PBP Commentary

Coming up we have a lightweight MMA rules bout between DeMario Valdez (ranked 272 p4p, 38 weight class) and Shoju Bayushi (ranked 842 p4p, 109 weight class). Valdez comes into the arena with Era - Ameno blaring out of the sound system. The crowd seem to be enjoying Bayushi's choice of entrance music: Scorpions - Always Somewhere. I don't know about you partner, but I'm pumped for this one!

Valdez
vs
Bayushi

180 cm
25
162 lbs
13 - 5 - 1

173 cm
25
163 lbs
7 - 5 - 0

Good wrestling
World class boxer
Granite chin

Good wrestler
Excellent boxer
Good gas tank

Conviction

Urban Fighter

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 13 - 5 - 1, fighting out of Sydney, DeMario Valdez!
And introducing the fighter to my right, fighting out of the blue corner.
With a record of 7 - 5 - 0, fighting out of Tokyo, Shoju Bayushi!
The judges for this bout are Felipe Paraventi, Seu Braga and Daniel Cesar.

The bell rings for round one and we are underway!
Nice shot by Valdez.

Valdez pushes Bayushi up against the cage in a clinch.
A shot in the inside from Valdez.
Bayushi being controlled against the cage.
Bayushi doesn't land with the attempted body shot.
Valdez can't find room to land a body shot as Bayushi controls the action.
Valdez fails to land with a short punch on the inside.
Bayushi blocking some punches.
A head punch blocked on the inside by Bayushi.
Valdez misses with a hook to the ribs.
Valdez lands with a short punch from the clinch.
We've had a slow start to the round here - hopefully the action picks up.
Bayushi blocks an uppercut.
Bayushi looks like he'd prefer to be striking at range right now.
Valdez throws a punch but it's blocked by Bayushi.

Bayushi breaks the clinch.
Bayushi misses with a wild body shot.

That's one minute gone in the round.
Bayushi works Valdez's body with a nice hook.
Valdez uses good footwork to avoid the strikes from Bayushi.

Valdez closes the distance and pushes Bayushi back into the cage.
Bayushi goes for a body shot but it's blocked.

Bayushi breaks the clinch and we're back to striking at distance.
A head kick by Valdez misses

and Bayushi counters by moving into the clinch. Good anticipation by Bayushi.
The pace slowing considerably in the clinch, as Valdez takes a break from that fighting nonsense to think about the finer things in life.
Valdez has Bayushi pressed against the cage, preventing Bayushi from circling away and getting back to striking at range.
Valdez stalling.
Valdez stalls.
Valdez seems to have come into the fight with the intention of avoiding any damage in the clinch, rather than actually showing any aggression.
Valdez blocks a couple of punches on the inside.
Valdez stalling in the clinch.
Bayushi misses with a short punch on the inside.
Bayushi blocks a body shot from Valdez.

That's two minutes gone in the round.

Bayushi manages to break the clinch.
Valdez is looking to clinch but Bayushi is avoiding it.
Valdez looks to have improved his striking defense since last time we saw him fight.
Bayushi scores with a reasonable looking shot to the body. Valdez doesn't seem bothered though.
Valdez throws a sloppy head kick and Bayushi moves out of range easily.
Bayushi has tried to improve his agility in the runup to this fight.
Bayushi swings wildly with a right hand that was never going to find it's target.
An attempted straight right counter from Valdez misses the target.
Bayushi thuds his right hand into Valdez's forehead from close range. That could be painful for both fighters.

It looks like DeMario Valdez has been cut.
The crowd are loving this. Great action here.
Bayushi misses with a lunging right hand
and Valdez cracks him with a counter punch right on the button.
Bayushi cracks a nice hook into Valdez's ribs.
Valdez keeping his hands up high there, blocking the jab from Bayushi.
Valdez looks to land a right hand but Bayushi moved out of range.

Valdez clinches up with Bayushi and pushes him back against the cage.
Bayushi blocks a couple of punches on the inside.
Valdez blocking some punches.

That's three minutes gone in the round.
Bayushi blocks a body shot from Valdez.
Bayushi is trying to work out of this bad position, with his back against the cage.
Bayushi lands with a short punch from the clinch.
Valdez misses with some punches.
Valdez goes for a body shot but it's blocked.
Valdez lands a left hand.
Bayushi blocks a couple of punches on the inside.
A head punch on the inside from Valdez fails to land.

Bayushi breaks the clinch.
Bayushi scores with a shot to the body.
Valdez moves into range and connects with a jab.
Valdez lands a jab to the nose.
Valdez wants to clinch.

