PBP Commentary

Coming up we have a light heavyweight MMA rules bout between Joshua Azamora (ranked 0 p4p, 0 weight class) and Kenji Akiyama (ranked 0 p4p, 0 weight class). Akiyama has chosen Akiyama Theme Song (This Is My Life - Edward Maya) as his entrance music. Over to our ring announcer for the fighter introductions!

Azamora
vs
Akiyama

188 cm
25
219 lbs
8 - 4 - 0

185 cm
20
224 lbs
4 - 0 - 0

BJJ Purple Belt
Solid boxing
Very quick

Good wrestler
Great elbows
Heavy handed

•‡• LION Clothing •‡• [CBK]
•‡• LION Clothing •‡• [CBK]

Ladies and gentlemen. This fight is 3 rounds, for the light heavyweight championship of the world!
Introducing the champion to my left, fighting out of the red corner.
With a record of 8 - 4 - 0, fighting out of Tokyo, Joshua Azamora!
And introducing the challenger to my right, fighting out of the blue corner.
With a record of 4 - 0 - 0, fighting out of Tokyo, Kenji Akiyama!
The judges for this bout are Yukihiro Yamamoto, Tatsuya Matsuyama and Shigeki Sano.

The bell rings for round one and we are underway!
Azamora lands with a cross.
Azamora misses with a body shot.
Azamora swings wildly with a right hand that was never going to find it's target.
Akiyama cracks the inside of Azamora's front leg.
Azamora takes one on the button.
Azamora ducks under an overhand right and circles away with a smile on his face.
Akiyama pulls out of a head kick attempt.
A decent looking cross lands there for Azamora.
Kenji Akiyama seems to be the more aggressive standup fighter in this bout.
Akiyama pulls out of a head kick attempt.
Akiyama jabbing away but nothing is landing.
Akiyama moves out of range as Azamora strikes.
Akiyama is looking to land body kicks.
Akiyama misses with an attempted mid kick.
Akiyama takes a body punch that cleary hurt but he's trying not to show any weakness.
We've seen a great period of action over the last minute or so - credit to both fighters for going all out!
Azamora lands a glancing blow to the side of Akiyama's head.
Azamora ducks down and throws a hook to the body but Akiyama moves away.
Akiyama closes the distance and takes a jab right on the nose as he does so.
Akiyama connects with the punch.

That's one minute gone in the round.
Akiyama looks to land a right hand but Azamora moved out of range.
Akiyama delivers a nice body kick.
Azamora bobs and weaves and throws out a fast jab that snaps Akiyama's head backwards.
Azamora swings and misses with a hook to the body.
Akiyama throws a head kick that misses and slips in the process. He scrambles back to his feet and the fighters circle.
Azamora lands a nice shot to the body.
Akiyama looks gassed!
A clash of legs there as Azamora blocks the low kick.
Azamora on the wrong end of a kick to the body.
Azamora scores with a sloppy right hand. Akiyama should have avoided that one.
Nice defenses there by Akiyama.
Akiyama slips a straight right by Azamora.
Donk. Azamora catches Akiyama right on the button with a cross.
Azamora just misses with a punch to the body.
Akiyama throws the kick towards the body but Azamora avoids it.
Azamora throws and low kick but Akiyama moves out of range easily.

That's two minutes gone in the round.
A big left from Azamora misses.
A low kick from Akiyama misses
and Azamora connects with a straight left hand counter down the middle.
The crowd are loving this. Great action here.
Akiyama throws a head kick that misses
and Azamora counters with a shot to the ribs. That looked like it hurt.
Azamora lands a right hook to the body.
Nice shot by Azamora.
Akiyama checks a leg kick.
Akiyama shakes his hands off, looking to compose himself, but takes a jab to the jaw whilst he does it.
Azamora cracks a nice hook into Akiyama's ribs.
Azamora lands a beauty of a right hand that gets the crowd cheering.
Azamora throws a series of punches but Akiyama avoids them all with ease.
Azamora swings wildly with a hook that is half blocked by Akiyama.

Azamora feints and then winds up with a huge right hand that connects perfectly and sends Akiyama sprawling to the canvas! Akiyama rolls over backwards and springs off the cage and manages to regain his footing - how acrobatic! Oh, he's still wobbly - can Azamora finish him?!

Akiyama is rocked!
Akiyama on the receiving end of a decent leg kick there by Azamora. Azamora obviously looking to wear him down.
Akiyama is still on wobbly legs! Can Azamora finish him?
Akiyama takes one on the button.
Akiyama throws a leg kick that is checked
and Azamora makes him pay by landing a nice hook to the body before moving out of range.
Akiyama seems to have recovered his senses.

That's three minutes gone in the round.
Azamora uses decent footwork to sidestep a right hand from Akiyama.
Akiyama takes a jab on the nose there. A little bit of blood seems to be coming out. Hopefully that won't affect his breathing.
Azamora lands an overhand left. A wild punch that just about connected.
Azamora is moving around nicely and scores here with a single head shot.
Azamora throws a hard body shot but it just misses.
Azamora misses the jab.
Azamora cracks Akiyama with a hook to the temple - Akiyama is on wobbly legs here! Azamora swarms him with hook after hook, landing with each one! Akiyama falls to the canvas face first and the referee dives in to stop the fight! Azamora wins by TKO!

Ladies and gentlemen, after 3:33 of round 1, we have a winner by way of TKO (Punches). Joshua Azamora!
Joshua Azamora retains his light heavyweight title!