PBP Commentary

Coming up we have a welterweight MMA rules bout between Ej Tap (ranked 0 p4p, 0 weight class) and Akira Kurosawa (ranked 0 p4p, 0 weight class). Chooooooooon! I think Tap might be my favorite fighter, now he's come out to Pop Lock and Drop It. Kurosawa comes into a darkened arena with his song building. War drums kicks in, the lights come on and the crowd goes wild! What a showman! Both these guys have really solid chins. Will we see a standup war or will they both decide that a knockout is unlikely and try to win the fight elsewhere?

Tap
vs
Kurosawa

170 cm
29
180 lbs
14 - 11 - 0

173 cm
25
183 lbs
12 - 9 - 1

Abu Dhabi Champ
Excellent boxer
Very quick

ADCC Champion
Excellent MT
Powerful

Ladies and gentlemen. This fight is 3 rounds, in the welterweight division.
Introducing the fighter to my left, fighting out of the red corner.
With a record of 14 - 11 - 0, fighting out of Montreal, Ej Tap!
And introducing the fighter to my right, fighting out of the blue corner.
With a record of 12 - 9 - 1, fighting out of Montreal, Akira Kurosawa!
The judges for this bout are Yves DeLean, Elvis Blanc and Alec Ball.

The bell rings for round one and we are underway!
Tap ducks down and throws a hook to the body but Kurosawa moves away.
A big right from Tap misses.

Tap shoots in and gets a takedown into Kurosawa's guard.
The fighters are pressed up against the cage, both looking to find a bit of space to work.
Tap postures up and lands some nice ground and pound.
Tap loading up with the ground and pound but he's missing more than he's landing in this flurry.
Tap postures up and lands a big shot to Kurosawa's brow.
Tap wants to control from the top but Kurosawa keeps moving.
Tap postures up.
Kurosawa keeping moving, preventing Tap from controlling successfully.
Tap throwing strikes but missing.

Kurosawa throwing his legs up looking for a triangle.

That's one minute gone in the round.

Kurosawa is looking for a guillotine. You can't force these things though and Tap defends well.

Kurosawa throwing his legs up looking for a triangle.

Kurosawa is active off his back here, looking for submissions.
Tap postures up and lands some nice ground and pound.

Tap avoids a guillotine attempt easily.
Tap trying to control but Kurosawa is working from the bottom.

Kurosawa is looking for a triangle but Tap pushes his legs off easily.

That's two minutes gone in the round.
Kurosawa controls Tap momentarily but Tap frees himself.
Kurosawa utilising some decent striking defenses from the guard, preventing the ground and pound.

Kurosawa working for a triangle but Tap defends it easily.
Tap trying to control but Kurosawa is working from the bottom.

Kurosawa had isolated an arm as going for a kimura. Tap defends it easily.

Tap got a little sloppy there for a moment and Kurosawa has worked his way into a loose triangle - can he finish it?! No, Tap has managed to get both his arms back between Kurosawa's legs - danger averted.
Kurosawa looks gassed!
Tap wants to control from the top but Kurosawa keeps moving.
The ref warns both fighters not to hold the cage as they work up against the meshing.

That's three minutes gone in the round.

Kurosawa isolates an arm and boxes in a triangle. Tap stacks Kurosawa on his neck as he steps over and passes to the side. He's now in a much more dominant position where he can look to do some serious damage. Nice move by Tap!
You can see the frustration on Kurosawa's face, being in this tough position on the bottom.
Tap controls the position from side control.
Tap trying to control the action but Kurosawa is working from the bottom.
Kurosawa manages to land a sweep and he's now on top! Lovely Jiu Jitsu!
Tap trying to control from the bottom.

That's four minutes gone in the round.
There's not a lot going on here and the crowd are letting the fighters know they're not willing to tolerate a lack of action.
Kurosawa throwing punches and elbows but they're not doing any damage.

Tap looking to work for a kimura from the bottom.
The fighters are battling for position here. Tap manages to regain full guard. Nice work.
Kurosawa missing there with some ground and pound from the guard.
Tap 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.
Kurosawa trying to control but Tap is working from the bottom.
Kurosawa is in close to Tap's body, working some short punches and elbows.
Kurosawa stays in close to Tap's body and controls the position.

Tap isolates an arm and boxes in a triangle. Kurosawa stacks Tap on his neck as he steps over and passes to the side. He's now in a much more dominant position where he can look to do some serious damage. Nice move by Kurosawa!
Kurosawa advances to mount.
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 Ej Tap will probably get the nod.
Well, the break between rounds is over. Let's get back to the scrappin!

