PBP Commentary

Coming up we have a welterweight MMA rules bout between Mitsuyo Maeda (ranked 0 p4p, 0 weight class) and Chris Kendall (ranked 0 p4p, 0 weight class). Chris Kendall has the eye of the tiger tonight.

Maeda
vs
Kendall

177 cm
29
177 lbs
8 - 4 - 1

176 cm
27
173 lbs
17 - 4 - 0

Abu Dhabi Champ
World class boxer
Insanely flexible

Olympic wrestler
World class boxer
Good gas tank

Prestige Nutrition (160!)
Milwaukee's Best 160 SALE $150

Ladies and gentlemen. This fight is 3 rounds, in the welterweight division.
Introducing the fighter to my left, fighting out of the red corner.
With a record of 8 - 4 - 1, fighting out of Rio de Janeiro, Mitsuyo Maeda!
And introducing the fighter to my right, fighting out of the blue corner.
With a record of 17 - 4 - 0, fighting out of London, Chris Kendall!
The judges for this bout are Sam Margolis, Richard Clark and James Atkins.

The bell rings for round one and we are underway!
Kendall scores with a nice head shot.
Maeda moves out of range as Kendall strikes.
Maeda shoots in for a takedown but Kendall shows good takedown defense.
Maeda connects with a solid leg kick.
Maeda shoots in looking for a takedown. Kendall tries to sprawl out of it but Maeda keeps driving through. The fighters are pinned against the cage. Kendall manages to get underhooks and after a bit of a struggle, circles away and we're back to standing.
Kendall misses with a wild body shot.
Kendall looks to land a body kick but Maeda moved away.
Maeda shakes his hands off, looking to compose himself, but takes a jab to the jaw whilst he does it.
An inside leg kick lands from Maeda.
Kendall swings and misses with a hook to the body.
Kendall takes a nice looking leg kick right on the meat of his thigh there.
The crowd cheering loudly, showing their appreciation for the quality fight we're seeing here.
Maeda throws a leg kick
and Kendall counters with a good right hand that lands right on the jaw.

That's one minute gone in the round.
Kendall punishes Maeda's body with a nice straight punch.
Maeda tries to check the leg kick but that clearly hurt him.
Kendall avoids the head kick by Maeda.
A swing and a miss from Kendall.
Maeda throws a head kick that misses.
Maeda finds nothing but air with that leg kick attempt.
Kendall on the wrong end of an overhand right that came out of nowhere.
Kendall looks to score with a jab to the body but Maeda is just out of range.
Maeda scores with a nice right hand.
Maeda avoids the body shot from Kendall.
Chris Kendall is looking to keep the fight on the feet at all costs.
Maeda misses the shot to the body.
Maeda takes a swing at Kendall's ribcage but misses.

That's two minutes gone in the round.
Kendall throws out a token jab with nothing on it.
A nice inside leg kick there by Kendall. That's going to slow Maeda down.
Maeda throws a nice outside leg kick.
Fantastic stuff here - a very entertaining period of action, which has drawn cheers from the crowd.
Maeda throws a feint and then finishes with a kick to the body.
Kendall throws a leg kick
and Maeda counters with a low kick, right behind Kendall 's knee.
Kendall lands a jab to the nose.
Maeda uses good head movement to avoid the hook from Kendall.

Maeda fakes an overhand right and shoots for a takedown. Kendall sprawls well initially but Maeda persists and gets the takedown into half guard.
Kendall is looking to improve his position.
Kendall is refusing to be controlled, as Maeda sits in half guard.

That's three minutes gone in the round.
Maeda working to pass to mount. He's got his hand pressing down on Kendall's thigh. Kendall counters though and makes it back to full guard.
Maeda stands up and looks to throw the legs aside to pass to side control. Kendall swivels though and keeps the full guard.
Maeda slips nicely into half guard.

That's four minutes gone in the round.
Kendall has his hands clasped together around Maeda's back. He's all about the action.

Maeda is looking for a kimura here.
Maeda is keen to just control but Kendall is a slippery customer.
And that’s the end of the round – the fighters go back to their corners.

Mitsuyo Maeda 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.

