PBP Commentary

Coming up we have a welterweight MMA rules bout between Tetsuya Nakashiba (ranked 0 p4p, 0 weight class) and James Crowly (ranked 0 p4p, 0 weight class). Nakashiba comes to the cage accompanied by Moonlight Densetsu!. Both these guys have really solid chins. Will we see a standup war or will they both decide that a knockout is unlikely and try to win the fight elsewhere?

Nakashiba
vs
Crowly

185 cm
18
175 lbs
1 - 0 - 0

178 cm
22
180 lbs
0 - 0 - 0

BJJ Purple Belt
Counter striker
Good chin

BJJ Blue Belt
Decent boxing
Solid chin

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 1 - 0 - 0, fighting out of Tokyo, Tetsuya Nakashiba!
And introducing the fighter to my right, fighting out of the blue corner.
With a record of 0 - 0 - 0, fighting out of Tokyo, James Crowly!
The judges for this bout are Shirou Masuda, Hirohito Nitta and Yuuki Gou.

The bell rings for round one and we are underway!
Nakashiba tries to clinch but Crowly is having none of it.
Nakashiba swats away the attempt to clinch by Crowly.
Crowly shoots in but no luck this time.

Nakashiba has managed to clinch.
Nakashiba looking to slow down the pace here.

Nakashiba gets a trip takedown into half guard.
Nakashiba looks over to his corner - he wants some instructions but his corner are not responding.

Nakashiba wants to work for an arm triangle but Crowly is really keeping half guard well and defending the submission attempt.
Crowly really doesn't want to stay on the ground with Nakashiba. If he can't get it back to his feet, it's only a matter of time before he'll be tapping out.
Crowly moves his hips nicely and gets into full guard.
Nakashiba wants to control from the top but Crowly keeps moving.
Nakashiba looking to sit in guard and control but Crowly gets the butterfly guard and sweeps. He's now in the guard on the top.

That's one minute gone in the round.
Crowly tries to stand but Nakashiba is controlling from the bottom.
Crowly content to stall in guard here.
Crowly wanted to stand there but Nakashiba had control of the position.
Crowly wants to stand and escape but instead Nakashiba has hit a sweep and he's now on top in guard.
Nakashiba is fighting to break Crowly's control of his arms but Crowly is doing a good job of controlling the position at the moment.
Crowly wants to sweep here but Nakashiba controlling him for the moment.

That's two minutes gone in the round.
My god... these two guys really need to pick up the pace or everyone will leave to go get a beer.
Nakashiba is fighting to break Crowly's control of his arms but Crowly is doing a good job of controlling the position at the moment.
Crowly wants to stand but Nakashiba is controlling the position.
Crowly keeping moving, preventing Nakashiba from controlling successfully.
Nakashiba pressing down on his opponent's thigh, looking to pass guard. Crowly is keeping the position for now.
The fighters are pressed up against the cage, both looking to find a bit of space to work.

Nakashiba is trying to work a guillotine from the top, or something like that? Don't know how he thinks he's going to get a finish from there.
Nakashiba is breathing heavily.
Crowly keeping full guard, as Nakashiba tries to pass.

That's three minutes gone in the round.

The referee decides to stand the fighters back up.
Nakashiba circles away from the clinch attempt.
Crowly looks for a takedown but Nakashiba sprawls well.
Crowly closes the distance but Nakashiba moves to the side
and Nakashiba counters with a slapping leg kick.

Crowly scores a trip takedown into side control. Nice.

Crowly stands up.

Nakashiba darts in and lands a nice takedown into half guard.
Crowly holds on for dear life, maintaining half guard for now.

That's four minutes gone in the round.
Crowly gets back to full guard.
Nakashiba trying to control the position from guard on top but Crowly is wriggling around, looking for whatever he can.
Crowly is doing well to control the posture of his opponent and prevent any damage.

