PBP Commentary

Coming up we have a middleweight MMA rules bout between Takeshi Sendoh (ranked 0 p4p, 0 weight class) and Zeider Pires (ranked 0 p4p, 0 weight class). Sendoh comes to the cage accompanied by Blood Sport. Over to our ring announcer for the fighter introductions!

Sendoh
vs
Pires

194 cm
25
185 lbs
2 - 0 - 0

171 cm
22
185 lbs
0 - 0 - 0

BJJ Blue Belt
Solid Muay Thai
Cuts easily

Good wrestler
Brawler
Enjoys gardening

Ladies and gentlemen. This fight is 3 rounds, in the middleweight division.
Introducing the fighter to my left, fighting out of the red corner.
With a record of 2 - 0 - 0, fighting out of Tokyo, Takeshi Sendoh!
And introducing the fighter to my right, fighting out of the blue corner.
With a record of 0 - 0 - 0, fighting out of Tokyo, Zeider Pires!
The judges for this bout are Yukihiro Yamamoto, Ren Mimura and Shigeki Sano.

The bell rings for round one and we are underway!

Sendoh shoots in for a takedown from distance. He catches Pires napping and manages to drive through into side control!
The fighters are pressed up against the cage, both looking to find a bit of space to work.
You can see the frustration on Pires's face, being in this tough position on the bottom.
Sendoh tries to get to his feet but he's trapped momentarily.
Sendoh lands a decent elbow from side control.
Pires is trying to get back to half guard.

Sendoh decides to stand back up.

Sendoh darts in and lands a nice takedown into half guard.

Sendoh is looking for a kimura here.
Sendoh seems to have lost interest with the ground game and is thinking about standing back up.
Pires tries to roll over but Sendoh keeps him under control.
Sendoh wants to lay and pray for a moment but Pires keeps working.

That's one minute gone in the round.
Sendoh moves nicely into side control.
Pires is looking to regain half guard here but Sendoh keeps moving and retains side control.
Sendoh taking a breather here.
Pires tries to get back to half guard but can't.
Pires gets one leg under and gets the fight to half guard.
Sendoh prevents Pires from improving his position.
Sendoh is controlling the pace.
Sendoh will need to keep those long limbs tucked in whilst he's on the ground, to prevent any submissions.
Sendoh wants to lay and pray for a moment but Pires keeps working.

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.
Pires is looking to regain full guard. Not this time though.
Sendoh trying to control the action but Pires is working from the bottom.
Pires is looking to regain full guard. Not this time though.
Sendoh looks towards his corner to check for any instructions. The corner give him nothing to work with, so he cracks Pires with a short hammerfist. I guess that's as good as any advice he could get in this position.
Pires is looking to regain full guard. Not this time though.

Well, the referee has seen enough. Neither fighter is active enough on the ground so he's stood them back up.
Sendoh throws a nice head kick!
Sendoh fails with a takedown attempt.

Sendoh throws the overhand right but ducks down into a quick takedown attempt. Pires was covering up waiting for the punch and Sendoh finishes the takedown easily into guard.
Sendoh is breathing heavily.
Pires tries to land a sweep but no joy.

That's three minutes gone in the round.
Pires bucks up whilst keeping hold of a body lock, managing to reverse the position. Now he's in top in Sendoh's guard.
Pires wants to pass the guard but Sendoh is keeping the position.
Sendoh looking to hit a scissor sweep but Pires is one step ahead there.
Pires lands a couple of elbows.
Pires wants to pass the guard but Sendoh is keeping the position.
Sendoh avoiding any damage from the ground and pound.
Sendoh tries to strike from the bottom.

Sendoh has his foot on Pires's thigh. He's trying to push off and get in position for a triangle, I think. Pires works his way back into a safe position though.
Pires tries to free his leg and advance position but Sendoh is retaining full guard.

Neither fighter is doing enough for the referee's liking and he's decided to stand them back up.
Sendoh has a takedown stuffed.
Pires will have to do better than that with his takedown attempts.
Pires looks for a takedown but Sendoh sprawls well.
Sendoh lets the fists fly and connects with a left straight followed by a right hook.

That's four minutes gone in the round.

