PBP Commentary

Coming up we have a lightweight MMA rules bout between Bong Ji Woo (ranked 285 p4p, 198 weight class) and Akaro Horiguchi (ranked 45 p4p, 36 weight class). Horiguchi is bouncing up and down as he enters the arena, backed by Japanese Imperial Army Death March. Buckle up people - heeeeeeeeeere we go!

Ji Woo
vs
Horiguchi

179 cm
32
162
21 - 8 - 0

176 cm
35
159
24 - 11 - 1

BJJ Red Belt
World class boxer
Insanely flexible

Good wrestler
World class MT
Good gas tank

Conviction
HELLBENT

Vegan Gains
Ma Balls Is Hot Clothing

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 21 - 8 - 0, fighting out of Los Angeles, Bong Ji Woo!
And introducing the fighter to my right, fighting out of the blue corner.
With a record of 24 - 11 - 1, fighting out of Sydney, Akaro Horiguchi!
The judges for this bout are Kenichi Hosakawa, Tatsuya Matsuyama and Yukihiro Shimada.

The bell rings for round one and we are underway!
Nice defenses there by Ji Woo.
Horiguchi fakes a jab and scores with a low kick.
Ji Woo takes a really solid shot there but just smiles back and shrugs his shoulders.
Horiguchi tries to clinch there but Ji Woo circles away.
Horiguchi looks to land a body kick but Ji Woo moved away.
Horiguchi scores with a jab to the head.
Horiguchi connects with a body shot that sends Ji Woo's belly button to the back.
Horiguchi lands a leg kick and bounces back out of range.
A swing and a miss from Horiguchi.
Ji Woo fakes a couple of low kicks, before throwing one on the third attempt. It connects and Horiguchi has to reset his feet before getting ready to engage.
Ji Woo scores with a jab to the jaw.
A big left from Ji Woo misses.
Horiguchi tries to score with a low kick but Ji Woo moves his leg out of the way.
Horiguchi throws a looping overhand right but Ji Woo ducks down to avoid it.
A telegraphed right hand from Horiguchi misses the target.
It appears Ji Woo was looking to counter with a kick there.
Wooooo! Give it up for these two warriors! They are putting on a show!
Ji Woo looking to throw a kick but he's pulled out of it.

That's one minute gone in the round.
Horiguchi uses good footwork to avoid the strikes from Ji Woo.
Horiguchi throws out a counter right but Ji Woo avoids it with no problem.
Ji Woo just misses with a punch to the body.
A leg kick checked by Horiguchi.
Horiguchi lands an overhand right.
Horiguchi avoids a kick to the body.
Horiguchi ducks low and lands a nice hook to the body of his opponent.
Horiguchi fakes a head punch and goes low to the body. Nicely done.
A jab lands there for Horiguchi.
Horiguchi lands with a right hand.
Ji Woo ducks under an overhand right and circles away with a smile on his face.
Ji Woo feinted there with a counter leg kick.
Horiguchi is looking to slow Ji Woo down with leg kicks.
Horiguchi lands with a good body shot.
Ji Woo moves out of range of the strikes.
Ji Woo looked to counter that last move with a leg kick but didn't pull the trigger.
Ji Woo misses with a looping left.
The fans in attendance giving it up for the two fighters, who have really let it all hang out in the last minute or so!
Ji Woo checks a leg kick.

That's two minutes gone in the round.
Horiguchi catches Ji Woo with a nice straight right. He seems pissed - ooooh, it's on now! On like donkey kong!
Ji Woo throws a poor cross that misses
enabling Horiguchi to counter with a crisp jab.
That kick from Horiguchi tenderised Ji Woo's leg. Ji Woo is trying to keep his angry face on.
Ji Woo wants to clinch.
Ji Woo slips under a jab.
Horiguchi tries a low kick but Ji Woo avoids it.
Horiguchi lands a powerful looking uppercut that connected with his opponent's jaw.
Horiguchi lands with a thumping leg kick.

Ji Woo closes the distance and clinches.
Horiguchi misses with a hook from the clinch.
Ji Woo misses with a punch to the body.
Ji Woo tries a body shot but Horiguchi blocks it.
Ji Woo managing to block the knees to the body from Horiguchi.
Ji Woo throws a punch but it's blocked by Horiguchi.
Horiguchi throws a punch but it's blocked by Ji Woo.

