PBP Commentary

Coming up we have a lightweight MMA rules bout between Sean Cote (ranked 0 p4p, 0 weight class) and Andrew Kishigawa (ranked 0 p4p, 0 weight class). Chooooooooon! I think Cote might be my favorite fighter, now he's come out to Not Afraid. Andrew Kishigawa acknowledges the crowd's support as he enters the cage.

Cote
vs
Kishigawa

178 cm
23
155 lbs
3 - 5 - 0

178 cm
19
160 lbs
2 - 2 - 0

BJJ Blue Belt
Brawler
Experienced

BJJ Blue Belt
Brawler
Determined

Ladies and gentlemen. This fight is 3 rounds, in the lightweight division.
Introducing the fighter to my left, fighting out of the red corner.
With a record of 3 - 5 - 0, fighting out of Tokyo, Sean Cote!
And introducing the fighter to my right, fighting out of the blue corner.
With a record of 2 - 2 - 0, fighting out of Tokyo, Andrew Kishigawa!
The judges for this bout are Tatsuya Matsuyama, Shigeki Sano and Shigeki Fujiwara.

The bell rings for round one and we are underway!
Cote throws a wild combination but nothing lands.
Cote shoots in with a takedown attempt and he has Kishigawa pinned against the cage. Kishigawa gets the underhooks and manages to circle away.
Kishigawa tries to clinch up but Cote circles away and keeps his distance.
Kishigawa avoids a punch combination nicely.
Cote throws a nice looking combination but Kishigawa bobs and weaves to avoid any damage.

Kishigawa shoots in for a takedown! He's got it and he's managed to land in full mount! That's better than Kishigawa was expecting from the takedown attempt, I'm sure!
Kishigawa wants to control the pace but Cote is squirming around nicely.
Cote is trying desperately to improve position.
Kishigawa working Cote over with strikes here.
The ref warns both fighters not to hold the cage as they work up against the meshing.
Cote is working to get back to half guard.
Kishigawa dominating with strikes here.
Cote wants to hold on but Kishigawa pushes him away.

That's one minute gone in the round.
Kishigawa tries to control but Cote wriggling away.
Kishigawa tucks in and makes sure he doesn't lose the dominant position.
Kishigawa looking to control but Cote is working nicely, looking to advance position himself.
Kishigawa controlling his opponent.

Andrew Kishigawa has forced the referee to step in and restart the fight on the feet.
Cote tries a head kick but it misses.

That's two minutes gone in the round.
The crowd are getting on the fighters' backs, as the pace has dropped off in the last minute or so.
Cote throws a right hand that Kishigawa ducks under and follows up with a left that Kishigawa also avoids with ease.

Kishigawa has managed to clinch.
Kishigawa drops down looking for an ankle pick but Cote pulls his leg out and moves away.
The fight stays on the outside here - Kishigawa looks like he's thinking about clinching though.

Kishigawa moves into the clinch.
Cote stalling in the clinch but Kishigawa improves position.
Cote tries to circle away but Kishigawa has him pinned against the cage.
Kishigawa is trying to drag Cote to the mat but Cote just about manages to keep his footing. He used the cage to his advantage there.
Cote is working for takedown but Kishigawa is calmly controlling the position for now.
Cote is breathing heavily.

Kishigawa decides to pull guard.
Kishigawa keeping moving, preventing Cote from controlling successfully.
Kishigawa wants to sweep but no luck.

That's three minutes gone in the round.
Kishigawa is persisting with the attempt to improve his position.
Kishigawa wants to stand up but Cote is controlling him.
Kishigawa keeping moving, preventing Cote from controlling successfully.

We're going to have a standup here because Sean Cote wasn't active enough for the referee's liking.
Kishigawa fails with an attempt to clinch.
Cote tries to clinch up but Kishigawa circles away and keeps his distance.
Kishigawa misses with a half-hearted attempt at a head kick.

Kishigawa has taken the fight to the clinch.

