PBP Commentary

Coming up we have a bantamweight MMA rules bout between Masakazu Aoki (ranked 0 p4p, 0 weight class) and Orlando Bloom (ranked 0 p4p, 0 weight class). Aoki's entrance music is Sandstorm by Darude. A fine choice. Both fighters look fresh as a daisy as they make their way towards the cage.

Aoki
vs
Bloom

155 cm
37
147 lbs
28 - 13 - 1

172 cm
31
140 lbs
21 - 21 - 0

Good wrestling
Lethal high kicks
Very quick

BJJ Purple Belt
Good kicks
Determined

Brute

Ladies and gentlemen. This fight is 3 rounds, in the bantamweight division.
Introducing the fighter to my left, fighting out of the red corner.
With a record of 28 - 13 - 1, fighting out of Rio de Janeiro, Masakazu Aoki!
And introducing the fighter to my right, fighting out of the blue corner.
With a record of 21 - 21 - 0, fighting out of Rio de Janeiro, Orlando Bloom!
The judges for this bout are Thiago Cunha, Daniel Cesar and Luis Engracia.

The bell rings for round one and we are underway!
Aoki connects with a single shot there.
Bloom wants to clinch.
Bloom keeping his hands up high there, blocking the jab from Aoki.
Aoki with a body punch. A glancing blow.
Aoki connects with a lovely jab that went straight through the gap between Bloom's hands.
Bloom doesn't manage to clinch there - Aoki circles away.
Bloom moves to clinch but Aoki breaks away
and Aoki counters with a nice jab to the body that keeps Bloom thinking.

Aoki darts in and lands a nice takedown into half guard.
It looks like the ref is thinking about a standup.
Aoki is controlling the pace.
Aoki looking to pass the half guard. Not this time.

That's one minute gone in the round.
Bloom trying to control but Aoki postures up.
Bloom blocking the ground and pound attempt from Aoki.
Aoki seems content to maintain position for now, rather than mounting any offense.
Aoki'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.
Aoki has freed up his trapped foot and advances to mount.
Aoki sitting in mount, just looking to control for the moment.
Aoki pausing momentarily but resumes with a couple of decent strikes that do a bit of damage.

That's two minutes gone in the round.
Bloom tries to lock up and control but Aoki gives him a forearm to the face and pushes him away.
Aoki controlling the pace for now.
Bloom is squirming around, avoiding Aoki's attempts to control the action.
Aoki tucks in and makes sure he doesn't lose the dominant position.
Bloom really doesn't want to stay on the ground with Aoki. If he can't get it back to his feet, it's only a matter of time before he'll be tapping out.
Aoki is in the full mount, landing strikes.
We've seen a great period of action over the last minute or so - credit to both fighters for going all out!
Bloom is working to get back to half guard.
Aoki content just to control the position here.
Bloom is looking to get to half guard.

That's three minutes gone in the round.
Aoki landing strikes, looking to finish!
BOOM! Aoki connects with a massive shot to the dome!
Aoki tucks in and makes sure he doesn't lose the dominant position.
Aoki landing strikes from the mount and Bloom is in trouble!
A nice elbow there by Aoki.
Aoki looking to control but Bloom is working nicely, looking to advance position himself.
The ref warns both fighters not to hold the cage as they work up against the meshing.
Aoki controlling his opponent.
Aoki seems to have a rather negative gameplan on the ground. He seems keen to just score the takedown and hold down Bloom for as long as he can get away with.

That's four minutes gone in the round.
This is a great period of action - very entertaining stuff!
Bloom tries to reverse the position but Aoki maintains control.

The ref stands the fighters back up. Masakazu Aoki wasn't doing enough on the ground.
Aoki getting the better of the striking in that exchange.
Bloom tries to close the distance and clinch up against the cage but Aoki paws at him with a jab and circles away.
Bloom is pinned up against the cage taking some big shots here. The referee is looking closely deciding whether he should stop the fight.
Nice shot by Aoki.
As the round comes to an end the crowd are showing their appreciation for a great round of action.
Bloom tries to clinch there but Aoki circles away.
Bloom misses with a leg kick
and Aoki counters with an inside leg kick.
Aoki connects with a crisp jab.
Bloom fails with an attempt to clinch.
And that’s the end of the round – the fighters go back to their corners.

Masakazu Aoki 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.

