PBP Commentary

Coming up we have a light heavyweight MMA rules bout between Majmun Kristus (ranked 9043 p4p, 0 weight class) and Tetsuya Natto (ranked 5776 p4p, 0 weight class). Kristus is coming into this fight with a significant injury, which will no doubt have an effect on his cardio. Majmun Kristus looks tired to me. Hopefully he has got enough gas left in the tank to put in a good performance.

Kristus
vs
Natto

190 cm
18
195 lbs
1 - 2 - 0

180 cm
18
197 lbs
0 - 0 - 0

BJJ White Belt
Brawler
Granite chin

BJJ White Belt
Excellent MT
Intelligent

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 1 - 2 - 0, fighting out of Tokyo, Majmun Kristus!
And introducing the fighter to my right, fighting out of the blue corner.
With a record of 0 - 0 - 0, fighting out of Tokyo, Tetsuya Natto!
The judges for this bout are Sosuke Kotani, Shirou Masuda and Yasuomi Hirokawa.

The bell rings for round one and we are underway!
Kristus misses with a hook
and Natto counters with a low kick, right behind Kristus 's knee.
Kristus is breathing heavily.
Natto ducks down and throws a hook to the body but Kristus moves away.
Natto slips a jab and a cross from Kristus.
Kristus steps to his left, right into the path of a big body kick from Natto. That one must have hurt.
Natto throws a head kick that connects with a bit of head and a bit of hand.
Natto takes a swing at Kristus's ribcage but misses.
Natto throws a head kick that half lands.
Natto delivers a nice body kick.
Natto buckles his opponent's knee momentarily with a nice leg kick.
Kristus moves out of range of the strikes.
Natto ducks down and throws a hook to the body but Kristus moves away.
A swing and a miss from Natto.
Kristus takes a kick to the side of the head.

That's one minute gone in the round.
Natto looks to land a combination but Kristus avoids it well.
Natto scores with a straight right hand, right through his opponent's guard.
Natto misses with a wild body shot.
A chopping leg kick lands by Natto.
Kristus tries to clinch up
and Natto counters with a nice leg kick.
Natto lands with a slapping head kick.
Kristus takes a head kick and keeps coming.
Natto connects with a high kick.
Kristus tries to close the distance and clinch up but Natto swats him away and circles back towards the center.

That's two minutes gone in the round.
Natto throws a feint and then finishes with a kick to the body.
Kristus staying out of range there.
Natto moves into range and lands a nice body kick.
Kristus waving his hands out in front of him, looking to distract Natto.
The crowd cheering loudly, showing their appreciation for the quality fight we're seeing here.
Natto throws a head kick that half lands.
A good leg kick by Natto.
A slapping leg kick lands for Natto.

Kristus has managed to clinch.
A frustrated look appears on Kristus's face as he tries to break the clinch.
Natto doesn't land with the attempted body shot.
Natto has Kristus pressed against the cage, preventing Kristus from circling away and getting back to striking at range.
Natto tried to land a shot to the body but connects with Kristus's elbow.

That's three minutes gone in the round.
Natto stalling in the clinch but Kristus improves position.
Natto tried to land a shot to the body but connects with Kristus's elbow.
Natto tries to stall but Kristus uses the opportunity to gain a better position.
Natto tries to throw a body punch but Kristus avoids it by throwing Natto back against the cage.
Natto tries to throw a body punch but Kristus avoids it by throwing Natto back against the cage.
Natto looking to stall.
Natto is trying to slow down the pace of the fight but Kristus is keeping busy.
Kristus looking to throw knees to the head but Natto is blocking nicely.
Natto misses with some punches.
A head punch blocked on the inside by Kristus.
Natto blocks an elbow strike from Kristus.
Kristus throws an elbow but it misses.
Natto swings wildly with an uppercut but Kristus uses good head movement to avoid it.
Kristus wants to strike at distance but he can't break free of the clinch.

That's four minutes gone in the round.
The crowd are starting to boo a lack of action.
Natto keeps control of Kristus as he tries to wriggle out of the double underhooks.
Natto misses with a punch to the body.
Natto tries to work over Kristus's body with a swooping hook but it only glances the target.
Natto misses with a body punch.

Kristus breaks the clinch and we return to the middle of the mat.
A chopping leg kick lands by Natto.
Natto is looking to slow Kristus down with leg kicks.

