PBP Commentary

Coming up we have a welterweight MMA rules bout between Ichiro Takahashi (ranked 0 p4p, 0 weight class) and Gary Drennan (ranked 0 p4p, 0 weight class). Takahashi's ring entrance music is that housewives' favourite, 暗殺者. Drennan has chosen Illy-oi! as his entrance music. Ichiro Takahashi has the better chin. Will he look to stand and bang today?

Takahashi
vs
Drennan

180 cm
27
179 lbs
11 - 4 - 1

182 cm
31
180 lbs
17 - 8 - 2

Abu Dhabi Champ
World class MT
Insanely flexible

Good wrestler
World class MT
Good gas tank

Takeover
Conviction

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 11 - 4 - 1, fighting out of Los Angeles, Ichiro Takahashi!
And introducing the fighter to my right, fighting out of the blue corner.
With a record of 17 - 8 - 2, fighting out of New York, Gary Drennan!
The judges for this bout are Don Winkell, and Frank Antenori.

The bell rings for round one and we are underway!
Drennan scoring well with a low kick there.
Drennan throws a series of punches but Takahashi moves out of range.
Takahashi has a takedown stuffed.
Drennan rushes in with a sloppy looking punch
and Takahashi counters with a leg kick.
Drennan throws a sloppy body shot

and Takahashi counters with a nice double leg into guard.
We could do with one of the fighters taking the initiative a bit more on the ground - they're both waiting to capitalize on a mistake.
We may be looking at a referee standup if the pace doesn't pick up soon.
Takahashi in full guard, throwing the ground and pound. No damage this time.
Takahashi is stalling in the full guard.
The ref warns both fighters not to hold the cage as they work up against the meshing.
This has been an exciting period of action!

Takahashi drops back looking for a heel hook - he quickly realises he's not going to get it but Drennan manages to dive on top of him before he can escape and now Takahashi has Drennan in his guard.
Takahashi 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.
Takahashi trying to keep a closed guard but Drennan is proving a slippery customer.

That's one minute gone in the round.
Drennan looking to control the position here, rather than advance.

Takahashi throwing his legs up looking for a triangle.
Takahashi has his hands on Drennan's head, controlling the position.
Drennan is just sitting in guard, looking to avoid any submissions.

That's two minutes gone in the round.
Takahashi looking to sweep here. No luck so far.
Takahashi controls Drennan momentarily but Drennan frees himself.

It looks like we're going to have a standup here. Neither fighter is doing enough on the ground.
Drennan misses with a low kick.
Drennan throws a right hand that misses

and Takahashi counters with a takedown into side control.
An elbow from Takahashi crashes against the mat.
The crowd cheering loudly, showing their appreciation for the quality fight we're seeing here.
Takahashi in side control, throwing shots but Drennan defends.
Takahashi wants to take a breather but Drennan manages to regain guard - a lesson learnt for Takahashi.
Drennan can't do much from the bottom at the moment, as Takahashi controls the pace.

That's three minutes gone in the round.
Takahashi throwing shots from guard but he's hitting more mat than opponent.
Takahashi pressing down on his opponent's thigh, looking to pass guard. Drennan is keeping the position for now.

Drennan throwing his legs up looking for a triangle.
Takahashi pressing down on his opponent's thigh, looking to pass guard. Drennan is keeping the position for now.
Takahashi wants to control from the top but Drennan keeps moving.

That's four minutes gone in the round.
Takahashi looking to sit in guard and control but Drennan gets the butterfly guard and sweeps. He's now in the guard on the top.
Takahashi is trying to control the position from the bottom.

Takahashi working for submissions but it's allowed Drennan to get to half guard.
The fighters are pressed up against the cage, both looking to find a bit of space to work.
Takahashi tries to get to full guard but Drennan has control of the leg.
And that’s the end of the round – the fighters go back to their corners.

Ichiro Takahashi dominated that round.
Well, the break between rounds is over. Let's get back to the scrappin!

Drennan throws a right and a left that Takahashi avoids nicely.
Drennan misses with a body shot
letting Takahashi counter with a right hand.
A cross from Drennan lands.
Drennan misses with a hook to the body
and Takahashi counters with a kick to the head that grazes his opponent. Drennan is lucky that one didn't land flush.
Drennan looks for the body kick but Takahashi saw that one coming.
Drennan scores with a sloppy right hand. Takahashi should have avoided that one.
Drennan takes a swing at Takahashi's ribcage but misses.
Takahashi explodes with a nice body kick and back out of range. Nice work.
This is a great period of action - very entertaining stuff!
Drennan lands a head kick!

