PBP Commentary

Coming up we have a light heavyweight MMA rules bout between God Sven (ranked 3147 p4p, 3964 weight class) and Michael Atherton (ranked 345 p4p, 407 weight class). This should be fireworks!

Sven
vs
Atherton

188 cm
25
220
1 - 0 - 0

183 cm
25
204
1 - 1 - 0

BJJ White Belt
Excellent boxer
KO power

Good wrestler
Counter fighter
Likes musicals

BANZAI COMBAT NUTRITION

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 - 0 - 0, fighting out of Tokyo, God Sven!
And introducing the fighter to my right, fighting out of the blue corner.
With a record of 1 - 1 - 0, fighting out of Tokyo, Michael Atherton!
The judges for this bout are Yukihiro Yamamoto, Yuuki Gou and Yukihiro Shimada.

The bell rings for round one and we are underway!
Atherton takes an uppercut right on the button but keeps his composure.

Atherton gets a double leg takedown into Sven's guard.
Sven 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.
Atherton chips away with some ground and pound.
Atherton preventing the sweep.
Sven looking to control.
Atherton throws a big right hand that misses.
Sven on his back here. We all know that wrestlers don't like being on their back so let's see if Sven tries to get out of the position.
Atherton in full guard, throwing the ground and pound. No damage this time.
Atherton cracks Sven with a solid left hand.
Atherton lands a couple of digs.
Sven knows he needs to get back to his feet asap. He's simply no match for Atherton on the ground.
We've had a slow start to the round here - hopefully the action picks up.
A big thud reverberates around the arena there as Atherton accidentally thumps the mat. Hopefully he's not broken his hand.
Atherton working some ground and pound from guard but it's not doing any damage.
Atherton throwing strikes from guard but Sven blocks nicely.

The referee has stepped in and called for a break in the action. We'll restart on the feet.
Atherton takes a hook to the side of the head. I wonder if that's got his ears ringing.

That's one minute gone in the round.
Good exchange - Sven coming out on top.
Sven lands a nice shot to the body.

Atherton changes levels and drives through with a really nice takedown into side control. Sven looks really pissed at himself for not defending that better.
Atherton creates some space and throws a big elbow, but Sven sees it coming and moves his head just enough to avoid the strike.
Sven wants to control but Atherton postures up.
Atherton has the superior BJJ but he's also working some ground strikes into his gameplan.
Atherton is working Sven over with some ground and pound from side control.
Sven is looking for a sweep.
The fighters are pressed up against the cage, both looking to find a bit of space to work.
Atherton in side control lands a decent elbow.
Sven definitely looks more muscular than last time we saw him fight.
Atherton remains in side control and seems content to stay there. It's a versatile position from which he can work both strikes and submissions, whilst maintaining that control, so maybe he'll sit here for a while.
Sven is positioning himself to get back to half guard.
In the pre-fight buildup videos we saw Atherton working his ground and pound in the gym.

That's two minutes gone in the round.
Atherton cracks Sven with an elbow. That is naaassty.
Atherton working the ground and pound from side control.
Sven is trying to control Atherton's posture but Atherton avoids it.
Sven is trying to get back to half guard.
Atherton is putting a hurting on Sven here, landing some big shots from side control.
Sven taking punishment in the form of punches.
Atherton lands a knee to the body and a forearm to the face.
Sven takes a big shot right to the temple there but he's taken it well.

That's three minutes gone in the round.
Sven avoids any damage from the ground and pound of Atherton.
Atherton lands a knee to the body and follows it up with some ground and pound to the head. That will wear Sven down.
Sven is looking to reverse the position.
Sven is not content to let Atherton control the position.
Atherton scores with a couple of nice shots to the head there. The referee takes a look at Sven to see if he's OK.
Atherton grinds an elbow into Sven's temple.
Sven tries to improve position but can't.

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.
Sven wants to control but Atherton postures up.
Sven is looking for a sweep.
Atherton working the body and head with strikes.
Atherton is putting a hurting on Sven here, landing some big shots from side control.
Sven tries to buck Atherton off but Atherton is having none of it.
Sven sneaks a leg under to get back to half guard.
Atherton scores with a couple of good hammerfists.
Atherton winds up and cracks Sven with a swinging punch to the side of the head.
Atherton working the head and body with strikes.
Sven keeping his head moving to avoid the ground and pound.
The ref warns both fighters not to hold the cage as they work up against the meshing.
The crowd thankful this round is nearly over.
Atherton working some ground and pound from close in. He's looking to maintain this position and strike for a while by the looks of things... although he'll probably advance to full mount in a minute now I've said that.
Atherton scoring with strikes to the body and head.
Atherton working over Sven with some ground and pound. Sven looks like he wants out of this position, which is understandable.
Sven tries to roll over but Atherton keeps him under control.
And that is the end of the round. The fighters go back to their corners.

Michael Atherton 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.

Sven lands with a right hand.
Sven throws a shot to the body.
Sven digs a good body shot into Atherton's ribs.
Atherton takes a jab right on the nose. That must have hurt but he shrugs his shoulders and looks to return the favor.
Atherton with poor footwork there. He got himself in a bit of a tangle, enabling Sven to score with a decent uppercut.
Sven misses with the combination.
We've had a slow start to the round here - hopefully the action picks up.
Sven lands a jab.

