PBP Commentary

Coming up we have a light heavyweight MMA rules bout between Hiro Sho (ranked 0 p4p, 0 weight class) and Stan Best (ranked 0 p4p, 0 weight class). Fingers crossed for an exciting fight - I'm sure both fighters are looking for a nice under the table bonus!

Sho
vs
Best

185 cm
18
205 lbs
1 - 2 - 0

192 cm
22
200 lbs
1 - 2 - 0

BJJ Blue Belt
Counter striker
Cuts easily

BJJ Blue Belt
Brawler
Likes ground

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, Hiro Sho!
And introducing the fighter to my right, fighting out of the blue corner.
With a record of 1 - 2 - 0, fighting out of Tokyo, Stan Best!
The judges for this bout are Yuuki Gou, Sosuke Kotani and Yasuomi Hirokawa.

The bell rings for round one and we are underway!
Best scores with a nice one two combo and darts back out of range to avoid anything coming in the opposite direction.

It looks like Hiro Sho has been cut.
Sho has a takedown stuffed.
Best tries for a takedown but Sho circles away easily

and Sho counters with a takedown into full mount! That could mean trouble for Best!
Fantastic stuff here - a very entertaining period of action, which has drawn cheers from the crowd.
Best tries to hold on but Sho pushes him away.
Best is wriggling around trying to escape.
Sho tries to control but Best wriggling away.
Best looks out of his depth in this position - he's holding on tight.
The fighters are pressed up against the cage, both looking to find a bit of space to work.
Best is trying to escape the mount.
The ref warns both fighters not to hold the cage as they work up against the meshing.
Best wants to hold on but Sho pushes him away.

That's one minute gone in the round.
Best holds on to Sho as tight as he can, avoiding damage.
Best can't escape the position.
Best in a bad spot here, taking shots to the head.
Best can't escape the position.
Sho tries to control but Best wriggling away.
Best is looking to improve his position but Sho isn't that keen on the idea.
Sho breaks from Best's wrist control and lands an elbow.

That's two minutes gone in the round.
The crowd are showing their displeasure at the lack of action as loud boos ring out around the arena.
Best tries to reverse the position but Sho maintains control.
Best in a bad spot here, taking shots to the head.
Best is looking to improve his position but Sho isn't that keen on the idea.
Best looks gassed!
Sho looking to control and managing it successfully.
The fighters are starting to perspire pretty heavily.
Best tries to reverse the position but Sho maintains control.

That's three minutes gone in the round.
Best is trying to get to the cage to help him get back to his feet.
Best tries to get back to half guard but can't.
Best tries to lock up and control but Sho gives him a forearm to the face and pushes him away.
Best is in a horrible position here. Sho smacks him with another shot as he tries to escape the position.
Best is trying desperately to improve position.
Sho lands a shot to the body, followed up by a shot to the exposed head of his trapped opponent.
Best is looking to get to half guard.
Sho trying to control but Best is having none of it.

That's four minutes gone in the round.
Well. There's a bit of a lull in the action here and the crowd are starting to get restless.
Best really trying hard to get back to half guard here.
Best wants to control but Sho is having none of it.
Best really wants to buck Sho off and get back to his feet.
Sho trying to control but he's not successful this time.
Best working to try and regain half guard.
Best is writhing around trying to get back to his feet.
And that’s the end of the round – the fighters go back to their corners.

A close round but Stan Best will probably get the nod.
The cut man is working on Hiro Sho's cut.
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.

Sho shoots for a takedown but Best saw that one coming a mile off and avoided it easily.

Best clinches with his opponent.
Best taking a breather.

Best breaks from the clinch.
Best misses with a half-hearted attempt at a head kick.
Best shoots in for a double leg but Sho sprawls well. That's going to sap some energy.
Sho wants to clinch
and Best counters with a left to the body.
Best scores to the head and body with a nice combination!
A head kick by Best misses

and Sho counters by moving into the clinch.
Best wants to break the clinch but can't.
Both fighters are absolutely exhausted here.

Best successfully pulls guard.

That's one minute gone in the round.
Best seems keen to control Sho's posture.
Best is working the butterfly guard. He manages to land a nice scissor sweep and is now in half guard on the top. Nice move.
Best prevents Sho from improving his position.
Best lands strikes from half guard.
Sho tries to kick Best off but Best keeps his base steady and stays in half guard.
Sho is trying to defend against the ground and pound but Best scores with a couple of nice shots.
Sho taking some punishment here, with Best in his half guard.
Sho is trying to stand back up but Best is controlling him

That's two minutes gone in the round.
The crowd are starting to boo a lack of action.
Best slips a nice elbow through Sho's hands, connecting with Sho's forehead.
Best looks towards his corner to check for any instructions. The corner give him nothing to work with, so he cracks Sho with a short hammerfist. I guess that's as good as any advice he could get in this position.
Sho has hold of Best's hands but Best slips his arm to the side and lands an elbow.
Best drops an elbow to the side of Sho's head.
The referee walks around the fighters to get a better view of the action. Best lands a nice short elbow.
Sho keeping his head moving to avoid the ground and pound.
Best passes into side control, despite Sho's attempt to control the position.
Sho tries to contro but end up mounted... ooooh, that's bad.
Best has his opponent pinned against the cage, landing some nasty ground and pound that is really making a bit of a mess out of Sho's face.
The referee warns Sho that he has to improve his position here as he takes two more clean shots to the head.

