PBP Commentary

Coming up we have a featherweight MMA rules bout between Destin Craven (ranked 1725 p4p, 2111 weight class) and Kaoru Nagashima (ranked 188 p4p, 224 weight class). Over to our ring announcer for the fighter introductions!

Craven
vs
Nagashima

172 cm
26
141
12 - 10 - 0

178 cm
27
150
10 - 12 - 0

Good wrestling
Excellent boxer
Cardio machine

Excellent grappler
Decent boxing
Good gas tank

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 12 - 10 - 0, fighting out of Montreal, Destin Craven!
And introducing the fighter to my right, fighting out of the blue corner.
With a record of 10 - 12 - 0, fighting out of New York, Kaoru Nagashima!
The judges for this bout are Taro Takaoka, Shirou Masuda and Yukihiro Yamamoto.

The bell rings for round one and we are underway!
Craven uses good footwork to get in and out and land a nice right hand before Nagashima has time to react.
A really sloppy takedown attempt there from Nagashima.
Craven lands with a shot to the body.
Craven stuffs the takedown.
Craven scores to the head and body with a nice combination!
Craven misses with a double jab

and Nagashima counters with a driving takedown into guard. Nice work there by Nagashima.

Craven is looking for a triangle but Nagashima pushes his legs off easily.
Nagashima trying to land body shots but he keeps hitting the mat.
This has been an exciting period of action!
Nagashima scoring with some ground and pound.
Nagashima with a couple of shots to the head there. Not particularly brutal.

Craven is rocked!
Craven manages to sweep nicely, so he's now on top. Nagashima manages to get himself to full guard.

Nagashima throwing some rather feeble looking strikes off his back.
Nagashima trying to strike off his back.

Nagashima is throwing his legs up, looking for submissions. Craven is aware though and is defending well.

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

That's one minute gone in the round.
Craven wants to pass the guard but Nagashima is keeping the position.
Nagashima will have to put a bit more behind his punches if he's going to do any damage from this position.

Nagashima has a loose triangle. He'll be looking to tighten that up but Craven can see exactly what he's planning and manages to posture up and free himself.
Craven cracks Nagashima with a solid left hand.

Nagashima throwing his legs up looking for a triangle.
Craven has to be careful here, sitting in the guard of a superior BJJ player.
Craven advances position into side control!
Nagashima is looking for a sweep.

Craven tries for a kimura but Nagashima is defending well.
Nagashima tries to improve position but can't.
Nagashima is persisting with the attempt to improve his position.

That's two minutes gone in the round.
Nagashima takes an elbow right on the bridge of the nose and winces in pain.
Nagashima takes a big shot right to the temple there but he's taken it well.
Craven landing strikes.
Craven working the ground and pound.
Craven landing with strikes to the head and body from side control.
Nagashima has the superior BJJ but he's also working some ground strikes into his gameplan.
Nagashima tries to work a leg under to get back to half guard but Craven wriggles his own leg back out and remains in side control.
Nagashima misses with a strike from the bottom.
Craven is putting a hurting on Nagashima here, landing some big shots from side control.
The crowd are loving this. Great action here.
Nagashima takes a nasty elbow to the side of the head.
Nagashima tries to strike but it doesn't land.
Craven working the ground and pound.
The fighters are pressed up against the cage, both looking to find a bit of space to work.
Nagashima sneaks back into half guard.
Craven works his foot free and advances to mount.
Nagashima throwing hammer fists to the chest of Craven. What's that going to do exactly?

That's three minutes gone in the round.
Craven dominating with strikes here.
Nagashima gets back to half guard.
Craven controlling the action here.

Nagashima looking for submissions off his back.

Nagashima looking to work for a kimura from the bottom.
Craven working Nagashima over with strikes.

Craven seems to be working for a kimura but Nagashima defends the submission attempt.
Craven lands strikes from half guard.
Craven scores with a couple of good hammerfists.

Nagashima looking for submissions from an awkward position here.
Nagashima works his way to full guard. Good work.

That's four minutes gone in the round.
Craven tries to free his leg and advance position but Nagashima is retaining full guard.
Nagashima keeping moving, preventing Craven from controlling successfully.
Craven is really struggling to control Nagashima but he's trying to hold on to the position.
Nagashima thows some rabbit punches from the bottom but they don't do any damage.
Craven preventing the sweep.
Nagashima punching from the bottom.
Craven pressing down on his opponent's thigh, looking to pass guard. Nagashima is keeping the position for now.
The ref warns both fighters not to hold the cage as they work up against the meshing.
Nagashima throwing strikes off his back to little effect.
Nagashima trying to strike from the bottom but really, it's not the best position to be doing that from!
Craven working from the guard for now, landing some ground and pound.
Nagashima trying to strike from the bottom but really, it's not the best position to be doing that from!

Nagashima working from the bottom, still in full guard. He's managed to get a loose triangle. Craven doesn't seem to be doing much to defend here, obviously he feels comfortable in the position. Craven manages to throw the legs off his shoulder and he's back into guard - no problem.
Craven is working the ground and pound from guard. He might want to try advancing position though to get more of an impact.

Craven got a little sloppy there for a moment and Nagashima has worked his way into a loose triangle - can he finish it?! No, Craven has managed to get both his arms back between Nagashima's legs - danger averted.
And that is the end of the round. The fighters go back to their corners.

Destin Craven dominated that round.
That's time! Back to the action!

Jab, jab by Craven - just one landing.
Craven scores with a kick to the body.
No joy there for Craven, who threw a few shots but didn't land.
Nagashima fails miserably with a takedown attempt.
Destin Craven seems to be the more aggressive standup fighter in this bout.
Nagashima throws a looping left and ducks down for a takedown. He's got his arms around Craven's waist but Craven gets an underhook and avoids the takedown by throwing Nagashima off to one side.
Craven throws a jab, cross combination which is slipped

and Nagashima moves into the clinch.