That's three minutes gone in the round.
Horiguchi lands with a short head shot on the inside.
Ji Woo lands a body shot in the clinch.
I was talking to Ji Woo's coach per-fight and he was telling me that they'd been working on the clinch in the runup to this fight.
Horiguchi lands with a right to the head.
Ji Woo working aggressively here.
Horiguchi lands a nice shot to the body.
Ji Woo gets through Horiguchi's defenses to land a nice punch to the side of the head.
Ji Woo misses with some punches.
Horiguchi lands with a short head shot on the inside.
An uppercut on the inside fails to land for Ji Woo.
Horiguchi misses with a short punch on the inside.
Ji Woo fails to pull guard.
Ji Woo tries a shoulder strike but it doesn't do any damage.
Ji Woo misses with a body punch.
Horiguchi lands a nice elbow from the clinch.
Horiguchi lands on the inside with an uppercut.
A short body shot lands from Ji Woo as the two fighters clinch.
This has been an exciting period of action!
Ji Woo lands an uppercut.
An uppercut on the inside fails to land for Horiguchi.
Horiguchi blocks a body shot from Ji Woo.
Horiguchi lands an elbow that stopped Ji Woo in his tracks for a moment.

That's four minutes gone in the round.
Ji Woo misses with a hook to the ribs.
Horiguchi swings wildly with an uppercut but Ji Woo uses good head movement to avoid it.
Horiguchi pushes off and fires off an elbow that misses, before clinching up again, against the cage.
Horiguchi lands a nice uppercut.

Ji Woo breaks the clinch and we're back to striking at distance.
Horiguchi misses with an uppercut. Ji Woo saw that one coming.
Horiguchi looks to throw the jab but Ji Woo is out of range.
Horiguchi lands a leg kick. The shin dug right into the meat of the thigh.
Horiguchi thows a left - swing and a miss!
Ji Woo takes a jab right on the nose. That must have hurt but he shrugs his shoulders and looks to return the favor.
Ji Woo loads up on a big right hand but Horiguchi slips the punch.
It seemed like Horiguchi was going to counter with the hook but didn't fully commit to it.
Ji Woo doesn't react quick enough there as he takes a shot to the body.
Horiguchi throws a hook but Ji Woo blocks it.
The crowd applaud the fighters' efforts here as the round comes to an end.
Ji Woo lands a kick to the ribs of his opponent. Nice work there - in and out in a flash.
Akaro Horiguchi seems to be the more aggressive standup fighter in this bout.
Ji Woo wants to clinch
and Horiguchi counters with a low kick, right behind Ji Woo 's knee.
And that is the end of the round. The fighters go back to their corners.

Akaro Horiguchi dominated that round.
That's time! Ji Woo's corner gives him a slap on the ass as he gets ready to fight.

Horiguchi takes one on the chin but seems OK.
Horiguchi pivots, looking for a leg kick but Ji Woo is out of range and Horiguchi settles back down.
Ji Woo looks to throw a body kick
and Horiguchi counters with a thumping low kick.
Ji Woo moves in looking to clinch but Horiguchi pushes him off.
Horiguchi throws a jab but it's blocked by Ji Woo.
As Horiguchi backs away, Ji Woo returns fire with a leg kick that just misses.
Horiguchi throws a leg kick but Ji Woo sees it coming and moves out of range.
Ji Woo throws a quick counter kick to the body but Horiguchi avoids it.
An inside leg kick lands from Horiguchi.
Ji Woo misses with a wild body shot.
Horiguchi throws a body kick that misses
and Ji Woo counters with a leg kick that reverborates around the arena.
Horiguchi throws a body punch but Ji Woo moves out of range.
We've had a slow start to the round here - hopefully the action picks up.
Horiguchi misses with a hook.
Ji Woo fires out a quick counter leg kick but Horiguchi just manages to avoid it.
A low kick lands for Ji Woo.
Horiguchi circles away from the clinch attempt
and Horiguchi counters nicely by changing levels and landing a hook to the body.

That's one minute gone in the round.
Ji Woo uses decent footwork to sidestep a right hand from Horiguchi.
Horiguchi tries to clinch but Ji Woo moves out of range.
Ji Woo appears to be looking for a counter punch to the body.
Horiguchi tries to land a leg kick but Ji Woo saw it coming and moves away.
Ji Woo throws a body kick that misses.

Ji Woo clinches up with Horiguchi and pushes him back against the cage.
A short right hand to the side of the head by Ji Woo.
Ji Woo lands with a light punch inside.
Ji Woo blocks the elbow strike.
Ji Woo stays in close to his opponent and throws a right hand to the body.
Ji Woo has a couple of punches blocked by Horiguchi.
Ji Woo tries to land a shot to the body but it's blocked.
Horiguchi blocks a couple of punches on the inside.
Horiguchi has been the more effective fighter overall so far.
Ji Woo goes for a body shot but it's blocked.
Ji Woo lands a nice looking hook to the body, against the cage.
Ji Woo misses with a punch to the body.
Horiguchi misses with a short punch on the inside.
Horiguchi pushes Ji Woo back against the cage and lands a hook to the side of the head.
Ji Woo blocking some punches.

