PBP Commentary

Coming up we have a welterweight MMA rules bout between Max Payne (ranked 24235 p4p, 4426 weight class) and Bad Breath (ranked 0 p4p, 0 weight class). Both these guys have solid standup skills and neither is particularly fantastic on the ground, so let's hope for a nice standup war!

Payne
vs
Breath

170 cm
25
183
3 - 0 - 0

181 cm
25
177
0 - 0 - 0

BJJ White Belt
Solid boxing
Good chin

BJJ Blue Belt
Decent boxing
Determined

Ladies and gentlemen. This fight is 3 rounds, in the welterweight division.
Introducing the fighter to my left, fighting out of the red corner.
With a record of 3 - 0 - 0, fighting out of Tokyo, Max Payne!
And introducing the fighter to my right, fighting out of the blue corner.
With a record of 0 - 0 - 0, fighting out of Los Angeles, Bad Breath!
The judges for this bout are Sosuke Kotani, Yasuomi Hirokawa and Ren Mimura.

The bell rings for round one and we are underway!
Payne tries to clinch up against the cage, rushing in to close the distance. Breath manages to break the clinch and circles back to the middle of the mat.
Payne tries to close the distance and clinch but Breath swats him to one side with an open hand palm strike and circles away.
Max Payne seems to be the more aggressive standup fighter in this bout.
Payne checks a low kick from Breath.
Payne tries to clinch up.

Breath instigates a clinch.

Payne breaks the clinch and we're back to striking at distance.

Payne closes the distance and clinches.
The pace really dropping off here, momentarily.
Breath is working for takedown but Payne is calmly controlling the position for now.
We've had a slow start to the round here - hopefully the action picks up.
Breath is trying to work for a single leg takedown but Payne pulls him back up using the underhooks.
Breath tries to pull guard but Payne holds him up against the cage and eventually Breath drops back down to his feet.
Max Payne has stuffed three takedown attempts in the round now. That's going to take a lot out of Bad Breath.

Payne pushes off and circles away, back to the middle of the mat.

That's one minute gone in the round.
Payne blocks a head kick by Breath.
Payne feinted with a counter takedown.
No luck with that takedown attempt from Breath.
Payne doesn't manage to clinch there - Breath circles away.
Payne misses with a double jab.
Payne throws a combination that misses
and Breath counters with a lovely straight right hand!

Payne fakes with an overhand right and moves in to clinch with Breath, pushing him back against the cage.

Payne manages to break the clinch.
Breath shoots in for a takedown. He's persisting with it as Payne sprawls well. Payne wins this battle and keeps the fight standing. Breath gets slowly back to his feet.
Breath misses with a takedown attempt - Payne sprawls well and throws a nice strike on the way out which just misses.

That's two minutes gone in the round.
Breath tries to shoot in for a takedown. He's got hold of a leg but Payne swivels and escapes.

Payne clinches with his opponent.

Payne pushes off and circles away, back to the middle of the mat.
Payne stuffs the takedown.
As Breath tries to get set, Payne tries to push him back and clinch up but Breath manages to avoid the attempt.

Payne clinches with his opponent.

Payne manages to break the clinch.
Breath will have to do better than that with his takedown attempts.
This has been an exciting period of action!
Breath keeping his hands up high there, blocking the jab from Payne.
Breath is looking for the big counter here.
Breath fails miserably with a takedown attempt.
Breath looks winded!
Payne tries to close the distance and clinch up but Breath swats him away and circles back towards the center.
The fight stays on the outside here - Breath looks like he's thinking about clinching though.
Payne fails with an attempt to clinch.

That's three minutes gone in the round.
Payne tries to clinch up but Breath circles away and keeps his distance.
Breath fails with a takedown attempt.
Payne swings wildly with a couple of big hooks

and Breath counters into the clinch. Nicely done.

Payne pushes off and circles away, back to the middle of the mat.
Breath slips a jab and a cross from Payne.
Payne lands a nice hook to Breath's body. Breath takes it in his stride and looks to land his own strikes.
Payne looks to score with a combo but nothing lands.
Breath tries to counter by closing the distance.
Breath fails miserably with a takedown attempt.
Breath tries to clinch but Payne moves out of range.
Payne is looking to clinch.

Payne has managed to clinch.

That's four minutes gone in the round.