Sendoh scores with a takedown into Pires's guard.
Sendoh slows down the pace of the fight, as he sits in guard.
Sendoh preventing the sweep.
Sendoh trying to control the position from guard on top but Pires is wriggling around, looking for whatever he can.
Sendoh wants to get up but he can't break Pires's closed guard. He needs to be careful trying to break the legs open, as he's open to submissions here.
Sendoh has to be careful here, sitting in the guard of a superior BJJ player.
Pires wants to sweep here but Sendoh controlling him for the moment.
Sendoh keeps in close for a moment and lands a decent shot to the side of Pires's head.

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

Pires tries to keep at a distance but Sendoh has taken the fight into the clinch.

Sendoh's corner calls for him to break the clinch, which he does.
And that’s the end of the round – the fighters go back to their corners.

Takeshi Sendoh dominated that round.
That's time! Back to the action!

Pires shoots in from a long way out. He's driving through with the takedown attempt and he eventually gets it, landing in Sendoh's guard.
Sendoh trying to control the position.

Sendoh looking for a guillotine here but Pires defends easily.
Pires pressing down on his opponent's thigh, looking to pass guard. Sendoh is keeping the position for now.
The ref warns both fighters not to hold the cage as they work up against the meshing.
Sendoh is pulling down on Pires's head. It's preventing any offense from Pires, at least for the moment.
Both fighters are absolutely exhausted here.

Sendoh looking for a guillotine here but Pires defends easily.
Sendoh being controlled here, momentarily.

That's one minute gone in the round.
Pires trying to control the position from guard on top but Sendoh is wriggling around, looking for whatever he can.
Pires advances position into side control!
Pires has knee on belly and now moves to full mount! Trouble for Sendoh!
Pires working the ground and pound effectively.
The crowd growing excited in anticipation of a finish here! Right on cue, Pires cracks his opponent with a massive right hand that draws loud cheers!
Pires lands a couple of nice shots there from mount.
Sendoh is trying desperately to improve position.
Sendoh is looking to get back to his feet - it's going to be hard from this position.

That's two minutes gone in the round.
Sendoh in a bad spot here, taking shots to the head.
Pires in mount throwing good strikes here, bouncing his opponent's head off the canvas.
Sendoh wants to hold on but Pires pushes him away.
Sendoh is in all sorts of trouble here.
Pires lands with some strikes.
Sendoh tries to hold on but Pires postures up.
Pires lands a couple of nice shots there from mount.
Pires connects with a couple of good shots from mount.
Pires working away from the top, dropping strikes.
Pires with the ground and pound from mount.
Sendoh wants to hold on but Pires pushes him away.
Sendoh in a bad spot here, taking shots to the head.
Sendoh slips a leg in and gets back to half guard.
Sendoh on the receiving end of some nice ground and pound.
Sendoh is looking to control Pires's leg but it's slowly edging free. Can Sendoh avoid being mounted?

That's three minutes gone in the round.
Sendoh is trying to get back to full guard.
Sendoh is working for an escape here. He's hooked one of Pires's legs and he's managed to sneak out and take Pires's back!
Sendoh tries to get the hooks in deep but Pires pushed the leg off.
Pires turns into Sendoh and is now in his guard.
Pires passes Sendoh's left leg - he's now in half guard.
Pires works his way into side control.
Pires working the ground and pound.
Sendoh is trying to control Pires's posture but Pires avoids it.
Sendoh is looking for a sweep.

That's four minutes gone in the round.
Pires is putting a hurting on Sendoh here, landing some big shots from side control.
Pires scoring with punches and elbows.
Sendoh wants to escape from the position here - easier said than done!
Sendoh is looking for a sweep.
Pires tries to cartwheel into mount but he doesn't manage it.

Neither fighter is doing enough for the referee's liking and he's decided to stand them back up.

Sendoh instigates a clinch.
Sendoh is trying to stall.

Sendoh pulls Pires into guard.
Pires chips away with some ground and pound.
Pires trying to control but Sendoh is working from the bottom.
Pires with a nice head shot there.
Sendoh lands a beautiful switch and he's in full mount! That could spell trouble for Pires!
Pires is looking to improve his position but Sendoh isn't that keen on the idea.
And that’s the end of the round – the fighters go back to their corners.

Zeider Pires showed his class in that round. I'd imagine he'll take it on all the scorecards.
The corners get their ten second warning. Both fighters stand from their stools and stare eachother down, ready to get back to the action. This is the final round!

The fight stays on the outside here - Sendoh looks like he's thinking about clinching though.

