PBP Commentary

Coming up we have a heavyweight MMA rules bout between Big Thunder (ranked 0 p4p, 0 weight class) and Tadayoshi Ishimaru (ranked 0 p4p, 0 weight class). 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.

Thunder
vs
Ishimaru

198 cm
21
230 lbs
3 - 5 - 0

205 cm
25
253 lbs
0 - 0 - 0

BJJ White Belt
Brawler
Good chin

BJJ White Belt
Excellent MT
Solid chin

Ladies and gentlemen. This fight is 3 rounds, in the heavyweight division.
Introducing the fighter to my left, fighting out of the red corner.
With a record of 3 - 5 - 0, fighting out of Rio de Janeiro, Big Thunder!
And introducing the fighter to my right, fighting out of the blue corner.
With a record of 0 - 0 - 0, fighting out of Rio de Janeiro, Tadayoshi Ishimaru!
The judges for this bout are Paulo Santos, Luis Engracia and Thiago Cunha.

The bell rings for round one and we are underway!
Thunder throws an ugly left hook that misses
and Ishimaru counters with a nice low kick that buckles Thunder's knee momentarily.
Thunder looks exhausted already! Oh dear, he should have come in in better shape than this!
Thunder tries to clinch up
and Ishimaru finishes the little exchange by landing a big kick to the body.
Thunder throws a series of punches but Ishimaru avoids them all with ease.
Thunder throws a leg kick
and Ishimaru counters with a solid body kick.
Ishimaru turns his hip over beautifully as he lands a nice leg kick.
Ishimaru scores with a head kick. Thunder tried to block it but didn't get his arm up in time.
A head kick misses from Ishimaru.
Ishimaru lands with a head kick! That's gotta hurt.
Thunder takes a head kick and keeps coming.
Thunder takes a head kick and shrugs it off.
Ishimaru scores with a nice head shot.

That's one minute gone in the round.
Ishimaru has a takedown stuffed.
Ishimaru scores with a decent looking hook.
Thunder avoids the head kick by Ishimaru.
Ishimaru scores with a head kick.
Ishimaru circles away from the clinch attempt
and he gets countered with a snapping leg kick.
Ishimaru circles away from the clinch attempt
and Ishimaru counters with a kick to the head that grazes his opponent. Thunder is lucky that one didn't land flush.
Ishimaru cracks the inside of Thunder's front leg.

That's two minutes gone in the round.
Ishimaru connects with a high kick.
Ishimaru lands a head kick. Thunder smiles back at him and beckons him forward.
Big Thunder is looking to keep the fight on the feet at all costs.
Thunder misses with a double jab.
Thunder avoids the clinch attempt nicely.
Ishimaru's corner calls for a 1-2. Ishimaru obliges with the 1 part as he scores the single shot and moves back out of range.
Ishimaru displaying good standup as he scores with a three punch combination.

Ishimaru rushes Thunder and presses him up against the cage.

Ishimaru breaks from the clinch.
A telegraphed takedown attempt from Ishimaru is defended easily by Thunder.
Ishimaru doesn't manage to clinch there - Thunder circles away.

That's three minutes gone in the round.
Ishimaru moves into range and lands a nice leg kick.
Ishimaru blocks a jab.
Ishimaru scores with a head kick.
Thunder walks straight into an uppercut. Luckily it didn't land flush.
A solid leg kick lands there for Ishimaru.
Thunder wants to clinch.
Ishimaru bobs and weaves and then throws a good body kick.
Ishimaru keeps the fight on the outside.

That's four 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.
Ishimaru tries to close the distance and clinch but Thunder swats him to one side with an open hand palm strike and circles away.
Thunder tries to work over Ishimaru's front leg with a kick but Ishimaru checks it.
Thunder looks to clinch
and Ishimaru counters with a slapping leg kick.
Crunch! Ishimaru slams his shin into Thunder's torso.
Thunder chopped to the floor by a nice leg kick but he springs right back up before Ishimaru can pounce on him.
Thunder stuffs the takedown.
Big Thunder has stuffed three takedown attempts in the round now. That's going to take a lot out of Tadayoshi Ishimaru.
Thunder throws a combination but it was largely blocked by Ishimaru.
Thunder misses with a body kick.
Ishimaru keeps his opponent at a distance with a nice jab.
Thunder throws the left hand but Ishimaru avoids the punch easily.
Ishimaru misses with a looping left.
And that’s the end of the round – the fighters go back to their corners.

