PBP Commentary

Coming up we have a light heavyweight MMA rules bout between Dan Couture (ranked 0 p4p, 0 weight class) and Masaaki Kanagawa (ranked 0 p4p, 0 weight class). These two fighters really are very evenly matched on the feet - it will be fascinating to see who can assert themselves in that aspect of the fight.

Couture
vs
Kanagawa

189 cm
27
223 lbs
12 - 1 - 0

186 cm
27
211 lbs
13 - 8 - 0

Good wrestling
Solid boxing
Granite chin

BJJ White Belt
Excellent boxer
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 12 - 1 - 0, fighting out of The Island, Dan Couture!
And introducing the fighter to my right, fighting out of the blue corner.
With a record of 13 - 8 - 0, fighting out of The Island, Masaaki Kanagawa!
The judges for this bout are Santiago Holmes, Peter Branson and Dirk Anderson.

The bell rings for round one and we are underway!
Couture slips under a jab.
Couture works Kanagawa's body with a nice hook.
Kanagawa throws the left hand but Couture avoids the punch easily.
Couture cracks a nice hook into Kanagawa's ribs.
Kanagawa uses some good footwork to avoid the body shot by Couture.
Couture misses with an uppercut.
Kanagawa now looks to counter with a shot at the body.
Couture looks to score with a jab to the body but Kanagawa is just out of range.
Couture has been talking about how he's improved his wrestling in the run up to the fight so let's see if that's enough to sway the balance.
Couture misses with a double jab
and Couture takes a counter punch right on the button for his troubles.

It looks like Dan Couture has been cut.
We've had a slow start to the round here - hopefully the action picks up.
Couture uses decent footwork to sidestep a right hand from Kanagawa.
Kanagawa misses with a series of wild punches.

Couture has taken the fight to the clinch.

That's one minute gone in the round.
Couture lands a body shot in the clinch.
Kanagawa lands an uppercut.
Couture slowing the pace effectively.
Stalling in the clinch from Couture.
Kanagawa can't find room to land a body shot as Couture controls the action.
Couture is stalling here.
Couture blocking some punches.
A right hand to the body from Couture.
Couture lands with a good tight uppercut to the head.
Couture effectively controlling the action here.
Kanagawa misses with a punch on the inside.
Kanagawa can't find room to land a body shot as Couture controls the action.
Kanagawa fails to land with a short punch on the inside.
Kanagawa misses with a punch on the inside.
Couture lands a body punch.
Kanagawa misses with a hook to the ribs.

That's two minutes gone in the round.
Kanagawa tried to land a shot to the body but connects with Couture's elbow.
Kanagawa fails to land with a short punch on the inside.
Couture lands a nice shot to the body.
Kanagawa swings wildly with an uppercut but Couture uses good head movement to avoid it.
Couture softening up his opponent with strikes, against the cage.
Kanagawa tries to throw a body punch but Couture avoids it by throwing Kanagawa back against the cage.
Kanagawa's head jolts backwards as he takes an uppercut right on the button!
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!
Couture misses with a shot to the kidneys.
With the fighters clinched against the cage, Couture creates a bit of distance for himself and scores with a nice uppercut.
Couture tries to land a shot to the body but it's blocked.
Couture misses with a body punch.
Couture lands a left hand.
Couture dictating the pace here, as the fighters clinch against the cage.
Couture tries a body shot but Kanagawa blocks it.
Couture misses with a punch to the body.
Kanagawa swings wildly with an uppercut but Couture uses good head movement to avoid it.
Couture lands a nice shot to the body.

That's three minutes gone in the round.
Couture is clearly stalling here... Pick up the pace son.
Kanagawa lands a nice shot to the body.
Kanagawa doesn't land with the attempted body shot.
Couture lands a shot to the body.
Kanagawa looks winded!
Couture lands a body punch.
The referee is keeping an eye on Couture - much more stalling and he will separate the fighters.
Couture misses with a shot to the kidneys.
Kanagawa takes a shot to the head.
Couture slows down the pace here.
Kanagawa misses with a hook from the clinch.
Kanagawa misses with a punch to the body.
Couture scores with an uppercut up the middle.
Kanagawa misses with a hook to the ribs.
Kanagawa tries a body shot but Couture blocks it.
A right hand to the body from Couture.

