PBP Commentary

Coming up we have a light heavyweight MMA rules bout between Ai Za (ranked 0 p4p, 0 weight class) and Steve Deniro (ranked 0 p4p, 0 weight class). Deniro is bouncing up and down as he enters the arena, backed by The rage. I can't wait for this one - let's get the fighter introductions out of the way and get this one started!

Za
vs
Deniro

181 cm
20
210 lbs
4 - 1 - 0

185 cm
20
200 lbs
6 - 2 - 0

Good wrestling
Basic striking
Granite chin

BJJ Blue Belt
Excellent boxer
Heavy handed

GR Design - Top quality, from $10 to $150 !

Ladies and gentlemen. This fight is 3 rounds, in the light heavyweight division.
Introducing the fighter to my left, fighting out of the red corner.
With a record of 4 - 1 - 0, fighting out of Tokyo, Ai Za!
And introducing the fighter to my right, fighting out of the blue corner.
With a record of 6 - 2 - 0, fighting out of Tokyo, Steve Deniro!
The judges for this bout are Shigeki Fujiwara, Ren Mimura and Kenichi Hosakawa.

The bell rings for round one and we are underway!

Za shoots in for a takedown from distance. He catches Deniro napping and manages to drive through into side control!
The fighters are pressed up against the cage, both looking to find a bit of space to work.
Za working the ground and pound but he's contacting the mat, not the fighter.
Deniro parries the strikes from Za easily there. Za is wary of posturing up too much because it might enable Deniro to escape.
Deniro tries to improve position but can't.

Za is trying to get an arm triangle but Deniro is defending well.
Za working the ground and pound.
Za tries to move to mount but Deniro blocks the move with his legs.
Za throws a knee to the body but it doesn't do much damage.
Deniro is not in a great position here, taking some shots.
The crowd are loving this. Great action here.
Za taking a breather here.

That's one minute gone in the round.
Za lands a nice forearm strike.
Deniro dodges the ground and pound from Za.

Za tries for an arm triangle. That looks pretty tight to me. Is this one over!?! Possibly, maybe, no Za has let go of the choke. Obviously it wasn't as tight as we thought!
The ground and pound from Za seems to be hitting the mat more than his opponent.
Za has knee on belly and now moves to full mount! Trouble for Deniro!
Za can't quite control the action as he would like just now, as Deniro is looking to escape.

That's two minutes gone in the round.
Za looking to land elbow strikes but Deniro uses the position to regain half guard.
Deniro wants to control but Za is keeping busy.
Za sitting in half guard, looking to land shots. Deniro defending well though.
The referee calls for the fighters to work.
Za moves nicely into side control.
We've seen a great period of action over the last minute or so - credit to both fighters for going all out!
Deniro is positioning himself to get back to half guard.

That's three minutes gone in the round.

Za wants to work for a kimura but he's foiled early by Deniro, who protects the arm well.
Za working the ground and pound but he's contacting the mat, not the fighter.
Deniro is trying to stand back up. He's worked his way up against the cage but Za has just dragged him back down to the mat.
Za 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.
Za advances nicely into full mount.
Za in mount throwing good strikes here, bouncing his opponent's head off the canvas.
Deniro's corner are shouting for him to stand up but that's bad cornering - how is he meant to stand up when he's mounted? He should be looking to improve his position on the ground before trying to stand back up.
Za has his opponent pinned against the cage, landing some nasty ground and pound that is really making a bit of a mess out of Deniro's face.

That's four minutes gone in the round.
Za cracks Deniro with a nasty head shot there - the crowd let out an audible gasp there, as the noise reverberated around the arena.
This is a great period of action - very entertaining stuff!
Za content just to control the position here.

Za goes for an armbar but he's fallen flat on his backside there and now Deniro is on top in guard.

Za is looking for a guillotine. You can't force these things though and Deniro defends well.
As the round comes to an end the crowd are showing their appreciation for a great round of action.

Za looking for submissions from the bottom here. Moving his hips around, possibly looking for an armbar.
And that’s the end of the round – the fighters go back to their corners.

Ai Za 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.

Deniro connects with a lovely jab that went straight through the gap between Za's hands.
Deniro throws a couple of head shots and lands with the final one - a decent hook, which struck Za on the side of the head.
Za looks to land a combination. Deniro sees it coming but can only parry a couple of the shots.
Some wild striking there from Deniro.
Za tries for a takedown but Deniro sees it coming a mile off and avoids it easily.
Some wild striking there from Deniro.
Deniro misses with a double jab.
Za shoots in for a takedown - he's clinched up with Deniro but Deniro pushes him off and we're back to square one.
Za fakes high and swings low for a body shot but Deniro manages to avoid it.

That's one minute gone in the round.
Deniro throws a combination but comes up with nothing but fresh air.
Za fails to land with the punch combination there - jab, cross, hook, miss, miss, miss.
Za throws a body kick but he was well out of range there.
Ai Za is looking to throw some combinations by the looks of things.
Za looks to score with a jab to the body but Deniro is just out of range.
Za misses with a wild body shot.
Za misses with a two punch combination.
Deniro goes to the watering hole and comes back with a big thumbs up from the judges as he scores a three punch combo.
Za tries a head kick but it misses.
Za will need to tighten up his combinations if he doesn't want to gas himself out, swinging at thin air.
Good standup being displayed there by Za as he connects with a hook.

