PBP Commentary

Coming up we have a light heavyweight MMA rules bout between Joaquim Costa (ranked 0 p4p, 0 weight class) and James Brown (ranked 0 p4p, 0 weight class). Both fighters look pumped up here. Let's hope this is a good fight!

Costa
vs
Brown

182 cm
20
198 lbs
3 - 3 - 0

188 cm
22
215 lbs
1 - 0 - 0

BJJ Brown Belt
Counter striker
Experienced

Decent wrestler
Counter striker
Enjoys gardening

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 3 - 3 - 0, fighting out of Tokyo, Joaquim Costa!
And introducing the fighter to my right, fighting out of the blue corner.
With a record of 1 - 0 - 0, fighting out of Tokyo, James Brown!
The judges for this bout are Taro Takaoka, Ren Mimura and Kenichi Hosakawa.

The bell rings for round one and we are underway!
Costa shoots for a double leg takedown but Brown sprawls well. He's pushed Costa's face into the mat and manages to get back to his feet relatively easily.

Brown scores a trip takedown into side control. Nice.
Costa tries to get back to half guard but can't.
Brown tries to cartwheel into mount but he doesn't manage it.
Costa tries to work a leg under to get back to half guard but Brown wriggles his own leg back out and remains in side control.
Costa prevents Brown from improving position.
Brown controlling the position.
Brown looks up at the clock and then as Costa takes his cue and looks up at the clock too, Brown smacks him right in the chops with a big elbow! How rude!
The fighters are pressed up against the cage, both looking to find a bit of space to work.
Brown creates some space and throws a big elbow, but Costa sees it coming and moves his head just enough to avoid the strike.

Brown wants to work for a kimura but he's foiled early by Costa, who protects the arm well.
Brown tries to land with some ground and pound but misses.

That's one minute gone in the round.
Costa tries to improve position but can't.
Costa manages to land a sweep and he's now on top! Lovely Jiu Jitsu!
Costa working to pass to mount. He's got his hand pressing down on Brown's thigh. Brown counters though and makes it back to full guard.
Costa trying to pass the guard but can't manage it just yet.
Brown really doesn't want to stay on the ground with Costa. If he can't get it back to his feet, it's only a matter of time before he'll be tapping out.
Costa is fighting to break Brown's control of his arms but Brown is doing a good job of controlling the position at the moment.

Brown is throwing his legs up, looking for submissions. Costa is aware though and is defending well.

Brown escapes his hips to the side and looks to be working for an armbar. Costa gives him a little smile and shakes his head. No chance.

Costa is trying to work a guillotine from the top, or something like that? Don't know how he thinks he's going to get a finish from there.
Costa is breathing heavily.
Costa works a leg free and moves into half guard.
The ref warns both fighters not to hold the cage as they work up against the meshing.
Brown is trying to get back to full guard.

That's two minutes gone in the round.

Costa is looking for a kimura but Brown is holding onto that half guard position, so it's hard for Costa to get the leverage.
Brown trying to hold on to Costa's head to control him but Costa postures up.

Costa is looking for an arm triangle, whilst trying to pass to side control. Brown doesn't seem that keen to cooperate though. No luck this time Costa.
Brown wants to improve his position but Costa is controlling well.

Costa is looking for a kimura but Brown is holding onto that half guard position, so it's hard for Costa to get the leverage.

The referee decides to stand the fighters back up.

Brown shoots in from a long way out. He's driving through with the takedown attempt and he eventually gets it, landing in Costa's guard.

That's three minutes gone in the round.
Costa has momentary wrist control but Brown slips an elbow through the middle.
Costa keeping full guard, as Brown tries to pass.
Brown postures up and lands a big shot to Costa's brow.

Brown drops back looking for a leg! Costa is in trouble here! The fighters roll with the hold and Costa manages to kick Brown off! Brown jumps back into Costa's guard.
Brown trying to control the position from guard on top but Costa is wriggling around, looking for whatever he can.
Costa keeping full guard, as Brown tries to pass.
Costa preventing the ground and pound from doing any damage.

Brown drops back looking for a leg! Costa is in trouble here! The fighters roll with the hold and Costa manages to kick Brown off! Brown jumps back into Costa's guard.

Well, the referee has seen enough. Neither fighter is active enough on the ground so he's stood them back up.
Costa doesn't succeed with the takedown

so Brown counters with a double leg into guard. Good agility.

That's four minutes gone in the round.
Costa looking to hit a scissor sweep but Brown is one step ahead there.
Costa preventing the ground and pound from doing any damage.
Brown landing some decent shots from guard.
Costa keeping moving, preventing Brown from controlling successfully.
Costa keeping full guard, as Brown tries to pass.
Brown is persisting with the attempt to improve his position.
And that’s the end of the round – the fighters go back to their corners.

James Brown 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.

Brown scores to the head and body with a nice combination!
Joaquim Costa is looking to throw some combinations by the looks of things.
Brown digs a good body shot into Costa's ribs.

Costa shoots in for a takedown from distance. He catches Brown napping and manages to drive through into side control!

Costa thinks about going for a far side armbar but bails out and retains the dominant position instead.
Brown throws an elbow to the body but it doesn't land.
Both fighters are absolutely exhausted here.

