PBP Commentary

Coming up we have a bantamweight MMA rules bout between Kotaro Asakura (ranked 809 p4p, 973 weight class) and Bardia Farrokhzad (ranked 58 p4p, 70 weight class). Asakura comes to the cage accompanied by Venom by $ B. Farrokhzad has chosen Rastak - Hele Mali (Iranian Fisherman Folk Song) as his entrance music. Fingers crossed for an exciting fight - I'm sure both fighters are looking for a nice under the table bonus!

Asakura
vs
Farrokhzad

173 cm
25
137
13 - 8 - 0

170 cm
36
148
29 - 24 - 0

Good wrestling
Great elbows
Granite chin

Excellent grappler
World class MT
Good gas tank

Champion Apparel
Bondi MMA 🏝️

Bondi MMA 🏝️
Brooklyn Apothecary

Ladies and gentlemen. This fight is 3 rounds, in the bantamweight division.
Introducing the fighter to my left, fighting out of the red corner.
With a record of 13 - 8 - 0, fighting out of Las Vegas, Kotaro Asakura!
And introducing the fighter to my right, fighting out of the blue corner.
With a record of 29 - 24 - 0, fighting out of Las Vegas, Bardia Farrokhzad!
The judges for this bout are Don Winkell, Timothy Bukovac and Frank Antenori.

The bell rings for round one and we are underway!
Farrokhzad wants to clinch up but Asakura keeps it at a distance.
Asakura feinted there with a counter leg kick.
Bardia Farrokhzad seems to be the more aggressive standup fighter in this bout.
Asakura drops his hands and takes a jab to the jaw for his troubles.
Asakura tries to score with an inside leg kick but telegraphs it and Farrokhzad is able to avoid easily.
Asakura ducks under a wild hook from Farrokhzad.
A looping hook to the body misses from Farrokhzad. Asakura does a little dance to reset his feet.
Asakura loads up on a big right hand but Farrokhzad slips the punch.
Farrokhzad lands an overhand right.
Farrokhzad looks to throw the jab but Asakura is out of range.
Asakura waving his hands out in front of him, looking to distract Farrokhzad.
Asakura getting the better of the striking in that exchange.
Asakura will need to tighten up his combinations if he doesn't want to gas himself out, swinging at thin air.
Asakura uses good head movement to avoid the hook from Farrokhzad.
Asakura quickly followed up with a counter body kick but doesn't connect.
Farrokhzad connects with a jab.

It looks like Kotaro Asakura has been cut.
Farrokhzad with a hook.
The crowd are loving this. Great action here.
Asakura throws a hook to the body but it doesn't connect.
Asakura fakes high and swings low for a body shot but Farrokhzad manages to avoid it.
Jab from Asakura.

That's one minute gone in the round.
Farrokhzad throws out a token jab with nothing on it.
Good shot there by Farrokhzad.
Farrokhzad pushing out the jab but it's not landing.
Asakura connects with a leg kick.
Asakura misses with a leg kick.
Asakura misses with a kick to the body.
Asakura is looking to land body kicks.
Asakura blocks a jab.
Farrokhzad looks shocked there as he takes a right hand to the temple.
Asakura misses the jab.
Asakura misses with a head kick.

Farrokhzad moves into the clinch.

Asakura breaks the clinch.

Farrokhzad has Asakura up against the cage in a clinch.
Farrokhzad lands an uppercut.
This is a great period of action - very entertaining stuff!
A knee to the head by Farrokhzad.

That's two minutes gone in the round.
Farrokhzad connects with a knee to the head.
A short right from Asakura.
Farrokhzad lands with a short head shot on the inside.
Asakura lands a nice elbow from the clinch.
Farrokhzad has a couple of punches blocked by Asakura.
Farrokhzad tries to work over Asakura's body with a swooping hook but it only glances the target.
Farrokhzad looking to throw knees to the head but Asakura is blocking nicely.
Farrokhzad trying to land knees to the body.
Asakura misses with the head strike.
Farrokhzad works on Asakura's body with a couple of short punches.
Farrokhzad is looking to score with knees to the body. Maybe he'll change it up and go body then head. Asakura is defending well for now.
Farrokhzad goes for a body shot but it's blocked.
Asakura blocks a body shot from Farrokhzad.
Farrokhzad blocks an uppercut.
Farrokhzad tries a knee to the head but he's missed.
Farrokhzad throws a knee to the head but misses.