It looks like Ichiro Takahashi has been cut.
Takahashi throws a chopping leg kick but Drennan manages to avoid taking any serious damage.
Takahashi misses with a body shot. Nice footwork from Drennan.
Drennan fakes high and swings low for a body shot but Takahashi manages to avoid it.
A head kick misses from Drennan.
Gary Drennan seems to be getting the better of the standup.
Takahashi looking to land some kicks to the body here.

That's one minute gone in the round.
Drennan throws a sloppy body shot
and Takahashi connects with a straight left hand counter down the middle.
Drennan on the receiving end of a decent leg kick there by Takahashi. Takahashi obviously looking to wear him down.
Takahashi takes a shot right to the liver - Bas would have been proud of that punch.
Nice body punch from Takahashi.
Takahashi takes a shot right to the liver - Bas would have been proud of that punch.
Takahashi moves out of range as Drennan throws a body kick.
Drennan attempts a low kick but it misses it's target.
Drennan dips to his left and cracks Takahashi with an uppercut!
Fantastic stuff here - a very entertaining period of action, which has drawn cheers from the crowd.
Drennan moves into range and lands a nice body kick.
Drennan tries a switch kick but it misses it's target.

Takahashi clinches up with Drennan and pushes him back against the cage.
Takahashi lands with a short shot to the head.
Takahashi throws a blind hook that connects with the side of Drennans head.
With the fighters clinched against the cage, Drennan creates a bit of distance for himself and scores with a nice uppercut.

That's two minutes gone in the round.
Takahashi scores with a shoulder strike.
Drennan misses with a shot to the kidneys.
Drennan is looking to break free of the clinch but Takahashi has double underhooks.
Takahashi tries a body shot but Drennan blocks it.
Good body shot from Drennan.
Takahashi tries to throw a body punch but Drennan avoids it by throwing Takahashi back against the cage.
Drennan goes for a body shot but it's blocked.
Drennan with the Thai clinch. He's looking to land a big knee but he's not managed it this time.
Drennan misses with a hook from the clinch.
Takahashi trying to land knees to the body.
Takahashi lands a body shot.
Takahashi tries to land a knee to the head but misses.
Takahashi tries a knee to the head but he's missed.
Takahashi prevents a body shot from Drennan.
Takahashi misses with a hook to the ribs.
Drennan misses with a shot to the kidneys.

Drennan pushes off and circles away, back to the middle of the mat.
Takahashi gets his head snapped back by a nice shot there.

That's three minutes gone in the round.
Well, he's not going to score with shots like that. A lazy body kick attempt from Drennan.
Takahashi connects with a leg kick. He turned his hip over nicely there.
Takahashi blocks the body kick.
A big right from Drennan misses.
Drennan is throwing a lot of body shots here, looking to wear down Takahashi rather than just go for the knockout.
Nice uppercut there from Drennan.
Takahashi looks to score with a jab to the body but Drennan is just out of range.
Drennan stuffs the takedown.
Drennan connects with a leg kick. He turned his hip over nicely there.
Drennan just misses with a punch to the body.
Drennan shapes like he's going to throw a leg kick but settles back down.

Takahashi pushes Drennan up against the cage in a clinch.
Takahashi prevents a body shot from Drennan.
Drennan wants to break the clinch but can't.
Takahashi lands an uppercut.

That's four minutes gone in the round.
Takahashi looks to throw an elbow but misses.
Takahashi struggles to land a body shot inside as Drennan controls his hands.
Wooooo! Give it up for these two warriors! They are putting on a show!
Takahashi is trying to wear down his opponent with knees to the body.
A short body shot lands from Takahashi as the two fighters clinch.
Takahashi tries to throw a body punch but Drennan avoids it by throwing Takahashi back against the cage.
Takahashi cracks Drennan with a nice body shot.
Drennan tries to land a shot to the body but it's blocked.
Takahashi fails to pull the fight into his guard.
Takahashi lands a nice knee to the body.
Drennan is defending well against a takedown attempt.
That's three failed takedown attempts in the round for Ichiro Takahashi. That's going to take a lot out of him.
Drennan letting Takahashi take a breather here.
Good body shot from Drennan.
The crowd are going absolutely nuts as the round comes to an end - what a fantastic round of action!
Drennan softening up his opponent with strikes, against the cage.
Takahashi landing some nice looking knees to the body.
Takahashi doesn't land with the attempted body shot.
A short right from Drennan on the inside.
And that’s the end of the round – the fighters go back to their corners.