That's four minutes gone in the round.
Valdez dips down and scores with a jab to the body.
Valdez is using his height advantage well here, landing a good percentage of his punches.
Bayushi moves his head to the side to avoid a jab but walks straight into a cross.
This has been an exciting period of action!
Valdez checks a leg kick.
Valdez moves away from the strike by Bayushi.
Valdez was looking to counter that move with a punch but didn't quite pull the trigger.
Bayushi throws out a loose jab but Valdez uses good head movement to avoid it.
Bayushi throws an uppercut from half a mile away. Valdez sees it coming and avoids it easily.
Bayushi jabbing away but nothing is landing.

Valdez clinches with his opponent.
Valdez misses with a punch on the inside.
A head punch on the inside from Valdez fails to land.
Valdez is trying to slow down the pace of the fight but Bayushi is keeping busy.
A short left from Valdez.
And that’s the end of the round – the fighters go back to their corners.

DeMario Valdez dominated that round.
The cut man is working on DeMario Valdez's cut.
That's time! Valdez's corner gives him a slap on the ass as he gets ready to fight.

Valdez keeping a good distance there, avoiding the body shot.
Bayushi throws a body punch but Valdez moves out of range.
Valdez moves in looking to clinch but Bayushi pushes him off.
Bayushi wants to counter with a clinch but Valdez pushes him away.
Bayushi takes a really solid shot there but just smiles back and shrugs his shoulders.

Valdez has closed the distance and engaged Bayushi in a clinch.
Valdez lands punches inside but they're not really causing much damage.
Bayushi tries to throw a body punch but Valdez avoids it by throwing Bayushi back against the cage.
Valdez throws a head punch that misses.
We are yet to see a takedown attempt from Bayushi in the fight. On paper you would think he is the more dominant ground fighter so let's see if these unusual tactics pay off.
Bayushi tries to throw a body punch but Valdez avoids it by throwing Bayushi back against the cage.
Valdez working aggressively here.
We've had a slow start to the round here - hopefully the action picks up.
Bayushi blocks a couple of punches on the inside.
Valdez fails to land with a short punch on the inside.
Valdez is clearly stalling here... Pick up the pace son.
Bayushi lands a body shot.

That's one minute gone in the round.
Valdez has a couple of punches blocked by Bayushi.
Bayushi tries a shoulder strike but it doesn't do any damage.
DeMario Valdez has scored more points in the clinch so far.
Valdez lands a shoulder strike that jolts his opponent's head backwards.
A short right from Valdez on the inside.
Bayushi prevents a body shot from Valdez.
Valdez misses with some punches.
Valdez misses with a body punch.
Valdez is really dominating this fight. Is there anything that Bayushi can do to turn this around?
A head punch blocked on the inside by Bayushi.
Good anti-grappling being displayed by Bayushi as Valdez tries to tie him up.
A head punch on the inside from Valdez fails to land.
Valdez blocks a couple of punches on the inside.
Bayushi lands a left hand that snaps the head of Valdez backwards.

Bayushi breaks the clinch and we return to the middle of the mat.
Bayushi misses with a body kick.
Bayushi is really struggling to land any decent head shots against his taller opponent.
Valdez misses with a half-hearted attempt at a head kick.

That's two minutes gone in the round.

Valdez gets in close and instigates a clinch.
Bayushi lands a shoulder strike that jolts his opponent's head backwards.
Bayushi tries to throw a body punch but Valdez avoids it by throwing Bayushi back against the cage.
Valdez will no doubt start fighting again in a minute but for now he's just having a little rest, leaning Bayushi up against the cage.
Bayushi blocks a punch to the side of the head.
The crowd are loving this. Great action here.
Valdez throws a head punch that misses.
Valdez tries to land a shot to the body but it's blocked.
Some stalling of biblical proportions here from Valdez.
Bayushi has had enough of the clinch and is looking to separate.
Bayushi tries to work over Valdez's body with a swooping hook but it only glances the target.

Bayushi's corner calls for him to break the clinch, which he does.
Bayushi walks into a straight right hand from Valdez.
Valdez blocks a jab.

That's three minutes gone in the round.
Valdez uses good footwork to get in and out, landing a nice hook.
Bayushi misses with a shot to the body
and Bayushi takes a counter punch right on the button for his troubles.

Bayushi is rocked!
Bayushi takes a swing at Valdez's ribcage but misses.
Bayushi is still on wobbly legs! Can Valdez finish him?
Bayushi throws a lazy right hand but Valdez sees it coming a mile off and sidesteps it easily.
Bayushi takes one on the chin but keeps coming.
Bayushi looks up at the clock. Bad move! Valdez lands a right hand from hell, dropping Bayushi. Valdez pounces and finishes the fight with a flurry of punches and elbows.

Ladies and gentlemen, after 3:28 of round 2, we have a winner by way of TKO (Strikes). DeMario Valdez!
Shoju Bayushi was interviewed post fight and said 'The biggest thing I learned from losing? Winning is better.'.