That's four minutes gone in the round.
A lull in the action here being met with boos from the crowd.
Kishigawa wants a takedown but no success here.
Sean Cote has stuffed three takedown attempts in the round now. That's going to take a lot out of Andrew Kishigawa.
Cote throws a punch but it's blocked by Kishigawa.
Kishigawa gets double underhooks to prevent a takedown attempt from Cote.
A frustrated look appears on Cote's face as he tries to break the clinch.
Kishigawa tries to score a body lock takedown but Cote shows good agility there to stay on his feet.
Cote tries to pull guard but can't drag his opponent to the mat. Kishigawa just stands there and leans against the cage.

Kishigawa has hold of one of Cote's legs. Cote is fighting the takedown attempt but Kishigawa gets the trip and lands the takedown into guard.
Kishigawa slips effortlessly into side control - very nice.
Kishigawa scores with punches from side control.
Cote gives up the full mount - oops, sloppy defensive grappling there!
Kishigawa lands a shot to the body, followed up by a shot to the exposed head of his trapped opponent.
Kishigawa tries to control but Cote wriggling away.
Cote is trying desperately to improve position.
And that’s the end of the round – the fighters go back to their corners.

Andrew Kishigawa dominated that round.
The corners get their ten second warning. Both fighters stand from their stools and stare eachother down, ready to get back to the action.

Kishigawa wants to clinch up but Cote keeps it at a distance.
Kishigawa wants to clinch up but Cote keeps it at a distance.
Cote misses with a series of wild punches.
Kishigawa doesn't manage to clinch there - Cote circles away.
Cote throws a front kick aimed at Kishigawa's knee but Kishigawa avoids it well.
Cote throws a jab when Kishigawa was well out of range.
Kishigawa lands a nice leg kick that just misses Cote's sensitive parts.

Kishigawa gets in close and instigates a clinch.

Kishigawa wants the takedown. Cote is fighting it off but Kishigawa persists and manages to bring the fight to the ground, ending up in Cote's guard against the cage.
Kishigawa trying to land body shots but he keeps hitting the mat.
Kishigawa controlling from the guard. I say controlling but really, he's stalling.
Both fighters are absolutely exhausted here.
Kishigawa wants to control from the top but Cote keeps moving.

That's one minute gone in the round.
Kishigawa is in a good position here but he's just trying to control... And he's not even managing to do that successfully.
Kishigawa is pushing down on Cote's leg trying to pass to half guard. Cote is fighting to maintain full guard but Kishigawa has managed to sneak the leg through.
Kishigawa passes the guard and advances to mount!

Kishigawa is thinking about an arm triangle here, looking to tighten it up before moving to side control. Cote can see it coming though and defends well with a couple of strikes to the head and some good arm positioning.
Kishigawa breaks from Cote's wrist control and lands an elbow.
Kishigawa controlling from mount.
Kishigawa breaks from Cote's wrist control and lands an elbow.

That's two minutes gone in the round.
Kishigawa looking to control and managing it successfully.
Cote is squirming around, avoiding Kishigawa's attempts to control the action.
Kishigawa looking to control and managing it successfully.
Cote tries to lock up and control but Kishigawa gives him a forearm to the face and pushes him away.
Kishigawa can't quite control the action as he would like just now, as Cote is looking to escape.

That's three minutes gone in the round.

Kishigawa is in full mount, looking to secure a guillotine but Cote is surviving well by controlling Kishigawa's body position as best he can.
Kishigawa can't quite control the action as he would like just now, as Cote is looking to escape.
Kishigawa looking to control and managing it successfully.
Andrew Kishigawa has got the better of the ground game so far.

Kishigawa working for a guillotine from mount but Cote is in no mood to give up.
Kishigawa tucks in and makes sure he doesn't lose the dominant position.