Kendall looks to score with a jab to the body but Maeda is just out of range.
Kendall connects with a hook to the side of his opponent's head.
Kendall thows a body shot but no joy.
Maeda will need to close the distance a bit before he attacks - that leg kick was thrown from too far away.
Maeda turns his hip over beautifully as he lands a nice leg kick.
Maeda needs to keep his hands up - Kendall had a free shot at his head there.
Kendall connects with a body shot.
Kendall moves out of range as Maeda strikes.
A nice inside leg kick there by Kendall. That's going to slow Maeda down.
Chris Kendall seems to be getting the better of the standup.
Kendall misses with a body shot.
Kendall throws a front kick aimed at Maeda's knee but Maeda avoids it well.
Maeda lands with a thumping leg kick.
Maeda throws a body kick that misses.

That's one minute gone in the round.
Maeda looks for a takedown here. Will he get it? Kendall is fending him off so far but Maeda persists. Nope, Kendall circles away and we're back to standing.
Maeda has a nice red mark on his side after a thudding body kick by Kendall.
Good work by Kendall as he checks the leg kick.
Kendall throws a right hand that misses
and Maeda counters with a quick right hand to the jaw.
Kendall fakes a couple of low kicks, before throwing one on the third attempt. It connects and Maeda has to reset his feet before getting ready to engage.
Maeda getting the better of the striking in that exchange.
Kendall waving his hands out in front of him, looking to distract Maeda.
Kendall avoids the body shot from Maeda.
Kendall scores with a slapping inside leg kick.
Kendall stuns Maeda with a nice body shot, before stepping back out of range.
Ouch! a nice leg kick from Maeda, right into the meat.

That's two minutes gone in the round.
The crowd are loving this. Great action here.
Maeda takes a body punch but keeps moving.
Maeda tests Kendall's chin there with a solid looking shot.
A looping hook to the body misses from Kendall. Maeda does a little dance to reset his feet.
Maeda paws at his opponent with the jab and then lunges in with a straight, right on the button.
Maeda's hands are dropping dangerously low here and Kendall connects clean with a right hook that sends him down to one knee! Maeda scrambles back to his feet.
Kendall scores with a leg kick.
Kendall lands a straight punch to the body, keeping Maeda at a distance.
Kendall thuds a left hand into Maeda's body.
Maeda throws a leg kick
and Maeda takes a counter punch right on the button for his troubles.
Maeda doesn't succeed with the takedown
and Kendall counters with a straight right hand.

That's three minutes gone in the round.
Kendall scores with a shot to the body.
Kendall walks into a straight right hand from Maeda.
Maeda shoots and misses
and Kendall counters with a crisp hook to the side of the head.
That's three failed takedown attempts in the round for Mitsuyo Maeda. That's going to take a lot out of him.
Maeda misses with a half-hearted attempt at a head kick.
Kendall lands the left hand.
A slow jab from Maeda misses its intended target.
That kick from Kendall tenderised Maeda's leg. Maeda is trying to keep his angry face on.
Kendall is moving around nicely and scores here with a single head shot.
Maeda misses with a body shot. Nice footwork from Kendall.
Maeda on the wrong end of a nice jab.
We've seen a great period of action over the last minute or so - credit to both fighters for going all out!
A good leg kick by Maeda.

That's four minutes gone in the round.
Kendall lands with an overhand left.
Maeda has his head snapped back a nice jab. A little nod from Maeda there as he acknowledges the shot.
Maeda fails with a takedown attempt.
Maeda avoids the body shot from Kendall.
Maeda throws a big shot that misses.
Kendall's corner calls for a 1-2. Kendall obliges with the 1 part as he scores the single shot and moves back out of range.
Kendall misses the shot to the body.
The crowd are going absolutely nuts as the round comes to an end - what a fantastic round of action!
Kendall swings away with a body shot that misses
and Maeda connects with a straight left hand counter down the middle.
Kendall looks to score with a jab to the body but Maeda is just out of range.
Maeda throws a hook to the body but it doesn't connect.
And that’s the end of the round – the fighters go back to their corners.

Chris Kendall showed his class in that round. I'd imagine he'll take it on all the scorecards.
That's time! Maeda's corner gives him a slap on the ass as he gets ready to fight. This is the final round!

