PBP Commentary

Coming up we have a lightweight MMA rules bout between Nando Vasquez (ranked 1264 p4p, 155 weight class) and Lazuran Riku (ranked 1154 p4p, 142 weight class). Lazuran Riku has the power to score a knockout today if he connects clean with Nando Vasquez's chin.

Vasquez
vs
Riku

179 cm
30
155 lbs
16 - 13 - 0

175 cm
39
163 lbs
33 - 11 - 2

Good wrestling
World class MT
Insanely flexible

BJJ Purple Belt
Lethal high kicks
Good gas tank

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 16 - 13 - 0, fighting out of Las Vegas, Nando Vasquez!
And introducing the fighter to my right, fighting out of the blue corner.
With a record of 33 - 11 - 2, fighting out of New York, Lazuran Riku!
The judges for this bout are Shirou Masuda, Yukihiro Shimada and Yuuki Gou.

The bell rings for round one and we are underway!

Vasquez gets to the clinch - let's see what his plan is here.
A nice left hand lands by Vasquez.
Vasquez misses with the head strike.
Riku holding his opponent close, against the cage.
Vasquez presses Riku against the cage and delivers a mid-strength body shot.

Vasquez's corner calls for him to break the clinch, which he does.
A looping hook to the body misses from Riku. Vasquez does a little dance to reset his feet.
Vasquez wants to land a leg kick but Riku is out of range.
Riku takes a shot to the body in his stride.
Vasquez lands with a slapping head kick.
Vasquez turns his hip over beautifully as he lands a nice leg kick.
Vasquez throws a nice inside leg kick.
Well, he's not going to score with shots like that. A lazy body kick attempt from Vasquez.
A leg kick checked by Riku.
Riku tries to check a leg kick but that clearly hurt him.
This has been an exciting period of action!
Vasquez tries to work over Riku's front leg with a kick but Riku checks it.

That's one minute gone in the round.
Vasquez blocks a jab.
Vasquez tries to counter by moving into the clinch but Riku manages to circle out of the way.
Vasquez keeps Riku at a distance using the push kick.
Riku takes one on the button.
Vasquez throws a hook to the body but it doesn't connect.
Vasquez throws a body punch but Riku moves out of range.
Vasquez scores with a straight right hand, right through his opponent's guard.
Riku on the wrong end of a decent looking cross there.
Riku throws a right hand that misses
and Vasquez counters with a nice body kick.
Vasquez connects nicely with a jab. Noted by the judges no doubt.
Riku ducks right into an uppercut from Vasquez.
Vasquez scores with a hook.
Wooooo! Give it up for these two warriors! They are putting on a show!
Riku throws a right hand that Vasquez ducks under and follows up with a left that Vasquez also avoids with ease.
Riku paws at his opponent with the jab and then lunges in with a straight, right on the button.

That's two minutes gone in the round.
A jab from Riku finds it's way through Vasquez's defenses.
Riku swings for the body but Vasquez moves out of range.
Vasquez throws a body punch but Riku moves out of range.
Vasquez throws a nice inside leg kick.
Vasquez misses the jab.
Riku feints a counter leg kick.
Vasquez scores with a leg kick.
Nando Vasquez seems to be the more aggressive standup fighter in this bout.
Vasquez uses decent footwork to sidestep a right hand from Riku.
Vasquez cracks Riku with a good jab.

Vasquez closes the distance and clinches.
Vasquez misses with a body punch.

Riku breaks the clinch.
Vasquez paws at his opponent with the jab and then lunges in with a straight, right on the button.

Vasquez moves into the clinch successfully.

That's three minutes gone in the round.
Riku lands with a short punch from the clinch.
Riku has had enough of the clinch but Vasquez keeps him there for the moment.
Vasquez tries a shoulder strike but it doesn't do any damage.
Vasquez misses with a punch to the body.
Vasquez throws a blind hook that connects with the side of Rikus head.
A nice left hand lands by Vasquez.
Vasquez digs a right hand into Riku's ribs. Those have got to be taking their toll on Riku's gas tank.
A short right from Vasquez.
Riku misses with a punch to the body.
Vasquez cracks Riku with a nice body shot.

Vasquez breaks the clinch and we return to the middle of the mat.
Riku ducks down and throws a hook to the body but Vasquez moves away.
Vasquez takes a swing at Riku's ribcage but misses.
And an attempted straight right on the counter from Riku! But no joy.
Vasquez keeps his opponent at a distance with a nice jab.
Vasquez lands with a nice low kick. That'll leave a bruise.
Riku misses with a jab, cross combination.
Vasquez is looking to counter punch.