Tadayoshi Ishimaru dominated that round.
The minute break is over - no more time for sponges and pep talks - back to the action!

Ishimaru tries to clinch but is not successful on this occasion.
Thunder misses with a jab, cross combination.
Thunder missing with a left hand there. Ishimaru was out of range so wasted energy throwing that one.
Thunder has his head snapped back a nice jab. A little nod from Thunder there as he acknowledges the shot.
Ishimaru moves into range and lands a nice body kick.
Ishimaru will need to tighten up his combinations if he doesn't want to gas himself out, swinging at thin air.
Thunder tries to check the leg kick but that clearly hurt him.
We've had a slow start to the round here - hopefully the action picks up.
Thunder takes a jab right on the nose. That must have hurt but he shrugs his shoulders and looks to return the favor.
Ishimaru fakes a couple of low kicks, before throwing one on the third attempt. It connects and Thunder has to reset his feet before getting ready to engage.
Thunder tries to clinch up
and Ishimaru counters with a good low kick that Thunder was not able to check.
Both fighters are absolutely exhausted here.

That's one minute gone in the round.
Ishimaru throws a leg kick which misses Thunder's front leg but catches the back leg as Thunder tries to avoid it.
Ishimaru scores with a push kick.
Thunder slips a jab and a cross from Ishimaru.
Ishimaru fakes a jab and scores with a low kick.
Thunder is hobbling a little on that front leg after taking quite a few leg kicks so far in this fight.
Ishimaru connects with a high kick.
The fight stays on the outside here - Ishimaru looks like he's thinking about clinching though.
Ishimaru keeping his hands up high there, blocking the jab from Thunder.
Ishimaru throws a head kick but Thunder moves out of range.

That's two minutes gone in the round.
The crowd are starting to boo a lack of action.
Ishimaru shuffles to his left behind two crisp jabs. Thunder eats them both and turns towards Ishimaru to reposition himself and eats a stinging right hand-left hook combo.
Ishimaru throws a nice head kick!
A right-left combo lands from Thunder.
A head kick misses from Thunder.
Thunder tries to bum rush Ishimaru with a series of wild strikes but Ishimaru uses good footwork to avoid the assault.
Ishimaru with a nice cross.
Ishimaru lands a leg kick and bounces back out of range.
Ishimaru avoids the clinch attempt nicely.
Thunder misses with a wild combination.
Thunder throws a sloppy head kick

so Ishimaru counters with a double leg into guard. Good agility.
Thunder wants to stand and escape but Ishimaru is having none of it.
Ishimaru must be cautious of submissions here, given that his opponent has the superior Jiu Jitsu.

That's three minutes gone in the round.

Thunder uses the cage to get back to his feet.
Ishimaru feints with a shoulder and throws a nice leg kick to Thunder's calf.
Sloppy strikes from Thunder. Those never looked like landing.
Ishimaru throws a head kick that half lands.
Ishimaru throws a head kick that Thunder semi-blocks.

Thunder gets a clinch.

That's four minutes gone in the round.
Ishimaru blocks an elbow strike.
Thunder is trying to slow down the pace of the fight but Ishimaru is keeping busy.
Thunder wants to get back to striking at distance but Ishimaru won't allow it.
Ishimaru on the defensive, avoiding the knees to the body.
A frustrated look appears on Thunder's face as he tries to break the clinch.
Thunder will be looking to protect his midsection after taking some solid kicks to the body.
Ishimaru blocks an elbow strike.
Ishimaru blocks an elbow strike from Thunder.
Ishimaru has used his reach advantage pretty well so far tonight.

Ishimaru breaks the clinch and we return to the middle of the mat.
Like a baseball bat into the meat of his leg there - nice leg kick by Ishimaru.
Thunder misses with a wild combination.
Thunder doesn't manage to clinch there - Ishimaru circles away.
Ishimaru lands a leg kick and bounces back out of range.
And that’s the end of the round – the fighters go back to their corners.