Nakashiba is trying to work a guillotine from the top, or something like that? Don't know how he thinks he's going to get a finish from there.
Crowly has his hands on Nakashiba's head, controlling the position.
And that’s the end of the round – the fighters go back to their corners.

A close round but James Crowly will probably get the nod.
That's the end of the round. The referee orders the cornermen out of the cage so we can get back down to business.

Crowly tries to clinch but Nakashiba moves away
and Nakashiba counters with a head kick. That will keep Crowly thinking before he tries any more sloppy attacks!
Crowly tries to clinch but Nakashiba moves away

and Nakashiba counters with a nice double leg into guard.
Nakashiba trying to control but Crowly is working from the bottom.
Crowly has his hands on Nakashiba's head, controlling the position.
Nakashiba pressing down on his opponent's thigh, looking to pass guard. Crowly is keeping the position for now.
The ref warns both fighters not to hold the cage as they work up against the meshing.
Nakashiba trying to control but Crowly is working from the bottom.
Crowly keeping full guard, as Nakashiba tries to pass.
Nakashiba wants to control from the top but Crowly keeps moving.

That's one minute gone in the round.
Crowly trying to strike off his back.

The referee has ruled that neither fighter is active enough on the ground and has stood them back up.
No joy there for Crowly, who threw a few shots but didn't land.
Crowly moves in looking to clinch but Nakashiba pushes him off.

Nakashiba gets caught flat footed, as Crowly shoots in with a quick takedown into guard.
Crowly working from the guard for now, landing some ground and pound.
Crowly trying to land body shots but he keeps hitting the mat.
Crowly is breathing heavily.

Nakashiba looking for submissions from the bottom here. Moving his hips around, possibly looking for an armbar.
Nakashiba can't do much from the bottom at the moment, as Crowly controls the pace.
Nakashiba keeping moving, preventing Crowly from controlling successfully.

Nakashiba is active off his back here, looking for submissions.

That's two minutes gone in the round.
Crowly not doing a lot at the moment. He'll have to show some more aggression or the fight will get stood up.
Nakashiba wants to sweep but no luck.

Crowly stands up and waves to Nakashiba to follow him.

Crowly closes the distance and clinches.
Nakashiba tries to jump guard but he falls flat on his backside. Crowly smiles and moves away.
A chopping leg kick lands by Nakashiba.
Crowly on the receiving end of a decent leg kick there by Nakashiba. Nakashiba obviously looking to wear him down.

That's three minutes gone in the round.
Nakashiba closes the distance and clinches up with Crowly, looking for a takedown. Nakashiba pushes Crowly against the cage but Crowly circles to the side and manages to break the clinch.
Nakashiba scores with a slapping inside leg kick.
Nakashiba misses with a takedown attempt

and Crowly moves into the clinch.
That's three failed takedown attempts in the round for Tetsuya Nakashiba. That's going to take a lot out of him.
Nakashiba is trying to work for a single leg takedown but Crowly pulls him back up using the underhooks.
Nakashiba can't get the takedown.
Nakashiba tries to pull guard but Crowly holds him up against the cage and eventually Nakashiba drops back down to his feet.
Crowly wants to break the clinch but can't.
A nice glancing elbow lands by Nakashiba.
Crowly wants to push off and get back to the center of the mat but Nakashiba has him pressed against the cage.
Crowly slows down the pace here.
Nakashiba tries for a takedown. No joy.
Nakashiba has a body lock and is looking for a takedown. Crowly is bouncing around trying to prevent the takedown and somehow he has indeed managed to stay on his feet.
Crowly lands a hook to the body. It's hard to tell if that hurt Nakashiba or not.
Nakashiba goes for a takedown in the clinch but Crowly prevents it.

Crowly is trying to trip Nakashiba. He has hold of a leg but Nakashiba is hopping around, keeping his balance for the moment. Crowly persists though and gets the takedown into guard.
Nakashiba is pulling down on Crowly's head. It's preventing any offense from Crowly, at least for the moment.
Crowly lands a nice shot whilst sitting in his opponent's guard.

