PBP Commentary

Coming up we have a middleweight MMA rules bout between Maek Houzo (ranked 0 p4p, 0 weight class) and Lyoto Aoki (ranked 0 p4p, 0 weight class). Aoki comes into a darkened arena with his song building. Handlebars kicks in, the lights come on and the crowd goes wild! What a showman! Lyoto Aoki has the better chin. Will he look to stand and bang today?

Houzo
vs
Aoki

177 cm
25
192 lbs
11 - 6 - 0

183 cm
22
200 lbs
11 - 2 - 0

Good wrestling
Counter striker
Cardio machine

BJJ Blue Belt
Excellent MT
Granite chin

Syndicate Drugs

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 11 - 6 - 0, fighting out of Tokyo, Maek Houzo!
And introducing the fighter to my right, fighting out of the blue corner.
With a record of 11 - 2 - 0, fighting out of Tokyo, Lyoto Aoki!
The judges for this bout are Kenichi Hosakawa, Shigeki Sano and Yasuomi Hirokawa.

The bell rings for round one and we are underway!
Aoki throws a sloppy head kick and Houzo moves out of range easily.
Aoki throws a right high kick that is partially blocked by Houzo.

Houzo gets a takedown into half guard.
The ref warns both fighters not to hold the cage as they work up against the meshing.

Houzo is looking for a kimura but Aoki is holding onto that half guard position, so it's hard for Houzo to get the leverage.
Houzo trying to pass the guard but Aoki defending well.
Houzo wants to take a breather but Aoki is having none of it.
Houzo thows a wild elbow that connects with the canvas.
Houzo is just sitting in half guard, waiting for something to happen.
Houzo winds up and cracks Aoki with a swinging punch to the side of the head.

That's one minute gone in the round.
Houzo thumps the canvas. Not on purpose obviously - he just missed Aoki's head.
Aoki is pressing down on Houzo's left leg trying to get back to full guard. He's managed it.
Houzo throwing elbows and punches but not connecting, as Aoki works some decent striking defense from the bottom.
Houzo content to strike from guard, landing some decent shots.
Houzo trying to control but Aoki is working from the bottom.
Houzo throwing strikes but missing.
Houzo working some ground and pound from guard but it's not doing any damage.
Houzo wants to control from the top but Aoki keeps moving.
Aoki not looking particularly offensive just at the moment.
Aoki really doesn't want to stay on the ground with Houzo. If he can't get it back to his feet, it's only a matter of time before he'll be tapping out.

That's two minutes gone in the round.
Houzo throws a big right hand that misses.

Houzo postures up as if he's going to throw some strikes but drops back for an ankle! Aoki is in big trouble! He looks ready to tap! But no, he's escaped and dives on top of Houzo, into his guard.
Aoki pressing down on his opponent's thigh, looking to pass guard. Houzo is keeping the position for now.
Aoki stopping the sweep attempt from Houzo.
Aoki trying to control but Houzo is working from the bottom.
Houzo looking to sweep here. No luck so far.

That's three minutes gone in the round.
Aoki looking to sit in guard and control but Houzo gets the butterfly guard and sweeps. He's now in the guard on the top.
Houzo trying to control the position from guard on top but Aoki is wriggling around, looking for whatever he can.
Aoki is trying to control the position but Houzo postures up.
Houzo preventing the sweep.

The referee has ruled that neither fighter is active enough on the ground and has stood them back up.
Aoki fails with an attempt to clinch.
Aoki misses the jab.
Houzo moves away from the strike by Aoki.
Lyoto Aoki is looking to keep the fight on the feet at all costs.
A thudding body kick lands there by Aoki!

That's four minutes gone in the round.
Aoki cracks Houzo with a good jab.
Aoki throws a big shot that misses.
Houzo keeping a good distance there, avoiding the body shot.
Aoki slips under a jab from Houzo.
Aoki ducks down and throws a hook to the body but Houzo moves away.
A looping hook to the body misses from Aoki. Houzo does a little dance to reset his feet.
Aoki lands a jab followed by a nice looking cross.
Aoki throws a head kick that misses.
Aoki throws a right and a left that both miss.
Aoki uses good footwork to avoid the strikes from Houzo.
Houzo ducks under a wild hook from Aoki.
Aoki is looking to clinch but Houzo is avoiding it.
Aoki takes a swing at Houzo's ribcage but misses.
And that’s the end of the round – the fighters go back to their corners.

Lyoto Aoki dominated that round.
That's time! Houzo's corner gives him a slap on the ass as he gets ready to fight.

Aoki showing good head movement there, avoiding the strikes from Houzo.
Lyoto Aoki seems to be the more aggressive standup fighter in this bout.
Aoki looks to land a combination but Houzo avoids it well.
Houzo misses with a body shot.
Houzo checks a leg kick nicely.
Aoki misses with a looping left.
Aoki tries to land with a swinging hook to the body but Houzo was well out of range. Poor timing from Aoki.
Houzo lands a lovely overhand right.