Kristus clinches up with Natto and pushes him back against the cage.
A battle for position here, against the cage.
Natto trying to control the position but instead, Kristus has worked for underhooks and has pushed Natto into the cage.
Kristus is trying to break the clinch but Natto has him pressed against the cage.
And that’s the end of the round – the fighters go back to their corners.

Tetsuya Natto dominated that round.
The cut man is working on Majmun Kristus's cut.
The referee calls time. The cornermen exit stage left and we're back to business.

Natto circles away from the clinch attempt
and Natto counters with a leg kick that reverborates around the arena.
A kick lands to the mid section there for Natto.
Natto feints with a shoulder and throws a nice leg kick to Kristus's calf.
Natto lands a leg kick and bounces back out of range.
Natto lands with a head kick! That's gotta hurt.
Natto swings wildly with a right hand that was never going to find it's target.
Both fighters are absolutely exhausted here.
We've had a slow start to the round here - hopefully the action picks up.
Kristus stumbles momentarily as he takes a strong leg kick from Natto.
Kristus is hobbling a little on that front leg after taking quite a few leg kicks so far in this fight.
Natto just misses with a punch to the body.
Kristus fails with an attempt to clinch.

That's one minute gone in the round.
Natto fakes high and swings low for a body shot but Kristus manages to avoid it.
Kristus swinging wildly here.
Kristus has not gone for a single takedown so far in this fight, which seems like a very strange tactic when you consider that he has the superior wrestling and BJJ.
A nice leg kick lands there from Natto.
Natto throws a nice head kick!
Natto feints and then cracks Kristus's leading leg with a nice low kick. He's obviously looking to slow Kristus down.
Kristus throws an ugly left hook that misses
and Natto counters with a leg kick that reverborates around the arena.
Kristus wants to clinch.

That's two minutes gone in the round.
Natto scoring well with a low kick there.
Natto is throwing a lot of body shots here, looking to wear down Kristus rather than just go for the knockout.

Kristus has Natto up against the cage in a clinch.
Natto tried to land a shot to the body but connects with Kristus's elbow.
Kristus blocking some punches.
Kristus swings wildly with an uppercut but Natto uses good head movement to avoid it.
Natto looking to stall.
A battle for position here, against the cage.

Kristus breaks from the clinch.

That's three minutes gone in the round.
Jab, cross, leg kick. Nice combination by Kristus!
Natto throws a head kick that half lands.

Kristus gets in close and instigates a clinch.
A head punch on the inside from Natto fails to land.
The fighters are going at a pretty good pace and they're both starting to sweat now.
Natto swings away with an uppercut that misses.
Natto takes an elbow to the forehead.
Natto fails to land with a short punch on the inside.
Kristus has had enough of the clinch but Natto keeps him there for the moment.
Natto misses with a body punch.
Natto is trying to slow down the pace in the clinch, to catch his breath.
Kristus prevents a body shot from Natto.
Kristus will no doubt start fighting again in a minute but for now he's just having a little rest, leaning Natto up against the cage.
Natto keeps the fight in the clinch, despite Kristus's efforts to push away.

That's four minutes gone in the round.
Natto tried to land a shot to the body but connects with Kristus's elbow.
Natto throws a punch but it's blocked by Kristus.
Natto working on landing some head shots here - that one got through nicely.
Natto tries to stall but Kristus uses the opportunity to gain a better position.
Both fighters working to control the clinch.
Natto lands a body punch - he's looking to wear down Kristus.

Kristus breaks the clinch and we return to the middle of the mat.
Natto keeps the fight on the outside.

Kristus pushes Natto up against the cage in a clinch.
Fantastic stuff here - a very entertaining period of action, which has drawn cheers from the crowd.
The crowd thankful this round is nearly over.
Natto misses with a short punch on the inside.
Kristus is trying to break the clinch but Natto is controlling him.
Natto tries to stall but Kristus uses the opportunity to gain a better position.
Natto swings wildly with an uppercut but Kristus uses good head movement to avoid it.
And that’s the end of the round – the fighters go back to their corners.

Tetsuya Natto showed his class in that round. I'd imagine he'll take it on all the scorecards.
The cut man is working on Majmun Kristus's cut.
The fighters get back to their feet, the hooter sounds and we're back to the action! This is the final round!

