PBP Commentary

Coming up we have a light heavyweight MMA rules bout between Nao Tanaka (ranked 0 p4p, 0 weight class) and James Pots (ranked 0 p4p, 0 weight class). Over to our ring announcer for the fighter introductions!

Tanaka
vs
Pots

183 cm
18
210 lbs
0 - 2 - 0

185 cm
18
200 lbs
2 - 4 - 0

BJJ White Belt
Excellent MT
Self confident

BJJ Blue Belt
Counter fighter
Solid chin

Zombie Nutrition - LOD
Tokyo United Fightwear

Ladies and gentlemen. This fight is 3 rounds, in the light heavyweight division.
Introducing the fighter to my left, fighting out of the red corner.
With a record of 0 - 2 - 0, fighting out of Tokyo, Nao Tanaka!
And introducing the fighter to my right, fighting out of the blue corner.
With a record of 2 - 4 - 0, fighting out of Tokyo, James Pots!
The judges for this bout are Yasuomi Hirokawa, Kenichi Hosakawa and Shigeki Sano.

The bell rings for round one and we are underway!
Pots shoots for a takedown but Tanaka saw that one coming a mile off and avoided it easily.
No luck for Pots with that takedown attempt.
Pots shoots for a takedown but Tanaka saw that one coming a mile off and avoided it easily.
Nao Tanaka has stuffed three takedown attempts in the round now. That's going to take a lot out of James Pots.
Tanaka tries to grapple but his opponent circles
and Pots counters with a stiff right hand.
Tanaka tries to close the distance and clinch up but Pots swats him away and circles back towards the center.
Tanaka tries to clinch up against the cage, rushing in to close the distance. Pots manages to break the clinch and circles back to the middle of the mat.
Tanaka tries to clinch but Pots moves out of range.
Pots shoots in but Tanaka avoids the takedown attempt easily.
Tanaka misses with the combination.
Tanaka slaps away a takedown attempt from Pots, before circling back to the center of the mat.

That's one minute gone in the round.
Tanaka throws a leg kick which misses Pots's front leg but catches the back leg as Pots tries to avoid it.
Tanaka looks to clinch
and Pots makes him pay by landing a nice hook to the body before moving out of range.
Tanaka stuffs the takedown attempt from Pots. Pots gets slowly back to his feet.
Pots looks winded!
Pots avoids the clinch attempt nicely.
Tanaka tries to clinch there but Pots circles away.
Pots showing good head movement there, avoiding the strikes from Tanaka.
Tanaka wants to clinch

and Pots moves into the clinch.
Pots wants to get back to striking at distance but Tanaka won't allow it.

That's two minutes gone in the round.
Tanaka looking to slow down the pace here.
Tanaka tries to pull guard but can't drag his opponent to the mat. Pots just stands there and leans against the cage.
Tanaka lands a knee to the head there! That was nasty!
Pots content to slow the pace in the clinch.
Tanaka wants to stall.
Pots displaying some good clinch control by pressing Tanaka up against the cage.
Tanaka lands a shoulder strike.

That's three minutes gone in the round.
Pots gets double underhooks to prevent a takedown attempt from Tanaka.
Tanaka tries to break the clinch but Pots is controlling the position.
Pots goes for a takedown in the clinch but Tanaka prevents it.
Pots wants a takedown but no success here.
Pots is trying to break free.
Tanaka tries to break the clinch but Pots is controlling the position.
Tanaka tries to break free but Pots pushes him back against the cage.

That's four minutes gone in the round.
Tanaka is trying to break the clinch but Pots has him pressed against the cage.
Tanaka tries for a takedown. No joy.
Tanaka looks like he'd prefer to be striking at range right now.
Tanaka wants to break free but Pots has control.
Pots avoiding damage.
Both guys are working to get underhooks.
Tanaka is trying to pull guard but being pressed up against the cage enables Pots to keep the fight standing.
The crowd applaud the fighters efforts here as the round comes to an end.
Pots wants to break free. God knows he wants to breaaaak freeee.
Tanaka lands a nice elbow from the clinch.
And that’s the end of the round – the fighters go back to their corners.

Nao Tanaka dominated that round.
That's time! Tanaka's corner gives him a slap on the ass as he gets ready to fight.

Pots moves into the clinch successfully.
Tanaka looking to throw knees to the head but Pots is blocking nicely.
Tanaka is trying to work out of this bad position, with his back against the cage.
Knees in the clinch landing for Tanaka.
Tanaka is looking to control Pots's arms but Pots gets an underhook and turns him. Now Tanaka has his back to the cage.
Pots wants to strike at distance but he can't break free of the clinch.
Tanaka looks like he'd prefer to be striking at range right now.
Pots lands an uppercut.
Tanaka wants to get back to striking at distance but Pots won't allow it.
Tanaka drops down looking for an ankle pick but Pots pulls his leg out and moves away.
Pots tries a switch kick but it misses it's target.

That's one minute gone in the round.
Pots rushes forward with a series of wild hooks but Tanaka moves out of range and avoids them all easily.
Tanaka looks to clinch
and Pots counters with a right hand to the body.
Nao Tanaka is looking to keep the fight on the feet at all costs.
Pots dives in for a single leg takedown but Tanaka sprawls and the fighters end up clinched against the cage.
Pots is trying to pull guard but Tanaka turns him against the cage and we stay in the clinch.
Pots is breathing heavily.
A battle for position here, against the cage.

Pots gets control of Tanaka's arms and successfully pulls guard. Pots will no doubt be looking for submissions off his back.
Tanaka trying to control but Pots is working from the bottom.
Pots manages to land a sweep and now he's in mount on top!

