PBP Commentary

Coming up we have a middleweight MMA rules bout between Kawazoe Masato (ranked 0 p4p, 0 weight class) and Zhen Long (ranked 0 p4p, 0 weight class). These two fighters really are very evenly matched on the feet - it will be fascinating to see who can assert themselves in that aspect of the fight.

Masato
vs
Long

175 cm
21
190 lbs
2 - 2 - 0

181 cm
26
190 lbs
5 - 9 - 0

BJJ White Belt
Solid Muay Thai
Cuts easily

BJJ White Belt
Decent boxing
Heavy handed

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 - 2 - 0, fighting out of Tokyo, Kawazoe Masato!
And introducing the fighter to my right, fighting out of the blue corner.
With a record of 5 - 9 - 0, fighting out of Tokyo, Zhen Long!
The judges for this bout are Kenichi Hosakawa, Hirohito Nitta and Yasuomi Hirokawa.

The bell rings for round one and we are underway!
Long tries to clinch but Masato is having none of it.
Long tries to close the distance and clinch but Masato swats him to one side with an open hand palm strike and circles away.
A chopping leg kick lands by Masato.
Masato tries to land a front kick but Long steps back. That was a bit too telegraphed.
Long avoids a kick to the body.
Long tries to close the distance and clinch up but Masato swats him away and circles back towards the center.
Masato throws a head kick but Long moves out of range.
Long fails with an attempt to clinch.
Long fails in his attempt to clinch.
Masato throws a solid leg kick but Long takes the impact on his shin and smiles at Masato.
A really sloppy takedown attempt there from Masato.
Long fails with an attempt to clinch.
Long moves in looking to clinch but Masato pushes him off.
Masato attempts a leg kick but it's missed by a good margin.
Long tries to clinch but is not successful on this occasion.

That's one minute gone in the round.
Masato swinging wildly here.
Masato fails with a takedown attempt from distance.
Long fails in his attempt to clinch.
Long tries to clinch there but Masato circles away.
Masato goes for a spinning back kick but it misses.
Masato showing good head movement there, avoiding the strikes from Long.
Long fakes with a right hand and throws a good leg kick, right into the thigh. That had to hurt Masato.
Masato looks for a takedown but Long sprawls well.
That's three failed takedown attempts in the round for Kawazoe Masato. That's going to take a lot out of him.
Masato is breathing heavily.
Masato goes for a spinning back kick but it misses.
Masato misses with a looping right.

That's two minutes gone in the round.
Masato takes a nice looking leg kick right on the meat of his thigh there.
Zhen Long is looking to keep the fight on the feet at all costs.
Masato throws a leg kick
and Long counters with a body kick.
Long tries to close the distance and clinch up but Masato swats him away and circles back towards the center.
Long tries to clinch there but Masato circles away.

Long has taken the fight to the clinch.
Long tries to land a knee to the head but Masato blocks with his arms.
Masato could do with loosing a few pounds - he looks very soft around the mid section, to put it politely.
Long tries a knee to the head but he's missed.
Long connects with a nasty looking knee right to Masato's face.
Long connects with a knee to the head.
Masato is working for a takedown up against the cage. He can't get it on this occasion though.
Long tries a knee to the head but Masato blocks it.
Long tries to land a knee to the head but Masato blocks with his arms.
Long misses with a knee to the head.
Long tries to land a knee to the head but misses.
Long tries to land a knee to the head but Masato blocks with his arms.
Masato jumps guard but Long stands there with Masato around his waist. Masato gives up and drops back to his feet. We remain in the clinch.
Long with an attempt at a knee that misses.

That's three minutes gone in the round.

Masato breaks the clinch and we return to the middle of the mat.
Long is looking to clinch but Masato is avoiding it.
Long tries to close the distance and clinch up but Masato swats him away and circles back towards the center.
Masato misses with the body kick
and Long counters with a three punch combination, finished off with a leg kick. Nice work.
Masato throws a sloppy head kick
and Long counters with an outside leg kick.
Masato throws a leg kick but Long moved away.
Masato shoots in and drives through. Long sprawls well.
Masato turns his hip over beautifully as he lands a nice leg kick.
Long avoids the head kick by Masato.
Long blocks a head kick by Masato.
Long doesn't manage to clinch there - Masato circles away.

