PBP Commentary

Coming up we have a light heavyweight MMA rules bout between Aron Bell (ranked 0 p4p, 0 weight class) and Teruo Nakamura (ranked 0 p4p, 0 weight class). Aron Bell looks tired to me. Hopefully he has got enough gas left in the tank to put in a good performance.

Bell
vs
Nakamura

180 cm
20
205 lbs
0 - 7 - 0

185 cm
18
200 lbs
0 - 1 - 0

BJJ Blue Belt
Excellent boxer
Very quick

BJJ Blue Belt
Counter striker
Granite chin

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 - 7 - 0, fighting out of Tokyo, Aron Bell!
And introducing the fighter to my right, fighting out of the blue corner.
With a record of 0 - 1 - 0, fighting out of Tokyo, Teruo Nakamura!
The judges for this bout are Yasuomi Hirokawa, Sosuke Kotani and Tatsuya Matsuyama.

The bell rings for round one and we are underway!
Bell tries to close the distance and clinch but Nakamura swats him to one side with an open hand palm strike and circles away.
Bell looks exhausted already! Oh dear, he should have come in in better shape than this!
Bell stuffs the takedown attempt from Nakamura. Nakamura gets slowly back to his feet.
Bell misses with a double jab.
Nakamura shoots in for a takedown - he's clinched up with Bell but Bell pushes him off and we're back to square one.
Bell misses with a jab and misses with a cross straight after too.
Nakamura moves out of range as Bell throws a body kick.
Bell fails with the takedown

and Nakamura counters with a nice double leg into half guard.
Nakamura tries to pass to full mount but Bell defends it.
Nakamura not throwing his punches with enough precision this time.
The fighters are pressed up against the cage, both looking to find a bit of space to work.
Nakamura thumps the canvas. Not on purpose obviously - he just missed Bell's head.
Nakamura perhaps working for something from half guard, or maybe not. It looks like he's just sitting there.

That's one minute gone in the round.
Nakamura's corner are shouting for him to control the position and he seems happy to oblige.
Nakamura works his way into full mount!

Nakamura with some aggressive grappling here. He's looking for submissions here, rather than waiting for the opportunity to counter.

Nakamura goes for an armbar but he's fallen flat on his backside there and now Bell is on top in guard.

Bell avoids a guillotine attempt easily.
Nakamura trying to control the position.

That's two minutes gone in the round.
Nakamura throwing strikes off his back to little effect.
Nakamura trying to control the position here.
Bell wants to stand but Nakamura has a closed guard, so he can't escape.
Nakamura doesn't do any damage with a couple of strikes from the bottom.
Bell trying to control the position from guard on top but Nakamura is wriggling around, looking for whatever he can.
Bell has to be careful here, sitting in the guard of a superior BJJ player.
Nakamura trying to keep a closed guard but Bell is proving a slippery customer.

Neither fighter is doing enough for the referee's liking and he's decided to stand them back up.
Nakamura circles away from the clinch attempt

and Nakamura counters with a shoot takedown into half guard.

That's three minutes gone in the round.
Nakamura working over Bell with some ground and pound. Bell looks like he wants out of this position, which is understandable.
Nakamura looks over to his corner - he wants some instructions but his corner are not responding.
Nakamura throwing shots but Bell is blocking nicely.
Nakamura content to sit in half guard and control for a moment.
Bell is in trouble now - Nakamura has advanced to mount!
Bell slips a leg in and gets back to half guard.
Bell is controlling Nakamura's position as best he can from this difficult position.
Bell is trying to stand up here but Nakamura is controlling him well.

That's four minutes gone in the round.

Nakamura is looking for a kimura but Bell is holding onto that half guard position, so it's hard for Nakamura to get the leverage.
Nakamura missing with some ground and pound from the half guard.
Nakamura is stalling here. Bell is in no mood to hang around though. He's locked up a kimura from the bottom! Nakamura seems to be keeping calm but he's forced to roll out of the hold and Bell has ended up in side control on the top. Nice work.
Nakamura regains half guard.
Nakamura wants to control but Bell is keeping busy.
Nakamura scrambles, trying to get to his feet, but Bell manages to mount him!
Nakamura has the superior BJJ but he's also working some ground strikes into his gameplan.
Nakamura is trying to reverse the position but instead Bell has taken his back - oops!
You can see the frustration on Nakamura's face… He knows he is in trouble unless he improves his position sooner rather than later.
Bell lands an elbow to the side of the head.
And that’s the end of the round – the fighters go back to their corners.

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

Nakamura with a lazy takedown attempt

and Bell counters with a shoot takedown. Nakamura fights it but they end up in guard.
Bell distracts Nakamura with his right hand and drops a big elbow with his other arm.
The ref warns both fighters not to hold the cage as they work up against the meshing.
Bell is fighting to break Nakamura's control of his arms but Nakamura is doing a good job of controlling the position at the moment.
Bell stands up and looks to throw the legs aside to pass to side control. Nakamura swivels though and keeps the full guard.

Nakamura had isolated an arm as going for an omaplata. Bell is defending the submission well but is in a very vulnerable position. Nakamura Is leaning forward trying to finish the omaplata but decides to abandon it, and take Bell's back instead.
Bell biding his time here by controlling the hands, looking to escape.
Nakamura throws a big right hand but he misses and hits the mat. Ouch.

Nakamura is working hard for the rear naked choke here.
Both fighters are absolutely exhausted here.

That's one minute gone in the round.

