PBP Commentary

Coming up we have a featherweight MMA rules bout between Chief Navajo (ranked 1933 p4p, 204 weight class) and Shiro Tanaka (ranked 2139 p4p, 216 weight class). Tanaka has chosen The good the bad and the ugly theme song as his entrance music, which hasn't gone down very well with the crowd. Over to our ring announcer for the fighter introductions!

Navajo
vs
Tanaka

173 cm
29
154 lbs
6 - 7 - 0

172 cm
21
149 lbs
6 - 2 - 0

Good wrestling
Counter fighter
Very quick

BJJ Purple Belt
Excellent MT
Good gas tank

Big Chief Nutrition & Laundry Services (80%)

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 6 - 7 - 0, fighting out of Las Vegas, Chief Navajo!
And introducing the fighter to my right, fighting out of the blue corner.
With a record of 6 - 2 - 0, fighting out of Amsterdam, Shiro Tanaka!
The judges for this bout are Hirohito Nitta, Kenichi Hosakawa and Yukihiro Yamamoto.

The bell rings for round one and we are underway!

Navajo shoots in and gets a takedown into Tanaka's guard.
Navajo trying to land body shots but he keeps hitting the mat.

Tanaka looking for a guillotine here but Navajo defends easily.

Tanaka is looking for a guillotine. You can't force these things though and Navajo defends well.
Navajo lands a couple of digs.
Tanaka avoiding any damage from the ground and pound.

Tanaka is looking for a triangle but Navajo pushes his legs off easily.
Tanaka has momentary wrist control but Navajo slips an elbow through the middle.
Navajo keeps in close for a moment and lands a decent shot to the side of Tanaka's head.

Tanaka throwing his legs up looking for a triangle.
Navajo throws a big elbow that misses.
Navajo missing there with some ground and pound from the guard.
Tanaka is looking to stand up but Navajo isn't so interested in that idea.
Navajo postures up and scores with a shot to the body and a follow up elbow to the head.

That's one minute gone in the round.
Navajo is sitting in guard, working some ground and pound.
Navajo throwing strikes but missing.
Navajo working in close now, lands a nice elbow to the side of Tanaka's head.

Tanaka looking for submissions off his back, moving his hips, looking for an opening.
Navajo loading up with the ground and pound but he's missing more than he's landing in this flurry.
Navajo lands a nice shot whilst sitting in his opponent's guard.
Navajo keeps in close for a moment and lands a decent shot to the side of Tanaka's head.
Navajo throws an elbow that misses. Tanaka uses the momentum to reverse the position. He's now in Navajo's guard. Nice move by Tanaka!

Navajo seems to have improved his submission grappling technique since last time we saw him. Let's see if he can pull off a submission.

Navajo has a loose triangle. He'll be looking to tighten that up but Tanaka can see exactly what he's planning and manages to posture up and free himself.

The fighters are starting to get a bit slippery now, which will make submissions a bit more difficult.
Navajo looking for submissions from the bottom here. Moving his hips around, possibly looking for an armbar.

Navajo is throwing his legs up, looking for submissions. Tanaka is aware though and is defending well.
Navajo keeping moving, preventing Tanaka from controlling successfully.

That's two minutes gone in the round.
Tanaka wants to stand but Navajo has a closed guard, so he can't escape.

Navajo looking for submissions off his back, moving his hips, looking for an opening.

Tanaka got a little sloppy there for a moment and Navajo has worked his way into a loose triangle - can he finish it?! No, Tanaka has managed to get both his arms back between Navajo's legs - danger averted.

Navajo is working actively off his back, looking to secure an arm or perhaps work for a triangle.
Tanaka wants to get up but he can't break Navajo's closed guard. He needs to be careful trying to break the legs open, as he's open to submissions here.

Navajo working from the bottom, still in full guard. He's managed to get a loose triangle. Tanaka doesn't seem to be doing much to defend here, obviously he feels comfortable in the position. Tanaka manages to throw the legs off his shoulder and he's back into guard - no problem.
Tanaka works a leg free and moves into half guard.

Navajo looking for submissions off his back.
Wooooo! Give it up for these two warriors! They are putting on a show!

Navajo with the active half guard here but Tanaka passes nicely into side control.