It looks like Lyoto Aoki has been cut.
Aoki looks to land a right hand but Houzo moved out of range.
Houzo ducks under a wild hook from Aoki.
A punch combination from Aoki misses.
Aoki throws a combination that misses

and Houzo counters with a nice single leg takedown and he's in Aoki's guard now.
Houzo sitting in guard here, content to control.
Houzo trying to control but Aoki is working from the bottom.

That's one minute gone in the round.
Houzo postures up and lands some nice ground and pound.
Houzo trying to pass the guard but can't manage it just yet.
Houzo stands up over Aoki, holding his feet. He dives back in and lands a decent shot to the head.
Houzo stands and throws Aoki's legs to the side, diving into side control.
Houzo trying to control the action but Aoki is working from the bottom.

That's two minutes gone in the round.
Sloppy strikes there by Houzo.
Houzo wants to lay and pray for a moment but Aoki keeps working.
Houzo misses with an attempted head punch from side control.
Aoki parries the strikes from Houzo easily there. Houzo is wary of posturing up too much because it might enable Aoki to escape.
Aoki defending against the ground and pound.

Neither fighter is doing enough for the referee's liking and he's decided to stand them back up.
Aoki pulls out of a head kick attempt.
Houzo steps to his left, right into the path of a big body kick from Aoki. That one must have hurt.
Aoki throws a hook but Houzo avoids it easily.
Aoki misses with a wild combination.
Aoki slips under a jab.

That's three minutes gone in the round.
Houzo pivots, looking for a leg kick but Aoki is out of range and Houzo settles back down.
Houzo tries to clinch up but Aoki circles away and keeps his distance.
A shot to the body from Aoki misses
and Houzo counters with a right hand to the body.
Houzo misses with a wild combination.
A jab from Aoki misses.
Houzo misses with a double jab
and Aoki counters with a nice jab to the body that keeps Houzo thinking.
No luck with that takedown attempt from Houzo.
Aoki misses with a double jab

so Houzo counters with a double leg into guard. Good agility.

That's four minutes gone in the round.
Houzo scoring with some ground and pound.
Aoki keeping moving, preventing Houzo from controlling successfully.
Aoki looking to hit a scissor sweep but Houzo is one step ahead there.
Aoki is breathing heavily.
Houzo works a leg free and moves into half guard.
Aoki is looking for a sweep. Houzo is wise to his cunning plan and keeps the top position.
Houzo works his way into full mount!
The crowd growing excited in anticipation of a finish here! Right on cue, Houzo cracks his opponent with a massive right hand that draws loud cheers!
And that’s the end of the round – the fighters go back to their corners.

Maek Houzo dominated that second round.
The cut man is working on Lyoto Aoki's cut.
Well, the break between rounds is over. Let's get back to the scrappin! This is the final round!

Aoki bobs and weaves well there to avoid the strikes.
Aoki misses with a head kick.
Aoki throws a left and a right that both miss

and Houzo holds on and brings the fighters into a clinch.

Aoki manages to break the clinch.
Nice defenses there by Houzo.
Aoki throws a predictable looking body shot

and Houzo counters with a shoot takedown. Aoki fights it but they end up in guard.
Houzo has been looking to land a fair amount of strikes on the ground. He might be looking to soften his opponent up in order to work for a submission.
Houzo trying to land body shots but he keeps hitting the mat.
Houzo working from the guard for now, landing some ground and pound.
Houzo trying to control the position from guard on top but Aoki is wriggling around, looking for whatever he can.
Houzo stands up over Aoki, holding his feet. He dives back in and lands a decent shot to the head.

Houzo is holding a leg here, probably looking for an ankle lock - he drops back and goes for it! Aoki is in trouble! Is it all over??? No! Aoki has escaped and now he's on top!
The fighters are pressed up against the cage, both looking to find a bit of space to work.
Aoki takes a big intake of breath there - he's definitely tired.
Houzo is working an open guard here, looking to improve his position. No doubt that will leave him open to counters but at least he's being more offensive.

That's one minute gone in the round.
Houzo trying to strike off his back.
Houzo manages to land a sweep and now he's in mount on top!
Houzo with a couple of short strikes.
Houzo unloading with bombs!

Houzo with some aggressive grappling here. He's looking for submissions here, rather than waiting for the opportunity to counter.

That's two minutes gone in the round.
Houzo working away from the top, dropping strikes.

That has opened up Lyoto Aoki's cut even more.
Houzo tucks in and makes sure he doesn't lose the dominant position.
Houzo postures up and cracks his opponent a couple of times before moving back into close ground control. Aoki looks a forlorn figure.

The cut above Lyoto Aoki's eye is starting to cause him problems now.
Houzo is landing with some decent strikes but Aoki is trying to advance his position so the referee is letting the fight continue.

Lyoto Aoki's cut is absolute horrible now. This looks like something out of a horror film with blood covering both fighters.

The referee calls the doctor in to look at Lyoto Aoki's cut. Oh no, the doctor has called an end to the bout!

Ladies and gentlemen, after 3:02 of round 3, we have a winner by way of TKO (Cut). Maek Houzo!