PBP Commentary

Coming up we have a welterweight MMA rules bout between Ryotaro Katayoshi (ranked 0 p4p, 0 weight class) and Andrzej Blake (ranked 0 p4p, 0 weight class). Both fighters look fresh as a daisy as they make their way towards the cage.

Katayoshi
vs
Blake

200 cm
20
175 lbs
0 - 0 - 0

188 cm
18
166 lbs
2 - 0 - 0

BJJ Blue Belt
Brawler
Granite chin

BJJ Blue Belt
Brawler
Solid 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, Ryotaro Katayoshi!
And introducing the fighter to my right, fighting out of the blue corner.
With a record of 2 - 0 - 0, fighting out of Tokyo, Andrzej Blake!
The judges for this bout are Shigeki Sano, Shirou Masuda and Taro Takaoka.

The bell rings for round one and we are underway!

Blake looks for a takedown. He's got it. We're now in half guard.
The fighters are pressed up against the cage, both looking to find a bit of space to work.
Katayoshi regains full guard. Nicely done.
Blake postures up and lands some nice ground and pound.

Blake is trying to work a guillotine from the top, or something like that? Don't know how he thinks he's going to get a finish from there.
Katayoshi working a defensive guard here.
Blake advances to half guard.
Katayoshi controlling the position for now.

Blake is trying a forearm choke… I don't think that's going to do much at this level of the game.

That's one minute gone in the round.
Katayoshi is looking to control Blake's leg but it's slowly edging free. Can Katayoshi avoid being mounted?
Blake is keen to just control but Katayoshi is a slippery customer.
Blake stops Katayoshi from getting back to his feet.
Katayoshi is looking to improve his position.
Katayoshi is refusing to be controlled, as Blake sits in half guard.

That's two 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.

The ref calls for a clean break and stands the fighters back up. Andrzej Blake wasn't active enough on the ground.
Katayoshi lands with a slapping head kick.
Blake tries to close the distance and clinch up against the cage but Katayoshi paws at him with a jab and circles away.

Blake gets a clinch.
Blake has a body lock and is looking for a takedown. Katayoshi is bouncing around trying to prevent the takedown and somehow he has indeed managed to stay on his feet.
Blake is trying to work for a single leg takedown but Katayoshi pulls him back up using the underhooks.
Blake tries to break the clinch but Katayoshi is controlling the position.
Blake tries to pull guard but Katayoshi won't allow it.
Ryotaro Katayoshi has stuffed three takedown attempts in the round now. That's going to take a lot out of Andrzej Blake.

Blake breaks the clinch.
Katayoshi closes the distance and lands a one-two.
Blake throws a push kick but Katayoshi slaps the foot to one side.
Blake wants to clinch up but Katayoshi keeps it at a distance.

Katayoshi instigates a clinch.

Katayoshi has hold of one of Blake's legs. Blake is fighting the takedown attempt but Katayoshi gets the trip and lands the takedown into guard.
Blake is working an open guard here, looking to improve his position. No doubt that will leave him open to counters but at least he's being more offensive.
Blake looks gassed!
Katayoshi wants to control from the top but Blake keeps moving.
Katayoshi really does look like a pencil wearing a pair of gloves. Let's hope he has a gameplan to suit that ridiculous body shape.

That's three minutes gone in the round.
Katayoshi is intent on slowing down the pace of the fight, simply looking to control.
Katayoshi content to strike from guard, landing some decent shots.
Katayoshi trying to control the position from guard on top but Blake is wriggling around, looking for whatever he can.
Blake is trying to control the position but Katayoshi postures up.
Katayoshi trying to stand up but can't free himself from Blake's guard.
Blake controls Katayoshi momentarily but Katayoshi frees himself.

That's four minutes gone in the round.
The crowd are starting to boo a lack of action.

Well, the referee has seen enough. Neither fighter is active enough on the ground so he's stood them back up.
Katayoshi shoots for a double leg takedown but Blake sprawls well. He's pushed Katayoshi's face into the mat and manages to get back to his feet relatively easily.
Katayoshi stuffs the takedown attempt from Blake. Blake gets slowly back to his feet.
Blake misses with the combination.
Andrzej Blake seems to be the more aggressive standup fighter in this bout.

Katayoshi closes the distance and scores a nice trip takedown into half guard. Blake did well to prevent Katayoshi getting side control.
Blake tries to strike from the bottom but it doesn't land.
Blake is looking to improve his position.
Katayoshi content to sit in half guard and control for a moment.
Katayoshi missing with the ground and pound from half guard.
And that’s the end of the round – the fighters go back to their corners.

Ryotaro Katayoshi dominated that round.
The fighters' corners scream their final instructions, as the referee calls time. Here we go, back to the action!

Blake throws a combination but it was largely blocked by Katayoshi.
Blake is looking to clinch but Katayoshi is avoiding it.
Katayoshi lands with a thumping leg kick.
Blake defends well against a solid takedown attempt from Katayoshi.
Blake fails miserably with a takedown attempt.
A really sloppy takedown attempt there from Katayoshi.
Blake throws a series of punches but Katayoshi avoids them all with ease.
Katayoshi stuffs the takedown attempt from Blake. Blake gets slowly back to his feet.
Ryotaro Katayoshi is looking to throw some combinations by the looks of things.