That's three minutes gone in the round.

Tanaka looking for an arm triangle but it's way too loose to do anything.
Navajo tries to work a leg under to get back to half guard but Tanaka wriggles his own leg back out and remains in side control.
Tanaka trying to control the position but Navajo is working away.
Navajo is looking to reverse the position.
Navajo is sneaking out the side here. He's bucked Tanaka off and has taken his back!
Navajo has his opponent trapped and is landing shots. Not a good position for Tanaka.
Navajo lands with a big left hand that may well have hurt his opponent. Can Tanaka hold on?!
Tanaka felt the need to train up his defensive grappling in the buildup to the fight. Presumably he was expecting to be in a difficult position like this, so let's see if he can get out of it.
Tanaka tries to escape but Navajo has the hooks in and won't let him break free.
Navajo struggling to land strikes to the head as Tanaka covers up.
The fighters are pressed up against the cage, both looking to find a bit of space to work.
Tanaka is really stuck here.
Tanaka is trying to get back to his feet but Navajo has full control of the position and if anything, Tanaka has just worked his way into a worse spot.
Navajo connects with a series of strikes and the referee is calling for Tanaka to escape the position.

That's four minutes gone in the round.
Tanaka turns into Navajo and is now in his guard.
We've seen a great period of action over the last minute or so - credit to both fighters for going all out!

Navajo is looking for a triangle but Tanaka pushes his legs off easily.

Navajo throwing his legs up looking for a triangle.
Tanaka wanted to stand there but Navajo had control of the position.

Navajo throwing his legs up looking for a triangle.
Tanaka wants to stand but Navajo is controlling his posture from full guard.

Navajo is active off his back here, looking for submissions.

Tanaka avoids a guillotine attempt easily.
Tanaka passes Navajo's right leg, so he's now in half guard.
And that’s the end of the round – the fighters go back to their corners.

Chief Navajo dominated that round.
That's the end of the round. The referee orders the cornermen out of the cage so we can get back down to business.

Navajo tries to score a power double leg takedown but Tanaka sees that one coming and sprawls well. That will dishearten Navajo somewhat.
Tanaka fails with an attempt to clinch.

Tanaka closes the distance and pushes Navajo back into the cage.
Tanaka gets underhooks to prevent Navajo's takedown attempt.
We've had a slow start to the round here - hopefully the action picks up.
Tanaka gets double underhooks to prevent a takedown attempt from Navajo.
That's three failed takedown attempts in the round for Chief Navajo. That's going to take a lot out of him.
Navajo wants a takedown but no success here.
Tanaka misses with some punches.

Navajo tightens his grip and picks Tanaka up, before dumping him to the ground. Tanaka manages to land in guard.

That's one minute gone in the round.
Tanaka working a defensive guard here.
Tanaka bucks up whilst keeping hold of a body lock, managing to reverse the position. Now he's in top in Navajo's guard.

Tanaka tries to stand but Navajo is controlling from the bottom.

Navajo looking for a guillotine here but Tanaka defends easily.
Tanaka working some ground and pound from guard but it's not doing any damage.
Navajo is really dominating this fight. Is there anything that Tanaka can do to turn this around?
Tanaka postures up to throw the ground and pound strikes but they don't connect.

Navajo is throwing his legs up, looking for submissions. Tanaka is aware though and is defending well.

Tanaka drops back looking for a leg! Navajo is in trouble here! The fighters roll with the hold and Navajo manages to kick Tanaka off! Tanaka jumps back into Navajo's guard.

Navajo is looking to cinch up a triangle. Tanaka throws the leg off to one side though and gets in tight to Navajo's body to avoid the submission. Navajo has instead reached around Tanaka's neck and now has a guillotine! Oh, this is biiiig trouble! Navajo arches his back and squeezes and forces the tap from his hapless opponent.

Ladies and gentlemen, after 2:58 of round 2, we have a winner by way of Submission (Guillotine). Chief Navajo!
Chief Navajo really struggled to get his t-shirt on before his hand was raised. Making sure that Big Chief Nutrition & Laundry Services (80%) logo gets some air time is pretty tricky when you're all sweaty.
In defeat, Shiro Tanaka stepped up to the mic, saying 'Maybe next time'.