That's four minutes gone in the round.
Wooooo! Give it up for these two warriors! They are putting on a show!
Vasquez takes a step towards his opponent and connects with a left hand, before circling away.
Vasquez tries to clinch up against the cage, rushing in to close the distance. Riku manages to break the clinch and circles back to the middle of the mat.
Riku looked like he wanted to counter with a punch but didn't throw it.
Riku moves out of range of the body kick.
Riku fakes high and swings low for a body shot but Vasquez manages to avoid it.
Riku slips under a jab from Vasquez.
Riku swings away with a body shot that misses
and Vasquez counters with a two punch combo.
Vasquez walks into a jab.
Riku misses with a kick to the body
and Vasquez counters with a crisp hook to the side of the head.
Vasquez misses with a hook
and Riku cracks him with a counter punch right on the button.
Vasquez throws a head kick but Riku moves out of range.
The crowd applaud the fighters' efforts here as the round comes to an end.
Riku steps to his left, right into the path of a big body kick from Vasquez. That one must have hurt.
Vasquez throws a nice outside leg kick.
Vasquez throws out a token jab with nothing on it.
And that’s the end of the round – the fighters go back to their corners.

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

Vasquez throws a head kick that looked like it stung.
Vasquez looks to land a body kick but Riku moved away.

Vasquez closes the distance and pushes Riku back into the cage.
Vasquez scores with a shoulder strike.
Vasquez misses with a hook to the ribs.
Riku is trying to break the clinch but Vasquez is controlling him.
Vasquez misses with a body punch.
A left hand lands to the body for Vasquez.
Riku throws a hook to the body. More of an arm punch but it's all scoring with the judges.
Vasquez has not gone for a single takedown so far in this fight, which seems like a very strange tactic when you consider that he has the superior wrestling and BJJ.
Riku wants to break free but Vasquez has control.
Riku prevents a body shot from Vasquez.
We've had a slow start to the round here - hopefully the action picks up.

Vasquez's corner calls for him to break the clinch, which he does.

Vasquez forces Riku back against the cage and clinches.
Riku is trying to break free.
Vasquez working aggressively here.

Riku breaks the clinch.
Vasquez throws a leg kick which misses Riku's front leg but catches the back leg as Riku tries to avoid it.

That's one minute gone in the round.
A solid body kick from Vasquez.
Riku's leg has a nasty welt from taking a succession of leg kicks. That must be slowing him down.
Vasquez looks to score with a jab to the body but Riku is just out of range.
Vasquez slips under a jab from Riku.
Vasquez lands with a thumping leg kick.
Ooooh, nice body kick lands from Vasquez. Riku shrugs it off though.
A punch combination from Vasquez misses.
Vasquez misses with a jab to the body
and Riku makes him pay by landing a thudding low kick.
Vasquez throws the kick towards the body but Riku avoids it.
Vasquez tries to close the distance and clinch up against the cage but Riku paws at him with a jab and circles away.
Vasquez ducks under a wild hook from Riku.
It looked like Vasquez wanted to counter with a hook but didn't fully commit.
Riku bobs and weaves well there to avoid the strikes.
Vasquez tries a low kick but Riku avoids it.

That's two minutes gone in the round.
Vasquez pivots as if he's going to throw a leg kick but stops half way.
Riku feints a counter leg kick.
Vasquez is really dominating this fight. Is there anything that Riku can do to turn this around?
Vasquez throws out a loose jab but Riku uses good head movement to avoid it.
Riku looks to score with a jab to the body but Vasquez is just out of range.
Nando Vasquez is winning the standup battle so far.
Vasquez throws a head kick that misses.
Vasquez with a nice looking leg kick. You could hear that one land in a back row.
The crowd cheers as Vasquez lands an impressive looking overhand right. Riku doesn't seem phased though.
We've seen a great period of action over the last minute or so - credit to both fighters for going all out!
Vasquez fakes low and throws an overhand right that catches Riku on the side of the head.
Vasquez is looking to score with low kicks.
Riku shakes his hands off, looking to compose himself, but takes a jab to the jaw whilst he does it.
Riku takes a shot to the eye socket. That's gotta hurt.
Vasquez throws a lazy right hand but Riku sees it coming a mile off and sidesteps it easily.
Riku connects with a crisp jab.