Bloom closes the distance but Aoki moves to the side
and Aoki cracks him with a counter punch right on the button.
Bloom thows a body shot but no joy.
Aoki scores with a nice strike.
Orlando Bloom is looking to throw some combinations by the looks of things.
Aoki missing with a left hand there. Bloom was out of range so wasted energy throwing that one.
Aoki lunges in with an uppercut that skims his opponent's chin.
Aoki throws a half hearted mid kick.
Bloom moves to clinch but Aoki breaks away
and Aoki counters with a straight right hand.
Bloom on the wrong end of a nice jab.

Bloom is rocked!
Aoki cracks Bloom with an open hand slap.
Bloom is still on wobbly legs! Can Aoki finish him?
Aoki is really head hunting here, hardly looking to strike to the body at all.
Bloom tries to close the distance and clinch but Aoki swats him to one side with an open hand palm strike and circles away.
Aoki connects with a looping left hand that seems like it dazed Bloom momentarily.
The fans in attendance giving it up for the two fighters, who have really let it all hang out in the last minute or so!
Aoki throws a sloppy head kick and Bloom moves out of range easily.
Bloom tries to clinch up.
Masakazu Aoki is winning the standup battle so far.
Jab, jab by Aoki - just one landing.
Bloom on the wrong end of a nice jab.

That's one minute gone in the round.
Aoki scores with a jab. Bloom acknowledges it with a nod of the head.
Bloom moves out of range of the strikes.
Aoki throws out a powerful jab.
Bloom closes the distance looking to clinch
and Aoki counters with a crisp hook to the side of the head.
Aoki cracks Bloom with a hook to the jaw. Both fighters smile at eachother and high-five before getting back down to business.

Aoki shoots in and gets a takedown into Bloom's guard.
Aoki is really dominating this fight. Is there anything that Bloom can do to turn this around?
Bloom controls Aoki momentarily but Aoki frees himself.
Masakazu Aoki overall seems to be getting the better of the ground position in the fight so far.
Aoki won't allow Bloom to get back to his feet.
Bloom utilising some decent striking defenses from the guard, preventing the ground and pound.
Aoki is intent on slowing down the pace of the fight, simply looking to control.
Bloom seems to have recovered his senses.
Wooooo! Give it up for these two warriors! They are putting on a show!
Aoki cracks Bloom with a solid left hand.

That's two minutes gone in the round.
Aoki showing good wrestling skills to control the position.

The referee has ruled that neither fighter is active enough on the ground and has stood them back up.
Bloom tries to clinch up
and Aoki counters with a leg kick that reverborates around the arena.

Aoki closes the distance and presses his opponent up against the cage.
Bloom tries a shoulder strike but it doesn't do any damage.

Aoki escapes the clinch and we're back to striking.
Aoki misses with a wild combination.
Bloom is looking to clinch but Aoki is avoiding it.
Bloom wants to clinch up but Aoki keeps it at a distance.
Aoki cracks Bloom with a good shot that sees him stumbling back into the cage.

That's three minutes gone in the round.
Aoki stalks Bloom and leaps in with a furious combination of punches. Uppercuts and crosses smash into Bloom's face. Bloom staggers backwards, shaken.
Bloom closes the distance and takes a jab right on the nose as he does so.
Bloom takes one to the side of the head.
Aoki swats away the attempt to clinch by Bloom.
Bloom takes a jab on the nose. He smiles like he loves it and keeps coming.
Aoki changes levels and scores with a jab to the body.

Aoki drops down and drives through with a powerful takedown into guard.
Aoki might be looking to lock onto one of his opponent's long limbs for a submission, whilst we're on the ground.
Bloom is trying to stand up but he's not managed so far.
Aoki content to stall in guard here.
Aoki throwing elbows and punches but not connecting, as Bloom works some decent striking defense from the bottom.
Bloom wants to stand but Aoki is controlling the position.

That's four minutes gone in the round.
We've seen a great period of action over the last minute or so - credit to both fighters for going all out!
Bloom working the defensive guard well to avoid strikes from Aoki.
Aoki's corner is telling him to maintain position.
We may be looking at a referee standup if the pace doesn't pick up soon.

The ref stands the fighters back up. Masakazu Aoki wasn't doing enough on the ground.
Bloom tries to clinch but is not successful on this occasion.