That's one minute gone in the round.

Costa working hard here to secure a kimura but he's not really in the right position for it.
Brown can't do much from the bottom here.
Brown is looking for a sweep.
Brown striking from the bottom but nothing landed.
Brown tries to buck Costa off but Costa is having none of it.
Brown manages to get back to half guard.
Brown trying to control here.

It looks like we're going to have a standup here. Neither fighter is doing enough on the ground.
Costa with a poor takedown
and Costa takes a counter punch right on the button for his troubles.
Brown connects with a lovely right hand, straight down the pipe.

That's two minutes gone in the round.

Costa gets taken down but at least he's managed to land in guard.
A big thud reverberates around the arena there as Brown accidentally thumps the mat. Hopefully he's not broken his hand.
Costa keeping moving, preventing Brown from controlling successfully.

Brown avoids a guillotine attempt easily.
Both fighters really going for it on the ground here!
Costa 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.

Costa had isolated an arm as going for an omaplata. Brown is defending the submission well but is in a very vulnerable position. Costa Is leaning forward trying to finish the omaplata but decides to abandon it, and take Brown's back instead.
Brown can't escape the position.

That's three minutes gone in the round.
Brown rolls and manages to get back to half guard. Nicely done.
Brown wants to improve his position but Costa is controlling well.

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

Brown is looking for a takedown here. He's shot in and has managed to get it, finishing up in Costa's half guard.

Brown seems to be working for a kimura but Costa defends the submission attempt.
Costa blocking the ground and pound attempt from Brown.

That's four minutes gone in the round.
Brown is working hard to pass the guard. He's done it - he's now in full mount! Trouble for Costa!
Costa is in all sorts of trouble here.
Brown punishing his opponent with strikes.
Brown with a couple of short strikes.
Brown working the ground and pound effectively.
Brown scoring with some good ground and pound from mount here. Will he manage to finish Costa?
Brown landing strikes from the mount and Costa is in trouble!
BOOM! Brown connects with a massive shot to the dome!
Costa taking shots to the head.
Costa is desperately trying to get back to half guard.
And that’s the end of the round – the fighters go back to their corners.

James Brown showed his class in that round. I'd imagine he'll take it on all the scorecards.
Well, the break between rounds is over. Let's get back to the scrappin! This is the final round!

Brown looks for a takedown. He's got it. We're now in half guard.
James Brown has got the better of the ground game so far.

Costa actively working from the bottom here.
Brown tries to pass the half guard into mount. Costa knows what he's doing though and prevents the attempt.
Costa blocking the ground and pound attempt from Brown.
Brown slips a nice elbow through Costa's hands, connecting with Costa's forehead.
Both fighters are breathing heavily.

Costa looking for subs from the bottom but Brown mounts him!

That's one minute gone in the round.
Brown looking to control but Costa is working nicely, looking to advance position himself.

Brown is working on an americana here. Ooh, that looks pretty nasty! Nope, Costa has managed to escape the submission attempt.
Brown punishing his opponent with strikes.
Costa tries to get back to half guard but can't.

Brown looking for an armbar but decides to keep the dominant position instead.
Brown lands a couple of nice shots there from mount.
Costa gets back to half guard.
Costa is refusing to be controlled, as Brown sits in half guard.

Brown is looking for a kimura but Costa is holding onto that half guard position, so it's hard for Brown to get the leverage.
Costa makes his way to full guard. A much better position for Costa.

That's two minutes gone in the round.
Brown sneaks a leg through and gets to half guard. That was like a knife through butter how easily he passed Costa's guard.

Brown looking for a kimura but he'll have to free his other leg if he wants to finish that. Perhaps he's just using it as a distraction technique.
Costa blocking the ground and pound attempt from Brown.
Brown is trying to control the action in half guard but Costa is working away on the bottom, looking perhaps to get back to full guard.
The fighters are battling for position here. Costa manages to regain full guard. Nice work.
Brown pressing down on his opponent's thigh, looking to pass guard. Costa is keeping the position for now.
Costa 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.

Costa is throwing his legs up, looking for submissions. Brown is aware though and is defending well.

That's three minutes gone in the round.

Costa looking for a guillotine here but Brown defends easily.

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

Brown closes the distance and clinches up, looking for a takedown. He shifts his weight and gets a nice trip into half guard.

That's four minutes gone in the round.
Brown is trying to control. Costa wants to improve his position but can't escape this time.
Costa is looking to improve his position.

Costa looking for submissions from an awkward position here.
Brown trying to control the action but Costa is working from the bottom.
Brown performing his best blanket impression for a moment.
Costa works his way to full guard. Good work.

Costa is active off his back here, looking for submissions.
Brown wants to control from the top but Costa keeps moving.
Joaquim Costa has stepped it up - he knows he needs a finish here!
James Brown is fighting for a decision here - he's started to take the cautious approach.
Costa throwing some rather feeble looking strikes off his back.

And that's the end of the fight!
James Brown comfortably won the final round on my scorecard.
Well Brown 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 Taro Takaoka scores the fight 27:30
Judge Ren Mimura scores the fight 27:30
Judge Kenichi Hosakawa scores the fight 27:30

In favor of your winner, by unanimous decision... James Brown!