots in and bounces Kusimuki off the cage to secure the takedown into guard.
The referee looks like he's ready to step in and stand the fighters back up.
O Neill trying to control the position from guard on top but Kusimuki is wriggling around, looking for whatever he can.
The ref warns both fighters not to hold the cage as they work up against the meshing.
Kusimuki keeping full guard, as O Neill tries to pass.
This is a great period of action - very entertaining stuff!
Kusimuki 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.
Kusimuki working the defensive guard well to avoid strikes from O Neill.
O Neill trying to control the position from guard on top but Kusimuki is wriggling around, looking for whatever he can.
Kusimuki pulls O Neill in close to his closed guard and prevents O Neill from doing any damage or advancing position.

That's three minutes gone in the round.

Neither fighter is doing enough for the referee's liking and he's decided to stand them back up.
An inside leg kick lands from Kusimuki.
Takeshi Kusimuki is looking to keep the fight on the feet at all costs.
O Neill shoots in for a takedown. "Ole!" shouts Kusimuki as he jumps to the side.
O Neill keeping a good distance there, avoiding the body shot.
Kusimuki lands a jab to the head.
O Neill closes the distance and takes a jab right on the nose as he does so.
A cross from Kusimuki lands.
Kusimuki takes a step towards his opponent and connects with a left hand, before circling away.
O Neill throws a right and a left that both miss.
Kusimuki throws a series of punches but O Neill avoids them all with ease.
The crowd are loving this. Great action here.
Kusimuki tries to land a front kick but O Neill steps back. That was a bit too telegraphed.

That's four minutes gone in the round.
A head kick misses from Kusimuki.
Kusimuki throws a good cross that connects.
Kusimuki throws an overhand right that lands on O Neill's shoulder, as O Neill tries to avoid the shot.
O Neill throws an ugly left hook that misses
letting Kusimuki counter with a right hand.
O Neill moving in and out of range nicely, whilst landing the scoring shot.

O Neill manages to get an easy takedown there - catching Kusimuki on his heels. He'll look to pass Kusimuki's guard now, I'm sure.
O Neill pressing down on his opponent's thigh, looking to pass guard. Kusimuki is keeping the position for now.
O Neill trying to control but Kusimuki is working from the bottom.
The crowd are going absolutely nuts as the round comes to an end - what a fantastic round of action!
O Neill throwing strikes but missing.
Kusimuki looking to sweep here. No luck so far.
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 Takeshi Kusimuki will probably get the nod.
The fighters' corners scream their final instructions, as the referee calls time. Here we go, back to the action!

Kusimuki throws a leg kick which misses O Neill's front leg but catches the back leg as O Neill tries to avoid it.
Takeshi Kusimuki is winning the standup battle so far.
Kusimuki slips under a jab.
O Neill misses with an uppercut
and Kusimuki counters with a good right hand that lands right on the jaw.
O Neill slips a straight right by Kusimuki.
Kusimuki waving his hands out in front of him, looking to distract O Neill.

O Neill feints and as Kusimuki raises his hands in defense, O Neill changes levels and drives through with a takedown into guard.
Kusimuki preventing the ground and pound from doing any damage.
O Neill trying to control but Kusimuki is working from the bottom.
A big thud reverberates around the arena there as O Neill accidentally thumps the mat. Hopefully he's not broken his hand.
Kusimuki is pulling down on O Neill's head to control his posture.
Kusimuki avoiding any damage from the ground and pound.
O Neill throws a big elbow that misses.

That's one minute gone in the round.
Kusimuki looking for a sweep. Not yet Kusimuki, not yet.
Kusimuki has O Neill pulled in close to control his posture.
The referee wants the fighters to be more active or he's going to reset them on the feet.
Kusimuki keeping moving, preventing O Neill from controlling successfully.