That's four minutes gone in the round.
Couture is clearly stalling here... Pick up the pace son.
A right hook to the body lands for Couture.
Couture is struggling to control the position.
Kanagawa's head jolts backwards as he takes an uppercut right on the button!
Couture blocks a punch to the side of the head.
Couture lands a shoulder strike that jolts his opponent's head backwards.
Kanagawa working aggressively here.
Fantastic stuff here - a very entertaining period of action, which has drawn cheers from the crowd.
Kanagawa has a couple of punches blocked by Couture.
Kanagawa throws a punch but it's blocked by Couture.
An uppercut on the inside fails to land for Kanagawa.
Come on Couture - let's have some action - none of this stalling nonsense.
Kanagawa struggles to land a body shot inside as Couture controls his hands.
Kanagawa tried to land a shot to the body but connects with Couture's elbow.
Kanagawa misses with a punch on the inside.
Kanagawa goes for a body shot but it's blocked.
And that’s the end of the round – the fighters go back to their corners.

Dan Couture dominated that round.
The cut man is working on Dan Couture's cut.
That's time! Back to the action!

Couture gets in close and instigates a clinch.
Couture lands with a quick shot inside that doesn't really do much damage.
Kanagawa throws a head punch that misses.
Couture keeps the fight in the clinch, despite Kanagawa's efforts to push away.
Couture lands a short shot on the inside that snaps the head of Kanagawa backwards.
Kanagawa tries a shoulder strike but it doesn't do any damage.
Kanagawa misses with a short punch on the inside.
Couture throws a blind hook that connects with the side of Kanagawas head.
The fighters are starting to get sweaty, which will make takedowns a bit more tricky.
Couture struggles to land a body shot inside as Kanagawa controls his hands.
With the fighters clinched against the cage, Couture creates a bit of distance for himself and scores with a nice uppercut.
Couture lands a left hand.
With the fighters clinched against the cage, Couture creates a bit of distance for himself and scores with a nice uppercut.
Couture lands a right hand that snaps the head of Kanagawa backwards.
Wooooo! Give it up for these two warriors! They are putting on a show!
A head punch blocked on the inside by Couture.
Kanagawa's head jolts backwards as he takes an uppercut right on the button!
Couture scores with a shoulder strike.
Kanagawa misses with a body punch.
Kanagawa misses with a hook to the ribs.
Kanagawa misses with a short punch on the inside.
Couture is really dominating this fight. Is there anything that Kanagawa can do to turn this around?

That's one minute gone in the round.
Come on Couture - let's have some action - none of this stalling nonsense.
Kanagawa has a couple of punches blocked by Couture.
An uppercut to the body lands inside from Kanagawa.
Couture dictating the pace here, as the fighters clinch against the cage.
Kanagawa doesn't land with the attempted body shot.
Still in the clinch, Couture scores with a nice short uppercut.
Couture can't find room to land a body shot as Kanagawa controls the action.
A nice right hand lands inside from Couture.
Couture softening up his opponent with strikes, against the cage.
Kanagawa misses with a hook from the clinch.
Kanagawa misses with a hook from the clinch.
Couture prevents a body shot from Kanagawa.
Kanagawa misses with a body punch.
Couture doesn't land with the attempted body shot.
Couture scores with a hook to the body.
Couture works for underhooks and lands a body shot in the process.
Kanagawa is breathing heavily.
Couture avoiding damage.

That's two minutes gone in the round.
Couture is struggling to control the position.
Couture seems to have come into the fight with the intention of avoiding any damage in the clinch, rather than actually showing any aggression.
Couture stalling the fight.
The referee calls for Couture to work.
Kanagawa misses with a hook from the clinch.
Couture leaning against his opponent.
The ref breaks the fighters up, due to lack of action by Dan Couture.
Kanagawa throws a poor cross that misses
and Couture counters with a lovely shot to the body.
Couture fails in his attempt to clinch.
Fantastic stuff here - a very entertaining period of action, which has drawn cheers from the crowd.

