PBP Commentary

Coming up we have a lightweight MMA rules bout between Itzo Eiji (ranked 0 p4p, 0 weight class) and Hideki Masada (ranked 0 p4p, 0 weight class). Masada has chosen "Tokyo Drift (Restage Remix)" by Teriyaki Boyz as his entrance music, which hasn't gone down very well with the crowd. Itzo Eiji had real problems making weight for this fight. After initially coming in at 156.2lbs, he had two hours to make the official fight weight. He made it but it will have taken a lot out of him to cut those extra few pounds. Hideki Masada will no doubt be trying to keep this one on the feet, where he has a distinct advantage.

Eiji
vs
Masada

177 cm
25
165 lbs
1 - 2 - 0

176 cm
24
155 lbs
1 - 1 - 0

BJJ Blue Belt
Brawler
KO power

BJJ Blue Belt
Solid Muay Thai
Solid chin

Ladies and gentlemen. This fight is 3 rounds, in the lightweight division.
Introducing the fighter to my left, fighting out of the red corner.
With a record of 1 - 2 - 0, fighting out of Tokyo, Itzo Eiji!
And introducing the fighter to my right, fighting out of the blue corner.
With a record of 1 - 1 - 0, fighting out of Tokyo, Hideki Masada!
The judges for this bout are Yukihiro Shimada, Tatsuya Matsuyama and Shirou Masuda.

The bell rings for round one and we are underway!
Masada throws a body kick but he wasn't in range.
Masada throws a head kick that misses.
Hideki Masada seems to be the more aggressive standup fighter in this bout.
Horrible takedown by Masada or perhaps it was just good defense by Eiji which made him look bad.
Masada fails with the takedown

and Eiji counters with a shoot takedown into half guard.
Masada manages to get to full guard.
Eiji not doing a lot at the moment. He'll have to show some more aggression or the fight will get stood up.
Eiji trying to control the position from guard on top but Masada is wriggling around, looking for whatever he can.
Masada thows some rabbit punches from the bottom but they don't do any damage.

That's one minute gone in the round.
Masada looking to sweep using the butterfly guard but Eiji puts pay to that idea as he passes nicely into half guard.
Eiji trying to control the pace.
The fighters are trapped in the ropes so we're going to have a reposition here. The ref calls for a break and repositions the fighters in the center of the ring.
Masada pushes Eiji off looking to stand but Eiji dives back in and keeps control.
Eiji takes a deep breath and rests his weight momentarily on top of his opponent, to control the position.
Masada flails away from the bottom but he's not doing any damage.
Masada is looking to control Eiji's leg but it's slowly edging free. Can Masada avoid being mounted?
Eiji throwing punches and elbows but they're not doing any damage.

That's two minutes gone in the round.
Masada is staying active underneath Eiji, who seems content to just control the action from this position.
Eiji thows a wild elbow that connects with the canvas.
Eiji has freed up his trapped foot and advances to mount.
Masada is working to get back to half guard.
Masada is in a horrible position here. Eiji smacks him with another shot as he tries to escape the position.
Eiji raining down hammerfists from mount.

That's three minutes gone in the round.
Masada is looking to improve his position but Eiji isn't that keen on the idea.
Masada is trying to get back to his feet but can't.
Masada tries to lock up and control but Eiji gives him a forearm to the face and pushes him away.
Masada is desperately trying to get back to half guard.
Eiji content just to control the position here.

Eiji is working on an americana here. Ooh, that looks pretty nasty! Nope, Masada has managed to escape the submission attempt.

That's four minutes gone in the round.

Eiji is standing up, even though he is in mount.

Masada clinches up against the ropes.

Masada pushes off and circles away, back to the middle of the mat.
As the round comes to an end the crowd are showing their appreciation for a great round of action.
Masada explodes with a nice body kick and back out of range. Nice work.

Eiji clinches up with Masada and pushes him back against the ropes.

Eiji pushes off and circles away, back to the middle of the mat.
And that’s the end of the round – the fighters go back to their corners.

Itzo Eiji dominated that round.
OK. That's time! The bell goes and we're back to the action.

Eiji shoots for a double leg takedown but Masada sprawls well. He's pushed Eiji's face into the mat and manages to get back to his feet relatively easily.
Eiji shoots in for a takedown but Masada shows good takedown defense there and keeps this one on the feet.
A telegraphed takedown attempt from Masada is defended easily by Eiji.
Masada misses with a takedown attempt - Eiji sprawls well and throws a nice strike on the way out which just misses.
Masada dives in and grabs Eiji's left leg, looking for a takedown. Eiji pushes down on Masada's head and hops out.
Itzo Eiji has stuffed three takedown attempts in the round now. That's going to take a lot out of Hideki Masada.
Eiji fails with a takedown attempt.
Eiji avoids the clinch attempt nicely.

Masada tries to keep at a distance but Eiji has taken the fight into the clinch.
Masada missing with knees to the body.

That's one minute gone in the round.
Eiji tries for a takedown. No joy.
I was talking to Eiji's coach per-fight and he was telling me that they'd been working on the clinch in the runup to this fight.

Masada manages to pull guard. Let's see whether he can land a sub off his back.
Eiji pushing down on Masada's thigh, trying to pass to half guard. He's managed it... Nice work.
Masada trying to control from the bottom.
The fighters are tangled up in the ropes here. We might need a restart if the fighters can't break free themselves.
Masada tries to get to full guard but Eiji has control of the leg.
Masada works his way to full guard. Good work.
Masada is breathing heavily.