The referee decides to stand the fighters back up.
Kusimuki throws a big shot that misses.
Kusimuki takes a shot to the nose. Hopefully that hasn't broken it.
O Neill misses with a hook.
A big left from Kusimuki misses.
Kusimuki ducks under an overhand right and circles away with a smile on his face.
O Neill thuds his right hand into Kusimuki's forehead from close range. That could be painful for both fighters.
Kusimuki wants to slow O Neill down by chopping away at his legs.
Horrible takedown by O Neill or perhaps it was just good defense by Kusimuki which made him look bad.

That's two minutes gone in the round.
This is a great period of action - very entertaining stuff!
O Neill shoots in for a double leg but Kusimuki sprawls well. That's going to sap some energy.
Kusimuki steps to the side to avoid the strikes from O Neill.
Nice defenses there by Kusimuki.
Kusimuki throws a quick head kick that skims the top of O Neill's head.
Kusimuki displays good takedown defense there as he swats away a double leg from O Neill.
Takeshi Kusimuki has stuffed three takedown attempts in the round now. That's going to take a lot out of Martin O Neill.
Kusimuki lands a powerful looking uppercut that connected with his opponent's jaw.
O Neill swings and misses with a hook to the body.
O Neill lands a lovely overhand right.
O Neill tries for a takedown but Kusimuki sees it coming a mile off and avoids it easily.

That's three minutes gone in the round.
Jab by Kusimuki.
O Neill needs to keep his hands up - Kusimuki had a free shot at his head there.
O Neill misses with a hook. Kusimuki ducked under it nicely.
O Neill pivots as if he's going to throw a leg kick but stops half way.
The fighters circle momentarily. Kusimuki darts into range and connects with a nice straight punch.
O Neill with a nice cross.
O Neill takes a hook to the side of the head. I wonder if that's got his ears ringing.
O Neill throws a hard body shot but it just misses.
Kusimuki scores with a hook.

O Neill throws the overhand right but ducks down into a quick takedown attempt. Kusimuki was covering up waiting for the punch and O Neill finishes the takedown easily into guard.
This has been an exciting period of action!
Kusimuki is controlling O Neill's posture.

That's four minutes gone in the round.
Kusimuki tries to land a sweep but no joy.
Kusimuki seems keen to control rather than go for a submission, at least for now.
O Neill throws a big right hand that misses.
Kusimuki not looking particularly offensive just at the moment.

Takeshi Kusimuki has forced the referee to step in and bring the fight back to the feet.
O Neill lands a straight punch to the body, keeping Kusimuki at a distance.
O Neill might want to mix his strikes up a bit more. He's just going for head shots at the moment and that can become a bit predictable.
O Neill moving in and out of range nicely, whilst landing the scoring shot.
The crowd are going absolutely nuts as the round comes to an end - what a fantastic round of action!
Crunch! O Neill slams his shin into Kusimuki's torso.
O Neill scores with a sloppy punch to the body. Not much technique there but it did the business.
O Neill throws a hook to the side of Kusimuki's head but Kusimuki sees it coming and ducks under it beautifully.
And that’s the end of the round – the fighters go back to their corners.

Martin O Neill showed his class in that round. I'd imagine he'll take it on all the scorecards.
Well, the break between rounds is over. Let's get back to the scrappin! 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.

A jab from O Neill finds it's way through Kusimuki's defenses.

O Neill shoots in with a lovely double leg takedown. Kusimuki manages to land in full guard to minimise the damage.
O Neill throwing strikes from guard but Kusimuki blocks nicely.
O Neill has the superior BJJ but he's also working some ground strikes into his gameplan.
O Neill trying to control but Kusimuki is working from the bottom.
O Neill throwing strikes from guard but Kusimuki blocks nicely.
Kusimuki wants to sweep here but O Neill controlling him for the moment.
Kusimuki is working hard here to advance position.
Both fighters really going for it on the ground here!
O Neill distracts Kusimuki with his right hand and drops a big elbow with his other arm.
Martin O Neill has got the better of the ground game so far.