That's two minutes gone in the round.
Horiguchi lands on the inside with an uppercut.
Ji Woo misses with the head strike.
The crowd are loving this. Great action here.
Horiguchi blocking some punches.
Ji Woo is hobbling a little on that front leg after taking quite a few leg kicks so far in this fight.
Ji Woo blocks a couple of punches on the inside.
Ji Woo stays in close to his opponent and throws a right hand to the body.
A head punch blocked on the inside by Horiguchi.
Ji Woo misses with a hook to the ribs.
Ji Woo tries to land a shot to the body but it's blocked.
Akaro Horiguchi seems to be working more effectively in the clinch in the fight so far.
Ji Woo lands a hook that snaps the head of Horiguchi backwards.
Ji Woo lands with a quick shot inside that doesn't really do much damage.
A short left from Ji Woo.
Horiguchi working some nice short punches in the clinch.
Horiguchi misses with a punch on the inside.
Ji Woo tries to throw a body punch but Horiguchi avoids it by throwing Ji Woo back against the cage.
Ji Woo blocks a punch to the side of the head.
A quick uppercut on the inside from Ji Woo.
A hook to the body from Horiguchi.
Ji Woo cracks Horiguchi with a nice body shot.
Ji Woo's head jolts backwards as he takes an uppercut right on the button!
Ji Woo makes some space for himself and lands an uppercut.

That's three minutes gone in the round.
Horiguchi prevents a body shot from Ji Woo.
Ji Woo lands with a right to the head.
Ji Woo tried to land a shot to the body but connects with Horiguchi's elbow.
A head punch blocked on the inside by Horiguchi.
Ji Woo blocks a punch to the side of the head.
Ji Woo can't find room to land a body shot as Horiguchi controls the action.
Horiguchi throws a punch but it's blocked by Ji Woo.

Horiguchi breaks the clinch.
Horiguchi avoids the body shot from Ji Woo.
Horiguchi scores with a slapping inside leg kick.
Horiguchi lands with a nice low kick. That'll leave a bruise.
Horiguchi scores with a jab to the head.
Nice defenses there by Ji Woo.
Horiguchi lands a straight punch to the body, keeping Ji Woo at a distance.
Ji Woo throws a body kick that misses.
Ji Woo throws an overhand right that lands on Horiguchi's shoulder, as Horiguchi tries to avoid the shot.
Horiguchi lands with an uppercut that bounces Ji Woo off the cage and back into range.

That's four minutes gone in the round.
Horiguchi takes a step towards his opponent and connects with a left hand, before circling away.
We've seen a great period of action over the last minute or so - credit to both fighters for going all out!
Horiguchi misses with an uppercut
and Ji Woo counters with a good right hand that lands right on the jaw.
A low kick lands for Horiguchi.
Horiguchi gets cracked with a nice right hand there by Ji Woo.
Horiguchi misses with a low kick.
Ji Woo fires out a quick counter leg kick but Horiguchi just manages to avoid it.
A low kick lands for Horiguchi.
Horiguchi misses with a body kick.
Horiguchi's corner calls for a 1-2. Horiguchi obliges with the 1 part as he scores the single shot and moves back out of range.
Ji Woo ducks down and throws a hook to the body but Horiguchi moves away.
Ji Woo scores with a sloppy right hand. Horiguchi should have avoided that one.
Horiguchi bobbing and weaving, closes the distance and lands a hook to the side of Ji Woo's head.
Horiguchi lands a jab to the nose.
Ji Woo tries to clinch up.
Horiguchi uses good footwork to avoid the strikes from Ji Woo.
And that is the end of the round. The fighters go back to their corners.

That was a close second round but I would say that Bong Ji Woo will probably get the nod.
OK. That's time! The bell goes and we're back to the action. This is the final round!

Horiguchi misses the jab.
Horiguchi tries to clinch but Ji Woo is having none of it.
Horiguchi slips under a jab from Ji Woo.
Horiguchi waving his hands out in front of him, looking to distract Ji Woo.
Ji Woo misses with a wild body shot.
Ji Woo throws a looping overhand right but Horiguchi ducks down to avoid it.
Horiguchi takes a nice looking leg kick right on the meat of his thigh there.
Horiguchi rushes in with a sloppy looking punch
and Ji Woo counters nicely by changing levels and landing a hook to the body.
Ji Woo defending well as Horiguchi loads up on a big left hand.
Horiguchi throws a body shot but no joy.
Ji Woo tried to counter with a leg kick but Horiguchi avoided it.
We've had a slow start to the round here - hopefully the action picks up.
Ji Woo uses decent footwork to sidestep a right hand from Horiguchi.
Ji Woo throws a body kick, spinning off balance
letting Horiguchi counter with a right hand.
Horiguchi swats away the attempt to clinch by Ji Woo.

