PBP Commentary

Coming up we have a middleweight MMA rules bout between Nate Walker (ranked 0 p4p, 0 weight class) and Ippo Makunouchi (ranked 0 p4p, 0 weight class). Ippo Makunouchi will no doubt be trying to keep this one on the feet, where he has a distinct advantage.

Walker
vs
Makunouchi

187 cm
22
185 lbs
3 - 0 - 0

182 cm
22
190 lbs
2 - 1 - 0

BJJ Purple Belt
Brawler
Self confident

BJJ Blue Belt
Brawler
Very confident

Ladies and gentlemen. This fight is 3 rounds, for the middleweight championship of the world!
Introducing the champion to my left, fighting out of the red corner.
With a record of 3 - 0 - 0, fighting out of Sydney, Nate Walker!
And introducing the challenger to my right, fighting out of the blue corner.
With a record of 2 - 1 - 0, fighting out of Sydney, Ippo Makunouchi!
The judges for this bout are Steve Erwin, Damien Edna and Bruno Hogan.

The bell rings for round one and we are underway!
Makunouchi moves in looking to clinch but Walker pushes him off.

Makunouchi has Walker up against the cage in a clinch.
Walker takes an elbow to the forehead.
Nice elbow from Makunouchi.
Makunouchi throws a nice elbow but it doesn't land.
Walker lands with a short shot to the head.
Walker tries to pull guard but can't drag his opponent to the mat. Makunouchi just stands there and leans against the cage.
Walker is working for takedown but Makunouchi is calmly controlling the position for now.
With the two fighters working up against the cage, Makunouchi just misses with a elbow thrown towards Walker's brow.
Walker blocks the elbow strike.
Walker tries to take the fight to the ground by pulling guard but can't manage it.
That's three failed takedown attempts in the round for Nate Walker. That's going to take a lot out of him.
Walker drops down for a takedown but doesn't get it.

Walker pulls guard successfully.
Walker manages to land a sweep and now he's in mount on top!

Walker is standing up out of mount! Strange tactic there - he must really want this one on the feet!
Makunouchi tries to close the distance and clinch but Walker swats him to one side with an open hand palm strike and circles away.
Makunouchi tries to clinch but is not successful on this occasion.
Walker throws a head kick that misses and slips in the process. He scrambles back to his feet and the fighters circle.
Walker is pinned up against the cage taking some big shots here. The referee is looking closely deciding whether he should stop the fight.

Walker has managed to clinch.

Walker manages to pull guard.

Walker working from the bottom, still in full guard. He's managed to get a loose triangle. Makunouchi doesn't seem to be doing much to defend here, obviously he feels comfortable in the position. Makunouchi manages to throw the legs off his shoulder and he's back into guard - no problem.

That's one minute gone in the round.
Walker is wriggling around but Makunouchi manages to pass to half guard.
Walker is looking to improve his position.
Walker tries to kick Makunouchi off in order to stand up. Makunouchi Avoids the leg push though and dives into side control.
Walker is breathing heavily.
Walker is trying to get back to half guard.
Walker gets one leg under and gets the fight to half guard.
It looks like Makunouchi is going to stand back up.

That's two 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.
Well, if Makunouchi is going to just lie there, perhaps we should talk about what we're having for dinner tonight… I'm having a ham and pineapple pizza… Yum. Can't wait.

Walker looking to work for a kimura from the bottom.
Makunouchi seems to have lost interest with the ground game and is thinking about standing back up.

Walker actively working from the bottom here.
Makunouchi wants to get back to his feet.

That's three minutes gone in the round.
Makunouchi trying to control the action but Walker is working from the bottom.

It looks like we're going to have a standup here. Neither fight is doing enough on the ground.
Walker closes this distance looking for a takedown but Makunouchi circles away.
Walker throws a head kick that misses and slips in the process. He scrambles back to his feet and the fighters circle.
Walker shoots in for a double leg but Makunouchi sprawls well. That's going to sap some energy.
Makunouchi wants to clinch up but Walker keeps it at a distance.
Ippo Makunouchi is looking to keep the fight on the feet at all costs.
Makunouchi tries to clinch up

and Walker counters with a takedown into side control.
Makunouchi sneaks a leg under to get back to half guard.

Walker is looking for a kimura. It's going to be difficult to finish that from half guard though and Makunouchi defends it well.
Walker wants to take a breather but Makunouchi is having none of it.

That's four minutes gone in the round.
The ref warns both fighters not to hold the cage as they work up against the meshing.
Walker is looking for the mount but instead finds himself back in full guard.
Walker is just sitting in guard, looking to avoid any submissions.
Makunouchi has a closed guard, preventing Walker from standing up.
Walker with a flurry of punches that miss.