Kanagawa gets tackled into the cage by Couture. Couture maintains the clinch.
A quick uppercut on the inside from Couture.
Kanagawa doesn't land with the attempted body shot.
Couture pressing his opponent against the cage.
Kanagawa prevents a body shot from Couture.

That's three minutes gone in the round.
Kanagawa goes for a body shot but it's blocked.
A shot in the inside from Couture.
Kanagawa working aggressively here.
A quick uppercut on the inside from Kanagawa.
Kanagawa working aggressively here.
Kanagawa struggles to land a body shot inside as Couture controls his hands.
Couture lands with a left to the head.
Kanagawa doesn't land with the attempted body shot.
Couture is struggling to control the position.
Couture blocking some punches.
Kanagawa lands with a good tight uppercut to the head.
Kanagawa swings wildly with an uppercut but Couture uses good head movement to avoid it.
Couture blocks a punch to the side of the head.
Couture lands with a short punch from the clinch.
Couture avoiding damage.
Kanagawa throws a punch but it's blocked by Couture.

That's four minutes gone in the round.
Couture working on landing some head shots here - that one got through nicely.
Couture avoiding damage.
Couture tries to land a shot to the body but it's blocked.
Couture scores with a shoulder strike.
Dan Couture has scored more points in the clinch so far.
Wooooo! Give it up for these two warriors! They are putting on a show!
Couture lands a left hand.
Couture throws a blind hook that connects with the side of Kanagawas head.
Couture blocks an uppercut.
Kanagawa swings wildly with an uppercut but Couture uses good head movement to avoid it.
Kanagawa misses with some punches.
Couture stalling in the clinch.
Couture blocks an uppercut.
A right hand to the body from Couture.
Kanagawa doesn't land with the attempted body shot.
Couture working on landing some head shots here - that one got through nicely.
With the fighters clinched against the cage, Couture creates a bit of distance for himself and scores with a nice uppercut.
A quick uppercut on the inside from Couture.
Kanagawa misses with a short punch on the inside.
And that’s the end of the round – the fighters go back to their corners.

Dan Couture dominated that second round.
The cut man is working on Dan Couture's cut.
The fighters' corners scream their final instructions, as the referee calls time. Here we go, back to the action! This is the final round!

Couture cracks Kanagawa with a hook to the jaw. Both fighters smile at eachother and high-five before getting back down to business.
Couture uses good footwork to avoid the strikes from Kanagawa.
Couture dips to his left and cracks Kanagawa with an uppercut!

Couture clinches up with Kanagawa and pushes him back against the cage.
Good body shot from Kanagawa.
Couture stalling.
A right hook to the body lands for Couture.
An uppercut on the inside fails to land for Kanagawa.
With the fighters clinched against the cage, Couture creates a bit of distance for himself and scores with a nice uppercut.
Couture prevents a body shot from Kanagawa.
Couture content to slow the pace in the clinch.
We've had a slow start to the round here - hopefully the action picks up.
Kanagawa tries a body shot but Couture blocks it.
Kanagawa takes a big intake of breath there - he's definitely tired.
Kanagawa scores with a shoulder strike.
The fighters are pressed against the cage, as the pace of the fight slows.
With the fighters clinched against the cage, Couture creates a bit of distance for himself and scores with a nice uppercut.

That's one minute gone in the round.
Couture softening up his opponent with strikes, against the cage.
Kanagawa tries a shoulder strike but it doesn't do any damage.
Couture makes some space for himself and lands an uppercut.
Couture leaning his opponent against the cage.
Couture lands a body punch in the clinch.
A body shot lands from Couture.
Nice body punch from Couture.
Couture lands a shoulder strike that jolts his opponent's head backwards.
Couture makes some space for himself and lands an uppercut.
Stalling in the clinch from Couture.
Kanagawa has a couple of punches blocked by Couture.
Couture scores with a shoulder strike.

Kanagawa is rocked!
Couture lands a big right hand that drops Kanagawa! The killer instinct kicks in and Couture finishes his opponent with a series of strikes from mount. A dominating finish by Couture!

Ladies and gentlemen, after 1:57 of round 3, we have a winner by way of TKO (Strikes). Dan Couture!
During a confident post fight interview, Dan Couture thanked all his fans. He seemed very genuine when describing how motivated his fans keep him.