PBP Commentary

Coming up we have a light heavyweight MMA rules bout between Lusiphur Kusanagi (ranked 0 p4p, 0 weight class) and Bernard Ban (ranked 0 p4p, 0 weight class). Lusiphur Kusanagi has the better chin. Will he look to stand and bang today?

Kusanagi
vs
Ban

195 cm
21
216 lbs
2 - 2 - 0

180 cm
23
221 lbs
0 - 1 - 0

BJJ Blue Belt
Excellent boxer
Granite chin

Good wrestler
Counter striker
Powerful

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 2 - 2 - 0, fighting out of Tokyo, Lusiphur Kusanagi!
And introducing the fighter to my right, fighting out of the blue corner.
With a record of 0 - 1 - 0, fighting out of Tokyo, Bernard Ban!
The judges for this bout are Kenichi Hosakawa, Yasuomi Hirokawa and Tatsuya Matsuyama.

The bell rings for round one and we are underway!
Ban circles away from the clinch attempt.
Kusanagi is looking to clinch but Ban is avoiding it.

Ban gets a takedown into half guard.
Ban lands with an elbow from half guard - that looked like it hurt.
Kusanagi tries to kick Ban off but Ban keeps his base steady and stays in half guard.
Ban trying to control the action but Kusanagi is working from the bottom.
Ban thows a wild elbow that connects with the canvas.
Ban stops Kusanagi from getting back to his feet.
Kusanagi keeping his head moving to avoid the ground and pound.
Ban thows a wild elbow that connects with the canvas.

That's one minute gone in the round.
Ban working over Kusanagi with some ground and pound. Kusanagi looks like he wants out of this position, which is understandable.
Kusanagi is trying to stand up here but Ban is controlling him well.

Kusanagi kicks Ban off and gets back to his feet.
Ban bobs and weaves well there to avoid the strikes.
Kusanagi jabbing away but nothing is landing.
Ban uses decent footwork to sidestep a right hand from Kusanagi.

Kusanagi lands a big uppercut and Ban crumbles to the floor! The ref thinks about stopping the fight but Ban looks OK. Kusanagi waves Ban back to his feet!

It looks like Bernard Ban has been cut.
The fight stays on the outside here - Kusanagi looks like he's thinking about clinching though.
A jab from Kusanagi misses.
Ban keeping his hands up high there, blocking the jab from Kusanagi.
Ban circles away from the clinch attempt.
Lusiphur Kusanagi seems to be the more aggressive standup fighter in this bout.
Kusanagi throws a monster uppercut resembling something out of street fighter but it doesn't land.
Kusanagi throws a jab but it's blocked by Ban.
A big right from Kusanagi misses.
Kusanagi fails with an attempt to clinch.

That's two minutes gone in the round.
Kusanagi takes an uppercut right on the button but keeps his composure.
Ban scores with a jab. Kusanagi acknowledges it with a nod of the head.
Fantastic stuff here - a very entertaining period of action, which has drawn cheers from the crowd.
Ban avoids a lazy jab quite easily.
Kusanagi looks to land a right hand but Ban moved out of range.
Kusanagi cracks Ban with a hook to the jaw. Both fighters smile at eachother and high-five before getting back down to business.
Ban slips a jab from Kusanagi.
Kusanagi thows a left - swing and a miss!
Kusanagi throws a lazy right hand but Ban sees it coming a mile off and sidesteps it easily.
A looping hook to the body misses from Ban. Kusanagi does a little dance to reset his feet.
Lusiphur Kusanagi is looking to keep the fight on the feet at all costs.
Kusanagi throws a looping overhand right but Ban ducks down to avoid it.
Kusanagi is the aggressor but that punch slipped nicely by Ban.
Kusanagi is looking to clinch.
Kusanagi takes one on the chin but keeps coming.
Nice defenses there by Ban.
Kusanagi fails in his attempt to clinch.
Ban bobs and weaves well there to avoid the strikes.
Kusanagi misses with a straight left.

That's three minutes gone in the round.

Ban decides to change it up a bit and drives through with a nice takedown into half guard.
Kusanagi is looking to escape.
Ban thows a big elbow that misses, also allowing Kusanagi to regain full guard.
Ban content to stall in guard here.
Ban connects with a couple of short punches.
Ban postures up and lands some nice ground and pound.
Ban trying to land body shots but he keeps hitting the mat.
Ban prevents Kusanagi from getting back to his feet.
Ban has the superior BJJ but he's also working some ground strikes into his gameplan.

Ban stands up over his opponent, looking to dive in with a big punch. Here he comes, superman style! Oh, the punch misses and Kusanagi has got him in a triangle choke for good measure! Oh no! Ban manages to get his head free but now Kusanagi has transitioned to an armbar! Ban grimaces and is forced to tap! Beautiful Jiu Jitsu from Kusanagi! I'd be surprised if that didn't end up as submission of the night!

Ladies and gentlemen, after 4:04 of round 1, we have a winner by way of Submission (Armbar). Lusiphur Kusanagi!