Gary Drennan showed his class in that round. I'd imagine he'll take it on all the scorecards.
The cut man is working on Ichiro Takahashi's cut.
Well, the break between rounds is over. Let's get back to the scrappin! So, we enter the final round. Let's see if either fighter can bring us a finish, or whether we're going to the judges scorecards.

Takahashi uses some good footwork to avoid the body shot by Drennan.
A low kick from Drennan is predictable there
and he gets countered with a snapping leg kick.
Drennan swings wildly with a hook that is half blocked by Takahashi.
Drennan defending well as Takahashi loads up on a big left hand.

Takahashi drives through with a takedown into guard.
Takahashi trying to control but Drennan is working from the bottom.
Takahashi trying to land body shots but he keeps hitting the mat.
Takahashi forces his way into half guard.
Ichiro Takahashi overall seems to be getting the better of the ground position in the fight so far.
Takahashi is taking a breather. Drennan says something to him but it's hard to make out. Perhaps he's telling him to get on with it and actually do something.
Takahashi wants to take a breather but Drennan is having none of it.

That's one minute gone in the round.
Takahashi uses his free foot to push down on Drennan's thigh. Eventually he works his other foot free and he's advanced to mount - this is trouble for Drennan.
Drennan wants to hold on but Takahashi pushes him away.
The crowd growing excited in anticipation of a finish here! Right on cue, Takahashi cracks his opponent with a massive right hand that draws loud cheers!
Takahashi working Drennan over with strikes here.

Drennan is rocked!

Takahashi is working for a guillotine from mount but Drennan frees his head quite easily.
Takahashi controlling his opponent.

That's two minutes gone in the round.
Drennan blocking the ground and pound.
Takahashi working Drennan over with strikes here.
Fantastic stuff here - a very entertaining period of action, which has drawn cheers from the crowd.

Takahashi goes for an armbar but he's fallen flat on his backside there and now Drennan is on top in guard.
Takahashi is trying to keep Drennan in close.
Drennan showing good wrestling skills to control the position.

That's three minutes gone in the round.
Takahashi pulls Drennan in close to his closed guard and prevents Drennan from doing any damage or advancing position.
Drennan trying to control but Takahashi is working from the bottom.
Takahashi looking to control.
The referee is pacing around the two fighters - he looks like he's thinking about a standup.

The referee has ruled that neither fighter is active enough on the ground and has stood them back up.
Takahashi blocks a head kick by Drennan.
A nice inside leg kick there by Takahashi. That's going to slow Drennan down.
Drennan fakes with a right hand and throws a good leg kick, right into the thigh. That had to hurt Takahashi.

That's four minutes gone in the round.
Drennan fakes high and swings low for a body shot but Takahashi manages to avoid it.
Takahashi throws a big shot that misses.
Takahashi uses some good footwork to avoid the body shot by Drennan.
Drennan throws a sloppy head kick
and Takahashi counters with a right hand to the body.
Takahashi ducks low and lands a nice hook to the body of his opponent.
Drennan throws a monster uppercut resembling something out of street fighter but it doesn't land.
Takahashi takes a body punch but keeps moving.
Drennan throws the left hand but Takahashi avoids the punch easily.
Gary Drennan seems to be the more aggressive standup fighter in this bout.
Drennan takes a nice looking leg kick right on the meat of his thigh there.
Takahashi digs a good body shot into Drennan's ribs.
The crowd are loving this. Great action here.
As the round comes to an end the crowd are showing their appreciation for a great round of action.
Drennan lands a nice shot to the body.
Drennan throws a shot to the body.
Takahashi lands a jab to the nose.

And that's the end of the fight!
Ichiro Takahashi showed his dominance in that final round.
I think Takahashi has won this one but let's see what the judges have to say. 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 Don Winkell scores the fight 29:28
Judge Percy O'Donnell scores the fight 29:28
Judge Frank Antenori scores the fight 29:28

In favor of your winner, by unanimous decision... Ichiro Takahashi!
During a confident post fight interview, Ichiro Takahashi thanked all his fans. He seemed very genuine when describing how motivated his fans keep him.