It looks like we're going to have a standup here. Neither fight is doing enough on the ground.
Walker ducks under a wild hook from Makunouchi.

Excellent takedown into side control there by Walker.
And that’s the end of the round – the fighters go back to their corners.

Nate Walker dominated that round.
OK. That's time! The bell goes and we're back to the action.

Makunouchi throws a lazy right hand but Walker sees it coming a mile off and sidesteps it easily.
Walker circles away from the clinch attempt.
Walker takes one to the side of the head.
Makunouchi digs a good hook to Walker's body.
Makunouchi wants to clinch up but Walker keeps it at a distance.

Walker shoots in for a takedown and gets it.

Walker gets to his feet - back to striking we go!
Walker swats away the attempt to clinch by Makunouchi.

Walker closes the distance and clinches.
Makunouchi comes over the top with an elbow. That landed flush.
With the fighters up against the cage, Makunouchi throws an elbow but misses.
Walker has a body lock and is looking for a takedown. Makunouchi is bouncing around trying to prevent the takedown and somehow he has indeed managed to stay on his feet.
Makunouchi lands a nice elbow.
Makunouchi throws an elbow but it's blocked.
A nice glancing elbow lands by Makunouchi.
Both fighters are absolutely exhausted here.
Walker tries to pull guard but Makunouchi won't allow it.
Walker is looking for a takedown up against the cage. Makunouchi gets underhooks though and prevents the takedown attempt.
That's three failed takedown attempts in the round for Nate Walker. That's going to take a lot out of him.
Makunouchi is trying to maintain a safe position but Walker gets an underhook and turns Makunouchi into the cage.
Walker lands an elbow inside.

Walker pulls guard.

That's one minute gone in the round.
Walker is trying to control the position from the bottom.

Walker has his foot on Makunouchi's thigh. He's trying to push off and get in position for a triangle, I think. Makunouchi works his way back into a safe position though.
Makunouchi trying to stand up but can't free himself from Walker's guard.
Walker trying to control the position.

Walker working for submissions but it's allowed Makunouchi to get to half guard.
Walker is looking for a sweep. Makunouchi is wise to his cunning plan and keeps the top position.
The fighters are pressed up against the cage, both looking to find a bit of space to work.
Walker is working hard here to advance position.

That's two minutes gone in the round.
Neither fighter has done anything of merit for a good minute or two here and the crowd are not happy about it.

Well, the referee has seen enough. Neither fighter is active enough on the ground so he's stood them back up.
Makunouchi throws an uppercut from half a mile away. Walker sees it coming and avoids it easily.
Nate Walker is looking to throw some combinations by the looks of things.
Walker shoots in for a takedown. "I don't think so" says Makunouchi as he avoids it easily.
Makunouchi wants to clinch.
Walker gets cracked there but stands up to it.
Makunouchi scores with a crisp jab that stopped Walker in his tracks.
Walker is the aggressor but that punch slipped nicely by Makunouchi.
Walker shoots in for a takedown. "Ole!" shouts Makunouchi as he jumps to the side.

Walker moves into the clinch successfully.

Walker pulls Makunouchi into guard.
Walker looking to sweep here. No luck so far.
Walker wants to control but Makunouchi passes easily into half guard.
The fighters are battling for position here. Walker manages to regain full guard. Nice work.
Walker controls Makunouchi momentarily but Makunouchi frees himself.

That's three minutes gone in the round.
Walker bucks up whilst keeping hold of a body lock, managing to reverse the position. Now he's in top in Makunouchi's guard.

Walker decides he's had enough of playing guard and decides to stand. Come on Makunouchi, up you get!
Makunouchi avoids the clinch attempt nicely.
Walker throws out a token jab with nothing on it.
Makunouchi fakes and then throws a beautiful body shot. Walker looks a bit winded and takes a step backwards to take a breath.
Makunouchi slips in close and lands a nice hook before moving back out of range.

Walker changes levels and drives through with a really nice takedown into side control. Makunouchi looks really pissed at himself for not defending that better.

Walker is in a dominant position here, looking for a kimura. Makunouchi looks calm but he's in trouble here. Walker gets his leg over his opponent's head and yanks on the arm. Makunouchi is tapping like a morse code operator on the titanic! SOS! SOS! Walker lets go of the hold and Makunouchi can pop his arm back in it's socket.

Ladies and gentlemen, after 3:52 of round 2, we have a winner by way of Submission (Kimura). Nate Walker!
Nate Walker is the new middleweight champion!