PBP Commentary

Coming up we have a lightweight MMA rules bout between Randall Locke (ranked 0 p4p, 0 weight class) and Tom Papa (ranked 0 p4p, 0 weight class). Tom Papa is the more experienced fighter, so let's see if that makes a difference tonight.

Locke
vs
Papa

175 cm
22
160 lbs
0 - 0 - 0

183 cm
19
164 lbs
2 - 1 - 0

BJJ Blue Belt
Solid boxing
Granite chin

BJJ Blue Belt
Brawler
Granite 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 0 - 0 - 0, fighting out of Tokyo, Randall Locke!
And introducing the fighter to my right, fighting out of the blue corner.
With a record of 2 - 1 - 0, fighting out of Tokyo, Tom Papa!
The judges for this bout are Yuuki Gou, Shirou Masuda and Shigeki Sano.

The bell rings for round one and we are underway!
Locke tries to score a power double leg takedown but Papa sees that one coming and sprawls well. That will dishearten Locke somewhat.
Papa changes levels and looks for a double leg takedown. Locke tries to avoid it but Papa manages to keep hold of a leg and drag Locke to the ground. Locke escapes though and pops straight back up to his feet.
As Papa looks to move away, Locke throws a big counter combo but Papa just gets out of the way.
Locke avoids the clinch attempt nicely.
No luck for Locke with that takedown attempt.
Locke shoots for a takedown but Papa saw that one coming a mile off and avoided it easily.
That's three failed takedown attempts in the round for Randall Locke. That's going to take a lot out of him.
Papa with a poor takedown
and Locke counters with a lovely straight right hand!
Locke changes levels and looks for a double leg takedown. Papa tries to avoid it but Locke manages to keep hold of a leg and drag Papa to the ground. Papa escapes though and pops straight back up to his feet.
We've had a slow start to the round here - hopefully the action picks up.
Locke defends well against a solid takedown attempt from Papa.
Papa throws a head kick that misses and slips in the process. He scrambles back to his feet and the fighters circle.
Papa shoots in for a double leg but Locke sprawls well. That's going to sap some energy.
Locke misses with a takedown attempt - Papa sprawls well and throws a nice strike on the way out which just misses.

That's one minute gone in the round.
Locke shoots in for a double leg but Papa sprawls well. That's going to sap some energy.
Papa tries to clinch there but Locke circles away.
Papa throws a looping left and ducks down for a takedown. He's got his arms around Locke's waist but Locke gets an underhook and avoids the takedown by throwing Papa off to one side.
Locke scores with a three punch combo!
A really sloppy takedown attempt there from Locke.
Locke misses with a takedown attempt - Papa sprawls well and throws a nice strike on the way out which just misses.
Papa throws a fast counter high kick but Locke manages to duck under it in time.
Locke is breathing heavily.
Locke circles away from the clinch attempt
and Locke makes him pay by landing a nice hook to the body before moving out of range.

That's two minutes gone in the round.
Locke defends well against a solid takedown attempt from Papa.
Locke misses with a wild combination.
Locke fails miserably with a takedown attempt.

Papa shoots in and gets a takedown into Locke's guard.
We've seen a great period of action over the last minute or so - credit to both fighters for going all out!
Papa missing there with some ground and pound from the guard.
Hammerfist, elbow! yells Papa's corner. There ya go! There ya go!
Papa slows down the pace of the fight, as he sits in guard.
Locke wants to sweep here but Papa controlling him for the moment.

That's three minutes gone in the round.
Papa forces his way into half guard.
Papa thumps the canvas. Not on purpose obviously - he just missed Locke's head.
Locke looks like he's trying to stand up.
Papa controlling the action here.
Let's hope that Papa has the urge to step up the pace any second now because for the last 15 or 20 seconds he's just been holding on tight.

That's four minutes gone in the round.
Neither fighter has done anything of merit for a good minute or two here and the crowd are not happy about it.
Papa not throwing his punches with enough precision this time.

Papa is sneakily working for an arm triangle but Locke sees it coming and defends easily.
Papa frees up his trapped foot and advances to mount.
The crowd thankful this round is nearly over.
Papa looking to control and managing it successfully.
The fighters are starting to get a bit slippery now, which will make submissions a bit more difficult.
Papa landing strikes, looking to finish!
And that’s the end of the round – the fighters go back to their corners.

Tom Papa dominated that round.
The referee calls time. The cornermen exit stage left and we're back to business.

Locke tries a switch kick but it misses it's target.
Locke lands a jab. Then a cross. Then finally a nice hook to the body. Good work there by Locke.
Locke looks for a takedown here. Will he get it? Papa is fending him off so far but Locke persists. Nope, Papa circles away and we're back to standing.
Locke closes the distance and lands a one-two.
Randall Locke is looking to throw some combinations by the looks of things.
Papa wants to clinch up but Locke keeps it at a distance.
Papa shoots in for a takedown but Locke shows good takedown defense.
Papa tries to score a power double leg takedown but Locke sees that one coming and sprawls well. That will dishearten Papa somewhat.
We've had a slow start to the round here - hopefully the action picks up.

Locke rushes Papa and presses him up against the cage.
Locke wants to break free but Papa has control.

