PBP Commentary

Coming up we have a middleweight MMA rules bout between Daniel Braathen (ranked 0 p4p, 0 weight class) and Hiroshi Hatayama (ranked 0 p4p, 0 weight class). Braathen's ring entrance music is that housewives' favourite, Reptile Theme. The crowd seem to be enjoying Hatayama's choice of entrance music: Samurai Soul. These two fighters really are very evenly matched on the feet - it will be fascinating to see who can assert themselves in that aspect of the fight.

Braathen
vs
Hatayama

188 cm
24
200 lbs
9 - 2 - 0

178 cm
23
195 lbs
11 - 4 - 0

BJJ Purple Belt
Solid boxing
Very strong

BJJ Purple Belt
Decent boxing
Granite chin

Ladies and gentlemen. This fight is 3 rounds, in the middleweight division.
Introducing the fighter to my left, fighting out of the red corner.
With a record of 9 - 2 - 0, fighting out of Tokyo, Daniel Braathen!
And introducing the fighter to my right, fighting out of the blue corner.
With a record of 11 - 4 - 0, fighting out of Tokyo, Hiroshi Hatayama!
The judges for this bout are Ren Mimura, Shigeki Fujiwara and Yasuomi Hirokawa.

The bell rings for round one and we are underway!
Braathen connects nicely with a jab. Noted by the judges no doubt.
Braathen swings away with a leg kick that misses.
Braathen shoots in for a takedown. "Ole!" shouts Hatayama as he jumps to the side.
Nice cross by Braathen.
Hatayama staying out of range there.
Hatayama scores with a nice looking left hook and follows it up with an uppercut!
Hatayama waving his hands out in front of him, looking to distract Braathen.
Hatayama shoots in for a takedown - he's clinched up with Braathen but Braathen pushes him off and we're back to square one.
Braathen ducks under an overhand right and circles away with a smile on his face.
Braathen tries for a takedown but Hatayama sees it coming a mile off and avoids it easily.
Hatayama tries to land with a swinging hook to the body but Braathen was well out of range. Poor timing from Hatayama.
Braathen throws a lazy right hand but Hatayama sees it coming a mile off and sidesteps it easily.
Braathen misses with a body shot. Nice footwork from Hatayama.
Braathen ducks under an overhand right and circles away with a smile on his face.
Hatayama wants to clinch.
Hatayama lands with a hook. Braathen tried to avoid it but it clipped the top of his head.
Braathen lands a jab to the head.

That's one minute gone in the round.
Braathen misses with a hook. Hatayama ducked under it nicely.
Braathen shoots in and drives through. Hatayama sprawls well.
That's three failed takedown attempts in the round for Daniel Braathen. That's going to take a lot out of him.
Braathen ducks under a wild hook from Hatayama.
Hatayama takes a jab right on the kisser.
Braathen uses good footwork to avoid the strikes from Hatayama.

Braathen shoots in and gets a takedown into half guard. Braathen showed some decent athleticism there.
Hatayama won't allow Braathen to pass to mount.
Hatayama is working for an escape here. He's hooked one of Braathen's legs and he's managed to sneak out and take Braathen's back!

Braathen defends a rear naked choke attempt by controlling one of Hatayama's arms.
Hatayama is trying to stick to Braathen's back but Braathen is turning into Hatayama. He's managed to reverse the position - now he's in Hatayama's guard. Polite applause from the crowd in appreciation of some nice Jiu Jitsu by Braathen.
Hatayama is pulling down on Braathen's head to control his posture.

That's two minutes gone in the round.
Braathen postures up.
Braathen postures up in Hatayama's guard and throws a big left but Hatayama blocks it.
Hatayama keeping moving, preventing Braathen from controlling successfully.
The fighters are tangled up in the ropes here. We might need a restart if the fighters can't break free themselves.
Hatayama looking to control.
Braathen pressing down on his opponent's thigh, looking to pass guard. Hatayama is keeping the position for now.
Hatayama bucks up whilst keeping hold of a body lock, managing to reverse the position. Now he's in top in Braathen's guard.
Braathen working the defensive guard well to avoid strikes from Hatayama.

Braathen had isolated an arm as going for a kimura. Hatayama defends it easily.
Hatayama trying to control but Braathen is working from the bottom.

That's three minutes gone in the round.
Hatayama postures up to throw the ground and pound strikes but they don't connect.
Braathen keeping moving, preventing Hatayama from controlling successfully.
The fighters are going at a pretty good pace and they're both starting to sweat now.
Braathen trying to control the position.
Hatayama showing good wrestling skills to control the position.
Hatayama trying to control the position from guard on top but Braathen is wriggling around, looking for whatever he can.

It looks like we're going to have a standup here. Neither fighter is doing enough on the ground.
Hatayama is the aggressor but that punch slipped nicely by Braathen.
Braathen connects with a looping left hand that seems like it dazed Hatayama momentarily.
A left and a right from Hatayama both land. Nice combination.