Masada looking for submissions off his back, moving his hips, looking for an opening.
Masada wants to stand but Eiji is controlling the position.

That's two minutes gone in the round.
Eiji working some strikes from top position.
Eiji pushing down on Masada's thigh, trying to pass to half guard. He's managed it... Nice work.
Masada is striking from the bottom but he's now found himself mounted! Oh dear - not enough focus on defense there.
Eiji looking to ground and pound his opponent to a finish here.
Fantastic stuff here - a very entertaining period of action, which has drawn cheers from the crowd.

Eiji working for a submission but Masada is keeping him at bay.
Masada is bucking up trying to escape but Eiji cracks him with another couple of good strikes.

That's three minutes gone in the round.
Eiji tries to control but Masada wriggling away.
Itzo Eiji overall seems to be getting the better of the ground position in the fight so far.

Eiji is working for a guillotine from mount but Masada frees his head quite easily.

Eiji is in full mount, looking to secure a guillotine but Masada is surviving well by controlling Eiji's body position as best he can.
Eiji pausing momentarily but resumes with a couple of decent strikes that do a bit of damage.

That's four minutes gone in the round.
The referee warns Masada that he has to improve his position here as he takes two more clean shots to the head.
Masada is trying desperately to improve position.

Eiji working to secure an arm triangle but it's not happening for him just yet.
The crowd applaud the fighters efforts here as the round comes to an end.
Eiji is still in mount, landing shots to his trapped opponent. Masada can't stay in a position like this for much longer.
And that’s the end of the round – the fighters go back to their corners.

Itzo Eiji dominated that second round.
The minute break is over - no more time for sponges and pep talks - back to the action! Ladies and gentlemen, this is the final round!

Eiji tries to drive through with a takedown attempt but Masada defends well and Eiji ends up having to push Masada into the ropes where they will battle it out in the clinch.
Masada tries to take the fight to the ground by pulling guard but can't manage it.

Eiji pulls guard.
Eiji keeping moving, preventing Masada from controlling successfully.
Masada stands up and looks to throw the legs aside to pass to side control. Eiji swivels though and keeps the full guard.
Eiji looking to control.
Eiji keeping moving, preventing Masada from controlling successfully.
Masada must be cautious of submissions here, given that his opponent has the superior Jiu Jitsu.

The ref stands the fighters back up. Hideki Masada was stalling too much, according to the referee.
Eiji tries a head kick but it misses.

That's one minute gone in the round.
Eiji shoots in with a takedown attempt and he has Masada pinned against the ropes. Masada gets the underhooks and manages to circle away.
Masada dives in and grabs Eiji's left leg, looking for a takedown. Eiji pushes down on Masada's head and hops out.

Masada moves into the clinch.

Eiji manages to break the clinch.
A shot to the body from Eiji misses
and Masada counters with a head kick. That will keep Eiji thinking before he tries any more sloppy attacks!
Eiji looks frustrated there after his takedown attempt is stuffed easily.
That's three failed takedown attempts in the round for Itzo Eiji. That's going to take a lot out of him.
Both fighters are breathing heavily.
Masada dives in for a single leg takedown but Eiji sprawls and the fighters end up clinched against the ropes.

Masada gets control of Eiji's arms and successfully pulls guard. Masada will no doubt be looking for submissions off his back.
Eiji won't allow Masada to get back to his feet.

That's two minutes gone in the round.
Eiji looking to pass the guard.
Eiji controlling from the guard. I say controlling but really, he's stalling.
Eiji trying to control but Masada is working from the bottom.

We're going to have a standup here because Itzo Eiji wasn't active enough for the referee's liking.
Masada misses with a half-hearted attempt at a head kick.
Eiji tries to clinch there but Masada circles away.

That's three minutes gone in the round.
Masada dances in quickly and lands a nice inside leg kick on Eiji. That did some damage!
Eiji stuffs the takedown attempt from Masada. Masada gets slowly back to his feet.

Eiji looking for a takedown here - he's got it.
Eiji stays in close to Masada's body and controls the position.
Eiji won't allow Masada to sweep him here.
Eiji advances position into side control!
Masada wants to escape from the position here - easier said than done!

That's four minutes gone in the round.
Eiji lands an elbow.
Masada seems a little lost for a moment, as Eiji dominates the positioning.
Eiji lands a decent elbow from side control.
Masada takes a couple of big shots there - the referee warns him that he has to defend himself better.
Hideki Masada has stepped it up - he knows he needs a finish here!
The crowd are loving this. Great action here.
The crowd applaud the fighters efforts here as the round comes to an end.
Eiji working away.
Masada looking for a sweep but Eiji has passed into full mount! Oh no!
Eiji scores with a couple of good head shots there.

And that's the end of the fight!
Itzo Eiji showed his dominance in that final round.
Well I reckon that's a shut out for Eiji, winning every round. Will the judges agree? They are the ones who matter, even if they are often depressingly incompetent. 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 Yukihiro Shimada scores the fight for Itzo Eiji!
Judge Tatsuya Matsuyama scores the fight for Itzo Eiji!
Judge Shirou Masuda scores the fight for Itzo Eiji!

Itzo Eiji wins by unanimous decision!