That's four minutes gone in the round.
Crowly seems content to control from guard here. He's going to have to remain active though if he doesn't want to get stood back up.
Crowly is looking to stand up but Nakashiba won't let him.
Crowly passes Nakashiba's left leg - he's now in half guard.

Nakashiba is looking to sinch up a gullotine here but Crowly pulls his head out easily.
Crowly not doing much here.
Nakashiba tries to get to full guard but Crowly has control of the leg.
And that’s the end of the round – the fighters go back to their corners.

James Crowly showed his class in that round. I'd imagine he'll take it on all the scorecards.
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!

Nakashiba tries for a takedown but Crowly sees it coming a mile off and avoids it easily.
Nakashiba fails to land the takedown.

Crowly drives through with a really nice takedown into side control.
Nakashiba struggling a bit here.
Nakashiba is trying to get back to half guard.
Crowly working the head with strikes.

Crowly decides to take the fight back to the feet.
Both fighters are breathing heavily.
Crowly throws a half hearted mid kick.

That's one minute gone in the round.
Nakashiba circles away from the clinch attempt.
Crowly throws a leg kick that is checked

and Nakashiba counters with a nice double leg into guard.
Crowly is wriggling around but Nakashiba manages to pass to half guard.
Crowly is trying to control but Nakashiba passes into side control!

Nakashiba has had enough of the ground for now and decides to stand.
Crowly wants to clinch but Nakashiba slips to the side

and Nakashiba counters with a shoot takedown into half guard.

Nakashiba is working for a submission of some sort.
Fantastic stuff here - a very entertaining period of action, which has drawn cheers from the crowd.
Crowly is looking to regain full guard. Not this time though.
Nakashiba passes to full mount!

That's two minutes gone in the round.
Nakashiba trying to control but he's not successful this time.

Nakashiba is in full mount, looking to secure a guillotine but Crowly is surviving well by controlling Nakashiba's body position as best he can.
Crowly looking to escape from mount but he's given up his back!
Crowly just trying to survive but Nakashiba is wriggling into a better position, looking to finish.
Nakashiba wants to control but Crowly is keeping busy.

Crowly manages to get to his feet, escaping the difficult position.
Nakashiba fails with an attempt to clinch.

That's three minutes gone in the round.
Crowly shoots in but no luck this time.
Nice takedown defense from Crowly. No joy for Nakashiba on that attempt.
That's three failed takedown attempts in the round for Tetsuya Nakashiba. That's going to take a lot out of him.

Crowly fakes with an overhand right and moves in to clinch with Nakashiba, pushing him back against the cage.

Crowly has picked Nakashiba up - he's going for a ride! Crowly dumps his opponent to the mat with a thud and settles into half guard.
Crowly seems content to maintain position for now, rather than mounting any offense.

Crowly is looking for a kimura here.
Nakashiba trying to control here.
Nakashiba regains full guard. Nicely done.
James Crowly has got the better of the ground game so far.

That's four minutes gone in the round.

Nakashiba is active off his back here, looking for submissions.
Crowly forces his way into half guard.
Well, if Crowly 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.
Nakashiba tries to get to full guard but Crowly has control of the leg.
Crowly controlling the action here.
Crowly is keen to just control but Nakashiba is a slippery customer.
Tetsuya Nakashiba has stepped it up - he knows he needs a finish here!
The crowd applaud the fighters efforts here as the round comes to an end.
Crowly perhaps working for something from half guard, or maybe not. It looks like he's just sitting there.

And that's the end of the fight!
That was a close round. You could make an argument for either fighter but I would give it to Tetsuya Nakashiba.
I think Crowly has won this one but let's see whether the judges agree with me. 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 Shirou Masuda scores the fight 28:29
Judge Hirohito Nitta scores the fight 28:29
Judge Yuuki Gou scores the fight 27:30

In favor of your winner, by unanimous decision... James Crowly!