Payne breaks the clinch and we're back to striking at distance.
Breath keeps the fight on the outside.
A decent looking cross lands there for Breath.
Payne tries to clinch but Breath moves out of range.
Max Payne is looking to keep the fight on the feet at all costs.
Payne tries to clinch there but Breath circles away.
A big right from Payne misses.
Breath drops down looking to force a counter takedown but Payne defends it well.
Payne slips a jab and a cross from Breath.
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!
Payne lunges in with swinging rights and lefts but Breath circles away quickly and effectively.
Payne tries to clinch but Breath moves out of range.
Payne swinging wildly here.
Payne tries to close the distance and clinch up against the cage but Breath paws at him with a jab and circles away.
No joy there for Payne, who threw a few shots but didn't land.
Breath throws a counter combo.
And that is the end of the round. The fighters go back to their corners.

Max Payne dominated that round.
The fighters' corners scream their final instructions, as the referee calls time. Here we go, back to the action!

Payne is looking to take this fight into the clinch.
Payne misses with a double jab.
Payne is really dominating this fight. Is there anything that Breath can do to turn this around?
Payne avoids the head kick by Breath.
Payne throws a hard body shot but it just misses.
Breath avoids the clinch attempt nicely.
Breath shoots for a takedown but Payne saw that one coming a mile off and avoided it easily.
It looked like Payne was looking amped, ready to throw a big counter but didn't commit.
Payne tries to clinch but Breath moves out of range.
Sloppy strikes from Payne. Those never looked like landing.
We've had a slow start to the round here - hopefully the action picks up.
Payne tries to clinch up.

Payne moves into range and clinches up with Breath.
Payne tries a body shot but Breath blocks it.

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

That's one minute gone in the round.
No joy there for Payne, who threw a few shots but didn't land.
Breath will have to do better than that with his takedown attempts.
Payne went nuts there looking for a big combo counter but none of the flurry connected.
Payne is looking to take this fight into the clinch.
Breath looks like he wanted to counter with a high kick but didn't throw it.
Payne moves in looking to clinch but Breath pushes him off.
Payne keeps the fight standing with a nice sprawl.
Max Payne has stuffed three takedown attempts in the round now. That's going to take a lot out of Bad Breath.
Breath ducks under a wild hook from Payne.

Breath clinches with his opponent.

Payne manages to break the clinch.
Payne misses with a body shot.
Payne leaves Breath with his face pressed against the mat as he sprawls beautifully, defending against a solid takedown attempt.
Payne changes levels looking for a counter takedown but doesn't commit.

That's two minutes gone in the round.
Payne wants to clinch.
Breath shoots in looking for a takedown but Payne manages to keep the fight standing, pushing Breath's face into the canvas for good measure before circling away.
Payne fails in his attempt to clinch.
Payne tries to clinch there but Breath circles away.
Breath tries to close the distance and clinch up but Payne swats him away and circles back towards the center.
Breath circles away from the clinch attempt.
Payne fails with an attempt to clinch.
Breath follows through with a counter body kick but it doesn't land.
Payne is looking to clinch.
Payne will need to tighten up his combinations if he doesn't want to gas himself out, swinging at thin air.
Breath shoots for a double leg takedown but Payne sprawls well. He's pushed Breath's face into the mat and manages to get back to his feet relatively easily.

That's three minutes gone in the round.
Breath tries a switch kick but it misses it's target.
Payne misses with a jab and misses with a cross straight after too.
Payne wants to clinch.

Payne rushes Breath and presses him up against the cage.
Payne gets underhooks to prevent Breath's takedown attempt.
Breath avoiding damage as Payne throws knees to the body.

Payne breaks the clinch and we're back to striking at distance.
Payne tries to clinch up against the cage, rushing in to close the distance. Breath manages to break the clinch and circles back to the middle of the mat.
The fight stays on the outside here - Payne looks like he's thinking about clinching though.

That's four minutes gone in the round.
Breath avoids the clinch attempt nicely.
Breath shoots in for a takedown but Payne shows good takedown defense there and keeps this one on the feet.
Payne seemed to be looking to counter by closing the distance.
Payne tries to close the distance and clinch up but Breath swats him away and circles back towards the center.
Breath keeps the fight on the outside.
Payne looks to score with a combo but nothing lands.
Payne tries to clinch up.
Payne misses with a body shot. Nice footwork from Breath.

Payne moves into range and clinches up with Breath.

Payne breaks the clinch and we're back to striking at distance.
The crowd thankful this round is nearly over.
Breath shoots in looking for a takedown. Payne tries to sprawl out of it but Breath keeps driving through. The fighters are pinned against the cage. Payne manages to get underhooks and after a bit of a struggle, circles away and we're back to standing.
And that is the end of the round. The fighters go back to their corners.

Max Payne dominated that second round.
Well, the break between rounds is over. Let's get back to the scrappin! This is the final round!

