PBP Commentary

Coming up we have a heavyweight MMA rules bout between Buffalo Ushijima (ranked 0 p4p, 0 weight class) and Yoshio Shibasaki (ranked 0 p4p, 0 weight class). Buffalo Ushijima has the edge in experience - let's see if he can make that count tonight.

Ushijima
vs
Shibasaki

190 cm
20
245 lbs
0 - 1 - 0

213 cm
25
265 lbs
0 - 0 - 1

BJJ Blue Belt
Brawler
Good chin

Good takedowns
Excellent boxer
Granite 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 0 - 1 - 0, fighting out of Tokyo, Buffalo Ushijima!
And introducing the fighter to my right, fighting out of the blue corner.
With a record of 0 - 0 - 1, fighting out of Tokyo, Yoshio Shibasaki!
The judges for this bout are Yukihiro Yamamoto, Taro Takaoka and Shigeki Sano.

The bell rings for round one and we are underway!
Shibasaki attempts a leg kick but it's missed by a good margin.
Shibasaki stuffs the takedown.

Ushijima forces Shibasaki back against the cage and clinches.
Shibasaki is trying to pull guard but being pressed up against the cage enables Ushijima to keep the fight standing.

Ushijima breaks the clinch and we return to the middle of the mat.
Ushijima keeps the fight standing with a nice sprawl.
Ushijima stuffs the takedown.
Buffalo Ushijima has stuffed three takedown attempts in the round now. That's going to take a lot out of Yoshio Shibasaki.
Shibasaki looking to throw a kick but he's pulled out of it.

Shibasaki gets caught on his heels momentarily as he allows Ushijima to score an easy takedown into full guard.
The referee claps his hands together and tells the fighters to work.
Shibasaki tries to land a sweep but no joy.
Ushijima stands up and looks to throw the legs aside to pass to side control. Shibasaki swivels though and keeps the full guard.
Shibasaki is trying to control the position from the bottom.

That's one minute gone in the round.
Shibasaki keeping moving, preventing Ushijima from controlling successfully.
Ushijima stays in close to Shibasaki's body and controls the position.

The ref stands the fighters back up. Buffalo Ushijima wasn't doing enough on the ground.
Ushijima circles away from the clinch attempt.
Shibasaki tries to clinch up but Ushijima circles away and keeps his distance.

Shibasaki gets caught napping as Ushijima dives in and scores a takedown. Shibasaki manages to retain guard.
Shibasaki wants to sweep here but Ushijima controlling him for the moment.
Ushijima has to be careful here, sitting in the guard of a superior BJJ player.

That's two minutes gone in the round.
Shibasaki is trying to control the position but Ushijima postures up.
Shibasaki throws a couple of weedy looking strikes off his back.
Ushijima might be looking to lock onto one of his opponent's long limbs for a submission, whilst we're on the ground.
Shibasaki is trying to control the position from the bottom.
Ushijima wants to control from the top but Shibasaki keeps moving.
The ref warns both fighters not to hold the cage as they work up against the meshing.

Buffalo Ushijima has forced the referee to step in and bring the fight back to the feet.
Shibasaki doesn't succeed with the takedown
and Ushijima makes him pay by landing a thudding low kick.
Shibasaki looks gassed!
Ushijima shoots in looking for a double leg takedown. Shibasaki defends it nicely.
The crowd are loving this. Great action here.
Ushijima shoots in for a takedown. He's persisting with it as Shibasaki sprawls well. Shibasaki wins this battle and keeps the fight standing. Ushijima gets slowly back to his feet.

That's three minutes gone in the round.
Shibasaki fakes a head punch and goes low to the body. Nicely done.
Ushijima avoids the clinch attempt nicely.
No luck with that takedown attempt from Shibasaki.

Ushijima has managed to clinch.

Ushijima breaks the clinch.
Shibasaki has a takedown stuffed.
Shibasaki tries to clinch but Ushijima is having none of it.

That's four minutes gone in the round.
Left hook, right uppercut from Shibasaki.
Shibasaki looking to throw a kick but he's pulled out of it.
Shibasaki tries to clinch but is not successful on this occasion.
Shibasaki displays good takedown defense there as he swats away a double leg from Ushijima.
Shibasaki fails with an attempt to clinch.
Shibasaki lands a pitter patter jab to the forehead of his opponent.
Shibasaki tries to clinch up.
Ushijima displays good takedown defense there as he swats away a double leg from Shibasaki.
As the round comes to an end the crowd are showing their appreciation for a great round of action.
Shibasaki throws a looping left and ducks down for a takedown. He's got his arms around Ushijima's waist but Ushijima gets an underhook and avoids the takedown by throwing Shibasaki off to one side.

Shibasaki tries to sprawl but Ushijima drives through with a takedown into half guard.
And that’s the end of the round – the fighters go back to their corners.

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

Ushijima is looking for a takedown here. He's shot in and has managed to get it, finishing up in Shibasaki's half guard.

Shibasaki looking to work for a kimura from the bottom.
Ushijima keeping composed on the top, looking to control the action.
Ushijima wants to stand but Shibasaki has hold of a leg and an arm, so he's trapped for now.
Both fighters are absolutely exhausted here.
Ushijima wants to pass the guard but Shibasaki is defending well.
Ushijima wants to take a breather but Shibasaki is having none of it.

That's one minute gone in the round.
It looks like the ref is thinking about a standup.

