PBP Commentary

Coming up we have a welterweight MMA rules bout between Burat Puke (ranked 0 p4p, 0 weight class) and Kenjiro Takagawa (ranked 0 p4p, 0 weight class). Takagawa has chosen "Ready Steady Go" by L'Arc~en~Ciel as his entrance music. Puke is coming into this fight with a significant injury, which will no doubt have an effect on his cardio. Burat Puke has the better chin. Will he look to stand and bang today?

Puke
vs
Takagawa

183 cm
19
175 lbs
1 - 5 - 0

176 cm
22
170 lbs
1 - 1 - 0

BJJ Blue Belt
Brawler
KO power

BJJ Blue Belt
Counter striker
Determined

Ladies and gentlemen. This fight is 3 rounds, in the welterweight division.
Introducing the fighter to my left, fighting out of the red corner.
With a record of 1 - 5 - 0, fighting out of Tokyo, Burat Puke!
And introducing the fighter to my right, fighting out of the blue corner.
With a record of 1 - 1 - 0, fighting out of Tokyo, Kenjiro Takagawa!
The judges for this bout are Yuuki Gou, Ren Mimura and Yasuomi Hirokawa.

The bell rings for round one and we are underway!

Takagawa shoots in for a takedown from distance. He catches Puke napping and manages to drive through into side control!
Puke is breathing heavily.
Takagawa lands an elbow.
Puke tries to buck Takagawa off but Takagawa is having none of it.

Takagawa thinks about going for a far side armbar but bails out and retains the dominant position instead.
Takagawa scores with a couple of short elbows.
Takagawa is chipping away with strikes.
Takagawa lands a decent elbow from side control.

Takagawa decides to stand up, so the ref orders Puke to his feet.

Takagawa gets a takedown into half guard.
Takagawa thows a wild elbow that connects with the canvas.

That's one minute gone in the round.
Takagawa not landing any meaningful shots this time.

Takagawa is working for a kimura but Puke is defending it quite comfortably.
Takagawa is looking to pass the guard... He's managed it - he's now in full mount!
Takagawa lands a big shot there that rocks Puke but he's holding on and managing to survive for now.
Takagawa has his opponent pinned against the cage, landing some nasty ground and pound that is really making a bit of a mess out of Puke's face.
Takagawa is still in mount, landing shots to his trapped opponent. Puke can't stay in a position like this for much longer.
The fighters are pressed up against the cage, both looking to find a bit of space to work.
Takagawa tries to control but Puke wriggling away.
Takagawa working the ground and pound effectively.

That's two minutes gone in the round.
Puke tries to lock up and control but Takagawa gives him a forearm to the face and pushes him away.
Puke tries to reverse the position but Takagawa maintains control.
Takagawa tucks in and makes sure he doesn't lose the dominant position.
Takagawa dominating with strikes here.
Takagawa is in the full mount, landing strikes.
Puke is squirming around, avoiding Takagawa's attempts to control the action.
Takagawa scoring with strikes but Puke is staying in there.
Puke is writhing around trying to get back to his feet.

That's three minutes gone in the round.
Takagawa putting on the heat here with some good ground and pound!
Takagawa landing punches.
Puke is working to get back to half guard.
Takagawa looking to control but Puke is working nicely, looking to advance position himself.

Takagawa working for a submission but Puke is keeping him at bay.
Puke bucks up and manages to get a nice reversal! He's in guard on the top - nicely done!

That's four minutes gone in the round.
A lull in the action here being met with boos from the crowd.
Puke preventing the sweep.
Takagawa really doesn't want to stay on the ground with Puke. If he can't get it back to his feet, it's only a matter of time before he'll be tapping out.
Puke looking to sit in guard and control but Takagawa gets the butterfly guard and sweeps. He's now in the guard on the top.
Takagawa missing there with some ground and pound from the guard.
Puke preventing the ground and pound from doing any damage.
And that’s the end of the round – the fighters go back to their corners.

Kenjiro Takagawa 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.

Takagawa getting the better of the striking in that exchange.

Puke gets caught on his heels momentarily as he allows Takagawa to score an easy takedown into full guard.

Takagawa stands up from guard. Let's bang!

Takagawa darts in and lands a nice takedown into half guard.
Puke is looking to regain full guard. Not this time though.
Still in half guard, Takagawa seems content to control.
Both fighters are absolutely exhausted here.
Takagawa thumps the canvas. Not on purpose obviously - he just missed Puke's head.

That's one minute gone in the round.
Puke taking some punishment here, with Takagawa in his half guard.
Puke wants to control but Takagawa is keeping busy.
Takagawa trying to pass the guard but Puke defending well.
Kenjiro Takagawa has got the better of the ground game so far.

Puke kicks off Takagawa and gets to his feet.
Puke wants to clinch.
Takagawa cracks Puke with a nice right hand that draws applause from the crowd.

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.

