PBP Commentary

Coming up we have a featherweight MMA rules bout between Daichi Tanaka (ranked 3872 p4p, 3957 weight class) and Richard Cheese (ranked 259 p4p, 265 weight class). Daichi Tanaka has the edge in experience - let's see if he can make that count tonight.

Tanaka
vs
Cheese

166 cm
25
145
1 - 1 - 0

170 cm
25
145
1 - 0 - 0

Good takedowns
Counter fighter
Big heart

BJJ Blue Belt
Solid Muay Thai
Solid chin

Sakura Style

BANZAI COMBAT NUTRITION

Ladies and gentlemen. This fight is 3 rounds, in the featherweight division.
Introducing the fighter to my left, fighting out of the red corner.
With a record of 1 - 1 - 0, fighting out of Tokyo, Daichi Tanaka!
And introducing the fighter to my right, fighting out of the blue corner.
With a record of 1 - 0 - 0, fighting out of Tokyo, Richard Cheese!
The judges for this bout are Taro Takaoka, Yuuki Gou and Shigeki Sano.

The bell rings for round one and we are underway!
Cheese tries to clinch but Tanaka is having none of it.

Cheese darts in and clinches Tanaka up against the cage.
Knees in the clinch landing for Cheese.
Tanaka fails to pull guard.
Cheese trying to control the position but instead, Tanaka has worked for underhooks and has pushed Cheese into the cage.

Tanaka jumps guard.
Cheese preventing the sweep.
Tanaka manages to sweep nicely, so he's now on top. Cheese manages to get himself to full guard.

Cheese keeping full guard, as Tanaka tries to pass.
We've had a slow start to the round here - hopefully the action picks up.
Tanaka is stalling in the full guard.

That's one minute gone in the round.
Tanaka works a leg free and moves into half guard.
Tanaka prevents Cheese from improving his position.
Tanaka keeping composed on the top, looking to control the action.
Tanaka has controlled the position for a good 20 seconds, which will no doubt be starting to frustrate his opponent.
Tanaka slips a nice elbow through Cheese's hands, connecting with Cheese's forehead.
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. Tanaka connects with a nice short shot to Cheese's temple.

Tanaka moves into side control, avoiding a weak kimura attempt from Cheese.
We've been hearing that Tanaka has been drilling a lot of ground and pound in training, so let's see if he get the finish.
The fighters are pressed up against the cage, both looking to find a bit of space to work.

That's two minutes gone in the round.
Cheese takes an elbow right on the bridge of the nose and winces in pain.
Tanaka has knee on belly and moves into mount.
Tanaka raining down hammerfists from mount.
Cheese is working to get back to half guard.
Cheese tries to lock up and control but Tanaka gives him a forearm to the face and pushes him away.
Tanaka controlling from mount.
Cheese flailing away with punches but nothing is landing.

That's three minutes gone in the round.
Tanaka controlling the position easily from mount.
Cheese really doesn't want to stay on the ground with Tanaka. If he can't get it back to his feet, it's only a matter of time before he'll be tapping out.
Tanaka unloading with bombs!
Tanaka content just to control the position here.
Cheese flailing away with punches but nothing is landing.
Tanaka controlling from mount.
The ref warns both fighters not to hold the cage as they work up against the meshing.
Tanaka seems to have a rather negative gameplan on the ground. He seems keen to just score the takedown and hold down Cheese for as long as he can get away with.

That's four minutes gone in the round.
Cheese is looking to get back to his feet - it's going to be hard from this position.
Tanaka breaks from Cheese's wrist control and lands an elbow.
Tanaka sitting in mount, just looking to control for the moment.
Tanaka lands a shot to the body, followed up by a shot to the exposed head of his trapped opponent.
The crowd thankful this round is nearly over.
Cheese is looking to get to half guard.
Cheese is persisting with the attempt to improve his position.
And that is the end of the round. The fighters go back to their corners.

Daichi Tanaka dominated that round.
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.