That's one minute gone in the round.
O Neill throwing elbows and punches but not connecting, as Kusimuki works some decent striking defense from the bottom.
Kusimuki wants to sweep but no luck.
Kusimuki looking to control the pace of the fight rather than finish it.
O Neill trying to control but Kusimuki is working from the bottom.

Well, the referee has seen enough. Neither fighter is active enough on the ground so he's stood them back up.
O Neill changes levels and looks for a double leg takedown. Kusimuki tries to avoid it but O Neill manages to keep hold of a leg and drag Kusimuki to the ground. Kusimuki escapes though and pops straight back up to his feet.
Jab, cross, leg kick. Nice combination by O Neill!
Kusimuki throws a looping overhand right but O Neill ducks down to avoid it.
Kusimuki displays some good footwork, moving neatly out of range as O Neill throws out the jab.

That's two minutes gone in the round.
O Neill thuds a mid kick into his opponent's body. That will wear on Kusimuki if he has to take too many more of those.
Jab, jab by O Neill - just one landing.
O Neill scores with a sloppy punch to the body. Not much technique there but it did the business.
This is a great period of action - very entertaining stuff!
Kusimuki throws a hook but O Neill avoids it easily.

Kusimuki gets taken down but at least he's managed to land in guard.
Kusimuki looking for a sweep. Not yet Kusimuki, not yet.
O Neill stands up over Kusimuki, holding his feet. He dives back in and lands a decent shot to the head.
O Neill trying to control but Kusimuki is working from the bottom.
Kusimuki tries to land a sweep but no joy.
The fighters are pressed up against the cage, both looking to find a bit of space to work.
O Neill stands up and looks to throw the legs aside to pass to side control. Kusimuki swivels though and keeps the full guard.

That's three minutes gone in the round.
Kusimuki wants to sweep but no luck.
O Neill looking to pass the guard.
O Neill is working Kusimuki over from the guard. He should look to pass the guard and do a little more damage with these strikes.
Kusimuki looking to hit a scissor sweep but O Neill is one step ahead there.
O Neill throwing strikes from guard but Kusimuki blocks nicely.
Kusimuki is working from a closed guard but he's struggling to control his opponent.
Kusimuki keeping moving, preventing O Neill from controlling successfully.
If this pace continues, the referee will definitely step in and force a standup.

The referee has ruled that neither fighter is active enough on the ground and has stood them back up.
O Neill slips in close and lands a nice hook before moving back out of range.

That's four minutes gone in the round.
Horrible takedown by O Neill or perhaps it was just good defense by Kusimuki which made him look bad.
Kusimuki sizes up O Neill with a pawing jab and scores with a straight right down the middle.
O Neill fails with a takedown attempt from distance.
Takeshi Kusimuki has stuffed three takedown attempts in the round now. That's going to take a lot out of Martin O Neill.
Nice cross by Kusimuki.
Kusimuki rushes in with a sloppy looking punch
enabling O Neill to counter with a crisp jab.
We've seen a great period of action over the last minute or so - credit to both fighters for going all out!
O Neill scores with a decent looking hook.
As the round comes to an end the crowd are showing their appreciation for a great round of action.
O Neill steps to the side to avoid the strikes from Kusimuki.
That's a knee to de groin and it's over and out! O Neill crumples to the ground after an illegal strike from Kusimuki - the referee stops the clock and O Neill gets 5 minutes to recover from that one. "I'm sorry" says Kusimuki. O Neill manages to get back to his feet and the fight resumes.
O Neill tries for a takedown but Kusimuki sees it coming a mile off and avoids it easily.

And that's the end of the fight!
Martin O Neill comfortably won the final round on my scorecard.
Well O Neill has outworked and out performed his opponent in all aspects of the game today. He was simply too good and the decision should be no more than a formality. 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 Steven Brown scores the fight 28:29
Judge Colin Fotheringham scores the fight 28:29
Judge Daniel Bishop scores the fight 28:29

In favor of your winner, by unanimous decision... Martin O Neill!
Martin O Neill decided to thank the fans in attendance for making a great atmosphere. It seemed to go down pretty well.