That's one minute gone in the round.
Horiguchi drops his hands momentarily and Ji Woo takes advantage with a crisp shot to the head.
Ji Woo scores with a nice strike.
Horiguchi turns his hip over beautifully as he lands a nice leg kick.
Ji Woo cracks Horiguchi with an open hand slap.
Horiguchi throws an overhand right that lands on Ji Woo's shoulder, as Ji Woo tries to avoid the shot.
Ji Woo connects with a lovely jab that went straight through the gap between Horiguchi's hands.
Horiguchi misses with a leg kick.
Horiguchi swinging wildly here.
A good leg kick by Horiguchi.
Akaro Horiguchi seems to be getting the better of the standup.
Ji Woo's corner calls for a 1-2. Ji Woo obliges with the 1 part as he scores the single shot and moves back out of range.
Horiguchi's hands are dropping dangerously low here and Ji Woo connects clean with a right hook that sends him down to one knee! Horiguchi scrambles back to his feet.

Horiguchi is rocked!

That's two minutes gone in the round.
Wooooo! Give it up for these two warriors! They are putting on a show!
Ji Woo takes one on the button.

Ji Woo takes the fight into the clinch.
Horiguchi throws a blind hook that connects with the side of Ji Woos head.
Ji Woo swings away with an uppercut that misses.
Ji Woo lands with a left to the head.
Horiguchi blocks a punch to the side of the head.
Horiguchi tries to land knees in the clinch but Ji Woo avoids the damage to the body.
Ji Woo lands a left hand that snaps the head of Horiguchi backwards.
Horiguchi blocks an uppercut.
Ji Woo has a couple of punches blocked by Horiguchi.
Horiguchi misses with a hook from the clinch.
Horiguchi throws a punch but it's blocked by Ji Woo.
Ji Woo misses with a short punch on the inside.
Ji Woo blocking some punches.
Ji Woo fails to land with a short punch on the inside.

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

Ji Woo rushes Horiguchi and pushes him back against the cage in a clinch.

That's three minutes gone in the round.
Ji Woo is trying to pull guard but Horiguchi has him pressed against the cage.
Ji Woo fails to land with a short punch on the inside.
Ji Woo lands with a left to the head.
Ji Woo lands with a quick shot inside that doesn't really do much damage.
Ji Woo misses with a punch to the body.
Ji Woo lands a body shot.
Ji Woo avoids the elbow strike from Horiguchi, against the cage.
A short right hand to the side of the head by Ji Woo.
Ji Woo tries a body shot but Horiguchi blocks it.
Ji Woo fails to land with a short punch on the inside.
Horiguchi makes some space for himself and lands an uppercut.
Ji Woo tries to throw a body punch but Horiguchi avoids it by throwing Ji Woo back against the cage.
Horiguchi scores with an uppercut up the middle.
Horiguchi blocks an uppercut.
A head punch blocked on the inside by Horiguchi.
A short left from Horiguchi.
Ji Woo blocks a couple of punches on the inside.
Horiguchi throws an elbow but it's blocked.
Horiguchi looks to throw an elbow but misses.
This has been an exciting period of action!
Horiguchi throws a head punch that misses.

That's four minutes gone in the round.
Horiguchi working aggressively here.
Horiguchi swings wildly with an uppercut but Ji Woo uses good head movement to avoid it.
A head punch on the inside from Horiguchi fails to land.
Ji Woo misses with a hook from the clinch.
Ji Woo tries a body shot but Horiguchi blocks it.
Ji Woo misses with the head strike.
Ji Woo blocks a punch to the side of the head.
Ji Woo blocking some punches.
Ji Woo misses with a hook from the clinch.
Ji Woo lands with a good tight uppercut to the head.
Horiguchi lands a damaging elbow.
Horiguchi throws a head punch that misses.
Horiguchi prevents a body shot from Ji Woo.
Horiguchi working aggressively here.
Ji Woo goes for a body shot but it's blocked.
Ji Woo swings away with an uppercut that misses.
Horiguchi lands a nice knee to the body.
Both fighters are breathing heavily.
Ji Woo throws a head punch that misses.

And that's the end of the fight!
Bong Ji Woo showed his dominance in that final round.
I think Ji Woo 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 Kenichi Hosakawa scores the fight 28:29
Judge Tatsuya Matsuyama scores the fight 29:28
Judge Yukihiro Shimada scores the fight 29:28

In favor of your winner, by split decision... Bong Ji Woo!
Bong Ji Woo decided to go for the less than humble approach in his post fight interview, telling everyone how he is going to conquer the world. The crowd seemed to like it when really that sort of approach could have gone either way.