Kurosawa misses with a takedown
and Tap counters with a lovely straight right hand!
Tap misses with a lunging right hand
and Kurosawa counters with a body kick.

Tap drives through with a really nice takedown into side control.
Kurosawa gets back to half guard.

Tap is trying to work for a kimura. This could be trouble! No, Kurosawa has managed to free his arm - good work.
Tap trying to control from half guard but Kurosawa is working away.
Both fighters are absolutely exhausted here.
Tap not landing any meaningful shots this time.

That's one minute gone in the round.
Tap is looking to pass the guard... He's managed it - he's now in full mount!
Kurosawa wants to control but Tap is having none of it.
Tap prevents Kurosawa from getting the reversal.
Kurosawa tries to hold on but Tap pushes him away.
Kurosawa keeping his composure momentarily, calmly looking to get back to half guard.
Tap is still in mount, landing shots to his trapped opponent. Kurosawa can't stay in a position like this for much longer.
Tap with shots to the head and body - Kurosawa looks very uncomfortable down there.
Kurosawa is looking to get to half guard.

That's two minutes gone in the round.
Tap raining down shots from the mount!
Tap cracks Kurosawa with a nasty head shot there - the crowd let out an audible gasp there, as the noise reverberated around the arena.
Tap with good strikes from the mount here!
Kurosawa manages to regain half guard. Good work.
Tap missing with the ground and pound from half guard.
Kurosawa trying to control here.

Kurosawa looking for submissions from an awkward position here.
Tap is trying to control the action in half guard but Kurosawa is working away on the bottom, looking perhaps to get back to full guard.
Tap landing with strikes to the body and head, softening up his opponent.

That's three minutes gone in the round.
Kurosawa keeping his head moving to avoid the ground and pound.
Kurosawa wants to control but Tap is keeping busy.
Tap seems very keen to just sit and control from half guard but Kurosawa does not like that idea so much and is remaining active off his back.

Kurosawa looking to work for a kimura from the bottom.
Tap takes advantage of the dominant position to land a couple of big hammer fists.

Kurosawa is looking to sinch up a guillotine here but Tap pulls his head out easily.
Kurosawa wants to get back to full guard.

Kurosawa looking to work for a kimura from the bottom.
Tap looks towards his corner to check for any instructions. The corner give him nothing to work with, so he cracks Kurosawa with a short hammerfist. I guess that's as good as any advice he could get in this position.

That's four minutes gone in the round.
Well. There's a bit of a lull in the action here and the crowd are starting to get restless.

Kurosawa looking for submissions from an awkward position here.
Kurosawa is refusing to be controlled, as Tap sits in half guard.
Tap prevents Kurosawa from improving his position.

Kurosawa is looking to sinch up a guillotine here but Tap pulls his head out easily.
Tap lands strikes from half guard.
Kurosawa taking some punishment here, with Tap in his half guard.
Kurosawa manages to get to full guard.
Tap in full guard, throwing the ground and pound. No damage this time.
And that’s the end of the round – the fighters go back to their corners.

Ej Tap dominated that second round.
The fighters get back to their feet, the hooter sounds and we're back to the action! This is the final round!

Tap takes a swing at Kurosawa's ribcage but misses.
Tap misses with a straight right.
Tap throws a hook to the body but it doesn't connect.

Tap shoots in for a takedown and gets it.
Tap tries to pass the half guard into mount. Kurosawa knows what he's doing though and prevents the attempt.
We've had a slow start to the round here - hopefully the action picks up.
Tap is working hard here to advance position.

Kurosawa looking for submissions from an awkward position here.
Kurosawa has no desire to be mounted, so is trying to control. Tap is working away from the top position though.

That's one minute gone in the round.
Tap trying to control the action but Kurosawa is working from the bottom.
Ej Tap overall seems to be getting the better of the ground position in the fight so far.
Kurosawa is pressing down on Tap's left leg trying to get back to full guard. He's managed it.
Tap wants to control from the top but Kurosawa keeps moving.
Tap is really struggling to control Kurosawa but he's trying to hold on to the position.

Kurosawa looking for a triangle here. Tap is fighting it but it looks tight! Kurosawa pulls the arm across and this one won't last much longer! Nope, Tap is tapping out - this one is all over!

Ladies and gentlemen, after 1:56 of round 3, we have a winner by way of Submission (Triangle Choke). Akira Kurosawa!