PBP Commentary

Coming up we have a welterweight MMA rules bout between Sepiroth St Cloud (ranked 0 p4p, 0 weight class) and Koji Hisaki (ranked 0 p4p, 0 weight class). We have two fighters making their debuts here, so let's see who comes out of this one with their first professional victory.

St Cloud
vs
Hisaki

190 cm
18
170 lbs
0 - 0 - 0

187 cm
18
174 lbs
0 - 0 - 0

BJJ White Belt
Brawler
Inexperienced

BJJ Blue Belt
Brawler
Granite chin

Ladies and gentlemen. This fight is 3 rounds, in the welterweight division.
Introducing the fighter to my left, fighting out of the red corner.
With a record of 0 - 0 - 0, fighting out of Tokyo, Sepiroth St Cloud!
And introducing the fighter to my right, fighting out of the blue corner.
With a record of 0 - 0 - 0, fighting out of Tokyo, Koji Hisaki!
The judges for this bout are Shigeki Fujiwara, Yukihiro Shimada and Shirou Masuda.

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

Hisaki pushes St Cloud up against the cage in a clinch.
St Cloud goes for a takedown attempt but Hisaki pushes him away and we're back to fighting at a distance.

Hisaki closes the distance, clinches up and gets a nice trip takedown into side control. Very smooth.
St Cloud tries to buck Hisaki off but Hisaki is having none of it.

Hisaki stands up.
St Cloud throws a leg kick but Hisaki moved away.
Hisaki takes a shot right to the liver - Bas would have been proud of that punch.
St Cloud shoots in for a takedown. "I don't think so" says Hisaki as he avoids it easily.
St Cloud throws a wild combination but nothing lands.
St Cloud fails with the takedown.
That's three failed takedown attempts in the round for Sepiroth St Cloud. That's going to take a lot out of him.
St Cloud lands with an overhand left.

That's one minute gone in the round.
Hisaki shoots in but doesn't get the takedown
and St Cloud counters with a low kick, right behind Hisaki 's knee.
Hisaki doesn't succeed with the takedown

and St Cloud decides to take the opportunity to score a takedown. He's landed in Hisaki's guard.
St Cloud knows he needs to get back to his feet asap. He's simply no match for Hisaki on the ground.
Hisaki keeping moving, preventing St Cloud from controlling successfully.
Hisaki has St Cloud pulled in close to control his posture.
St Cloud wanted to stand there but Hisaki had control of the position.

That's two minutes gone in the round.
St Cloud trying to pass the guard. He's being very persistent here but Hisaki manages to land a sweep and now he's on top!

St Cloud looking for submissions from the bottom but instead Hisaki passes into half guard.
St Cloud trying to control but Hisaki postures up.
St Cloud really does look like a pencil wearing a pair of gloves. Let's hope he has a gameplan to suit that ridiculous body shape.
Hisaki is looking to pass the guard... He's managed it - he's now in full mount!
St Cloud is trying to escape the mount.

That's three minutes gone in the round.
Hisaki lands an elbow that was bordering on illegal but the referee lets it go with a warning.
Hisaki looking to control but St Cloud is working nicely, looking to advance position himself.
Hisaki throwing strikes here but St Cloud is writhing around nicely and avoiding any serious damage.
St Cloud is in all sorts of trouble here.
Hisaki punishing his opponent with strikes.
Hisaki can't quite control the action as he would like just now, as St Cloud is looking to escape.
The fighters are pressed up against the cage, both looking to find a bit of space to work.
St Cloud tries to lock up and control but Hisaki gives him a forearm to the face and pushes him away.

That's four minutes gone in the round.
A few boos can be heard. I'm sure they will multiply if the fighters don't pick up the pace.
Hisaki can't quite control the action as he would like just now, as St Cloud is looking to escape.
St Cloud tries to get back to half guard but can't.
Hisaki avoids the attempt from St Cloud to control.
Hisaki cracks St Cloud with a nasty head shot there - the crowd let out an audible gasp there, as the noise reverberated around the arena.
Hisaki controlling from the full mount.
And that’s the end of the round – the fighters go back to their corners.

A close round but Koji Hisaki will probably get the nod.
OK. That's time! The bell goes and we're back to the action.

Hisaki misses with a takedown attempt

and St Cloud counters with a takedown into full mount! That could mean trouble for Hisaki!
St Cloud working Hisaki over with strikes here.
St Cloud connects with a couple of good shots from mount.
Hisaki is desperately trying to improve his position but St Cloud has a good base and remains in mount.
Hisaki is squirming around, avoiding St Cloud's attempts to control the action.

St Cloud is thinking about an arm triangle here, looking to tighten it up before moving to side control. Hisaki can see it coming though and defends well with a couple of strikes to the head and some good arm positioning.
St Cloud pausing momentarily but resumes with a couple of decent strikes that do a bit of damage.
Hisaki is breathing heavily.
Hisaki swinging wildly from the bottom but he's not landing.

