PBP Commentary

Coming up we have a lightweight kickboxing rules bout between Makunouchi Ippo (ranked 6995 p4p, 549 weight class) and Tae Shik Cha (ranked 4284 p4p, 441 weight class). Ippo comes to the cage accompanied by Indestructible. Cha is bobbing his head along to his entrance song: Disturbed - Decadence. Both fighters look fresh as a daisy as they make their way towards the cage.

Ippo
vs
Shik Cha

173 cm
39
153 lbs
30 - 12 - 0

178 cm
27
162 lbs
12 - 8 - 0

World class boxer
Insanely flexible

World class MT
Granite chin

Arcticus University: London

Ladies and gentlemen. This fight is 3 rounds, in the lightweight division.
Introducing the fighter to my left, fighting out of the red corner.
With a record of 30 - 12 - 0, fighting out of Tokyo, Makunouchi Ippo!
And introducing the fighter to my right, fighting out of the blue corner.
With a record of 12 - 8 - 0, fighting out of London, Tae Shik Cha!
The judges for this bout are Chris Edwards, Daniel Bishop and Sam Margolis.

The bell rings for round one and we are underway!
Ippo moves out of range of the strikes.
Cha uses good footwork to get in and out, landing a nice hook.
A slow jab from Ippo misses its intended target.
Cha swings for the body but Ippo moves out of range.
Ippo connects with a high kick.
Cha misses the jab.

Cha tries to keep at a distance but Ippo has taken the fight into the clinch.
Cha tries to break the clinch but Ippo is controlling the position.
Cha has had enough of the clinch and is looking to separate.
Ippo's corner are urging him to control the action in the clinch for a moment, rather than mount any serious offense. I'm sure the crowd appreciate those instructions... not.
With the fighters clinched against the cage, Ippo creates a bit of distance for himself and scores with a nice uppercut.
We've had a slow start to the round here - hopefully the action picks up.
A frustrated look appears on Cha's face as he tries to break the clinch.
Cha avoiding damage as Ippo throws knees to the body.
Ippo lands a right hand that snaps the head of Cha backwards.
Ippo misses with a punch on the inside.

That's one minute gone in the round.
Ippo misses the knee to the body. Nice hip positioning from Cha.
Cha looks more muscular than last time we saw him. He must have been on the weights.
Cha blocks a knee to the body. He'll have a nicely bruised forearm in the morning.
Cha tries to throw a body punch but Ippo avoids it by throwing Cha back against the cage.
Ippo utilising his Muay Thai to score with a knee to the body.
Ippo lands with a short head shot on the inside.
A nice right hand lands inside from Ippo.
Cha tried to land a shot to the body but connects with Ippo's elbow.
Ippo throws a vicious knee straight up the middle but Cha blocks it with crossed arms.
Ippo lands with a short head shot on the inside.
Ippo is looking to score with knees to the body. Maybe he'll change it up and go body then head. Cha is defending well for now.
Cha working hard to break the clinch.
Ippo using the Thai clinch to land knees to the body.
Cha blocks an uppercut.
Ippo tries to land a knee to the head but Cha blocks with his arms.
Ippo working some nice short punches in the clinch.
A short uppercut from Ippo.
We've seen a great period of action over the last minute or so - credit to both fighters for going all out!
Ippo throws a vicious knee straight up the middle but Cha blocks it with crossed arms.
Ippo is trying to stall.

That's two minutes gone in the round.
Cha is trying to break the clinch but Ippo has him pressed against the cage.
Ippo working some nice short punches in the clinch.
An uppercut on the inside fails to land for Ippo.
Cha misses with a punch to the body.

