PBP Commentary

Coming up we have a bantamweight MMA rules bout between Fyodor Pending (ranked 0 p4p, 0 weight class) and Gunna Richardson (ranked 0 p4p, 0 weight class). Over to our ring announcer for the fighter introductions!

Pending
vs
Richardson

150 cm
23
130 lbs
8 - 23 - 0

165 cm
19
145 lbs
2 - 1 - 0

Good takedowns
Counter striker
Good chin

Good wrestler
Basic striking
Solid chin

Ladies and gentlemen. This fight is 3 rounds, in the bantamweight division.
Introducing the fighter to my left, fighting out of the red corner.
With a record of 8 - 23 - 0, fighting out of Tokyo, Fyodor Pending!
And introducing the fighter to my right, fighting out of the blue corner.
With a record of 2 - 1 - 0, fighting out of Tokyo, Gunna Richardson !
The judges for this bout are Shigeki Sano, Ren Mimura and Tatsuya Matsuyama.

The bell rings for round one and we are underway!
Richardson misses with a left hand
and Pending cracks him with a counter punch right on the button.
Richardson scores with a nice strike.
Richardson with a body punch. A glancing blow.
Richardson misses with a right hand
and Pending counters with a good right hand that lands right on the jaw.
Richardson throws a leg kick but he was too far away and it doesn't land.
Richardson throws a push kick but Pending slaps the foot to one side.
Richardson motions for Pending to come forward. Richardson throws a leg kick but it misses it's target.
Richardson lands with a hook. Pending tried to avoid it but it clipped the top of his head.
Richardson connects with a lovely right hand, straight down the pipe.
Richardson throws a leg kick but he was too far away and it doesn't land.

That's one minute gone in the round.
Pending displays some good footwork, moving neatly out of range as Richardson throws out the jab.
Pending moves out of range of the body kick from Richardson .
An inside leg kick from Richardson misses.
Richardson misses with a straight right.
Gunna Richardson is looking to keep the fight on the feet at all costs.
Richardson lands a powerful looking uppercut that connected with his opponent's jaw.
Richardson tries to land with a swinging hook to the body but Pending was well out of range. Poor timing from Richardson .
Pending gets cracked with a nice right hand there by Richardson .
Pending misses with a head kick.
Pending with a lazy takedown attempt
and Pending takes a counter punch right on the button for his troubles.
Gunna Richardson seems to be the more aggressive standup fighter in this bout.

That's two minutes gone in the round.
The crowd are starting to boo a lack of action.
Richardson fakes the leg kick and cracks Pending in the body.
Richardson throws a head kick that misses.
A lazy left from Richardson finds it's target.
Richardson lands a nice hook to Pending's body. Pending takes it in his stride and looks to land his own strikes.
Richardson is using his reach advantage to land shots from outside his opponent's range.
Richardson throws a sloppy head kick and Pending moves out of range easily.
Richardson throws a predictable looking body shot

and Pending counters with a single leg into guard. Richardson didn't expect that.
Pending looking to pass the guard.

Richardson had isolated an arm as going for a kimura. Pending defends it easily.
Pending looking to sit in guard and control but Richardson gets the butterfly guard and sweeps. He's now in the guard on the top.

That's three minutes gone in the round.
Pending looking to control.
Richardson 's corner is telling him to maintain position.
Richardson is working Pending over from the guard. He should look to pass the guard and do a little more damage with these strikes.
Richardson with a nice head shot there.
Hammerfist, elbow! yells Richardson 's corner. There ya go! There ya go!
Pending might be looking to lock onto one of his opponent's long limbs for a submission, whilst we're on the ground.

Pending looking for a guillotine here but Richardson defends easily.
Pending keeping full guard, as Richardson tries to pass.
Richardson lands a nice shot whilst sitting in his opponent's guard.
Pending could do with loosing a few pounds - he looks very soft around the mid section, to put it politely.
Richardson is looking to work some ground and pound but Pending has wrist control.

That's four minutes gone in the round.

Pending looking for submissions off his back, moving his hips, looking for an opening.
The fighters are pressed up against the cage, both looking to find a bit of space to work.
Pending trying to keep a closed guard but Richardson is proving a slippery customer.
Richardson lands a couple of digs.
Richardson trying to pass the guard but can't manage it just yet.
Richardson content to strike from guard, landing some decent shots.
Pending can't keep his opponent in guard - Richardson advances to half guard, no doubt looking to mount.
Fantastic stuff here - a very entertaining period of action, which has drawn cheers from the crowd.
Richardson lands with a punch from half guard.
The crowd applaud the fighters efforts here as the round comes to an end.
Richardson is trying to control the action in half guard but Pending is working away on the bottom, looking perhaps to get back to full guard.
Richardson tries to pass to full mount but Pending defends it.
Richardson working over Pending with some ground and pound. Pending looks like he wants out of this position, which is understandable.
And that’s the end of the round – the fighters go back to their corners.

Gunna Richardson 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.

Pending tries to clinch but is not successful on this occasion.
A jab from Richardson misses.
A low kick from Richardson misses

and Pending counters with a single leg into guard. Richardson didn't expect that.
Richardson keeping moving, preventing Pending from controlling successfully.

Richardson is active off his back here, looking for submissions.

Richardson is looking for a guillotine. You can't force these things though and Pending defends well.
Pending advances position into side control!
Pending trying to control the position but Richardson is working away.

That's one minute gone in the round.
Richardson is trying to get back to half guard. He's pushing on Pending's leg. He's managed it. Nice work.
Pending wants to control but Richardson is keeping him busy.