That's two minutes gone in the round.
Pots controlling from mount.
Tanaka is trying to escape but when you're mounted that's not too easy.
Pots looking to control and managing it successfully.

That's three minutes gone in the round.
The ref warns both fighters not to hold the cage as they work up against the meshing.

That's four minutes gone in the round.

The ref stands the fighters back up. James Pots was stalling too much, according to the referee.
Pots slips a jab and a cross from Tanaka.
Pots looks frustrated there after his takedown attempt is stuffed easily.
Nao Tanaka has stuffed three takedown attempts in the round now. That's going to take a lot out of James Pots.
Pots tries to shoot in for a takedown. He's got hold of a leg but Tanaka swivels and escapes.
Tanaka misses with a two punch combination.
Tanaka darts in trying to clinch

and Pots counters with a shoot takedown. Tanaka fights it but they end up in guard.
The crowd applaud the fighters efforts here as the round comes to an end.

Pots got a little sloppy there for a moment and Tanaka has worked his way into a loose triangle - can he finish it?! No, Pots has managed to get both his arms back between Tanaka's legs - danger averted.
And that’s the end of the round – the fighters go back to their corners.

James Pots showed his class in that round. I'd imagine he'll take it on all the scorecards.
That's the end of the round. The referee orders the cornermen out of the cage so we can get back down to business. Ladies and gentlemen, this is the final round!

Pots dives in and grabs Tanaka's left leg, looking for a takedown. Tanaka pushes down on Pots's head and hops out.
Tanaka shuffles to his left behind two crisp jabs. Pots eats them both and turns towards Tanaka to reposition himself and eats a stinging right hand-left hook combo.
Tanaka throws a series of punches but Pots avoids them all with ease.
Pots shoots in for a takedown but doesn't get it.
Pots cracks a nice hook into Tanaka's ribs.
Tanaka swings wildly with a couple of big hooks
and Pots counters with a stiff right hand.
Pots shoots in looking for a double leg takedown. Tanaka defends it nicely.
Nao Tanaka has stuffed three takedown attempts in the round now. That's going to take a lot out of James Pots.
Pots tries to drive through with a takedown attempt but Tanaka defends well and Pots ends up having to push Tanaka into the cage where they will battle it out in the clinch.
Pots takes a big intake of breath there - he's definitely tired.

That's one minute gone in the round.
Tanaka wants to push off and get back to the center of the mat but Pots has him pressed against the cage.
Tanaka is pressed up against the cage. Pots has hold of a leg and is looking to drag Tanaka down to the mat. Tanaka avoids the attempt though and has circled away. We're back to striking at a distance.
Tanaka throws a combination but it was largely blocked by Pots.
Pots is trying hard to land a takedown here. Tanaka sprawls well and keeps this one on the feet.
Tanaka tries to clinch up.
Tanaka tries to clinch but Pots moves out of range.
Tanaka lands with a head kick! That's gotta hurt.
Nao Tanaka is winning the standup battle so far.
Pots swats away the attempt to clinch by Tanaka.
Nao Tanaka is looking to throw some combinations by the looks of things.
Tanaka throws a combination but comes up with nothing but fresh air.

That's two minutes gone in the round.
Tanaka is looking to take this fight into the clinch.
Tanaka throws a combination. Pots tries to block but a couple of punches get through.
Pots looks frustrated there after his takedown attempt is stuffed easily.
Pots shoots in looking for a double leg takedown. Tanaka defends it nicely.
Nao Tanaka seems to be the more aggressive standup fighter in this bout.
Pots swats away the attempt to clinch by Tanaka.
Tanaka doesn't manage to clinch there - Pots circles away.

That's three minutes gone in the round.
Tanaka tries to clinch up.
Pots blocks the body kick.
Tanaka tries to clinch but Pots moves out of range.
Tanaka scores to the head and body with a nice combination!
Pots circles away from the clinch attempt.
Tanaka wants to clinch
and Pots counters with a stiff right hand.
Tanaka cracks the inside of Pots's front leg.
Pots changes levels and looks for a double leg takedown. Tanaka tries to avoid it but Pots manages to keep hold of a leg and drag Tanaka to the ground. Tanaka escapes though and pops straight back up to his feet.
Tanaka scores with a head kick. Pots tried to block it but didn't get his arm up in time.

That's four minutes gone in the round.
No joy there for Tanaka, who threw a few shots but didn't land.
No joy there for Tanaka, who threw a few shots but didn't land.
Tanaka throws a jab, cross combination which is slipped
and Pots counters with a lovely straight right hand!
Pots throws a looping left and ducks down for a takedown. He's got his arms around Tanaka's waist but Tanaka gets an underhook and avoids the takedown by throwing Pots off to one side.
This has been an exciting period of action!
Tanaka fails in his attempt to clinch.
Pots swats away the attempt to clinch by Tanaka.
Tanaka leaves Pots with his face pressed against the mat as he sprawls beautifully, defending against a solid takedown attempt.
As the round comes to an end the crowd are showing their appreciation for a great round of action.
Pots avoids the head kick by Tanaka.

And that's the end of the fight!
Nao Tanaka showed his dominance in that final round.
I think Tanaka 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 Yasuomi Hirokawa scores the fight 29:28
Judge Kenichi Hosakawa scores the fight 29:28
Judge Shigeki Sano scores the fight 29:28

In favor of your winner, by unanimous decision... Nao Tanaka!
Nao Tanaka took some time post fight to say the following; 'Boom Boom... Team Goroshi - Tokyo United Fightwear - Zombie Nutrition'.