That's one minute gone in the round.
Hisaki is looking to get to half guard.
Hisaki is persisting with the attempt to improve his position.
St Cloud can't quite control the action as he would like just now, as Hisaki is looking to escape.
Hisaki is looking to get to half guard.
St Cloud throws an elbow from mount that misses. Lucky escape for Hisaki because St Cloud loaded up on that one.

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.
Hisaki tries to lock up and control but St Cloud gives him a forearm to the face and pushes him away.

St Cloud is standing up, even though he is in mount.
St Cloud with a poor takedown

and Hisaki counters with a shoot takedown into half guard.

Hisaki is working for a kimura but St Cloud is defending it quite comfortably.
Hisaki is just content to waste time from the top position. St Cloud takes advantage of the situation and regains full guard.
Hisaki stopping the sweep attempt from St Cloud.

That's three minutes gone in the round.
St Cloud trying to control the position.
The ref warns both fighters not to hold the cage as they work up against the meshing.
St Cloud working the defensive guard well to avoid strikes from Hisaki.
Hisaki throwing shots from guard but he's hitting more mat than opponent.

The referee decides to stand the fighters back up.

St Cloud drives through and clinches with Hisaki against the cage.
St Cloud lands a shoulder strike that jolts his opponent's head backwards.
St Cloud throws a hook to the body. More of an arm punch but it's all scoring with the judges.

That's four minutes gone in the round.
The crowd are hurling abuse towards the fighters... You can hardly blame them though because there isn't a lot going on in the fight.
St Cloud tries to pull guard but can't drag his opponent to the mat. Hisaki just stands there and leans against the cage.
Hisaki fails to pull the fight into his guard.
St Cloud lands a glancing elbow in the clinch.

St Cloud breaks from the clinch.

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

Hisaki stands up.
St Cloud looks frustrated there after his takedown attempt is stuffed easily.
That's three failed takedown attempts in the round for Sepiroth St Cloud. That's going to take a lot out of him.

St Cloud bobs and weaves into range and then changes levels and scores with a nice takedown into side control.
The crowd applaud the fighters efforts here as the round comes to an end.
Hisaki managing to avoid any damage from the strikes thrown by St Cloud.
And that’s the end of the round – the fighters go back to their corners.

That was a close second round but I would say that Sepiroth St Cloud will probably get the nod.
The fighters get back to their feet, the hooter sounds and we're back to the action! Ladies and gentlemen, this is the final round!

St Cloud pulls out of a head kick attempt.
St Cloud throws a left and a right that both miss

and Hisaki counters by moving into the clinch. Good anticipation by Hisaki.
Hisaki goes for a takedown attempt but St Cloud pushes him away and we're back to fighting at a distance.
St Cloud shoots in but doesn't get the takedown

and Hisaki counters with a takedown into side control.
St Cloud can't do much from the bottom here.
St Cloud is positioning himself to get back to half guard.

That's one minute gone in the round.
Hisaki wants to control but St Cloud is keeping him busy.
Both fighters are breathing heavily.
A lull in the action here.
Hisaki wants to lay and pray for a moment but St Cloud keeps working.
Hisaki tries to move to mount but St Cloud blocks the move with his legs.

That's two minutes gone in the round.
The crowd are hurling abuse towards the fighters... You can hardly blame them though because there isn't a lot going on in the fight.

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

St Cloud drives through with a takedown into guard.
Hisaki looking to control the pace of the fight rather than finish it.
St Cloud slows down the pace of the fight for a moment. He'll need to remain active if he doesn't want to see the fight stood back up.
Hisaki wants to sweep but no luck.
St Cloud lands a couple of decent looking shots.

That's three minutes gone in the round.
St Cloud slows down the pace of the fight, as he sits in guard.
St Cloud would like to get this fight back to the feet but can't get free from the closed guard.
Hisaki wants to sweep here but St Cloud controlling him for the moment.
St Cloud content to stall in guard here.
Hisaki seems keen to control rather than go for a submission, at least for now.

That's four minutes gone in the round.
The crowd are starting to boo a lack of action.
St Cloud wants to control from the top but Hisaki keeps moving.
St Cloud postures up.
Hisaki keeping moving, preventing St Cloud from controlling successfully.

St Cloud stands up from guard. Let's bang!

Hisaki gets in close and instigates a clinch.

And that's the end of the fight!
Koji Hisaki comfortably won the final round on my scorecard.
I think Hisaki has won this one but let's see whether the judges agree with me. 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 28:29
Judge Yukihiro Shimada scores the fight 28:29
Judge Shirou Masuda scores the fight 28:29

In favor of your winner, by unanimous decision... Koji Hisaki!