That's four minutes gone in the round.
Hatayama bobbing and weaving, closes the distance and lands a hook to the side of Braathen's head.
Braathen throws a low kick, looking for Hatayama's leg but Hatayama calmly moves out of range.
Braathen misses with a looping left.
Braathen is using his height advantage well here, landing a good percentage of his punches.
Hatayama wants to clinch.
Hatayama throws an overhand right that lands on Braathen's shoulder, as Braathen tries to avoid the shot.
Hatayama throws a head kick that misses.
Braathen scores with a slapping inside leg kick.
Braathen throws out a powerful jab.
Braathen moves out of range of the leg kick from Hatayama.
Hatayama throws an uppercut from half a mile away. Braathen sees it coming and avoids it easily.
Hatayama dives in and grabs Braathen's left leg, looking for a takedown. Braathen pushes down on Hatayama's head and hops out.
The crowd applaud the fighters efforts here as the round comes to an end.
Braathen lands a jab followed by a nice looking cross.
Nice shot lands for Hatayama.
Hatayama is on the wrong end of a nice combination from Braathen.
Daniel Braathen seems to be the more aggressive standup fighter in this bout.
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!
Braathen takes one on the chin but seems OK.
And that’s the end of the round – the fighters go back to their corners.

That was a close round but I would say that Daniel Braathen will probably get the nod.
That's time! Back to the action!

Braathen closes this distance looking for a takedown but Hatayama circles away.
Daniel Braathen is winning the standup battle so far.
Braathen scores with a nice right hand.
Hatayama tries to clinch but Braathen moves out of range.
Braathen looks to score with a jab to the body but Hatayama is just out of range.

Hatayama gets caught on his heels momentarily as he allows Braathen to score an easy takedown into full guard.
Hatayama tries to land a sweep but no joy.
Hatayama is persisting with the attempt to improve his position.
Hatayama keeping full guard, as Braathen tries to pass.

Hatayama escapes his hips to the side and looks to be working for an armbar. Braathen gives him a little smile and shakes his head. No chance.

That's one minute gone in the round.
Braathen trying to control the position from guard on top but Hatayama is wriggling around, looking for whatever he can.
Hatayama thows some rabbit punches from the bottom but they don't do any damage.
Hatayama is working from a closed guard but he's struggling to control his opponent.

The referee decides to stand the fighters back up.
Hatayama lands an overhand left. A wild punch that just about connected.
Hatayama getting the better of the striking in that exchange.
Hatayama tries to close the distance and clinch up against the ropes but Braathen paws at him with a jab and circles away.
Hatayama throws a hard body shot but it just misses.
Braathen keeping a good distance there, avoiding the body shot.
Hatayama misses with a half-hearted attempt at a head kick.
Braathen tries to score with a leg kick but it misses it's target.
Hatayama on the wrong end of a decent looking cross there.

That's two minutes gone in the round.
Braathen shoots in for a takedown. He's persisting with it as Hatayama sprawls well. Hatayama wins this battle and keeps the fight standing. Braathen gets slowly back to his feet.
Hatayama takes one on the chin but seems OK.
Braathen slips a jab from Hatayama.

Braathen shoots in for a takedown from distance. He catches Hatayama napping and manages to drive through into side control!
Hatayama wants to control but Braathen postures up.
Hatayama prevents Braathen from improving position.
Hatayama tries to bench press Braathen off him but Braathen keeps the position.
Hatayama sneaks back into half guard.
Hatayama is breathing heavily.
Hatayama is looking to regain full guard. Not this time though.

That's three minutes gone in the round.
Braathen throwing shots but Hatayama is blocking nicely.
Braathen prevents Hatayama from improving his position.

Neither fighter is doing enough for the referee's liking and he's decided to stand them back up.
The fight stays on the outside here - Hatayama looks like he's thinking about clinching though.

Braathen shoots in for a takedown and gets it. Let's see what he's got on the mat.
Hatayama looking to hit a scissor sweep but Braathen is one step ahead there.
Braathen trying to pass the guard but can't manage it just yet.
Braathen is working hard here to advance position.

That's four minutes gone in the round.
Hatayama manages to sweep nicely, so he's now on top. Braathen manages to get himself to full guard.
Hatayama stands up and looks to throw the legs aside to pass to side control. Braathen swivels though and keeps the full guard.
Hatayama seems content to control from guard here. He's going to have to remain active though if he doesn't want to get stood back up.

Braathen is looking for a triangle but Hatayama pushes his legs off easily.
Hatayama is intent on slowing down the pace of the fight, simply looking to control.

Braathen has an omoplata and is looking to use it perhaps as a submission or perhaps to transition. Hatayama is in a bit of discomfort here, but he's managed to free himself and has dived into side control! That didn't work out too well for Braathen.
And that’s the end of the round – the fighters go back to their corners.

Daniel Braathen dominated that second round.
That's the end of the round. The referee orders the cornermen out of the ring so we can get back down to business. And we move into the final round!

Hatayama is looking to score with low kicks.
Hatayama connects with a nice looking jab.
Braathen fails with a rather predictable takedown attempt.
A left lands for Hatayama.
Hatayama scores with a jab.

Braathen is rocked!
I'm just looking down at my notes here and I see that.... oh! Hatayama has cracked Braathen with a big right, followed by a left! He's out on his feet! Hatayama lands another huge swinging hook and Braathen tumbles to the canvas! The ref dives in to save Braathen, before Hatayama can land any more shots!

Ladies and gentlemen, after 0:34 of round 3, we have a winner by way of KO (Punches). Hiroshi Hatayama!