That's one minute gone in the round.

Locke escapes the clinch and we're back to striking.
Papa throws a jab, cross combination which is slipped
and Locke counters with a left and a right that stings Papa.
Locke pulls out of a head kick attempt.
Both fighters are absolutely exhausted here.
Locke tries to clinch but Papa moves out of range.
Papa is clearly trying to counter these attacks from Locke with a body shot.
Papa misses with a head kick.
It looked like Locke wanted to counter with a hook but didn't fully commit.
Papa avoids the clinch attempt nicely.
Papa tries a switch kick but it misses it's target.
Papa wants to clinch up but Locke keeps it at a distance.
Locke fails with a takedown attempt.
A really sloppy takedown attempt there from Locke.
That's three failed takedown attempts in the round for Randall Locke. That's going to take a lot out of him.

That's two minutes gone in the round.

Papa clinches.
Locke is trying to slow down the pace of the fight but Papa is keeping busy.
Papa wants to break free. God knows he wants to breaaaak freeee.
An uppercut on the inside fails to land for Papa.

Papa gets a nice trip takedown into half guard.
We've seen a great period of action over the last minute or so - credit to both fighters for going all out!
Locke moves his hips nicely and gets into full guard.
Tom Papa has got the better of the ground game so far.
Papa is frustrating his opponent with some stalling tactics from top position.

That's three minutes gone in the round.

Papa thinks about going for a leg but decides against it, in order to maintain the position.
Locke will have to put a bit more behind his punches if he's going to do any damage from this position.
Papa passes Locke's left leg - he's now in half guard.
Papa throwing shots but Locke is blocking nicely.
Papa has the superior BJJ but he's also working some ground strikes into his gameplan.

That's four 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.
Papa moves into full mount! Locke won't be happy about that!
Papa looking to ground and pound his opponent to a finish here.
Papa looking to control and managing it successfully.
Locke looking to escape from mount but he's given up his back!
The crowd thankful this round is nearly over.

Locke defends a rear naked choke attempt by controlling one of Papa's arms.
And that’s the end of the round – the fighters go back to their corners.

A close second round but Tom Papa will probably get the nod - 10:9.
The fighters get back to their feet, the hooter sounds and we're back to the action! This is the final round!

Papa looks for a takedown. He's got it. We're now in half guard.
Locke wants to improve his position but Papa is controlling well.
Still in half guard, Papa seems content to control.
We've had a slow start to the round here - hopefully the action picks up.
Locke wants to get back to full guard but Papa has passed into side control.

That's one minute gone in the round.
Locke is looking for a sweep.
Both fighters are breathing heavily.
Locke is being controlled here.

Papa has had enough of the ground for now and decides to stand.
Locke tries to clinch but is not successful on this occasion.
Papa thinks about the counter body kick.
Locke wants to clinch.
Papa fails with the takedown.
Locke throws a head kick that misses

and Papa counters with a shoot takedown into half guard.

That's two minutes gone in the round.
Papa trying to control the pace.
Papa lands strikes from half guard.
Locke on the receiving end of some nice ground and pound.
Papa thows a huge punch but Locke dodges it nicely.
Papa seems content to maintain position for now, rather than mounting any offense.
Locke punching from the bottom.

That's three minutes gone in the round.
Papa is controlling the pace.
The fighters are pressed up against the cage, both looking to find a bit of space to work.
Papa sitting in half guard, looking to land shots. Locke defending well though.
Locke is looking for a sweep. Papa is wise to his cunning plan and keeps the top position.
Papa content to sit in half guard and control for a moment.

The referee decides to stand the fighters back up.
Locke fails to land the takedown.
Papa wants to counter with a clinch but Locke pushes him away.

That's four minutes gone in the round.
The crowd are hurling abuse towards the fighters... You can hardly blame them though because there isn't a lot going on in the fight.

Papa clinches up with Locke and pushes him back against the cage.
Papa drops to a knee looking for a takedown but Locke gets the underhooks and prevents it.
Papa fails to pull guard.
Randall Locke has stuffed three takedown attempts in the round now. That's going to take a lot out of Tom Papa.
Papa jumps guard but his hands slip and he falls flat on his back. Well, he's made himself look a right mug there, as Locke walks away with a smile on his face. Papa gets slowly back to his feet and shakes his head.

Papa closes the distance and clinches.
Papa content to slow the pace in the clinch.
Boooooooooooooooooooo!!! God, this has been a terrible round. Come on you two, sort yourselves out!
Locke is trying to pull guard but being pressed up against the cage enables Papa to keep the fight standing.
Locke wants to break the clinch but can't.
Randall Locke has stepped it up - he knows he needs a finish here!
Tom Papa is fighting for a decision - hopefully he's judged it right and he's actually winning the fight.
Locke is trying to work out of this bad position, with his back against the cage.

And that's the end of the fight!
Tom Papa comfortably won the final round on my scorecard.
I've got Papa 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 Yuuki Gou scores the fight 27:30
Judge Shirou Masuda scores the fight 27:30
Judge Shigeki Sano scores the fight 27:30

In favor of your winner, by unanimous decision... Tom Papa!