The referee decides to stand the fighters back up, due to lack of activity on the part of Buffalo Ushijima.
Ushijima avoids the clinch attempt nicely.
Shibasaki throws a head kick that misses

and Ushijima counters with a nice double leg into half guard.
Shibasaki gets back to full guard.

Shibasaki working away from the bottom but not quite defensive enough there because Ushijima has passed into half guard!
Shibasaki trying to hold on to Ushijima's head to control him but Ushijima postures up.

That's two minutes gone in the round.
Shibasaki is trying to stand.
Shibasaki is staying active underneath Ushijima, who seems content to just control the action from this position.
We've seen a great period of action over the last minute or so - credit to both fighters for going all out!
Shibasaki is controlling Ushijima's position as best he can from this difficult position.

The referee decides to stand the fighters back up.
Ushijima lands with a kick to the ribs.

Ushijima closes the distance and gets a double leg, slamming Shibasaki to the mat! Shibasaki manages to get full guard.
The fighters are pressed up against the cage, both looking to find a bit of space to work.
Shibasaki is trying to control the position but Ushijima postures up.
Ushijima wants to stand and escape but instead Shibasaki has hit a sweep and he's now on top in guard.
Shibasaki wants to pass the guard but Ushijima is keeping the position.

That's three minutes gone in the round.
Shibasaki wants to control from the top but Ushijima keeps moving.
Ushijima knows he needs to get back to his feet asap. He's simply no match for Shibasaki on the ground.
The referee claps his hands together and tells the fighters to work.
Shibasaki wants to pass the guard but Ushijima is keeping the position.

The ref stands the fighters back up. Yoshio Shibasaki was stalling too much, according to the referee.
Shibasaki fails with the takedown.

That's four minutes gone in the round.

Ushijima scores a takedown into full mount!
Shibasaki wants to hold on but Ushijima pushes him away.
Shibasaki is trying to escape the mount but Ushijima keeps good control and instead manages to take Shibasaki's back.
Shibasaki trying to control the action but Ushijima just sinks the hooks in.
Ushijima is striking well from the back but Shibasaki escapes and manages to control the positon and works his way to half guard. A much better position - the crisis is over for the time being.
As the round comes to an end the crowd are showing their appreciation for a great round of action.
Shibasaki is trying to maintain the position but Ushijima is very close to passing his half guard.
And that’s the end of the round – the fighters go back to their corners.

Buffalo Ushijima dominated that second round.
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. This is the final round!

Ushijima fails miserably with a takedown attempt.
A telegraphed takedown attempt from Ushijima is defended easily by Shibasaki.

Ushijima gets in close and instigates a clinch.
Shibasaki is trying to push Ushijima away but Ushijima has him pressed against the cage, so he's going nowhere.
Ushijima wants a takedown.
That's three failed takedown attempts in the round for Buffalo Ushijima. That's going to take a lot out of him.
Ushijima lands a nice knee to the body.
Ushijima stalls.
Both fighters are breathing heavily.

Ushijima has double underhooks and is working for a body lock takedown. He's got it. The fighters land in half guard but Shibasaki regains guard immediately.
Buffalo Ushijima overall seems to be getting the better of the ground position in the fight so far.

That's one minute gone in the round.
Ushijima pressing down on his opponent's thigh, looking to pass guard. Shibasaki is keeping the position for now.
Shibasaki is trying to stand up but he's not managed so far.
Shibasaki is working from a closed guard but he's struggling to control his opponent.

Shibasaki isolates an arm and boxes in a triangle. Ushijima stacks Shibasaki 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 Ushijima!

That's two minutes gone in the round.
Shibasaki defending against the ground and pound.
Shibasaki tries to work a leg under to get back to half guard but Ushijima wriggles his own leg back out and remains in side control.

Ushijima tries for a kimura. Not really close to a finish though.
Ushijima working away.

That's three minutes gone in the round.
Shibasaki prevents Ushijima from improving position.
Shibasaki gets one leg under and gets the fight to half guard.
Shibasaki wants to control but Ushijima is keeping busy and won't allow it.
Shibasaki tries to kick Ushijima off but Ushijima keeps his base steady and stays in half guard.
Ushijima is thwarting Shibasaki's attempts to control the position.

That's four minutes gone in the round.
Shibasaki wants to get back to his feet.

The ref stands the fighters back up, due to lack of action by Yoshio Shibasaki.
Shibasaki dips down and scores with a jab to the body.
Ushijima looks for a takedown but Shibasaki sprawls well.
Buffalo Ushijima seems to be the more aggressive standup fighter in this bout.
Shibasaki dives in and grabs Ushijima's left leg, looking for a takedown. Ushijima pushes down on Shibasaki's head and hops out.
Shibasaki dives in and grabs Ushijima's left leg, looking for a takedown. Ushijima pushes down on Shibasaki's head and hops out.

Ushijima has Shibasaki up against the cage in a clinch.
The crowd applaud the fighters efforts here as the round comes to an end.

Ushijima breaks the clinch and we're back to striking at distance.

And that's the end of the fight!
Buffalo Ushijima showed his dominance in that final round.
Well I reckon that's a shut out for Ushijima, 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 Yukihiro Yamamoto scores the fight 30:27
Judge Taro Takaoka scores the fight 30:27
Judge Shigeki Sano scores the fight 30:27

In favor of your winner, by unanimous decision... Buffalo Ushijima!
Buffalo Ushijima decided to thank the fans in attendance for making a great atmosphere. It seemed to go down pretty well.