PBP Commentary

Coming up we have a lightweight MMA rules bout between Matt Craun (ranked 0 p4p, 0 weight class) and Takihashi Ono (ranked 0 p4p, 0 weight class). Craun kept the crowd waiting but all that was forgotten when his ring entrance music started. The incomparable musical genius that is Smoke That Kush. Both fighters look fresh as a daisy as they make their way towards the cage.

Craun
vs
Ono

175 cm
22
162 lbs
1 - 0 - 0

174 cm
24
160 lbs
6 - 3 - 0

BJJ Blue Belt
Basic striking
Good chin

Dangerous GnP
Basic striking
Solid chin

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 1 - 0 - 0, fighting out of Rio de Janeiro, Matt Craun!
And introducing the fighter to my right, fighting out of the blue corner.
With a record of 6 - 3 - 0, fighting out of Rio de Janeiro, Takihashi Ono!
The judges for this bout are Matheus Silva, Mauricio Rocha and Paulo Santos.

The bell rings for round one and we are underway!
Craun misses with a jab and misses with a cross straight after too.

Ono closes the distance and scores a nice trip takedown into half guard. Craun did well to prevent Ono getting side control.
The ref warns both fighters not to hold the cage as they work up against the meshing.
Craun won't allow Ono to pass to mount.
Craun tries to get to full guard but Ono has control of the leg.
Ono passes to full mount!
Ono scores with a couple of good head shots there.
Craun tries to hold on but Ono pushes him away.
Ono controlling the position easily from mount.
Ono has the superior BJJ but he's also working some ground strikes into his gameplan.
Ono avoids the attempt from Craun to control.
Ono with shots to the head and body - Craun looks very uncomfortable down there.

That's one minute gone in the round.
Ono has his opponent pinned against the cage, landing some nasty ground and pound that is really making a bit of a mess out of Craun's face.
Ono controlling the position easily from mount.
Craun tries to hold on but Ono pushes him away.
Ono controlling the position easily from mount.
I looks like Ono might be adopting somewhat of a lay and pray gameplan here, which I'm sure won't go down too well with the paying fans in attendance... Or the ring announcers come to think of it.
Ono wants to control the pace but Craun is squirming around nicely.

That's two minutes gone in the round.
The crowd are starting to boo a lack of action.
Ono controlling from mount.
Craun is writhing around trying to get back to his feet.
Craun is looking to improve his position but Ono isn't that keen on the idea.
Craun is really trying hard to get back to his feet.
Ono controlling the position easily from mount.
Ono trying to control but Craun is having none of it.

Despite being in the dominant position, Takihashi Ono just isn't active enough and the referee decides to stand the fighters back up.
Craun lands a jab followed by a nice looking cross.

That's three minutes gone in the round.

Ono scores a takedown into full mount!
Craun can't escape the position.
The fighters are starting to perspire pretty heavily.
Craun is writhing around trying to get back to his feet.

Ono stands up from the dominant position. He obviously fancies his chances standing.
Ono changes levels and looks for a double leg takedown. Craun tries to avoid it but Ono manages to keep hold of a leg and drag Craun to the ground. Craun escapes though and pops straight back up to his feet.
Ono looks gassed!
Ono throws a looping left and ducks down for a takedown. He's got his arms around Craun's waist but Craun gets an underhook and avoids the takedown by throwing Ono off to one side.
Craun shoots and misses

and Ono counters with a shoot takedown. Craun fights it but they end up in guard.
Ono trying to control the position from guard on top but Craun is wriggling around, looking for whatever he can.
Ono's corner is telling him to maintain position.
Ono wants to control from the top but Craun keeps moving.
Ono is fighting to break Craun's control of his arms but Craun is doing a good job of controlling the position at the moment.
Craun is trying to control the position but Ono postures up.

That's four minutes gone in the round.
Craun is adopting a defensive guard.
Both fighters really going for it on the ground here!
Craun working a defensive guard but Ono passes into half guard.
Ono wants to control but Craun is keeping him busy.
Craun is controlling Ono's trapped leg to prevent Ono from advancing to side control.
Ono stops Craun from getting back to his feet.
Ono wants to pass to mount but Craun is defending the position.
Ono looks over to his corner - he wants some instructions but his corner are not responding.

Craun actively working from the bottom here.
And that’s the end of the round – the fighters go back to their corners.

Takihashi Ono 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.

Ono shoots and misses

and Craun counters with a nice double leg into guard.
Craun stands up out of Ono's guard for a moment - Ono manages to land a nice upkick.
Craun trying to control but Ono is working from the bottom.
Ono is trying to control the position from the bottom.
Ono is adopting a defensive guard.
Ono is trying to control the position from the bottom.
Both fighters are absolutely exhausted here.
Craun sitting in guard here, content to control.

