PBP Commentary

Coming up we have a featherweight MMA rules bout between James Torello (ranked 0 p4p, 0 weight class) and Itagaki Fukuzawa (ranked 0 p4p, 0 weight class). Fukuzawa comes into a darkened arena with his song building. In Flames - Colony kicks in, the lights come on and the crowd goes wild! What a showman! Well, I have no idea who's going to take this one!

Torello
vs
Fukuzawa

168 cm
28
138 lbs
14 - 4 - 0

170 cm
27
153 lbs
17 - 6 - 0

Great wrestler
Excellent boxer
Insanely flexible

Good wrestler
World class MT
Granite chin

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Ladies and gentlemen. This fight is 3 rounds, in the featherweight division.
Introducing the fighter to my left, fighting out of the red corner.
With a record of 14 - 4 - 0, fighting out of Sydney, James Torello!
And introducing the fighter to my right, fighting out of the blue corner.
With a record of 17 - 6 - 0, fighting out of Sydney, Itagaki Fukuzawa!
The judges for this bout are Don Winkell, Timothy Bukovac and Jack Bonds.

The bell rings for round one and we are underway!
Torello scores with a sloppy right hand. Fukuzawa should have avoided that one.

Torello gets the takedown into side control.
It looks like the ref is thinking about a standup.
Fukuzawa wants to control but Torello postures up.
Fukuzawa tries to bench press Torello off him but Torello keeps the position.
Fukuzawa has found himself in a tricky position here. He's been working his transitions in training so let's see if he can work his way out of it.
Torello is looking to take a break and control but Fukuzawa is keeping him honest, looking to work from the bottom.
Fukuzawa is trying to get back to half guard.
Fukuzawa can't do much from the bottom here.
Torello throwing strikes but missing, from side control.
Torello is chipping away with strikes.
Fukuzawa sneaks back into half guard.
Fukuzawa is looking for a sweep. Torello is wise to his cunning plan and keeps the top position.

That's one minute gone in the round.
Fukuzawa manages to get to full guard.
Torello throws a big right hand that misses.
Torello working some ground and pound from guard but it's not doing any damage.
Fukuzawa utilising some decent striking defenses from the guard, preventing the ground and pound.
Torello stands up and looks to throw the legs aside to pass to side control. Fukuzawa swivels though and keeps the full guard.
Torello trying to control the position from guard on top but Fukuzawa is wriggling around, looking for whatever he can.
Torello looking to pass the guard.

Torello 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.

That's two minutes gone in the round.
Torello trying to control the position from guard on top but Fukuzawa is wriggling around, looking for whatever he can.
Torello pushing down on Fukuzawa's thigh, trying to pass to half guard. He's managed it... Nice work.
Torello thows a huge punch but Fukuzawa dodges it nicely.
Torello has been looking to land a fair amount of strikes on the ground. He might be looking to soften his opponent up in order to work for a submission.
Torello seems to be taking a bit of a break to think of his next move. He lands a short punch in the meantime.
Fukuzawa tries to get to full guard but Torello has control of the leg.
Ground and pound from Torello.
Fukuzawa gets back to full guard.
The ref warns both fighters not to hold the cage as they work up against the meshing.
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!
Torello working some ground and pound from guard but it's not doing any damage.
Torello throwing shots from guard but he's hitting more mat than opponent.
Fukuzawa pulls Torello in to control the position.

That's three minutes gone in the round.
Torello throws a big elbow that misses.
Fukuzawa keeping full guard, as Torello tries to pass.
A real slowdown in the pace of the fight for a moment, as Fukuzawa holds on and takes a little breather.
Torello wants to control from the top but Fukuzawa keeps moving.
Torello trying to land body shots but he keeps hitting the mat.
Torello trying to control but Fukuzawa is working from the bottom.
Fukuzawa lands a beautiful sweep and he's now moved into his opponent's guard.
Fukuzawa scoring with some ground and pound.
Torello utilising some decent striking defenses from the guard, preventing the ground and pound.
Both fighters really going for it on the ground here!
Torello working a defensive guard but Fukuzawa passes into half guard.

That's four minutes gone in the round.
Fukuzawa is taking a breather. Torello says something to him but it's hard to make out. Perhaps he's telling him to get on with it and actually do something.
Fukuzawa prevents Torello from improving his position.
Torello is in a tricky position but he's been working on his transitions down at Beast II, so we'll see if he gets out of it.

Torello is looking to sinch up a guillotine here but Fukuzawa pulls his head out easily.
The referee walks around the fighters to get a better view of the action. Fukuzawa lands a nice short elbow.
Fukuzawa trying to control from half guard but Torello is working away.
This is a great period of action - very entertaining stuff!

Torello is looking to sinch up a guillotine here but Fukuzawa pulls his head out easily.

Torello looking for submissions from an awkward position here.
As the round comes to an end the crowd are showing their appreciation for a great round of action.
Torello wants to improve his position but Fukuzawa is controlling well.
Fukuzawa scoring with strikes to the body and head.
Fukuzawa prevents Torello from improving his position.
And that’s the end of the round – the fighters go back to their corners.

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

Fukuzawa throws a low kick but it's checked well by Torello.
Torello waving his hands out in front of him, looking to distract Fukuzawa.
Fukuzawa checks a low kick from Torello.
Torello takes one to the side of the head.
Fukuzawa moves his head to the side to avoid a jab but walks straight into a cross.
Fukuzawa misses with a body shot. Nice footwork from Torello.

Torello shoots in for a takedown! He's got it and he's managed to land in side control! That's better than Torello was expecting from the takedown attempt, I'm sure!
Torello cracks Fukuzawa with a big elbow.
Torello fails to land a wild elbow strike.
Torello cracks Fukuzawa with a big right hand but Fukuzawa just smiles back at him and invites him to have another go.
What's Fukuzawa going to do here then? He's in a bit of a pickle.

That's one minute gone in the round.
Torello wants to lay and pray for a moment but Fukuzawa keeps working.
Fukuzawa is looking to reverse the position.
It really doesn't seem like the step up in weight is hurting Torello here at all. He's more than holding his own against the bigger man.
Torello wants to control but Fukuzawa is keeping him busy.
Torello throws a strike aimed at the side of Fukuzawa's head but Fukuzawa avoids it well.
Torello looking to punish the body of his opponent here but Fukuzawa is avoiding damage well.
Torello lands a knee to the body and follows it up with some ground and pound to the head. That will wear Fukuzawa down.
Fukuzawa wants to control but Torello postures up.
Torello lands some shots froms side control.

That's two minutes gone in the round.
Fukuzawa managing to avoid any damage from the strikes thrown by Torello.
Torello with the ground and pound but Fukuzawa regains half guard under the barage of strikes.
Torello tries to pass to full mount but Fukuzawa defends it.
Fukuzawa avoiding damage under a succession of punches from Torello.
Fukuzawa taking some punishment here, with Torello in his half guard.
Fantastic stuff here - a very entertaining period of action, which has drawn cheers from the crowd.

Torello is working for a submission here. He's got hold of the far side arm and he's looking for a kimura. He's cranking on the arm and he's got it! Fukuzawa is tapping out! Ouch, that looked like it hurt!

Ladies and gentlemen, after 2:51 of round 2, we have a winner by way of Submission (Kimura). James Torello!
After winning the bout, James Torello thanked all his fans and promised he'd do even better in his next fight. The crowd seemed to love his humility.