Craven breaks the clinch and we return to the middle of the mat.
Nagashima has tried to improve his agility in the runup to this fight.
Nagashima uses good head movement to avoid the hook from Craven.
Craven stalks Nagashima and leaps in with a furious combination of punches. Uppercuts and crosses smash into Nagashima's face. Nagashima staggers backwards, shaken.
Nagashima shoots in for a takedown. He's persisting with it as Craven sprawls well. Craven wins this battle and keeps the fight standing. Nagashima gets slowly back to his feet.
Destin Craven has stuffed three takedown attempts in the round now. That's going to take a lot out of Kaoru Nagashima.
Craven cracks Nagashima with a good shot that sees him stumbling back into the cage.

That's one minute gone in the round.
Craven turns his hip over beautifully as he lands a nice leg kick.
Craven pulls out of a head kick attempt.
A slapping leg kick lands for Craven.
Nagashima uses good footwork to avoid the strikes from Craven.
Craven misses with a half-hearted attempt at a head kick.
Destin Craven is winning the standup battle so far.
Craven throws a looping overhand right but Nagashima ducks down to avoid it.
Craven connects with a nice looking jab.
Craven missing with a left hand there. Nagashima was out of range so wasted energy throwing that one.
Craven will need to tighten up his combinations if he doesn't want to gas himself out, swinging at thin air.
Craven throws a series of punches but Nagashima moves out of range.
Craven throws a leg kick

and Nagashima counters with a nice shoot takedown that brings the fighters to the ground.

That's two minutes gone in the round.
Nagashima scoring with some ground and pound.
This is a great period of action - very entertaining stuff!
There's a bit of a scramble here and now Craven is on top in guard.

Craven trying to control but Nagashima is working from the bottom.
Both fighters have adopted an aggressive gameplan on the ground!
Craven is intent on slowing down the pace of the fight, simply looking to control.

Nagashima is working actively off his back, looking to secure an arm or perhaps work for a triangle.
Craven working some strikes from top position.

Nagashima looking for submissions off his back, moving his hips, looking for an opening.
Craven advances to half guard.
Nagashima wants to improve his position but Craven is controlling well.
The referee walks around the fighters to get a better view of the action. Craven lands a nice short elbow.

Nagashima actively working from the bottom here.
Craven is pressing down on Nagashima's thigh, looking to free his foot. Nagashima is holding on for now.

That's three minutes gone in the round.
Craven passes to full mount!
Nagashima flailing away with punches but nothing is landing.

Craven looking to secure an arm triangle but Nagashima defends it well.
Craven pausing momentarily but resumes with a couple of decent strikes that do a bit of damage.
Craven lands a couple of nice shots there from mount.
Nagashima sneaks a leg back under and regains half guard and is working straight away to try and get back to guard. He hasn't managed just yet though.
Nagashima missing with punches from the bottom.

Nagashima is looking to sinch up a guillotine here but Craven pulls his head out easily.
Nagashima on the receiving end of some nice ground and pound.
Craven lands a big shot. The thud that echoes around the arena is like music to the fans' ears.

Craven is trying to work for a kimura but Nagashima is defending well.

That's four minutes gone in the round.

Craven is working for a submission of some sort.
Craven wants to free his trapped foot but Nagashima is holding on for dear life with his legs.
Nagashima misses with some strikes from the bottom.
Nagashima moves into full guard.

Nagashima looking for a guillotine here but Craven defends easily.
Nagashima striking off his back but it's not causing Craven any problems.

Nagashima throwing his legs up looking for a triangle.
Craven advances to half guard.
And that is the end of the round. The fighters go back to their corners.

Destin Craven dominated that second round.
That's the end of the interval. I'm sure that seemed a lot quicker than a minute for our two fighters! Back to the action. This is the final round!

Nagashima moves his head to the side to avoid a jab but walks straight into a cross.
Nagashima with poor footwork there. He got himself in a bit of a tangle, enabling Craven to score with a decent uppercut.
The fighters circle momentarily. Craven darts into range and connects with a nice straight punch.
Craven fails to land with the punch combination there - jab, cross, hook, miss, miss, miss.
Craven misses with a lunging right hand
and Nagashima counters with a straight punch to the midsection.
Nagashima takes a hook to the side of the head. I wonder if that's got his ears ringing.
Craven lands a pitter patter jab to the forehead of his opponent.
Craven cracks Nagashima with a right hand to the side of the head.

Nagashima is rocked!
Craven scores with a body shot.
Nagashima is still on wobbly legs! Can Craven finish him?
Nagashima tries to move into range but Craven moves to the side and lands with a nice right hand.
The crowd are loving this. Great action here.
Nagashima takes a shot right to the bread basket.

Craven decides to change it up a bit and drives through with a nice takedown into half guard.
Craven not doing much here.
Craven has freed up his trapped foot and advances to mount.
Nagashima tries to reverse the position but Craven maintains control.
Nagashima flailing away with punches but nothing is landing.
Craven connects with a bit shot that sees Nagashima covering up! More strikes from Craven and the referee jumps in to stop the fight! Craven is our winner by TKO!

Ladies and gentlemen, after 1:58 of round 3, we have a winner by way of TKO (Strikes). Destin Craven!
Destin Craven decided to go for the less than humble approach in his post fight interview, telling everyone how he is going to conquer the world. The crowd seemed to like it when really that sort of approach could have gone either way.
In defeat, Kaoru Nagashima stepped up to the mic, saying 'I meditated on the mountain but my understanding was off, Akirono has left me this day, I will return stronger and aligned'.