Kristus tries to close the distance and clinch up but Natto swats him away and circles back towards the center.
Natto throws a hard body shot but it just misses.
Natto has been the more effective fighter overall so far.
Natto keeps Kristus at a distance using the push kick.
Majmun Kristus seems to be the more aggressive standup fighter in this bout.
Natto tries to land with a swinging hook to the body but Kristus was well out of range. Poor timing from Natto.
Kristus is looking to counter with a shot to the body.
Kristus on the wrong end of a nice low kick. He's acting like it's no big deal but he doesn't want to take many more of those.
Natto misses with a few strikes there.
Kristus tries to clinch but Natto moves away
and Natto counters with a slapping leg kick.
Kristus darts in trying to clinch
and Natto counters with a two punch combo.
Both fighters are breathing heavily.
We've had a slow start to the round here - hopefully the action picks up.
Natto connects with a solid leg kick.

That's one minute gone in the round.
Kristus takes a nice looking leg kick right on the meat of his thigh there.
Kristus tries to close the distance and clinch up against the cage but Natto paws at him with a jab and circles away.
Natto connects with a leg kick. He turned his hip over nicely there.
Kristus tries to clinch but fails miserably
and Natto makes him pay by landing a thudding low kick.
Kristus swings away with a body shot that misses
and Natto counters with a good low kick that Kristus was not able to check.
Kristus fails with an attempt to clinch.
A countering left hand to the body from Natto misses.
Kristus doesn't manage to clinch there - Natto circles away.
Kristus moves in looking to clinch but Natto pushes him off.

Kristus instigates a clinch.
Natto is working hard here but doesn't seem to be able to control effectively, up against the cage.
Natto tries to stall but Kristus uses the opportunity to gain a better position.

That's two minutes gone in the round.
Natto wants to stall.
Natto seems frustrated at his inability to get double underhooks.
Natto stalling in the clinch but Kristus improves position.

Kristus breaks the clinch.
Kristus tries to clinch up but Natto circles away and keeps his distance.
Kristus wants to clinch up but Natto keeps it at a distance.
Kristus closes the distance looking to clinch
and he gets countered with a snapping leg kick.
Kristus throws a series of strikes that have Natto backpedaling.
Natto throws a leg kick which misses Kristus's front leg but catches the back leg as Kristus tries to avoid it.
Kristus throws a wild combination but nothing lands.

That's three minutes gone in the round.
Kristus needs to keep his hands up - Natto had a free shot at his head there.
Natto keeps Kristus at a distance using the push kick.
Natto lands a head kick!
Natto has his head snapped back a nice jab. A little nod from Natto there as he acknowledges the shot.
Kristus throws a jab, cross combination which is slipped
and he gets countered with a snapping leg kick.

Kristus gets to the clinch - let's see what his plan is here.
Kristus pushes Natto back against the cage and lands a hook to the side of the head.
Natto misses with a body punch.
Kristus misses with a knee strike.
Kristus can't break the clinch.

That's four minutes gone in the round.
Kristus wants to break the clinch but can't.
Kristus pushes off an throws an elbow but Natto leans to the side and avoids it. We're back to clinching against the cage.

Kristus breaks from the clinch.
Kristus pushing out the jab but it's not landing.
Kristus is looking to take this fight into the clinch.
Kristus is looking to clinch.
Natto swings and misses with a hook to the body.
Majmun Kristus has stepped it up - he knows he needs a finish here!
Majmun Kristus is looking to throw some combinations by the looks of things.
Kristus thows a leg kick but Natto checks it
and Natto makes him pay by landing a thudding low kick.
We've seen a great period of action over the last minute or so - credit to both fighters for going all out!
Natto on the wrong end of an overhand right that came out of nowhere.
A big left from Kristus misses.
Tetsuya Natto is fighting for a decision - hopefully he's judged it right and he's actually winning the fight.

Kristus has managed to clinch.

And that's the end of the fight!
Tetsuya Natto comfortably won the final round on my scorecard.
I've got Natto winning every round here. Surely the decision will go his way and he'll pick up a well deserved decision victory. 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 Sosuke Kotani scores the fight 27:30
Judge Shirou Masuda scores the fight 27:30
Judge Yasuomi Hirokawa scores the fight 27:30

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