That's one minute gone in the round.

Well, the referee has seen enough. Neither fighter is active enough on the ground so he's stood them back up.
Craun with a poor takedown

so Ono counters with a double leg into guard. Good agility.
Ono slows down the pace of the fight, as he sits in guard.
Craun controls Ono momentarily but Ono frees himself.
Ono has decided he wants to stand but the closed guard of Craun is proving hard to escape from.
Ono wants to pass the guard but Craun is keeping the position.
Ono trying to control but Craun is working from the bottom.
Ono trying to stand up but can't free himself from Craun's guard.

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

It looks like we're going to have a standup here. Neither fighter is doing enough on the ground.

Craun shoots in for a takedown and gets it.

Craun stands up out of the half guard.
Ono doesn't succeed with the takedown

and Craun counters with a nice double leg into guard.
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!
Craun trying to control the position from guard on top but Ono is wriggling around, looking for whatever he can.
Ono seems keen to control rather than go for a submission, at least for now.

That's three minutes gone in the round.

Craun is holding a leg here, probably looking for an ankle lock - he drops back and goes for it! Ono is in trouble! Is it all over??? No! Ono has escaped and now he's on top!
Craun tries to land a sweep but no joy.
Craun being controlled here, momentarily.
Craun tries to land a sweep but no joy.

Craun looking for submissions from the bottom but instead Ono passes into half guard.
Ono with a momentary lay and pray from half guard.

That's four minutes gone in the round.
Craun trying to control here.
The fighters are pressed up against the cage, both looking to find a bit of space to work.
Ono perhaps working for something from half guard, or maybe not. It looks like he's just sitting there.
Craun controlling the leg, holding on to half guard.
Ono content to control rather than advance.
The crowd applaud the fighters efforts here as the round comes to an end.
Ono wants to stand but Craun has hold of a leg and an arm, so he's trapped for now.
And that’s the end of the round – the fighters go back to their corners.

Matt Craun dominated that second round.
OK. That's time! The bell goes and we're back to the action. So, we enter the final round. Let's see if either fighter can bring us a finish, or whether we're going to the judges scorecards.

Craun closes the distance looking to clinch

and Ono counters with a nice double leg into half guard.
Craun is trying to get back to full guard.
Ono is thwarting Craun's attempts to control the position.
Ono controlling the action here.
Ono not landing any meaningful shots this time.

That's one minute gone in the round.
Craun is trying to get back to full guard.
Both fighters are breathing heavily.
Craun is staying active underneath Ono, who seems content to just control the action from this position.

The referee has ruled that neither fighter is active enough on the ground and has stood them back up.

Ono decides to change it up a bit and drives through with a nice takedown into half guard.
Craun trying to control from the bottom.
Ono trying to control the pace.
Craun trying to hold on to Ono's head to control him but Ono postures up.
Craun is trying to get back to full guard.
Craun is trying to control but can't.

That's two minutes gone in the round.
Craun has hold of Ono's hands but Ono slips his arm to the side and lands an elbow.
Craun is doing well to control the position and prevent Ono from advancing to side control.
Ono keeping composed on the top, looking to control the action.
Craun is doing well to avoid being mounted. He's controlling the position at the moment.
Craun wants to get back to full guard.
Ono controlling the action here.

Ono is thinking about going for an arm triangle but he can't free his leg.
Craun wants to get back to full guard.

That's three minutes gone in the round.
Ono is working hard to pass the guard. He's done it - he's now in full mount! Trouble for Craun!
Craun reaches up to try and control the position but Ono seems to have an arm triangle now! Uh oh! Craun rolls and tries to escape and now Ono has his back!
Good control from Ono.
Craun looks to control his opponent's hands but he's not mananging it at the moment.
Ono lands a shot to the body.
Craun is in bad spot here.
Craun trying to control the hands but Ono won't let him.

That's four minutes gone in the round.
A lull in the action here being met with boos from the crowd.
Ono controlling the position well here. Craun rolled but Ono kept the hooks locked in and stayed in the dominant position.
Craun biding his time here by controlling the hands, looking to escape.
A bit of a pause in the action here. Ono controlling the positon.
Ono tries to get the hooks in deep but Craun pushed the leg off.

And that's the end of the fight!
Takihashi Ono comfortably won the final round on my scorecard.
I think Ono has won this one but let's see whether the judges agree with me. 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 Matheus Silva scores the fight 28:29
Judge Mauricio Rocha scores the fight 28:29
Judge Paulo Santos scores the fight 28:29

In favor of your winner, by unanimous decision... Takihashi Ono!