Payne looks to score with a combo but nothing lands.
Breath uses some good footwork to avoid the body shot by Payne.
Payne thuds a left hand into Breath's body.
Payne displays good takedown defense there as he swats away a double leg from Breath.
Breath tries to shoot in for a takedown. He's got hold of a leg but Payne swivels and escapes.
Payne misses with a two punch combination.

Breath tries to keep at a distance but Payne has taken the fight into the clinch.

Payne pushes off and circles away, back to the middle of the mat.
Max Payne is looking to throw some combinations by the looks of things.
We've had a slow start to the round here - hopefully the action picks up.
Payne tries to clinch but Breath moves out of range.
Breath dives in for a single leg takedown but Payne sprawls and the fighters end up clinched against the cage.
Max Payne has stuffed three takedown attempts in the round now. That's going to take a lot out of Bad Breath.
Breath keeps the fight on the outside.

That's one minute gone in the round.
Breath pulls out of a head kick attempt.
Breath takes a big intake of breath there - he's definitely tired.

Payne forces Breath back against the cage and clinches.
Breath tries for a takedown. No joy.

Payne breaks from the clinch.
Nice takedown defense from Payne. No joy for Breath on that attempt.
Payne attempts a counter takedown but Breath avoids it well and moves away.

Breath forces Payne back against the cage and clinches.

Payne breaks from the clinch.

Payne rushes Breath and presses him up against the cage.
Breath tries to take the fight to the ground by pulling guard but can't manage it.

Payne breaks from the clinch.
Breath slips a jab and a cross from Payne.
Payne throws a right hand that Breath ducks under and follows up with a left that Breath also avoids with ease.

That's two minutes gone in the round.
Payne stuffs the takedown.
Payne throws a right and a left that both miss.

Payne closes the distance and pushes Breath back into the cage.
Breath tries to pull guard but Payne forces him back to his feet, against the cage.
This is a great period of action - very entertaining stuff!
Payne lands an elbow that stopped Breath in his tracks for a moment.
Breath is trying to break free.
The pace slowing considerably in the clinch, as Payne takes a break from that fighting nonsense to think about the finer things in life.
Max Payne has scored more points in the clinch so far.

Payne breaks the clinch and we're back to striking at distance.
Payne is looking to wear down Breath with body shots, infact he's throwing more body shots than head shots at the moment.
Payne tries to clinch but is not successful on this occasion.
Payne moves out of range of the body kick.
Breath fakes high and shoots in for a takedown but Payne avoids it really well and circles away.
Payne feinted with a counter takedown.

That's three minutes gone in the round.
Payne swinging wildly here.
Breath is looking to clinch but Payne is avoiding it.
Payne misses with a series of wild punches.
Breath steps in looking to clinch after the strikes miss from Payne.
Max Payne is winning the standup battle so far.

Payne moves into the clinch.
Payne is pressed up against the cage. Breath has hold of a leg and is looking to drag Payne down to the mat. Payne avoids the attempt though and has circled away. We're back to striking at a distance.

Payne clinches with his opponent.
Breath is looking to break free of the clinch but Payne has double underhooks.

That's four minutes gone in the round.

Payne's corner calls for him to break the clinch, which he does.
Payne swings for the body but Breath moves out of range.
Payne missing with a left hand there. Breath was out of range so wasted energy throwing that one.
Breath throws a head kick but Payne moves out of range.
Payne tries to clinch up against the cage, rushing in to close the distance. Breath manages to break the clinch and circles back to the middle of the mat.

Breath instigates a clinch.

Payne breaks the clinch and we return to the middle of the mat.
Breath is moving around nicely and scores here with a single head shot.
Payne throws a hard body shot but it just misses.
Payne tries to clinch there but Breath circles away.
Breath does a little shimmy and throws a leg kick. The leg kick missed by a considerable margin though, making him look a little bit silly for doing the shimmy.
Bad Breath has stepped it up - he knows he needs a finish here!
Max Payne is fighting for a decision here - he's started to take the cautious approach.
Payne misses with the combination.

And that's the end of the fight!
Max Payne showed his dominance in that final round.
Well Payne has outscored his opponent in every aspect of the fight today. Only a scarily incompetent judge or two will keep him from a well deserved win... 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 Sosuke Kotani scores the fight 30:27
Judge Yasuomi Hirokawa scores the fight 30:27
Judge Ren Mimura scores the fight 30:27

In favor of your winner, by unanimous decision... Max Payne!
In his post fight interview, Max Payne started talking himself up. Luckily his charisma kept the crowd on side and gave him a good reception.