Bloom closes the distance and pushes Aoki back into the cage.
Bloom misses with a shot to the kidneys.
Bloom avoiding damage as Aoki throws knees to the body.
The crowd are going absolutely nuts as the round comes to an end - what a fantastic round of action!
Bloom stalling in the clinch.
A short uppercut from Aoki.
A head punch blocked on the inside by Aoki.
Aoki avoids the elbow strike from Bloom, against the cage.
And that’s the end of the round – the fighters go back to their corners.

Masakazu Aoki dominated that second round.
The minute break is over - no more time for sponges and pep talks - back to the action! Ladies and gentlemen, this is the final round!

Aoki looks for a takedown here. Will he get it? Bloom is fending him off so far but Aoki persists. Nope, Bloom circles away and we're back to standing.
Bloom takes a jab right on the kisser.
Bloom keeping a good distance there, avoiding the body shot.
Aoki scores with a jab to the head.
Aoki thumps Bloom with a low kick.
Aoki cracks Bloom with a good shot that sees him stumbling back into the cage.
Bloom has a pretty nasty looking mouse under his right eye.
Aoki misses with a body shot. Nice footwork from Bloom.
Bloom is looking to clinch but Aoki is avoiding it.
Bloom moves to clinch but Aoki breaks away
and Aoki counters with a nice jab to the body that keeps Bloom thinking.
A good leg kick by Aoki.
Aoki lands the left hand.
Aoki lands with a shot to the body.
The crowd cheering loudly, showing their appreciation for the quality fight we're seeing here.
Aoki keeps the fight on the outside.
Masakazu Aoki seems to be the more aggressive standup fighter in this bout.
Aoki smiles there as he lands a nice right hand right on the button.
Aoki swats away the attempt to clinch by Bloom.

That's one minute gone in the round.
Aoki lands a leg kick. The shin dug right into the meat of the thigh.
Bloom takes a body punch but keeps moving.
Aoki misses with a head kick.
Aoki throws a shot to the body.
Orlando Bloom is looking to keep the fight on the feet at all costs.
Nice uppercut there from Aoki.
Aoki throws a leg kick which misses Bloom's front leg but catches the back leg as Bloom tries to avoid it.
Aoki thows a left - swing and a miss!
Donk. Aoki catches Bloom right on the button with a cross.
Bloom tries to clinch up against the cage, rushing in the close the distance. Aoki manages to break the clinch and circles back to the middle of the mat.

Aoki gets the takedown into side control.
Bloom tries to bench press Aoki off him but Aoki keeps the position.
Bloom avoids any damage from the ground and pound of Aoki.
We've seen a great period of action over the last minute or so - credit to both fighters for going all out!
Bloom dodges the ground and pound from Aoki.

That's two minutes gone in the round.
Aoki controlling the position from side mount.
Bloom is trying to stand back up. He's worked his way up against the cage but Aoki has just dragged him back down to the mat.
Masakazu Aoki is fighting for a decision here - he's started to take the cautious approach.
Bloom is using up a lot of energy trying to get back to his feet. Perhaps he should improve his position first.
Aoki in side control, just content to control the action for now.
Aoki sitting in side control, looking to soften his opponent up with elbows and hammerfists but Bloom is avoiding damage well and looking to escape the position.

That's three minutes gone in the round.
Aoki in side control lands a decent elbow.
Aoki taking a breather here.
Aoki works a knee to the body and follows up with a nice elbow to the head.
Aoki throws a strike aimed at the side of Bloom's head but Bloom avoids it well.
Bloom seems a little lost for a moment, as Aoki dominates the positioning.
Bloom is trying to control Aoki's posture but Aoki avoids it.

That's four minutes gone in the round.
Aoki grinds an elbow into Bloom's temple.
Aoki taking a breather here.
Orlando Bloom has stepped it up - he knows he needs a finish here!
Bloom takes a couple of big shots there - the referee warns him that he has to defend himself better.
Aoki controlling from side mount.
The crowd cheering loudly, showing their appreciation for the quality fight we're seeing here.
As the round comes to an end the crowd are showing their appreciation for a great round of action.
Aoki working the body and head with strikes.

And that's the end of the fight!
Masakazu Aoki showed his dominance in that final round.
Well I reckon that's a shut out for Aoki, 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 Thiago Cunha scores the fight 30:27
Judge Daniel Cesar scores the fight 30:27
Judge Luis Engracia scores the fight 30:27

In favor of your winner, by unanimous decision... Masakazu Aoki!
A relieved looking Masakazu Aoki thanked the fans for their support and gave the usual line about them being amazing. They seemed to believe that he actually meant it.