Maeda tries to bum rush Kendall with a series of wild strikes but Kendall uses good footwork to avoid the assault.
Maeda uses some good footwork to avoid the body shot by Kendall.
Maeda throws a wild combination but nothing lands.
Kendall throws a poor cross that misses
and Maeda counters with a good right hand that lands right on the jaw.
Maeda throws a leg kick but Kendall sees it coming and moves out of range.
Kendall defending well as Maeda loads up on a big left hand.
Kendall moves away from the strike by Maeda.
Maeda throws a leg kick
and Kendall counters with a solid body kick.
Maeda with a poor takedown
and Kendall counters with a thumping low kick.
Maeda takes a nasty kick to the mid section... That should keep him thinking. Does he try and block and risk a head kick landing?
Both fighters are breathing heavily.
Kendall lands with a right hand.
Kendall lunges at Maeda with a hook that half lands and is half blocked by Maeda's hand.

That's one minute gone in the round.
Maeda throws a lazy right hand but Kendall sees it coming a mile off and sidesteps it easily.
Kendall lands a nice looking body shot.
Maeda throws a body kick but he wasn't in range.
Maeda with poor footwork there. He got himself in a bit of a tangle, enabling Kendall to score with a decent uppercut.
Kendall scores with a hook to the body. Maeda takes a step back and tries to catch his breath.
Maeda fails with a takedown attempt from distance.
Kendall lunges in with swinging rights and lefts but Maeda circles away quickly and effectively.
Kendall ducks down and throws a hook to the body but Maeda moves away.
Maeda on the wrong end of a nice jab.
Kendall scores with a decent looking hook.
Maeda pushing out the jab but it's not landing.

That's two minutes gone in the round.
Maeda takes a kick to the body and keeps moving.
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!
Maeda throws a looping left and ducks down for a takedown. He's got his arms around Kendall's waist but Kendall gets an underhook and avoids the takedown by throwing Maeda off to one side.
That's three failed takedown attempts in the round for Mitsuyo Maeda. That's going to take a lot out of him.
Kendall is looking to take this fight into the clinch.
Kendall lands with a good body shot.
Kendall looks to land a combination. Maeda sees it coming but can only parry a couple of the shots.
Maeda keeping a good distance there, avoiding the body shot.
Maeda throws a leg kick that is checked
and Maeda takes a counter punch right on the button for his troubles.
Kendall misses with a jab to the body
and Maeda cracks him with a counter punch right on the button.
Kendall looks to land a combination. Maeda sees it coming but can only parry a couple of the shots.
Maeda misses with a hook. Kendall ducked under it nicely.

That's three minutes gone in the round.
Maeda connects with a leg kick. He turned his hip over nicely there.
Kendall lands a nice shot to the body.
Kendall's leg has a nasty welt from taking a succession of leg kicks. That must be slowing him down.
Boom, another hit is landed. "You're gunna get knocked out" taunts Kendall, as that shot connected.
Kendall checks a leg kick.
Kendall changes levels and scores with a jab to the body.
Maeda fails with a takedown attempt.
Kendall thuds his shin into the meat of Maeda's side.
Maeda on the wrong end of an overhand right that came out of nowhere.
Kendall misses with a wild body shot.

That's four minutes gone in the round.
Kendall punishes Maeda's body with a nice straight punch.
We've seen a great period of action over the last minute or so - credit to both fighters for going all out!
Kendall looks to land a combination. Maeda sees it coming but can only parry a couple of the shots.
Maeda looks like he's developed a pretty tasty lump over his left eye. He'll need to avoid taking much more damage to that.
Kendall throws a front kick that sends Maeda stumbling back into the cage.
Maeda uses good footwork to avoid the strikes from Kendall.
Maeda throws a leg kick but Kendall moved away.
A nice combination there by Kendall.

Maeda is rocked!
Maeda has his hands up protecting his head but a hook from Kendall finds it's way round the side to connect with Maeda's head.
Oh Maeda is still all over the place! His legs are completely gone! Will he be able to recover?!!
Maeda will have to do better than that with his takedown attempts.
The crowd are going absolutely nuts as the round comes to an end - what a fantastic round of action!
Kendall scores with a sloppy right hand. Maeda should have avoided that one.
Maeda misses with a hook.
Kendall thuds a left hand into Maeda's body.

And that's the end of the fight!
Chris Kendall comfortably won the final round on my scorecard.
I think Kendall has won this one but let's see whether the judges agree with me. 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 Sam Margolis scores the fight 28:29
Judge Richard Clark scores the fight 28:29
Judge James Atkins scores the fight 28:29

In favor of your winner, by unanimous decision... Chris Kendall!
Chris Kendall managed to slip a mention for his sponsors, Milwaukee's Best 160 SALE $150, into his post fight interview.