That's three minutes gone in the round.
Riku gets cracked there but stands up to it.
Riku walks into a straight right hand from Vasquez.
An inside leg kick lands from Vasquez.
A leg kick checked by Riku.
Riku swings away with a counter right hand but no contact made.
Vasquez tries to score with a low kick but Riku moves his leg out of the way.
Riku misses with a wild combination.
Vasquez feints a straight left to the body, then turns around with a flashy move and hits Rikus jaw with a dramatic spinning back fist!
Riku jabs Vasquez to the body, keeping him at a distance.
Riku throws a hook to the body but it doesn't connect.
Vasquez tries to land a front kick but Riku steps back. That was a bit too telegraphed.

That's four minutes gone in the round.
Riku takes a nasty kick to the mid section... That should keep him thinking. Does he try and block and risk a head kick landing?
Vasquez takes a thudding leg kick, right into the meat of the thigh.
Good shot there by Vasquez.
The crowd are loving this. Great action here.
Vasquez throws a body shot but no joy.
Vasquez is looking to slow Riku down with leg kicks.
Vasquez fakes a head shot and lands one to the body.
Vasquez fakes a head shot and lands one to the body.
Vasquez tries to close the distance and clinch but Riku swats him to one side with an open hand palm strike and circles away.
Vasquez slips a jab and a cross from Riku.
Jab, jab by Vasquez - just one landing.
Riku tries to score with a leg kick but it misses it's target.
Riku avoids the body shot from Vasquez.
And that’s the end of the round – the fighters go back to their corners.

Nando Vasquez dominated that second round.
The fighters get back to their feet, the hooter sounds and we're back to the action! This is the final round!

Vasquez throws a leg kick but Riku sees it coming and checks it nicely.
Vasquez walks straight into an uppercut. Luckily it didn't land flush.
Vasquez lands a really nice looking cross but Riku seems unphased.
Vasquez punishes Riku's body with a nice straight punch.
Vasquez throws a body kick despite being completely out of range
and Riku counters with a crisp hook to the side of the head.
Vasquez throws a head kick that looked like it stung.
Vasquez lands a front kick.
Riku avoids a lazy jab quite easily.
We've had a slow start to the round here - hopefully the action picks up.
Riku looks to score with a combo but nothing lands.
Riku waving his hands out in front of him, looking to distract Vasquez.
Vasquez tries to counter by clinching up but Riku breaks away and moves out of range.
Riku misses with a kick to the body.
An inside leg kick from Vasquez misses.

That's one minute gone in the round.
Riku tries to work over Vasquez's front leg with a kick but Vasquez checks it.
Vasquez sizes up Riku with a pawing jab and scores with a straight right down the middle.
Riku slips under a jab.
Riku takes a jab right on the nose. That must have hurt but he shrugs his shoulders and looks to return the favor.
The sound of bone on bone echoes around the arena as Riku checks a leg kick.
Riku swings for the body but Vasquez moves out of range.

Vasquez clinches with his opponent.
Riku has developed a nice purple lump on his ribcage, as a result of some heavy body kicks from Vasquez.

Vasquez manages to break the clinch.
Vasquez misses with a lunging right hand
and Riku cracks him with a counter punch right on the button.
Vasquez misses with a leg kick.

Vasquez has taken the fight to the clinch.
Riku goes for a body shot but it's blocked.
Nando Vasquez has scored more points in the clinch so far.

Vasquez breaks the clinch and we return to the middle of the mat.

That's two minutes gone in the round.
Vasquez takes a jab right on the nose. That must have hurt but he shrugs his shoulders and looks to return the favor.

Vasquez is rocked!
Riku dodges the punch combination from Vasquez.
Riku counters with a body kick.
Oh Vasquez is still all over the place! His legs are completely gone! Will he be able to recover?!!
The crowd cheering loudly, showing their appreciation for the quality fight we're seeing here.
Vasquez slips under a jab.
Riku throws a leg kick but Vasquez sees it coming and moves out of range.
Vasquez scores with a one two! Riku had his feet all tangled up there and couldn't avoid the strikes.
Vasquez stumbles momentarily as he takes a strong leg kick from Riku.
Riku has a pretty nasty looking mouse under his right eye.
Vasquez walks straight into a right hand from Riku - that's dropped him! Riku jumps into mount and starts pounding away - can he finish?! More strikes go undefended and the referee has to dive in to save Vasquez from any more punishment! Vasquez complains about the stoppage but falls over as he tries to stand back up, so it was clearly a good stoppage.

Ladies and gentlemen, after 2:26 of round 3, we have a winner by way of TKO (Punches). Lazuran Riku!
Lazuran Riku was full of energy after the big win and talked about how he thinks he can do big things in this sport. The crowd were appreciative of his determination to succeed.