Katayoshi shoots in for a takedown! He's got it and he's managed to land in full mount! That's better than Katayoshi was expecting from the takedown attempt, I'm sure!
Katayoshi works his way to his opponent's back.
Good control from Katayoshi.
Both fighters are absolutely exhausted here.

That's one minute gone in the round.
Katayoshi lands an elbow to the side of the head.

Blake preventing the rear naked choke attempt from Katayoshi.
Good control from Katayoshi.
Can Blake hold on?! Katayoshi is landing more strikes to his hapless foe.

That's two minutes gone in the round.
Will Katayoshi go for the finish here or will he try and keep control of the position?
Katayoshi controlling well, preventing Blake from escaping the position.
Blake prevents Katayoshi from getting a body triangle.
Katayoshi softening up his opponent with strikes here.
Blake holding both Katayoshi 's hands and preventing any damage.
Blake trying to control the position but Katayoshi manages to sink in the hooks.

That's three minutes gone in the round.
Katayoshi softening up his opponent with strikes here.
Katayoshi slows the pace down here. Having a little breather whilst he's in a dominant position, looking to rest and regain some energy, ready to go for the finish.

Katayoshi is working really hard to secure the rear naked choke. Blake defends successfully for a significant amount of time. Both fighters are looking very determined.
Katayoshi thows a huge left but connects with the canvas and not his opponent.
Blake just trying to survive but Katayoshi is wriggling into a better position, looking to finish.

That's four minutes gone in the round.
Katayoshi is landing with strikes from the back.
Katayoshi is working the ground and pound here and the referee is taking a close look at Blake. He must escape soon or this one will be stopped.
Blake staying busy and making it hard for Katayoshi to control.
Katayoshi has the hooks in. Blake is trying to push off one leg but he has to do so cautiously to avoid being submitted.
Blake is trying to get back to his feet but he's not managed it yet.
Katayoshi not allowing Blake to control his hands.
Katayoshi is controlling the position but Blake somehow manages to roll and ends up with half guard.
And that’s the end of the round – the fighters go back to their corners.

Ryotaro Katayoshi dominated that second round.
OK. That's time! The bell goes and we're back to the action. Let's hear some noise people - this is the final round!

Katayoshi tries to clinch but is not successful on this occasion.
Katayoshi throws a combination that misses

and Blake counters with a driving takedown into guard. Nice work there by Blake.
Katayoshi wants to control here, rather than go for any submissions from the bottom. At least for now.
Katayoshi throwing some rather feeble looking strikes off his back.

Blake gets to his feet - Katayoshi follows without any prompting.

Katayoshi forces Blake back against the cage and clinches.
Blake is clearly stalling here... Pick up the pace son.
Katayoshi digs a right hand underneath Blake's ribcage. Blake let out a lung full of air as it connected.
Both fighters are breathing heavily.
Katayoshi landing knees to the body. They look like they could hurt.

That's one minute gone in the round.
Katayoshi jumps guard but his hands slip and he falls flat on his back. Well, he's made himself look a right mug there, as Blake walks away with a smile on his face. Katayoshi gets slowly back to his feet and shakes his head.
Katayoshi with a poor takedown

and Blake counters with a nice double leg into side control. Katayoshi won't be happy with that.

Blake has had enough of the ground for now and decides to stand.

Blake feints and then dives in with a takedown. That was a long way out but the feint bought him enough time to close the distance and complete the takedown. Now we'll play guard for a bit and see who can get the better of that position.
Blake's corner is telling him to maintain position.
Blake won't allow Katayoshi to sweep him here.
Blake trying to control but Katayoshi is working from the bottom.
Katayoshi controls Blake momentarily but Blake frees himself.
Blake passes Katayoshi's right leg, so he's now in half guard.

That's two minutes gone in the round.
Katayoshi wants to control but Blake is keeping busy and won't allow it.

Blake wants to work for an arm triangle but Katayoshi is really keeping half guard well and defending the submission attempt.
Blake trying to mount his opponent but Katayoshi defends it.
Katayoshi is trying to maintain the position but Blake is very close to passing his half guard.
Blake passes into side control, despite Katayoshi's attempt to control the position.

That's three minutes gone in the round.

Blake decides to stand back up. Blake steps back and let's Katayoshi get back to his feet.
Blake is looking to take this fight into the clinch.
Blake shoots in for a takedown. "I don't think so" says Katayoshi as he avoids it easily.

Katayoshi throws the overhand right but ducks down into a quick takedown attempt. Blake was covering up waiting for the punch and Katayoshi finishes the takedown easily into guard.

Blake throwing his legs up looking for a triangle.
Katayoshi is taking a break and basically stalling. The referee will not allow him to do that for long.

That's four minutes gone in the round.
Blake keeping moving, preventing Katayoshi from controlling successfully.
Katayoshi wants to stand but Blake has a closed guard, so he can't escape.
Katayoshi trying to control but Blake is working from the bottom.
The crowd applaud the fighters efforts here as the round comes to an end.
Katayoshi wants to get up but he can't break Blake's closed guard. He needs to be careful trying to break the legs open, as he's open to submissions here.

And that's the end of the fight!
Andrzej Blake comfortably won the final round on my scorecard.
I think Katayoshi has won this one but let's see what the judges have to say. 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 Sano scores the fight 29:28
Judge Shirou Masuda scores the fight 29:28
Judge Taro Takaoka scores the fight 29:28

In favor of your winner, by unanimous decision... Ryotaro Katayoshi!