PBP Commentary

Coming up we have a welterweight MMA rules bout between Jesse Thomas Babcock (ranked 354 p4p, 565 weight class) and Nakagome Kakuzo (ranked 49 p4p, 79 weight class). Babcock kept the crowd waiting but all that was forgotten when his ring entrance music started. The incomparable musical genius that is 70. I can't wait for this one - let's get the fighter introductions out of the way and get this one started!

Babcock
vs
Kakuzo

177 cm
32
183
18 - 6 - 0

185 cm
25
180
15 - 10 - 0

Good wrestling
Solid boxing
Cardio machine

Excellent grappler
Good kicks
Good gas tank

Bondi MMA 🏝️

Northern Zombie
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Ladies and gentlemen. This fight is 5 rounds, for the welterweight championship of the world!
Introducing the champion to my left, fighting out of the red corner.
With a record of 18 - 6 - 0, fighting out of Amsterdam, Jesse Thomas Babcock!
And introducing the challenger to my right, fighting out of the blue corner.
With a record of 15 - 10 - 0, fighting out of Tokyo, Nakagome Kakuzo!
The judges for this bout are Joseph Jones, Bruno Lombardi and Eddie Farnsworth.

The bell rings for round one and we are underway!
Kakuzo swings widly with a right hand

and Babcock decides to take the opportunity to score a takedown. He's landed in Kakuzo's guard.
Babcock preventing the sweep.
Babcock with a couple of shots to the head there. Not particularly brutal.

Kakuzo looking for submissions from the bottom here. Moving his hips around, possibly looking for an armbar.

Kakuzo is looking for a triangle but Babcock pushes his legs off easily.
Babcock stopping the sweep attempt from Kakuzo.
The fighters are pressed up against the cage, both looking to find a bit of space to work.
Babcock scoring with punches to the head and body.
Babcock postures up.
Babcock cracks Kakuzo with a solid left hand.
Babcock wants to pass the guard but Kakuzo is keeping the position.
Babcock landing some decent shots from guard.
Babcock postures up and lands a big shot to Kakuzo's brow.
Babcock keeps in close for a moment and lands a decent shot to the side of Kakuzo's head.
Babcock definitely looks more muscular than last time we saw him fight.
Babcock tries to free his leg and advance position but Kakuzo is retaining full guard.
Babcock has to be careful here, sitting in the guard of a superior BJJ player.

That's one minute gone in the round.
Kakuzo is trying to control the position but Babcock postures up.
Kakuzo is working an open guard here, looking to improve his position. No doubt that will leave him open to counters but at least he's being more offensive.
Kakuzo throws a couple of shots from the bottom but they don't land.
Kakuzo trying to control the position.
Babcock lands a couple of decent looking shots.
Kakuzo is trying to control the position but Babcock postures up.
Babcock working some strikes from top position.
Kakuzo is trying to control the position from the bottom.

Kakuzo is looking for a triangle but Babcock pushes his legs off easily.
Kakuzo trying to keep a closed guard but Babcock is proving a slippery customer.
The fighters are going at a pretty good pace and they're both starting to sweat now.
Kakuzo looking to sweep here. No luck so far.

That's two minutes gone in the round.
Babcock trying to control the position from guard on top but Kakuzo is wriggling around, looking for whatever he can.

Kakuzo has his foot on Babcock's thigh. He's trying to push off and get in position for a triangle, I think. Babcock works his way back into a safe position though.

Kakuzo throws his legs up looking for a submission but Babcock uses it to pass to side control.
Kakuzo is looking for a sweep.
Kakuzo stops Babcock from passing to mount.
Babcock landing a few strikes.
Babcock tries to advance to mount but can't.
Babcock slows the pace down.
The ref warns both fighters not to hold the cage as they work up against the meshing.
Kakuzo is looking for a sweep.
Kakuzo is persisting with the attempt to improve his position.
Kakuzo stops Babcock from passing to mount.