That's three minutes gone in the round.
Best sitting in mount, just looking to control for the moment.
Sho wants to control but Best is having none of it.
Best putting on the heat here with some good ground and pound!
Best controlling from the full mount.
Best working Sho over with strikes here.
The crowd growing excited in anticipation of a finish here! Right on cue, Best cracks his opponent with a massive right hand that draws loud cheers!

That's four minutes gone in the round.
Well. There's a bit of a lull in the action here and the crowd are starting to get restless.
Best fakes a shot to the body and cracks his opponent in the head. Nice ground and pound there!
Best lands a big elbow.
Best is still in mount, landing shots to his trapped opponent. Sho can't stay in a position like this for much longer.

Best moves into side control, trying to work for a kimura. That looks painful! Will he finish!!?? No, Sho has worked his arm free - good work by Sho!
Best cracks Sho with a big elbow.
Best scores with a couple of short elbows.
Best cracks Sho with an elbow. That is naaassty.
Best works a knee to the body and follows up with a nice elbow to the head.
Best is looking to take a break and control but Sho is keeping him honest, looking to work from the bottom.
And that’s the end of the round – the fighters go back to their corners.

Stan Best showed his class in that round. I'd imagine he'll take it on all the scorecards.
The cut man is working on Hiro Sho's cut.
The referee calls time. The cornermen exit stage left and we're back to business. This is the final round!

Best throws a head kick that misses
and Sho counters with a flying knee. Nice.
Best clinches but Sho breaks the clinch
enabling Sho to counter with a crisp jab.
Best with a nice cross.
Best moves into range and throws a combination. A nice jab followed by a hook to the body.
Stan Best is looking to throw some combinations by the looks of things.
Sho shoots in but Best avoids the takedown attempt easily.
Sho swats away the attempt to clinch by Best.
Best circles away from the clinch attempt

and Best holds on and brings the fighters into a clinch.
Both fighters are breathing heavily.
Sho has hold of a leg and is looking for a trip takedown. Best avoids it nicely though and we remain in the clinch.

That's one minute gone in the round.
Best lands a right hand that snaps the head of Sho backwards.
Best lands with a short punch from the clinch.
A right handed body shot lands from Best.
Best stalls.

Best pushes off and circles away, back to the middle of the mat.
Best looks to land a combination. Sho sees it coming but can only parry a couple of the shots.

Best clinches with his opponent.

Best breaks the clinch.

Best drops down and drives through with a powerful takedown into guard.
Sho has momentary wrist control but Best slips an elbow through the middle.
Best prevents Sho from getting back to his feet.
Best loading up with the ground and pound but he's missing more than he's landing in this flurry.

That's two minutes gone in the round.
Best won't allow Sho to sweep him here.
Sho is trying to control the position but Best postures up.
Best works over Sho with some ground and pound from guard.
Best content to stall in guard here.

Sho working from the bottom, still in full guard. He's managed to get a loose triangle. Best doesn't seem to be doing much to defend here, obviously he feels comfortable in the position. Best manages to throw the legs off his shoulder and he's back into guard - no problem.

Well, the referee has seen enough. Neither fighter is active enough on the ground so he's stood them back up.
Sho closes the distance but Best moves to the side
letting Best counter with a right hand.
Best tries a switch kick but it misses it's target.

That's three minutes gone in the round.
Sho tries to land a front kick but Best steps back. That was a bit too telegraphed.
Sho avoids a kick to the body.
Sho on the wrong end of a decent looking cross there.
Best misses with a takedown
and Sho makes him pay by landing a nice hook to the body before moving out of range.
Hiro Sho has stepped it up - he knows he needs a finish here!
Best shoots in for a takedown - he's clinched up with Sho but Sho pushes him off and we're back to square one.
Best tries to clinch there but Sho circles away.
Best lands a nice looking kick to the body. Sho takes a step back to recover.
Sho lands with a shot to the body.

That's four minutes gone in the round.
The crowd are showing their displeasure at the lack of action as loud boos ring out around the arena.
Both fighters circling a little - Best finishes the exchange with a kick to the body.
Best misses with a head kick.
Sho wants to clinch up but Best keeps it at a distance.
No joy there for Best, who threw a few shots but didn't land.
Sho ducks down and throws a hook to the body but Best moves away.

Sho shoots in and bounces Best off the cage to secure the takedown into guard.
Sho stopping the sweep attempt from Best.

And that's the end of the fight!
Stan Best comfortably won the final round on my scorecard.
Well Best has outworked and out performed his opponent in all aspects of the game today. He was simply too good and the decision should be no more than a formality. 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 Yuuki Gou scores the fight 27:30
Judge Sosuke Kotani scores the fight 28:29
Judge Yasuomi Hirokawa scores the fight 27:30

In favor of your winner, by unanimous decision... Stan Best!