Cha breaks the clinch and we return to the middle of the mat.
Cha rushes in with a sloppy looking punch
and Ippo counters with a nice uppercut.
Cha fakes high and swings low for a body shot but Ippo manages to avoid it.
Ippo clobbers Cha with an overhand right that has the crowd gasping. That made a horrendous noise.
No joy there for Cha, who threw a few shots but didn't land.
Cha drops his hands momentarily and Ippo takes advantage with a crisp shot to the head.
Ippo lands with a kick to the temple. Cha shrugs as if to say "is that all you've got?"
Ippo slips under a jab.
Ippo tries to clinch up but Cha circles away and keeps his distance.
Cha takes a jab on the nose there. A little bit of blood seems to be coming out. Hopefully that won't affect his breathing.
The crowd applaud the fighters' efforts here as the round comes to an end.
Cha's hands are dropping dangerously low here and Ippo connects clean with a right hook that sends him down to one knee! Cha scrambles back to his feet.
And that’s the end of the round – the fighters go back to their corners.

Makunouchi Ippo dominated that round.
That's time! Ippo's corner gives him a slap on the ass as he gets ready to fight.

Ippo tries to close the distance and clinch up against the cage but Cha paws at him with a jab and circles away.
Nice uppercut there from Cha.
Good leg kick by Ippo there. It's the ones that make that thud noise that hurt and that was an almighty thud.
Cha misses the shot to the body.
Cha throws a monster uppercut resembling something out of street fighter but it doesn't land.
The fighters circling - Cha throws out the jab but it was never going to land.
Ippo seems to be moving with more speed, compared to his last bout. He must have been working on that in the gym.
Ippo connects with an inside leg kick.
Ippo connects with a looping left hand that seems like it dazed Cha momentarily.

Ippo instigates a clinch.
Cha blocks a punch to the side of the head.

Cha breaks the clinch.
We've had a slow start to the round here - hopefully the action picks up.

Ippo moves into the clinch.
Ippo tries to land a knee to the head but Cha blocks with his arms.
Cha doesn't land with the attempted body shot.
Ippo working aggressively here.
Makunouchi Ippo has scored more points in the clinch so far.
Ippo is looking to score with knees to the body. Maybe he'll change it up and go body then head. Cha is defending well for now.
Ippo scores with a shot to the side of Cha's head.

That's one minute gone in the round.
Cha goes for a body shot but it's blocked.
Cha swings away with an uppercut that misses.
Ippo throws a vicious knee straight up the middle but Cha blocks it with crossed arms.
Ippo tries to land knees in the clinch but Cha avoids the damage to the body.
Ippo gets through Cha's defenses to land a nice punch to the side of the head.
A left hand lands to the body for Cha.
Cha throws a hook to the body. More of an arm punch but it's all scoring with the judges.

Cha pushes off and circles away, back to the middle of the mat.
Cha throws an overhand right that lands on Ippo's shoulder, as Ippo tries to avoid the shot.
Cha lands a straight punch to the body, keeping Ippo at a distance.
Cha missing with a left hand there. Ippo was out of range so wasted energy throwing that one.
It looked like Ippo wanted to counter with a hook but didn't fully commit.
Ippo keeping a good distance there, avoiding the body shot.
Ippo fakes with a right hand and throws a good leg kick, right into the thigh. That had to hurt Cha.
Ippo lands with a right hand.
Makunouchi Ippo seems to be the more aggressive standup fighter in this bout.
Ippo throws a nice outside leg kick.
Cha throws a shot from downtown. Ippo moves away and avoids it.

That's two minutes gone in the round.
Ippo blocks a jab.
Ippo goes for a high kick. It partially lands.
Fantastic stuff here - a very entertaining period of action, which has drawn cheers from the crowd.
Ippo takes a jab right on the kisser.
Ippo uses good footwork to avoid the strikes from Cha.
Makunouchi Ippo is winning the standup battle so far.
Ippo swings and misses with a hook to the body.
A decent looking cross lands there for Ippo.
Ippo is really dominating this fight. Is there anything that Cha can do to turn this around?
Cha swings wildly with a right hand that was never going to find it's target.
Cha misses with a two punch combination.
Ippo wants to take advantage of his opponent's missed offense by moving into the clinch.
Ippo moves in looking to clinch but Cha pushes him off.
Ippo dances in quickly and lands a nice inside leg kick on Cha. That did some damage!
Both fighters circling a little - Ippo finishes the exchange with a kick to the body.
Ippo lands with an overhand left.
Ippo staying out of range there.
The crowd applaud the fighters' efforts here as the round comes to an end.
Cha walks into a left hand.
And that’s the end of the round – the fighters go back to their corners.