That's three minutes gone in the round.
Babcock wants to lay and pray for a moment but Kakuzo keeps working.
Babcock grinds an elbow into Kakuzo's temple.
Kakuzo is trying to improve his position.
Babcock lands a knee to the body and follows it up with some ground and pound to the head. That will wear Kakuzo down.
Kakuzo is moving his hips around well on the bottom and has managed to get back to half guard.
Babcock wants to control but Kakuzo is keeping him busy.
Babcock is keeping good posture, landing some ground and pound.
The two fighters exchange a few words. I couldn't hear what they were saying but maybe it's more fun if you make it up yourself. Babcock connects with a nice short shot to Kakuzo's temple.
Babcock is pressing down on Kakuzo's thigh, looking to free his foot. Kakuzo is holding on for now.
Babcock wants to control but Kakuzo is keeping him busy.

That's four minutes gone in the round.
Kakuzo is looking to improve his position.
Babcock scoring with strikes to the body and head.
Kakuzo wants to get back to his feet.
Kakuzo wants to control but Babcock is keeping busy.
Babcock working the head and body with strikes.

Kakuzo looking to work for a kimura from the bottom.
The two fighters exchange a few words. I couldn't hear what they were saying but maybe it's more fun if you make it up yourself. Babcock connects with a nice short shot to Kakuzo's temple.
Babcock wants to pass the guard but Kakuzo is defending well.
Babcock is thwarting Kakuzo's attempts to control the position.
And that is the end of the round. The fighters go back to their corners.

Jesse Thomas Babcock dominated that round.
That's the end of the round. The referee orders the cornermen out of the cage so we can get back down to business.

Kakuzo changes levels and looks for a double leg takedown. Babcock tries to avoid it but Kakuzo manages to keep hold of a leg and drag Babcock to the ground. Babcock escapes though and pops straight back up to his feet.
Babcock gets cracked there but stands up to it.
Kakuzo tries to clinch but Babcock moves out of range.
Babcock takes a nice looking leg kick right on the meat of his thigh there.
Kakuzo is the aggressor but that punch slipped nicely by Babcock.
Babcock ducks under a wild hook from Kakuzo.
Babcock is really dominating this fight. Is there anything that Kakuzo can do to turn this around?
Babcock checks a low kick from Kakuzo.
Kakuzo cracks Babcock with a good jab.
Babcock misses with a body shot. Nice footwork from Kakuzo.
Kakuzo thows a leg kick but Babcock checks it

and Babcock counters with a nice double leg into side control. Kakuzo won't be happy with that.
Kakuzo tries to wriggle free to get back to his feet but he's given up his back! Oops.
The crowd are loving this. Great action here.
Kakuzo tries to escape the position - he's now mounted. Is that better or worse? Hard to tell!
Babcock scores with a couple of good head shots there.

That's one minute gone in the round.
Babcock prevents Kakuzo from getting the reversal.
Babcock trying to control but he's not successful this time.
Babcock lands a big shot there that rocks Kakuzo but he's holding on and managing to survive for now.
Babcock landing punches.
Kakuzo is desperately trying to improve his position but Babcock has a good base and remains in mount.
Kakuzo manages to regain half guard. Good work.
Kakuzo tries to roll over but Babcock keeps him under control.
The referee walks around the fighters to get a better view of the action. Babcock lands a nice short elbow.
Kakuzo is trying to maintain the position but Babcock is very close to passing his half guard.
Kakuzo tries to get to full guard but Babcock has control of the leg.

That's two minutes gone in the round.
Babcock works his foot free and advances to mount.
Kakuzo is desperately trying to improve his position but Babcock has a good base and remains in mount.
Babcock landing punches.
Babcock pausing momentarily but resumes with a couple of decent strikes that do a bit of damage.

Kakuzo is rocked!
Fantastic stuff here - a very entertaining period of action, which has drawn cheers from the crowd.
Babcock working Kakuzo over with strikes here.
Kakuzo is still in real trouble! Can Babcock finish him?
Jesse Thomas Babcock overall seems to be getting the better of the ground position in the fight so far.
Kakuzo is in all sorts of trouble here.
Kakuzo takes a big shot to the dome and his eyes have rolled back in his head! Babcock's killer instinct has kicked in as he finishes the fight with more strikes. Impressive finish.

Ladies and gentlemen, after 2:58 of round 2, we have a winner by way of TKO (Strikes). Jesse Thomas Babcock!
Jesse Thomas Babcock retains his welterweight title!
Our winner, Jesse Thomas Babcock, made sure he spent some time buttering up the crowd during his post fight interview, which will no doubt bring him a few more fans.