Sendoh shoots in for a takedown from distance. He catches Pires napping and manages to drive through into side control!
Pires on the wrong end of some ground and pound.
Sendoh landing with strikes to the head and body from side control.
Pires tries to buck Sendoh off but Sendoh is having none of it.
Takeshi Sendoh overall seems to be getting the better of the ground position in the fight so far.
Pires takes a nasty elbow to the side of the head.
Sendoh happy to just control the position for now.

Sendoh decides to stand back up. Sendoh steps back and let's Pires get back to his feet.
Both fighters are breathing heavily.
Sendoh looks to land a combination but Pires avoids it well.
Some wild striking there from Sendoh.

Excellent takedown into side control there by Pires.

That's one minute gone in the round.
Pires trying to control the action but Sendoh is working from the bottom.
Sendoh gets one leg under and gets the fight to half guard.
Sendoh is working for an escape here. He's hooked one of Pires's legs and he's managed to sneak out and take Pires's back!
Sendoh trying desperately to keep hold of the dominant position.
Sendoh is hanging on to Pires's back as he tries to escape.
Pires trying to control the hands but Sendoh won't let him.
Sendoh tries to keep control of the position but Pires is staying busy.

Sendoh has his opponent's back and is working for the choke.
Sendoh misses with punches from the back.

That's two minutes gone in the round.
The crowd are starting to boo a lack of action.
Pires turns into Sendoh and is now in his guard.
Pires stands up and looks to throw the legs aside to pass to side control. Sendoh swivels though and keeps the full guard.

Neither fighter is doing enough for the referee's liking and he's decided to stand them back up.
Pires closes this distance looking for a takedown but Sendoh circles away.

Sendoh rushes Pires and presses him up against the cage.
Sendoh tries to take the fight to the ground by pulling guard but can't manage it.
Sendoh tries for a takedown. No joy.
Sendoh stops a takedown attempt from Pires.

Sendoh is trying to trip Pires. He has hold of a leg but Pires is hopping around, keeping his balance for the moment. Sendoh persists though and gets the takedown into guard.
Pires working the defensive guard well to avoid strikes from Sendoh.
Pires keeping moving, preventing Sendoh from controlling successfully.
Pires wants to sweep but no luck.
Pires keeping moving, preventing Sendoh from controlling successfully.
Sendoh stopping the sweep attempt from Pires.
Pires has the superior BJJ but he's also working some ground strikes into his gameplan.

That's three minutes gone in the round.

Sendoh decides he's had enough of playing guard and decides to stand. Come on Pires, up you get!
Sendoh shoots in with a takedown attempt and he has Pires pinned against the cage. Pires gets the underhooks and manages to circle away.
That's three failed takedown attempts in the round for Takeshi Sendoh. That's going to take a lot out of him.
Sendoh shoots in for a double leg but Pires sprawls well. That's going to sap some energy.

Pires scores with a nice takedown into half guard. Let's see what he's got on the ground.
Pires prevents Sendoh from improving his position.
Sendoh trying to control from the bottom.
Pires is keeping good posture, landing some ground and pound.
Pires is looking to take a break and control but Sendoh is keeping him honest, looking to work from the bottom.
Sendoh is looking to regain full guard. Not this time though.
Sendoh is controlling Pires's position as best he can from this difficult position.
Sendoh is looking to regain full guard. Not this time though.

That's four minutes gone in the round.
Sendoh is trying to maintain the position but Pires is very close to passing his half guard.

The referee has ruled that neither fighter is active enough on the ground and has stood them back up.

Pires bobs and weaves into range and then changes levels and scores with a nice takedown into side control.
Pires working the head and body with strikes.
Pires wants to lay and pray for a moment but Sendoh keeps working.
Sendoh regains half guard.
Pires scores with a couple of good hammerfists.
Pires tries to pass to full mount but Sendoh defends it.
Sendoh slips a foot under and gets full guard. Nice work.
The crowd applaud the fighters efforts here as the round comes to an end.
Sendoh will have to put a bit more behind his punches if he's going to do any damage from this position.
Sendoh is trying to control the position but Pires postures up.
Pires stands and throws Sendoh's legs to the side, diving into side control.

And that's the end of the fight!
That was a close round. You could make an argument for either fighter but I would give it to Takeshi Sendoh.
Well Sendoh has outscored his opponent in every aspect of the fight today. Only a scarily incompetent judge or two will keep him from a well deserved win... 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 Yukihiro Yamamoto scores the fight 28:29
Judge Ren Mimura scores the fight 29:28
Judge Shigeki Sano scores the fight 29:28

In favor of your winner, by split decision... Takeshi Sendoh!