Makunouchi Ippo dominated that second round.
The fighters' corners scream their final instructions, as the referee calls time. Here we go, back to the action! This is the final round!

Cha fails in his attempt to clinch.
Ippo fakes with a right hand and throws a good leg kick, right into the thigh. That had to hurt Cha.

Ippo fakes with an overhand right and moves in to clinch with Cha, pushing him back against the cage.
Cha tries to circle away but Ippo has him pinned against the cage.
Ippo wants to stall.
Cha tries to land a shot to the body but it's blocked.
Ippo with a knee to the head.
Cha wants to break the clinch but can't.
Cha is trying to work out of this bad position, with his back against the cage.
Cha tries to land a shot to the body but it's blocked.
Ippo misses with some punches.
We've had a slow start to the round here - hopefully the action picks up.
Cha takes a knee right on the jaw!
Ippo is trying to maintain a safe position but Cha gets an underhook and turns Ippo into the cage.

Cha breaks the clinch.
Cha takes one on the button.
Cha lands with a cross to side of his opponent's head.

That's one minute gone in the round.
Cha avoids a punch combination nicely.
Ippo scores with a crisp jab that stopped Cha in his tracks.
Ippo looking to land some kicks to the body here.
A looping hook to the body misses from Ippo. Cha does a little dance to reset his feet.
Cha throws a nice looking combination but Ippo bobs and weaves to avoid any damage.
Ippo gets off balance looking for a body kick
and Cha counters with a lovely shot to the body.
Ippo tries a head kick but it misses.
A slow jab from Ippo misses its intended target.
Cha bobs and weaves and throws out a fast jab that snaps Ippo's head backwards.
Cha slips in close and lands a nice hook before moving back out of range.

Ippo clinches up with Cha and pushes him back against the cage.
Ippo lands a good knee to the midsection. Cha won't want to take too many of those.
The crowd are loving this. Great action here.
Cha wants to strike at distance but he can't break free of the clinch.

That's two minutes gone in the round.

Cha escapes the clinch and we're back to striking.

The fight moves into the clinch position.
Cha working some nice short punches in the clinch.
Cha misses with a body punch.
Cha managing to block the knees to the body from Ippo.
Cha has had enough of the clinch but Ippo keeps him there for the moment.
Cha misses with a punch to the body.
With the fighters clinched against the cage, Ippo creates a bit of distance for himself and scores with a nice uppercut.
Cha blocks a knee to the body. He'll have a nicely bruised forearm in the morning.
Cha tries to work over Ippo's body with a swooping hook but it only glances the target.
Ippo blocks an uppercut.
Ippo has a couple of punches blocked by Cha.
Ippo lands a shoulder strike.
Cha blocks a knee to the body. He'll have a nicely bruised forearm in the morning.
Ippo misses the knee to the body. Nice hip positioning from Cha.
Ippo looking to throw knees to the head but Cha is blocking nicely.

And that's the end of the fight!
Makunouchi Ippo showed his dominance in that final round.
Well Ippo has outscored his opponent in every aspect of the fight today. Only a scarily incompetent judge or two will keep him from a well deserved win... 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 Chris Edwards scores the fight 30:27
Judge Daniel Bishop scores the fight 30:27
Judge Sam Margolis scores the fight 30:27

In favor of your winner, by unanimous decision... Makunouchi Ippo!
A very excited looking Makunouchi Ippo made sure he remembered to thank all the fans both in the arena and on the internet. He said all the coolest people spend all day on MMA websites, which got a big reaction.