Nakamura looking for the choke from the back.
Nakamura misses with punches from the back.
Bell just trying to survive but Nakamura is wriggling into a better position, looking to finish.
Bell turns into Nakamura and is now in his guard.

That's two minutes gone in the round.
Well. There's a bit of a lull in the action here and the crowd are starting to get restless.
Nakamura trying to punch from his back but it's not doing any damage.

The referee has ruled that neither fighter is active enough on the ground and has stood them back up.
Bell looks to clinch

and Nakamura decides to take the opportunity to score a takedown. He's landed in Bell's guard.
Nakamura thows a big elbow that misses.
Bell keeping moving, preventing Nakamura from controlling successfully.
Bell preventing the ground and pound from doing any damage.
Nakamura thows a big elbow that misses.
Bell is trying to control the position from the bottom.
Nakamura pressing down on his opponent's thigh, looking to pass guard. Bell is keeping the position for now.
Nakamura pushes down on Bell's leg and manages to get into half guard.

That's three minutes gone in the round.
Bell blocking the ground and pound attempt from Nakamura.

Well, the referee has seen enough. Neither fighter is active enough on the ground so he's stood them back up.
Bell stalks Nakamura and leaps in with a furious combination of punches. Uppercuts and crosses smash into Nakamura's face. Nakamura staggers backwards, shaken.
Bell closes this distance looking for a takedown but Nakamura circles away.
Bell misses with a takedown attempt - Nakamura sprawls well and throws a nice strike on the way out which just misses.
Bell throws a lazy head kick

and Nakamura counters with a nice double leg into side control. Bell won't be happy with that.
Nakamura trying to control the position but Bell is working away.
Nakamura tries to advance to mount but can't.

Nakamura tries for a kimura but Bell is defending well.
Bell is not content to let Nakamura control the position.

That's four minutes gone in the round.
Bell taking a bit of punishment here - Nakamura scoring with strikes.

Nakamura working hard here to secure a kimura but he's not really in the right position for it.
Bell is trying to control Nakamura's posture but Nakamura avoids it.
Nakamura in side control, throwing shots but Bell defends.

The referee has ruled that neither fighter is active enough on the ground and has stood them back up.
Bell will need to tighten up his combinations if he doesn't want to gas himself out, swinging at thin air.
Nakamura misses with a takedown attempt

so Bell counters with a double leg into guard. Good agility.
And that’s the end of the round – the fighters go back to their corners.

A close second round but Teruo Nakamura will probably get the nod - 10:9.
OK. That's time! The bell goes and we're back to the action. This is the final round!

Bell closes the distance looking to clinch

and Nakamura counters with a nice double leg into half guard.
Nakamura looks to score some points with some ground and pound.
Nakamura passes to full mount!
Nakamura tries to control but Bell wriggling away.

Nakamura moves into side control, trying to work for a kimura. That looks painful! Will he finish!!?? No, Bell has worked his arm free - good work by Bell!
Nakamura lands a nice forearm strike.

Nakamura is looking for a kimura. He might have it! No, Bell has escaped the position, nice work there.
Both fighters are breathing heavily.

That's one minute gone in the round.
Bell is looking for a sweep.

Nakamura working hard here to secure a kimura but he's not really in the right position for it.
Nakamura wants to lay and pray for a moment but Bell keeps working.
Bell is trying to stand back up. He's worked his way up against the cage but Nakamura has just dragged him back down to the mat.
Nakamura trying to control the position but Bell is working away.
Bell struggling a bit here.

Neither fighter is doing enough for the referee's liking and he's decided to stand them back up.
Nakamura misses with a takedown

and Bell counters with a driving takedown into guard. Nice work there by Bell.
Teruo Nakamura has got the better of the ground game so far.

That's two minutes gone in the round.

Nakamura has his foot on Bell's thigh. He's trying to push off and get in position for a triangle, I think. Bell works his way back into a safe position though.
Nakamura seems keen to control Bell's posture.

Nakamura has a loose triangle. He'll be looking to tighten that up but Bell can see exactly what he's planning and manages to posture up and free himself.
Bell slips nicely into half guard.
Nakamura misses with some strikes from the bottom.

Bell is trying a forearm choke… I don't think that's going to do much at this level of the game.
Nakamura wants to control but Bell is keeping busy.

That's three minutes gone in the round.
Nakamura gets back to full guard.
Bell chips away with some ground and pound.
Nakamura is looking to get back to his feet but can't, whilst Bell is controlling him.
Teruo Nakamura is fighting for a decision here - he's started to take the cautious approach.
Nakamura seems keen to control Bell's posture.

Nakamura working for a triangle but Bell defends it easily.
Nakamura controlling the position.

That's four minutes gone in the round.
A lull in the action here being met with boos from the crowd.

Nakamura working from the bottom, still in full guard. He's managed to get a loose triangle. Bell doesn't seem to be doing much to defend here, obviously he feels comfortable in the position. Bell manages to throw the legs off his shoulder and he's back into guard - no problem.
Bell trying to control but Nakamura is working from the bottom.
Nakamura controlling the position.
Bell wants to stand but Nakamura is controlling his posture from full guard.
Nakamura seems keen to control rather than go for a submission, at least for now.

And that's the end of the fight!
I would just about give that final round to Teruo Nakamura.
I've got Nakamura winning every round here. Surely the decision will go his way and he'll pick up a well deserved decision victory. 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 27:30
Judge Sosuke Kotani scores the fight 27:30
Judge Tatsuya Matsuyama scores the fight 27:30

In favor of your winner, by unanimous decision... Teruo Nakamura!