Long has managed to clinch.

That's four minutes gone in the round.
A lull in the action here being met with boos from the crowd.
Masato has a body lock and is looking for a takedown. Long is bouncing around trying to prevent the takedown and somehow he has indeed managed to stay on his feet.
Masato trying to land knees to the body.

Masato breaks the clinch and we return to the middle of the mat.
Masato throws a looping left and ducks down for a takedown. He's got his arms around Long's waist but Long gets an underhook and avoids the takedown by throwing Masato off to one side.
Long tries to clinch but is not successful on this occasion.

Long darts in and clinches Masato up against the cage.

Masato manages to break the clinch.
Masato swats away the attempt to clinch by Long.

Masato gets to the clinch - let's see what his plan is here.
Long lands a knee to the head there! That was nasty!
Long with the Thai clinch. He's looking to land a big knee but he's not managed it this time.
Masato is trying to drag Long to the mat but Long just about manages to keep his footing. He used the cage to his advantage there.
Long keeps the fight in the clinch, despite Masato's efforts to push away.
And that’s the end of the round – the fighters go back to their corners.

Zhen Long dominated that round.
The corners get their ten second warning. Both fighters stand from their stools and stare eachother down, ready to get back to the action.

Long wants to clinch but Masato slips to the side

so Masato counters with a double leg into guard. Good agility.

Long working for a triangle but Masato defends it easily.

Long is working actively off his back, looking to secure an arm or perhaps work for a triangle.
Masato in full guard, throwing the ground and pound. No damage this time.

Masato stands up from Long's guard - Masato perhaps looking for a knockout.
Masato shoots in but Long avoids the takedown attempt easily.
Both fighters are absolutely exhausted here.
Long keeps the fight standing with a nice sprawl.

That's one minute gone in the round.
Masato thows a leg kick but Long checks it
and Long counters with a nice kick to the body.
Long avoids the head kick by Masato.
Masato throws a nice inside leg kick.
A chopping leg kick lands by Long.
Masato swats away the attempt to clinch by Long.
Long keeps the fight standing with a nice sprawl.
That's three failed takedown attempts in the round for Kawazoe Masato. That's going to take a lot out of him.
Long closes the distance looking to clinch
and Masato counters with a series of strikes. Long will be more careful next time no doubt.

That's two minutes gone in the round.
A lull in the action here being met with boos from the crowd.
Long lands three nice shots there - that looked like it hurt!
Masato fails with a takedown attempt.
Kawazoe Masato is looking to throw some combinations by the looks of things.
Long misses with the combination.
Long connects with a leg kick. He turned his hip over nicely there.
Masato uses good footwork to get in and out and land a nice right hand before Long has time to react.
Masato throws a sloppy head kick
and Long counters with a three punch combo that has Masato backing up. Masato nods at Long to acknowledge the strikes.
Masato circles away from the clinch attempt
The fighters are starting to perspire pretty heavily.
and Masato counters with a low kick, right behind Long 's knee.

That's three minutes gone in the round.
Long closes the distance looking to clinch

and Masato counters with a nice single leg takedown and he's in Long's guard now.
Masato knows he needs to get back to his feet asap. He's simply no match for Long on the ground.
Masato wants to stand but Long is controlling his posture from full guard.

Masato got a little sloppy there for a moment and Long has worked his way into a loose triangle - can he finish it?! No, Masato has managed to get both his arms back between Long's legs - danger averted.
Masato loading up with the ground and pound but he's missing more than he's landing in this flurry.
Masato trying to stand up but can't free himself from Long's guard.

Masato stands up from guard. Let's bang!

That's four minutes gone in the round.
Long tries to clinch but Masato moves away
and Masato counters with a big head kick but Long shrugs it off.
Long tries to clinch there but Masato circles away.
Masato avoids the clinch attempt nicely.
Masato misses with a half-hearted attempt at a head kick.
Long closes the distance looking to clinch
and Masato counters with a head kick. That will keep Long thinking before he tries any more sloppy attacks!
Masato misses with a kick to the body
and Long counters with a head kick.
Masato misses with a kick to the body.
Masato misses with a takedown attempt. He shot from a bit too far out.
And that’s the end of the round – the fighters go back to their corners.