Tanaka misses with an uppercut.
Cheese moves in looking to clinch but Tanaka pushes him off.
Tanaka half commits to a counter takedown before pushing away, out of range.
Tanaka is really dominating this fight. Is there anything that Cheese can do to turn this around?
Tanaka swings for the body but Cheese moves out of range.
Cheese wants to clinch

and Tanaka counters with a single leg into guard. Cheese didn't expect that.
Cheese has momentary wrist control but Tanaka slips an elbow through the middle.
Cheese wants to stand and escape but Tanaka is having none of it.
Tanaka has been looking to land a fair amount of strikes on the ground. He might be looking to soften his opponent up in order to work for a submission.
Tanaka is intent on slowing down the pace of the fight, simply looking to control.
Tanaka slips effortlessly into side control - very nice.
We've had a slow start to the round here - hopefully the action picks up.
Tanaka staying calm.
Tanaka landing with strikes to the head and body from side control.

That's one minute gone in the round.
Tanaka controlling the position from side mount.
Tanaka scores with punches from side control.
Tanaka working away.
Cheese is trying to escape the position but Tanaka is controlling the position.
Cheese pushes Tanaka away and creates a bit of space to escape. He's almost out here... but no, Tanaka gets a good hold of his legs and remains firmly in side control.
Tanaka working the ground and pound.
Tanaka content to control the pace. The referee will try and keep them active though.

That's two minutes gone in the round.
A few boos can be heard. I'm sure they will multiply if the fighters don't pick up the pace.
Tanaka continues to stall.

That's three minutes gone in the round.
Tanaka advances nicely into full mount.
Tanaka controlling his opponent.
Tanaka's ground tactics aren't going to win him many fans. Let's hope he's got fireworks for us if he gets back to his feet because he's not doing much on the ground.
Cheese tries to hold on but Tanaka postures up.
Tanaka controlling from mount.
Cheese wants to hold on but Tanaka pushes him away.
Tanaka landing shots from mount.

That's four minutes gone in the round.
Tanaka content just to control the position here.
This is a sustained period of stalling by Tanaka.
Tanaka raining down shots from the mount!
Tanaka working away from the top, dropping strikes.
Tanaka controlling from mount.
Boooooooooooooooooooo!!! God, this has been a terrible round. Come on you two, sort yourselves out!
Tanaka cracks Cheese with a nasty head shot there - the crowd let out an audible gasp there, as the noise reverberated around the arena.
And that is the end of the round. The fighters go back to their corners.

Daichi Tanaka dominated that second round.
That's time! Tanaka's corner gives him a slap on the ass as he gets ready to fight. This is the final round!

Tanaka tries a head kick but it misses.
Cheese wants to clinch up but Tanaka keeps it at a distance.
A left lands for Tanaka.
Cheese tries to close the distance and clinch up but Tanaka swats him away and circles back towards the center.
Cheese tries to close the distance and clinch up against the cage but Tanaka paws at him with a jab and circles away.
Cheese takes a swing at Tanaka's ribcage but misses.
Cheese tries to clinch up but Tanaka circles away and keeps his distance.

Cheese closes the distance and presses his opponent up against the cage.
We've had a slow start to the round here - hopefully the action picks up.
Cheese lands a left hand that snaps the head of Tanaka backwards.

Tanaka jumps into guard, dragging Cheese to the mat.
Tanaka is pulling down on Cheese's head. It's preventing any offense from Cheese, at least for the moment.
Tanaka utilising some decent striking defenses from the guard, preventing the ground and pound.

That's one minute gone in the round.
Tanaka controlling the position.
There's a bit of a scramble here and now Tanaka is on top in guard.

Cheese trying to control the position.
Tanaka is just sitting in guard, looking to avoid any submissions.
Tanaka in full guard, throwing the ground and pound. No damage this time.

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.
Tanaka content to stall in guard here.
Tanaka is standing up over Cheese. Cheese looks to escape but Tanaka dives into side control.

Tanaka is in a dominant position here, looking for a kimura. Cheese looks calm but he's in trouble here. Tanaka gets his leg over his opponent's head and yanks on the arm. Cheese is tapping like a morse code operator on the titanic! SOS! SOS! Tanaka lets go of the hold and Cheese can pop his arm back in it's socket.

Ladies and gentlemen, after 2:47 of round 3, we have a winner by way of Submission (Kimura). Daichi Tanaka!