Takagawa shoots in and gets a takedown into half guard. Takagawa showed some decent athleticism there.
Puke is looking to improve his position.
The ref warns both fighters not to hold the cage as they work up against the meshing.

Takagawa is working for a kimura here but Puke manages to reverse the position and he's now in Takagawa's guard.

Puke decides he's had enough of playing guard and decides to stand. Come on Takagawa, up you get!

That's three minutes gone in the round.
Takagawa shoots in for a takedown but Puke shows good takedown defense there and keeps this one on the feet.
Puke misses with a few strikes there.
Puke shoots in but doesn't get the takedown
and Takagawa counters with a three punch combination, finished off with a leg kick. Nice work.
Puke tries to grapple but his opponent circles

and Takagawa counters by moving into the clinch. Good anticipation by Takagawa.
Takagawa lands a right hand.
Puke content to slow the pace in the clinch.
Takagawa lands a damaging elbow.

That's four minutes gone in the round.
Well. There's a bit of a lull in the action here and the crowd are starting to get restless.
Takagawa wants a takedown.
Puke prevents the takedown attempt.
Burat Puke has stuffed three takedown attempts in the round now. That's going to take a lot out of Kenjiro Takagawa.
Takagawa is trying to break the clinch but Puke has him pressed against the cage.

Puke successfully pulls guard.
Takagawa looking to sit in guard and control but Puke gets the butterfly guard and sweeps. He's now in the guard on the top.
Takagawa keeping moving, preventing Puke from controlling successfully.
And that’s the end of the round – the fighters go back to their corners.

Kenjiro Takagawa showed his class in that round. I'd imagine he'll take it on all the scorecards.
The minute break is over - no more time for sponges and pep talks - back to the action! Ladies and gentlemen, this is the final round!

Puke tries to clinch up.

Takagawa scores with a nice takedown into half guard. Let's see what he's got on the ground.
Takagawa trying to pass the guard but Puke defending well.
Takagawa wants to control but Puke is keeping him busy.
Puke is trying to stand up here but Takagawa is controlling him well.
Takagawa is looking to take a break and control but Puke is keeping him honest, looking to work from the bottom.
Takagawa trying to control from Puke's half guard. Puke has other ideas though and has regained full guard.
Both fighters are breathing heavily.
Puke trying to keep a closed guard but Takagawa is proving a slippery customer.

That's one minute gone in the round.
Takagawa working some ground and pound from guard but it's not doing any damage.
Takagawa lands a couple of digs.

Well, the referee has seen enough. Neither fighter is active enough on the ground so he's stood them back up.
Takagawa fails with a takedown attempt from distance.
Takagawa buckles his opponent's knee momentarily with a nice leg kick.
Puke swings and misses with a shot to the body

and Takagawa counters with a takedown into full mount! That could mean trouble for Puke!
Takagawa landing strikes, looking to finish!
Takagawa working away from the top, dropping strikes.
Takagawa with good strikes from the mount here!
Takagawa scores with a couple of good head shots there.
Takagawa scoring with strikes but Puke is staying in there.

That's two minutes gone in the round.
Takagawa unloads with some shots from mount but Puke bucks and avoids them well.
Takagawa fakes a shot to the body and cracks his opponent in the head. Nice ground and pound there!
Takagawa is trying to control here but Puke has managed to regain half guard.
Puke keeping hold of Takagawa's head, controlling as best he can.
Takagawa drops an elbow to the side of Puke's head.
Takagawa not landing any meaningful shots this time.
Takagawa is keen to just control but Puke is a slippery customer.
Ground and pound from Takagawa.
Takagawa seems to be taking a bit of a break to think of his next move. He lands a short punch in the meantime.

That's three minutes gone in the round.
Takagawa is looking to stall here but Puke recovers full guard.
Takagawa throwing strikes from guard but Puke blocks nicely.
Takagawa trying to control but Puke is working from the bottom.
Takagawa throws and elbow that misses. Puke uses the momentum to reverse the position. He's now in Takagawa's guard. Nice move by Puke!
Takagawa keeping moving, preventing Puke from controlling successfully.
Kenjiro Takagawa is fighting for a decision here - he's started to take the cautious approach.

That's four minutes gone in the round.
There's not a lot going on here and the crowd are letting the fighters know they're not willing to tolerate a lack of action.
Puke wanted to stand there but Takagawa had control of the position.
Puke stands and throws Takagawa's legs to the side, diving into side control.
Burat Puke has stepped it up - he knows he needs a finish here!

Puke tries for a kimura. Not really close to a finish though.

And that's the end of the fight!
Kenjiro Takagawa comfortably won the final round on my scorecard.
Well Takagawa has outworked and out performed his opponent in all aspects of the game today. He was simply too good and the decision should be no more than a formality. 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 Yuuki Gou scores the fight 27:30
Judge Ren Mimura scores the fight 27:30
Judge Yasuomi Hirokawa scores the fight 27:30

In favor of your winner, by unanimous decision... Kenjiro Takagawa!