Pending is trying for a guillotine from the top but the pressure isn't in the right place so Richardson is just riding it out for now. Pending eventually gives up the hold.
Pending wants to lay and pray for a moment but Richardson keeps working.
The ref warns both fighters not to hold the cage as they work up against the meshing.
Richardson trying to control but Pending postures up.
Richardson holds on for dear life, maintaining half guard for now.

That's two minutes gone in the round.
The crowd are showing their displeasure at the lack of action as loud boos ring out around the arena.
Pending prevents Richardson from improving his position.
Richardson is working for an escape here. He's hooked one of Pending's legs and he's managed to sneak out and take Pending's back!
Richardson scores with punches to the body.

Richardson is staying calm and holding on to the back position, whilst working on a rear naked choke. Pending is defending well though. Richardson let's go of the attempt for now.
Pending turns into Richardson and is now in his guard.

Richardson throws his legs up looking to secure a triangle. Oh, that looks pretty tight, I gotta say! Pending escapes and throws Richardson 's legs to the side, diving into side control!
Richardson is breathing heavily.
Richardson tries to work a leg under to get back to half guard but Pending wriggles his own leg back out and remains in side control.

That's three minutes gone in the round.
Richardson is not content to let Pending control the position.

Pending is trying to land an Americana. He has the arm isolated but Richardson is keeping cool and he's avoided the danger for now.
Gunna Richardson has got the better of the ground game so far.
Pending has knee on belly and now moves to full mount! Trouble for Richardson !
Pending tries to control but Richardson wriggling away.

Pending has control of Richardson 's right arm, working for a kimura. It's a bit of a token attempt though and Richardson regains control of the situation pretty easily.
Richardson is looking to improve his position but Pending isn't that keen on the idea.
Pending can't quite control the action as he would like just now, as Richardson is looking to escape.

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.

Pending working to secure an arm triangle but it's not happening for him just yet.
Richardson is working to get back to half guard.
Richardson regains half guard.
Pending seems very keen to just sit and control from half guard but Richardson does not like that idea so much and is remaining active off his back.
Richardson lands a couple of sideways elbows.
Pending is pressing down on Richardson 's thigh, looking to free his foot. Richardson is holding on for now.
Both fighters really going for it on the ground here!
Richardson preventing any damage for now, controlling his opponent's head.
And that’s the end of the round – the fighters go back to their corners.

Fyodor Pending dominated that second round.
The fighters' corners scream their final instructions, as the referee calls time. Here we go, back to the action! This is the final round!

A jab from Richardson misses.
Pending shoots and misses
and Richardson cracks him with a counter punch right on the button.
Richardson bobs and weaves and throws out a fast jab that snaps Pending's head backwards.
Richardson lands with a shot to the body.
We've had a slow start to the round here - hopefully the action picks up.
Richardson throws a hook to the body but it doesn't connect.
A jab from Richardson misses.

That's one minute gone in the round.
Richardson throws a body kick but he wasn't in range.
Richardson throws a body kick but he was well out of range there.
Pending keeping a good distance there, avoiding the body shot.
Pending tries for a takedown but Richardson circles away easily
and Richardson counters with a good right hand that lands right on the jaw.
Richardson throws a leg kick
letting Pending counter with a right hand.
Fyodor Pending is looking to throw some combinations by the looks of things.
Richardson throws a lazy uppercut

and Pending counters with a shoot takedown into half guard.
Richardson trying to control from the bottom.
Richardson is staying active underneath Pending, who seems content to just control the action from this position.

That's two minutes gone in the round.

Pending is trying to work for a kimura. This could be trouble! No, Richardson has managed to free his arm - good work.
Pending is trying to control. Richardson wants to improve his position but can't escape this time.
Richardson slips a foot under and gets full guard. Nice work.
Richardson keeping moving, preventing Pending from controlling successfully.
Richardson wants to sweep here but Pending controlling him for the moment.

Richardson kicks Pending off and gets to his feet.
Pending checks a low kick from Richardson .
Pending with a poor takedown
and Richardson counters with a leg kick that reverborates around the arena.
That's three failed takedown attempts in the round for Fyodor Pending. That's going to take a lot out of him.
Both fighters are breathing heavily.

That's three minutes gone in the round.
Richardson misses the jab.
Richardson lunges in with an uppercut that skims his opponent's chin.
Jab, jab by Richardson - just one landing.
Richardson fakes a head shot and lands one to the body.
Richardson keeps Pending at a distance using the push kick.
Richardson misses with a hook
and Pending counters nicely by changing levels and landing a hook to the body.
Richardson feints a straight left to the body, then turns around with a flashy move and hits Pendings jaw with a dramatic spinning back fist!
Richardson looking to throw a kick but he's pulled out of it.

That's four minutes gone in the round.
Richardson throws a low kick but Pending avoids it.
Richardson wants to slow Pending down by chopping away at his legs.
Richardson moving in and out of range nicely, whilst landing the scoring shot.
Richardson throws a leg kick but he was too far away and it doesn't land.
Richardson pushes Pending away with a front kick.
A low kick from Richardson is predictable there

and Pending counters with a nice single leg takedown and he's in Richardson 's guard now.
Richardson is adopting a defensive guard.

Richardson is active off his back here, looking for submissions.

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 Fyodor Pending.
I think Pending 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 Ren Mimura scores the fight 29:28
Judge Tatsuya Matsuyama scores the fight 29:28

In favor of your winner, by unanimous decision... Fyodor Pending!