Asakura breaks the clinch and we're back to striking at distance.
Asakura misses with a looping left.
Asakura throws a body shot but no joy.
Farrokhzad might want to mix his strikes up a bit more. He's just going for head shots at the moment and that can become a bit predictable.

That's three minutes gone in the round.
Asakura misses with a body shot.
Farrokhzad missing with a left hand there. Asakura was out of range so wasted energy throwing that one.
A counter left hand to the body from Asakura misses its target.
Farrokhzad uses good footwork to avoid the strikes from Asakura.
Asakura wants to slow Farrokhzad down by chopping away at his legs.
Farrokhzad jabs at Asakura's body.
Asakura lands with an overhand left.
Farrokhzad misses with a looping right.
Asakura uses good head movement to avoid the hook from Farrokhzad.
Farrokhzad jabbing away but nothing is landing.
Asakura throws a jab but it's blocked by Farrokhzad.
Farrokhzad throws out a token jab with nothing on it.
Asakura lands a glancing blow to the side of Farrokhzad's head.
Farrokhzad slips under a jab.
Jab, cross, leg kick. Nice combination by Farrokhzad!
Fantastic stuff here - a very entertaining period of action, which has drawn cheers from the crowd.
Asakura rushes forward with a series of wild hooks but Farrokhzad moves out of range and avoids them all easily.
Asakura displays some good footwork, moving neatly out of range as Farrokhzad throws out the jab.
Asakura swung with a counter right hand that didn't connect.

That's four minutes gone in the round.
Farrokhzad misses with a hook.
Asakura fakes the leg kick and cracks Farrokhzad in the body.

Farrokhzad takes the fight into the clinch.
Farrokhzad working on landing some head shots here - that one got through nicely.
Farrokhzad tries a shoulder strike but it doesn't do any damage.
Farrokhzad lands a body punch.

Asakura's corner calls for him to break the clinch, which he does.
Asakura misses with a head kick.
Farrokhzad doesn't manage to clinch there - Asakura circles away.

Farrokhzad has Asakura up against the cage in a clinch.
Farrokhzad lands a shoulder strike that jolts his opponent's head backwards.
The crowd applaud the fighters' efforts here as the round comes to an end.
Farrokhzad tries to throw a body punch but Asakura avoids it by throwing Farrokhzad back against the cage.
Farrokhzad lands a right hand.
Farrokhzad throws a knee to the head but misses.
A head punch on the inside from Farrokhzad fails to land.
Asakura prevents a body shot from Farrokhzad.
And that is the end of the round. The fighters go back to their corners.

Bardia Farrokhzad dominated that round.
The cut man is working on Kotaro Asakura's cut.
The minute break is over - no more time for sponges and pep talks - back to the action!

Farrokhzad looks to score with a jab to the body but Asakura is just out of range.
Asakura appears to be looking for a counter punch to the body.
Asakura feints and then cracks Farrokhzad's leading leg with a nice low kick. He's obviously looking to slow Farrokhzad down.
Asakura lunges in with swinging rights and lefts but Farrokhzad circles away quickly and effectively.
Asakura doesn't react quick enough there as he takes a shot to the body.
Asakura paws at his opponent with the jab and then lunges in with a straight, right on the button.
Asakura throws a big shot that misses.
Asakura throws an overhand right that lands on Farrokhzad's shoulder, as Farrokhzad tries to avoid the shot.
Farrokhzad throws out a counter right but Asakura avoids it with no problem.
Farrokhzad checks a leg kick.
Asakura gets cracked with a nice right hand there by Farrokhzad.
Farrokhzad ducks under a wild hook from Asakura.
Farrokhzad cracks a nice hook into Asakura's ribs.
Farrokhzad throws a hard body shot but it just misses.
Asakura looks to score with a jab to the body but Farrokhzad is just out of range.
Farrokhzad takes a swing at Asakura's ribcage but misses.
Asakura is looking to chop away at Farrokhzad's legs.
Farrokhzad fakes a head punch and goes low to the body. Nicely done.
We've seen a great period of action over the last minute or so - credit to both fighters for going all out!
Farrokhzad looks to land a right hand but Asakura moved out of range.