That's one minute gone in the round.
Nice straight punches there by Sven. You know Roy Jones Jr respects the hands of Sven.
Sven lands with a shot to the body.
Sven fakes a head shot and lands one to the body.

Atherton pushes Sven up against the cage in a clinch.

Atherton turns his back and goes for a hip toss. It's a bit messy but it gets the job done and Atherton manages to end up in side control.
Sven on the wrong end of some ground and pound.
Sven is positioning himself to get back to half guard.
Sven is working hard here to advance position.

That's two minutes gone in the round.
Atherton scoring with punches from side control.
Sven can't do much from the bottom here.
Sven takes an elbow right on the bridge of the nose and winces in pain.
This has been an exciting period of action!
Atherton trying to control the action but Sven is working from the bottom.
Sven is working to avoid the ground and pound but Atherton connects with a decent elbow.
Sven is sneaking out the side here. He's bucked Atherton off and has taken his back!

Sven is working really hard to secure the rear naked choke. Atherton defends successfully for a significant amount of time. Both fighters are looking very determined.

That's three minutes gone in the round.

Sven working for a choke but Atherton reverses nicely into Sven 's guard.
Sven is trying to control the position from the bottom.
Atherton is taking a break and basically stalling. The referee will not allow him to do that for long.
Atherton in full guard, throwing the ground and pound. No damage this time.
Atherton looking to sit in guard and control but Sven gets the butterfly guard and sweeps. He's now in the guard on the top.

That's four minutes gone in the round.
Atherton wants to get back to his feet but he's too absorbed in his own little project and Sven manages to pass to side control.
Sven wants to pass to mount but Atherton is defending the position.
Sven working to pass to mount. He's got his hand pressing down on Atherton's thigh. Atherton counters though and makes it back to full guard.
Sven trying to control but Atherton is working from the bottom.
And that is the end of the round. The fighters go back to their corners.

God Sven dominated that second round.
That's time! Back to the action! This is the final round!

Sven catches Atherton with a nice straight right. He seems pissed - ooooh, it's on now! On like donkey kong!
Sven lands with a shot to the body.
Sven keeps his opponent at a distance with a nice jab.
Atherton takes a jab on the nose. He smiles like he loves it and keeps coming.
Atherton takes a hook to the side of the head. I wonder if that's got his ears ringing.
Atherton takes a jab right on the kisser.
We've had a slow start to the round here - hopefully the action picks up.

Atherton moves into the clinch successfully.

Atherton gets the body lock takedown. After a quick scramble, Sven regains guard.
This is a great period of action - very entertaining stuff!
Atherton with a flurry of punches that miss.
Michael Atherton has got the better of the ground game so far.

That's one minute gone in the round.
Atherton with a flurry of punches that miss.
Atherton scoring with punches to the head and body.
Sven keeping moving, preventing Atherton from controlling successfully.
Atherton lands a couple of decent looking shots.
Atherton scoring with some ground and pound.
Atherton scores with a decent looking elbow strike.
Atherton content to strike from guard, landing some decent shots.
Atherton works over Sven with some ground and pound from guard.

The ref stands the fighters back up due to a lack of activity.
A left and a right from Sven both land. Nice combination.
Sven scores with a shot to the body.
Atherton tries to grapple but his opponent circles
and Sven counters with a quick right hand to the jaw.

That's two minutes gone in the round.
Sven digs a good body shot into Atherton's ribs.

Atherton manages to get an easy takedown there - catching Sven on his heels. He'll look to pass Sven's guard now, I'm sure.
Atherton trying to control the position from guard on top but Sven is wriggling around, looking for whatever he can.
Atherton landing with the ground and pound.

Sven looking for submissions off his back, moving his hips, looking for an opening.

Sven had isolated an arm as going for a kimura. Atherton defends it easily.

That's three minutes gone in the round.
Sven keeping moving, preventing Atherton from controlling successfully.
Sven 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.
Atherton scoring with punches to the head and body.

The referee has motioned to the fighters to stand back up.
Atherton darts in trying to clinch
and Sven counters with a straight right hand.

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.
Atherton doesn't react quick enough there as he takes a shot to the body.
God Sven is looking to keep the fight on the feet at all costs.
Sven scores with a shot to the body.
Sven thuds a left hand into Atherton's body.
Sven dips down and scores with a jab to the body.
Sven cracks Atherton with a good shot that sees him stumbling back into the cage.
Atherton on the wrong end of a decent looking cross there.
Sven dips down and scores with a jab to the body.
Sven lands with a two punch combination before moving back out of range.

Atherton is rocked!

And that's the end of the fight!
God Sven showed his dominance in that final round.
I think Sven 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 Yukihiro Yamamoto scores the fight 29:28
Judge Yuuki Gou scores the fight 29:28
Judge Yukihiro Shimada scores the fight 29:28

In favor of your winner, by unanimous decision... God Sven!