Kawazoe Masato dominated that second round.
Well, the break between rounds is over. Let's get back to the scrappin! This is the final round!

A nice leg kick lands there from Masato.
Masato blocks the body kick.
Masato tries a switch kick but it misses it's target.
A lazy body kick from Masato
and Long counters with a body kick.
Long is looking to clinch.
Long wants to clinch.
Long tries to clinch up but Masato circles away and keeps his distance.
Long wants to clinch.
Both fighters are breathing heavily.
No joy there for Long, who threw a few shots but didn't land.

That's one minute gone in the round.

Long closes the distance and clinches.
Masato wants to push off and get back to the center of the mat but Long has him pressed against the cage.
Long blocks a knee to the body. He'll have a nicely bruised forearm in the morning.
Long with the Thai clinch. He's looking to land a big knee but he's not managed it this time.
Long looking to throw knees to the head but Masato is blocking nicely.
Masato wants to strike at distance but he can't break free of the clinch.
Masato is working for a takedown up against the cage. He can't get it on this occasion though.
Long tries a knee to the head but Masato blocks it.
Masato landing knees to the body. They look like they could hurt.
Long misses with the head strike.
Masato tries to pull guard but Long holds him up against the cage and eventually Masato drops back down to his feet.
Long misses with a knee to the head.
Long tries a knee to the head but he's missed.
Masato tries to circle away but Long has him pinned against the cage.
Long lands a knee to the head there! That was nasty!

That's two minutes gone in the round.
Well. There's a bit of a lull in the action here and the crowd are starting to get restless.
Long with the Thai clinch. He's looking to land a big knee but he's not managed it this time.
Masato lands a knee to the body.
Long lands a right hand.
Long stops a takedown attempt from Masato.
That's three failed takedown attempts in the round for Kawazoe Masato. That's going to take a lot out of him.
Long misses with a knee strike.
Long looking to throw knees to the head but Masato is blocking nicely.
Long connects with a knee to the head.
Masato tries to break free but Long pushes him back against the cage.
Long misses with a knee to the head.
Masato misses with some punches.

Masato breaks the clinch and we return to the middle of the mat.
Long tries to clinch but Masato is having none of it.
Masato shoots in with a takedown attempt and he has Long pinned against the cage. Long gets the underhooks and manages to circle away.
Long is looking to clinch.

That's three minutes gone in the round.
Long dips down and scores with a jab to the body.
Masato looks frustrated there after his takedown attempt is stuffed easily.
Long moves forwards but Masato connects with a nice, crisp jab.
Long stuffs the takedown.
Long tries to clinch but fails miserably
and Masato counters with a slapping leg kick.
Long takes a step towards his opponent and connects with a left hand, before circling away.
Masato lands a head kick. Long smiles back at him and beckons him forward.
Masato shoots in for a takedown. "I don't think so" says Long as he avoids it easily.
Masato misses with an attempted mid kick.
Masato misses with a leg kick
and Long counters with a two punch combo.

That's four 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.
Masato tries a head kick but it misses.
Masato throws a head kick that misses and slips in the process. He scrambles back to his feet and the fighters circle.
Long just misses with a punch to the body.
Long tries to clinch but Masato moves away
and Masato counters with a slapping leg kick.
Long doesn't manage to clinch there - Masato circles away.

Masato tries to keep at a distance but Long has taken the fight into the clinch.
Long misses with a knee strike.
Long with an attempt at a knee that misses.
Long misses the knee to the body. Nice hip positioning from Masato.
The crowd thankful this round is nearly over.
Long with the Thai clinch. He's looking to land a big knee but he's not managed it this time.
Masato drops down for a takedown but doesn't get it.
Long tries a knee to the head but he's missed.

And that's the end of the fight!
Zhen Long comfortably won the final round on my scorecard.
I think Long 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 Kenichi Hosakawa scores the fight 28:29
Judge Hirohito Nitta scores the fight 28:29
Judge Yasuomi Hirokawa scores the fight 28:29

In favor of your winner, by unanimous decision... Zhen Long!