PBP Commentary

Coming up we have a featherweight MMA rules bout between Shinya Kawajiri (ranked 0 p4p, 0 weight class) and Noli Santander (ranked 0 p4p, 0 weight class). Well, the cameraman is lingering on a pretty young lady for a bit too long there. Keep your eyes on the fighters buddy or you'll miss the fighter intros!

Kawajiri
vs
Santander

175 cm
24
140 lbs
4 - 9 - 0

171 cm
23
146 lbs
4 - 4 - 0

Good takedowns
Basic striking
Experienced

BJJ Purple Belt
Basic striking
Granite chin

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 4 - 9 - 0, fighting out of Tokyo, Shinya Kawajiri!
And introducing the fighter to my right, fighting out of the blue corner.
With a record of 4 - 4 - 0, fighting out of Tokyo, Noli Santander!
The judges for this bout are Shigeki Fujiwara, Yukihiro Yamamoto and Shirou Masuda.

The bell rings for round one and we are underway!
Kawajiri takes one on the button.
No joy there for Santander, who threw a few shots but didn't land.
Santander misses with a takedown attempt - Kawajiri sprawls well and throws a nice strike on the way out which just misses.
The fight stays on the outside here - Santander looks like he's thinking about clinching though.
Kawajiri throws a series of punches but Santander moves out of range.

Kawajiri shoots in for a takedown and gets it. Let's see what he's got on the mat.
Kawajiri pushing down on Santander's thigh, trying to pass to half guard. He's managed it... Nice work.
Kawajiri is looking to take a break and control but Santander is keeping him honest, looking to work from the bottom.
Kawajiri blocks the strikes from Santander.
Santander wants to sweep but Kawajiri has passed to side control!
Santander tries to buck Kawajiri off but Kawajiri is having none of it.
Santander tries to strike from the bottom but misses.
Santander struggling a bit here.

That's one minute gone in the round.
Santander tries to improve position but can't.
The fighters are pressed up against the cage, both looking to find a bit of space to work.
Santander is sneaking out the side here. He's bucked Kawajiri off and has taken his back!

Kawajiri preventing the rear naked choke attempt from Santander.

Santander is looking for a choke. Kawajiri gets to his feet with his opponent on his back and slams him to the mat. Kawajiri manages to squirm out of the attempted choke and turns into his opponent's guard.
Santander will have to put a bit more behind his punches if he's going to do any damage from this position.
Kawajiri wants to stand but Santander is controlling his posture from full guard.

That's two minutes gone in the round.
Santander throwing strikes off his back to little effect.
Kawajiri pressing down on his opponent's thigh, looking to pass guard. Santander is keeping the position for now.
The fighters are starting to get a bit slippery now, which will make submissions a bit more difficult.
Santander wants to improve his position but instead Kawajiri has moved into half guard.
Kawajiri is looking to advance position but Santander won't allow it.
Kawajiri knows he needs to get back to his feet asap. He's simply no match for Santander on the ground.
Santander manages to get to full guard.
Santander is looking to stand back up but Kawajiri counters by passing into half guard. Oops... bit sloppy there by Santander.

That's three minutes gone in the round.

Santander looking for submissions from an awkward position here.
Santander slips a foot under and gets full guard. Nice work.
Santander looks gassed!
Kawajiri trying to control but Santander is working from the bottom.
Kawajiri postures up.
Santander will have to put a bit more behind his punches if he's going to do any damage from this position.

That's four minutes gone in the round.
A lull in the action here being met with boos from the crowd.

Kawajiri stands up and waves to Santander to follow him.

Santander looks for a takedown. He's got it. We're now in half guard.
Kawajiri wants to control but Santander is keeping busy and won't allow it.

Kawajiri actively working from the bottom here.

Santander is thinking about going for an arm triangle but he can't free his leg.
Kawajiri is looking to regain full guard. Not this time though.
And that’s the end of the round – the fighters go back to their corners.

A close round but Noli Santander will probably get the nod.
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.

Santander with a lazy takedown attempt

and Kawajiri counters with a nice double leg into guard.
Kawajiri wants to stand but Santander is controlling his posture from full guard.
Santander looking to hit a scissor sweep but Kawajiri is one step ahead there.

Kawajiri stands up from guard. Let's bang!
Both fighters are absolutely exhausted here.
Kawajiri tries a head kick but it misses.
Kawajiri misses with a few strikes there.
Shinya Kawajiri is looking to throw some combinations by the looks of things.