Tadayoshi Ishimaru showed his class in that round. I'd imagine he'll take it on all the scorecards.
The fighters' corners scream their final instructions, as the referee calls time. Here we go, back to the action! This is the final round!

Thunder walks into a jab.
Ishimaru is looking to slow Thunder down with leg kicks.
A head kick by Thunder misses
and Ishimaru counters with a head kick.
Ishimaru throws a nice head kick!

Ishimaru clinches up with Thunder and pushes him back against the cage.
Thunder tries to break free but Ishimaru pushes him back against the cage.

Ishimaru manages to break the clinch.
Thunder misses with the combination.
Ishimaru throws a leg kick which misses Thunder's front leg but catches the back leg as Thunder tries to avoid it.
Nice body kick from Ishimaru.
Both fighters are breathing heavily.
Ishimaru throws a quick head kick that skims the top of Thunder's head.

That's one minute gone in the round.
Ishimaru throws a head kick that looked like it stung.
Ishimaru scores with a kick to the midsection.
Ishimaru keeps the fight on the outside.
A combination from Thunder does no damage.
Thunder misses with a wild body shot.
Thunder leaves Ishimaru with his face pressed against the mat as he sprawls beautifully, defending against a solid takedown attempt.
Thunder is looking to clinch but Ishimaru is avoiding it.
Thunder misses with a double jab
and Ishimaru counters with a big head kick but Thunder shrugs it off.

Thunder gets in close and instigates a clinch.

That's two 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.
Thunder tries to circle away but Ishimaru has him pinned against the cage.
Thunder is trying to work out of this bad position, with his back against the cage.
A frustrated look appears on Ishimaru's face as he tries to break the clinch.
Thunder is trying to push Ishimaru away but Ishimaru has him pressed against the cage, so he's going nowhere.
Thunder has had enough of the clinch and is looking to separate.
Thunder is trying to break the clinch but Ishimaru is controlling him.
Thunder lands on the inside with an uppercut.

Thunder pushes off and circles away, back to the middle of the mat.
Thunder looks to land a combination but Ishimaru avoids it well.
Thunder tries to clinch there but Ishimaru circles away.

Ishimaru moves into the clinch successfully.
Thunder working Ishimaru over with knees to the body.

Ishimaru breaks from the clinch.
Thunder tries to close the distance and clinch but Ishimaru swats him to one side with an open hand palm strike and circles away.

That's three minutes gone in the round.
Ishimaru lands a front kick.
Ishimaru lunges in with an uppercut that skims his opponent's chin.
Thunder tries to clinch up.
Thunder throws a low kick but his opponent is out of range.

Thunder tries to keep at a distance but Ishimaru has taken the fight into the clinch.
Ishimaru missing with knees to the body.
Both fighters working to control the clinch.
Thunder prevents Ishimaru from breaking the clinch.
Thunder is trying to work out of this bad position, with his back against the cage.

Thunder pushes off and circles away, back to the middle of the mat.
Thunder takes a head kick and shrugs it off.
Ishimaru fails to land the takedown.

That's four minutes gone in the round.
A lull in the action here being met with boos from the crowd.
Ishimaru throws a head kick but Thunder moves out of range.
The fight stays on the outside here - Thunder looks like he's thinking about clinching though.
Ishimaru throws a head kick that Thunder semi-blocks.

Thunder closes the distance and presses his opponent up against the cage.
Ishimaru wants to break free but Thunder has control.
Thunder is trying to force a seperation but Ishimaru has the dominant position.

Thunder breaks from the clinch.
The crowd thankful this round is nearly over.
Ishimaru scores with a decent looking hook.
Ishimaru misses with a jab and misses with a cross straight after too.
Big Thunder has stepped it up - he knows he needs a finish here!
Thunder lunges in with swinging rights and lefts but Ishimaru circles away quickly and effectively.

And that's the end of the fight!
Tadayoshi Ishimaru comfortably won the final round on my scorecard.
Well Ishimaru 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 Paulo Santos scores the fight 27:30
Judge Luis Engracia scores the fight 27:30
Judge Thiago Cunha scores the fight 27:30

In favor of your winner, by unanimous decision... Tadayoshi Ishimaru!