That's one minute gone in the round.
Asakura pushing out the jab but it's not landing.
Farrokhzad stuns Asakura with a nice body shot, before stepping back out of range.
Farrokhzad bobs and weaves well there to avoid the strikes.
Farrokhzad walks straight into an uppercut. Luckily it didn't land flush.
Farrokhzad slips under a jab from Asakura.
Farrokhzad swings away with a counter right hand but no contact made.
Farrokhzad uses good footwork to avoid the strikes from Asakura.
Asakura connects with a looping right hand.

Farrokhzad is rocked!
Farrokhzad's corner calls for a 1-2. Farrokhzad obliges with the 1 part as he scores the single shot and moves back out of range.
Farrokhzad is still on wobbly legs! Can Asakura finish him?
Farrokhzad misses with a body punch
and Asakura counters with a nice jab to the body that keeps Farrokhzad thinking.
Farrokhzad walks into a straight right hand from Asakura.
Farrokhzad is the aggressor but that punch slipped nicely by Asakura.
Farrokhzad digs a good body shot into Asakura's ribs.
The crowd are loving this. Great action here.
Farrokhzad takes a shot right to the bread basket.
Kotaro Asakura is winning the standup battle so far.
Asakura fails to land with a series of punches.
Asakura takes a step towards his opponent and connects with a left hand, before circling away.
Asakura misses with a straight right.
Farrokhzad lets it all go there with a big combo counter but none of the punches connected.
Farrokhzad misses with a straight right.
Farrokhzad throws out a loose jab but Asakura uses good head movement to avoid it.
A counter left hand to the body from Asakura misses its target.
Farrokhzad moves out of range as Asakura strikes.
Farrokhzad doesn't fully commit to the body shot counter.

That's two minutes gone in the round.
Farrokhzad moves away from the strike by Asakura.
Farrokhzad is clearly trying to counter these attacks from Asakura with a body shot.
Asakura throws a sloppy body shot
letting Farrokhzad counter with a right hand.
Farrokhzad lands a nice shot that snaps Asakura's head back.
Farrokhzad tries to close the distance and clinch but Asakura swats him to one side with an open hand palm strike and circles away.
Asakura throws a combination but comes up with nothing but fresh air.
Farrokhzad misses the jab.
Asakura jabbing away but nothing is landing.
Nice uppercut there from Asakura.
Asakura dips down and scores with a jab to the body.
Asakura turns his hip over beautifully as he lands a nice leg kick.
Kotaro Asakura has stepped it up - he knows he needs a finish here!
A looping hook to the body misses from Farrokhzad. Asakura does a little dance to reset his feet.
Asakura appears to be looking for a big counter.
Farrokhzad with a body punch. A glancing blow.
Asakura looking to land some kicks to the body here.
Asakura lands a nice looking body shot.
Farrokhzad throws a looping overhand right but Asakura ducks down to avoid it.
Asakura jinks towards his opponent looking like he wants to counter with a mid kick but doesn't commit.
Farrokhzad misses with a hook.
Farrokhzad throws a wild combination but nothing lands.
Asakura throws the left hand but Farrokhzad avoids the punch easily.
Farrokhzad throws a hook but Asakura blocks it.
Asakura throws a head kick that misses and slips in the process. He scrambles back to his feet and the fighters circle.
Farrokhzad rushes in with a sloppy looking punch
and Asakura counters with a crisp hook to the side of the head.

That's three minutes gone in the round.
Farrokhzad jabbing away but nothing is landing.
Asakura displays some good footwork, moving neatly out of range as Farrokhzad throws out the jab.
Asakura throws a sloppy body shot
and Farrokhzad cracks him with a counter punch right on the button.
Asakura pivots as if he's going to throw a leg kick but stops half way.
A slow jab from Farrokhzad misses its intended target.
Farrokhzad is the aggressor but that punch slipped nicely by Asakura.
A jab from Asakura misses.
Asakura drops Farrokhzad with a big left hand! Farrokhzad is injured, injured bad! Asakura jumps in and finished him with strikes! The fight is over!

Ladies and gentlemen, after 3:26 of round 2, we have a winner by way of TKO (Strikes). Kotaro Asakura!
Kotaro Asakura seemed lost for words in his post fight interview but he remembered to thank his fans and directed everyone to his website.