Santander feints and then dives in with a takedown. That was a long way out but the feint bought him enough time to close the distance and complete the takedown. Now we'll play guard for a bit and see who can get the better of that position.
Santander wants to control from the top but Kawajiri keeps moving.

That's one minute gone in the round.

Santander drops back for a leg but he's not going to get it - he lets go and Kawajiri dives on top into guard.

Kawajiri 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.
Santander trying to keep a closed guard but Kawajiri is proving a slippery customer.

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

That's two minutes gone in the round.
My god... these two guys really need to pick up the pace or everyone will leave to go get a beer.

The fight moves into the clinch position.
Kawajiri is working hard here but doesn't seem to be able to control effectively, up against the cage.
Kawajiri misses with some punches.
Santander looking to slow down the pace here.

Santander breaks from the clinch.
Santander misses with a takedown attempt

and Kawajiri counters with a nice single leg takedown and he's in Santander's guard now.

Santander working away from the bottom but not quite defensive enough there because Kawajiri has passed into half guard!
Kawajiri prevents Santander from improving his position.

Santander looking for submissions off his back.

That's three minutes gone in the round.

Santander with the active half guard here but Kawajiri passes nicely into side control.
Santander looks to move to half guard but instead Kawajiri has passed into mount! Damn!
Santander is looking to get to half guard.

That's four minutes gone in the round.
The crowd are getting on the fighters' backs, as the pace has dropped off in the last minute or so.

Kawajiri jumps to side control looking for an arm triangle but Santander manages to avoid the submission attempt.
Santander is looking to reverse the position.
Kawajiri tries to get to his feet but he's trapped momentarily.
Santander is trying to get back to half guard. He's pushing on Kawajiri's leg. He's managed it. Nice work.

Kawajiri is thinking about going for an arm triangle but he can't free his leg.
And that’s the end of the round – the fighters go back to their corners.

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

Santander tries to shoot in for a takedown. He's got hold of a leg but Kawajiri swivels and escapes.
Santander tries to clinch but Kawajiri moves out of range.

Santander shoots in for a takedown and gets it. Oh and he's advanced to full mount straight away.

Santander is looking to secure an arm. He's managed it! He's pivoting for an armbar - that looks tight! But Kawajiri has managed to get out of it and now he's in a dominant position. Nice work from Kawajiri!

Kawajiri stands and steps away. Santander gets to his feet too and we're back to the striking game.
Santander avoids a punch combination nicely.
Santander doesn't manage to clinch there - Kawajiri circles away.
A punch combination from Kawajiri misses.

Kawajiri closes the distance and clinches.

Santander is fighting off a takedown attempt but Kawajiri is just too persistent for him and manages to trip Santander to the mat. Santander regains guard as soon as the fighters hit the mat.

Santander had isolated an arm as going for a kimura. Kawajiri defends it easily.
Both fighters are breathing heavily.

That's one minute gone in the round.
Santander tries to land a sweep but no joy.

Santander has an omoplata and is looking to use it perhaps as a submission or perhaps to transition. Kawajiri is in a bit of discomfort here, but he's managed to free himself and has dived into side control! That didn't work out too well for Santander.
Shinya Kawajiri overall seems to be getting the better of the ground position in the fight so far.
Santander looking for a sweep but Kawajiri has passed into full mount! Oh no!
Santander tries to reverse the position but Kawajiri maintains control.

That's two minutes gone in the round.
My god... these two guys really need to pick up the pace or everyone will leave to go get a beer.
Santander tries to hold on but Kawajiri postures up.

Kawajiri is going olschool here, as he tries to force Santander to tap using a forearm choke. This isn't 1993 though, so Santander shrugs it off.
Kawajiri trying to control but he's not successful this time.
Santander is working to get back to half guard.

That's three minutes gone in the round.
Santander is persisting with the attempt to improve his position.

That's four minutes gone in the round.
My god... these two guys really need to pick up the pace or everyone will leave to go get a beer.
Santander sneaks a leg under to get to half guard.
Santander wants to improve his position but Kawajiri is controlling well.
Santander moves into full guard.
Santander is looking to sweep but instead, Kawajiri has passed into half guard.

And that's the end of the fight!
Shinya Kawajiri showed his dominance in that final round.
I think Kawajiri 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 Shigeki Fujiwara scores the fight 29:28
Judge Yukihiro Yamamoto scores the fight 29:28
Judge Shirou Masuda scores the fight 29:28

In favor of your winner, by unanimous decision... Shinya Kawajiri!