That's four minutes gone in the round.
Kishigawa postures up and cracks his opponent a couple of times before moving back into close ground control. Cote looks a forlorn figure.
Kishigawa lands a couple of nice shots there from mount.
Cote takes a big shot to the head but keeps on trying to improve his position.
Kishigawa scores with a couple of good head shots there.
Kishigawa lands a heavy elbow.

Cote defends a decent attempt at a guillotine from Kishigawa.
Cote tries to buck Kishigawa off but he can't manage it.
Kishigawa has the superior BJJ but he's also working some ground strikes into his gameplan.
Cote is squirming around, avoiding Kishigawa's attempts to control the action.

Kishigawa looking for an armbar but decides to keep the dominant position instead.
And that’s the end of the round – the fighters go back to their corners.

Andrew Kishigawa showed his class in that round. I'd imagine he'll take it on all the scorecards.
That's the end of the round. The referee orders the cornermen out of the cage so we can get back down to business. This is the final round!

Kishigawa lands with a thumping leg kick.

Kishigawa gets to the clinch - let's see what his plan is here.
Cote wants to break the clinch but can't.

Kishigawa has clasped his hands together around Cote's back... aaand, he's got a takedown into side control. Nicely done.
The fighters are pressed up against the cage, both looking to find a bit of space to work.
Kishigawa creates a bit of distance and throws down some hard shots.
Kishigawa takes a little break here. Cote wants to take advantage but he is being controlled well.

Kishigawa is looking for a kimura. He might have it! No, Cote has escaped the position, nice work there.

Kishigawa working hard here to secure a kimura but he's not really in the right position for it.
Both fighters are breathing heavily.
Kishigawa wants to control but Cote is keeping him busy.

That's one minute gone in the round.
Kishigawa tries to cartwheel into mount but he doesn't manage it.

Kishigawa tries for a kimura but Cote is defending well.
Kishigawa trying to control the position but Cote is working away.

Kishigawa thinks about going for a far side armbar but bails out and retains the dominant position instead.
Cote wants to control but Kishigawa postures up.
Andrew Kishigawa is fighting for a decision here - he's started to take the cautious approach.

That's two minutes gone in the round.
The crowd are hurling abuse towards the fighters... You can hardly blame them though because there isn't a lot going on in the fight.
Kishigawa happy to just control the position for now.
Cote is trying to stand back up. He's worked his way up against the cage but Kishigawa has just dragged him back down to the mat.
A bit of a lull in the action. I'm sure it will pick up again soon... even if the ref has to physically pick them up and put them back on their feet.
The referee is pacing around the two fighters - he looks like he's thinking about a standup.

Andrew Kishigawa has forced the referee to step in and restart the fight on the feet.
A jab from Kishigawa does it's job there.

That's three minutes gone in the round.

Kishigawa rushes Cote and presses him up against the cage.

Kishigawa lands a takedown into guard.
Kishigawa controls from within his opponent's guard.
Kishigawa advances position into side control!
Kishigawa taking a breather here.

That's four minutes gone in the round.
Kishigawa's corner are shouting for him to control the position and he seems happy to oblige.
Let's hope that Kishigawa has the urge to step up the pace any second now because for the last 15 or 20 seconds he's just been holding on tight.
Sean Cote has stepped it up - he knows he needs a finish here!

Andrew Kishigawa has forced the referee to step in and restart the fight on the feet.

Kishigawa shoots in with a lovely double leg takedown. Cote manages to land in full guard to minimise the damage.
Kishigawa not doing a lot at the moment. He'll have to show some more aggression or the fight will get stood up.

And that's the end of the fight!
Andrew Kishigawa comfortably won the final round on my scorecard.
Well Kishigawa has outworked and out performed his opponent in all aspects of the game today. He was simply too good and the decision should be no more than a formality. 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 Tatsuya Matsuyama scores the fight 25:30
Judge Shigeki Sano scores the fight 25:30
Judge Shigeki Fujiwara scores the fight 25:30

In favor of your winner, by unanimous decision... Andrew Kishigawa!