That's two minutes gone in the round.
Deniro scores with a three punch combo!
Za looks to throw the jab but Deniro is out of range.
Za blocks a jab.
Za looks to score with a jab to the body but Deniro is just out of range.
Za throws a nice looking combination but Deniro bobs and weaves to avoid any damage.
Deniro lands with a nice combination. Za backs away looking to recover.

It looks like Ai Za has been cut.
The crowd cheering loudly, showing their appreciation for the quality fight we're seeing here.
Za looks frustrated there after his takedown attempt is stuffed easily.
That's three failed takedown attempts in the round for Ai Za. That's going to take a lot out of him.
Deniro throws an overhand right that lands on Za's shoulder, as Za tries to avoid the shot.
Za fails to land with a series of punches.
Za tries for a takedown but Deniro sees it coming a mile off and avoids it easily.

That's three minutes gone in the round.
Deniro throws a series of punches but Za avoids them all with ease.
Deniro just misses with a punch to the body.

Za shoots in and bounces Deniro off the cage to secure the takedown into guard.
Za tries to free his leg and advance position but Deniro is retaining full guard.
Deniro utilising some decent striking defenses from the guard, preventing the ground and pound.
Deniro can't keep his opponent in guard - Za advances to half guard, no doubt looking to mount.

That's four minutes gone in the round.
Za with a momentary lay and pray from half guard.
Za's ground tactics aren't going to win him many fans. Let's hope he's got fireworks for us if he gets back to his feet because he's not doing much on the ground.
Ai Za overall seems to be getting the better of the ground position in the fight so far.
Za is looking to take a break and control but Deniro is keeping him honest, looking to work from the bottom.

Za is sneakily working for an arm triangle but Deniro sees it coming and defends easily.
The crowd applaud the fighters efforts here as the round comes to an end.
Za trying to control the pace.
And that’s the end of the round – the fighters go back to their corners.

Ai Za dominated that second round.
The cut man is working on Ai Za's cut.
That's the end of the interval. I'm sure that seemed a lot quicker than a minute for our two fighters! Back to the action. Let's get this one finished - here comes the final round!

Za will need to tighten up his combinations if he doesn't want to gas himself out, swinging at thin air.
Za swinging wildly here.
Deniro fails to land with a series of punches.
Za tries to land with a swinging hook to the body but Deniro was well out of range. Poor timing from Za.
We've had a slow start to the round here - hopefully the action picks up.
A big left from Za misses.
Deniro avoids the body shot from Za.
Ai Za seems to be the more aggressive standup fighter in this bout.
Za tries a switch kick but it misses it's target.
Za thows a left - swing and a miss!

That's one minute gone in the round.
Za throws a head kick but Deniro moves out of range.
Za fails with the takedown.
Deniro will need to tighten up his combinations if he doesn't want to gas himself out, swinging at thin air.
Za thows a body shot but no joy.
Deniro scores with a punch to the head.
Well, he's not going to score with shots like that. A lazy body kick attempt from Za.
Za shoots in with a takedown attempt and he has Deniro pinned against the cage. Deniro gets the underhooks and manages to circle away.
Za swings wildly with a couple of big hooks
and Deniro counters with a straight punch to the midsection.
Deniro misses with a hook. Za ducked under it nicely.
Za is looking to wear down Deniro with body shots, infact he's throwing more body shots than head shots at the moment.

That's two minutes gone in the round.
Za avoids a punch combination nicely.
Za misses with a few strikes there.
Za rushes forward with a series of wild hooks but Deniro moves out of range and avoids them all easily.
Za misses with a body shot
and Deniro counters with a good right hand that lands right on the jaw.
Za throws a low kick but Deniro moves out of range easily.
Deniro stuffs the takedown.
That's three failed takedown attempts in the round for Ai Za. That's going to take a lot out of him.
Za rushes in with a sloppy looking punch
and Deniro counters with a three punch combo that has Za backing up. Za nods at Deniro to acknowledge the strikes.
Za looks to land a combination but Deniro avoids it well.

Za fakes a strike and closes the distance, dragging Deniro to the ground. Za is now in Deniro's guard.

That's three minutes gone in the round.
Za works a leg free and moves into half guard.
Za lands a big shot. The thud that echoes around the arena is like music to the fans' ears.
Za throwing punches and elbows but they're not doing any damage.
Well, if Za is going to just lie there, perhaps we should talk about what we're having for dinner tonight… I'm having a ham and pineapple pizza… Yum. Can't wait.
Za trying to pass the guard but Deniro defending well.

That's four minutes gone in the round.
Za is looking to take a break and control but Deniro is keeping him honest, looking to work from the bottom.
Deniro trying to control here.
Ai Za is fighting for a decision here - he's started to take the cautious approach.

The referee has ruled that neither fighter is active enough on the ground and has stood them back up.
A swing and a miss from Za.

Za gets a takedown into half guard.
The crowd applaud the fighters efforts here as the round comes to an end.

Za seems to be working for a kimura but Deniro defends the submission attempt.

And that's the end of the fight!
Ai Za showed his dominance in that final round.
Well I reckon that's a shut out for Za, winning every round. Will the judges agree? They are the ones who matter, even if they are often depressingly incompetent. 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 Shigeki Fujiwara scores the fight 30:27
Judge Ren Mimura scores the fight 30:27
Judge Kenichi Hosakawa scores the fight 30:27

In favor of your winner, by unanimous decision... Ai Za!
After the big win, Ai Za made sure to do all the important stuff like thanking his sponsors Rebel Pride Clothing. Many Items on Sale for $5 and telling the interviewer how much he loves him.