PBP Commentary

Coming up we have a lightweight MMA rules bout between Jenji Ueda (ranked 0 p4p, 0 weight class) and Saku Thirtynine (ranked 0 p4p, 0 weight class). Ueda's ring entrance music is that housewives' favourite, Requiem for a Dream. Thirtynine is bobbing his head along to his entrance song: Speed 2 Remix by Tetsuya Komura . Both these guys have really solid chins. Will we see a standup war or will they both decide that a knockout is unlikely and try to win the fight elsewhere?

Ueda
vs
Thirtynine

172 cm
28
161 lbs
10 - 5 - 1

178 cm
29
169 lbs
9 - 11 - 1

BJJ Purple Belt
Solid Muay Thai
Granite chin

Good wrestler
Decent boxing
Granite chin

Ladies and gentlemen. This fight is 3 rounds, in the lightweight division.
Introducing the fighter to my left, fighting out of the red corner.
With a record of 10 - 5 - 1, fighting out of Tokyo, Jenji Ueda!
And introducing the fighter to my right, fighting out of the blue corner.
With a record of 9 - 11 - 1, fighting out of Tokyo, Saku Thirtynine!
The judges for this bout are Shirou Masuda, Taro Takaoka and Yukihiro Yamamoto.

The bell rings for round one and we are underway!
Ueda keeps the fight standing with a nice sprawl.
Ueda lunges in with swinging rights and lefts but Thirtynine circles away quickly and effectively.

Thirtynine gets tackled into the cage by Ueda. Ueda maintains the clinch.

Thirtynine is working on a single leg takedown against the cage. Ueda can't fight it off and eventually Thirtynine manages to take the fight to the floor. Ueda looks annoyed but at least he's managed to land in guard.
The ref warns both fighters not to hold the cage as they work up against the meshing.
Thirtynine trying to control but Ueda is working from the bottom.
Thirtynine looking to sit in guard and control but Ueda gets the butterfly guard and sweeps. He's now in the guard on the top.
Ueda stopping the sweep attempt from Thirtynine.
Ueda is stalling in the full guard.
Thirtynine wants to sweep but no luck.

That's one minute gone in the round.

Thirtynine working for a triangle but Ueda defends it easily.
Ueda has to be careful here, sitting in the guard of a superior BJJ player.
Ueda lands a nice shot whilst sitting in his opponent's guard.
Thirtynine keeping moving, preventing Ueda from controlling successfully.

Ueda got a little sloppy there for a moment and Thirtynine has worked his way into a loose triangle - can he finish it?! No, Ueda has managed to get both his arms back between Thirtynine's legs - danger averted.
Ueda wants to control from the top but Thirtynine keeps moving.
Ueda stopping the sweep attempt from Thirtynine.
Ueda postures up.

That's two minutes gone in the round.
Ueda works over Thirtynine with some ground and pound from guard.
Ueda wants to pass the guard but Thirtynine is keeping the position.
Ueda preventing the sweep.
Thirtynine keeping moving, preventing Ueda from controlling successfully.
The fighters are pressed up against the cage, both looking to find a bit of space to work.
Thirtynine wants to sweep here but Ueda controlling him for the moment.

Thirtynine is working actively off his back, looking to secure an arm or perhaps work for a triangle.

That's three minutes gone in the round.
Ueda wants to control from the top but Thirtynine keeps moving.
Ueda lands a couple of elbows.
Thirtynine keeping moving, preventing Ueda from controlling successfully.
Ueda won't allow Thirtynine to sweep him here.
Ueda trying to control the position from guard on top but Thirtynine is wriggling around, looking for whatever he can.
Ueda looking to pass the guard.
Thirtynine not looking particularly offensive just at the moment.
Ueda landing some decent shots from guard.
Ueda wants to control from the top but Thirtynine keeps moving.

That's four minutes gone in the round.
Neither fighter has done anything of merit for a good minute or two here and the crowd are not happy about it.
Ueda wants to pass the guard but Thirtynine is keeping the position.
Thirtynine trying to keep a closed guard but Ueda is proving a slippery customer.

The referee decides to stand the fighters back up.
Ueda swings wildly with a right hand that was never going to find it's target.
Thirtynine with a poor takedown

and Ueda counters with a takedown into full mount! That could mean trouble for Thirtynine!
Ueda scoring with some good ground and pound from mount here. Will he manage to finish Thirtynine?
Ueda putting on the heat here with some good ground and pound!
You get the feeling that Thirtynine really doesn't like being in this position too much.
Thirtynine sneaks a leg under to get to half guard.
Ueda lands strikes from half guard.
Ueda knows he needs to get back to his feet asap. He's simply no match for Thirtynine on the ground.
Thirtynine is trying to control but can't.
Ueda is trying to control the action in half guard but Thirtynine is working away on the bottom, looking perhaps to get back to full guard.
And that’s the end of the round – the fighters go back to their corners.

Jenji Ueda dominated that round.
Well, the break between rounds is over. Let's get back to the scrappin!

The fight moves into the clinch position.
Ueda lands an elbow just above Thirtynine 's eye.
Thirtynine drops down looking for an ankle pick but Ueda pulls his leg out and moves away.
Thirtynine has his takedown stuffed
and Ueda counters with a big head kick but Thirtynine shrugs it off.
A slapping body kick lands there for Ueda.

Ueda moves into the clinch.
Thirtynine is working for takedown but Ueda is calmly controlling the position for now.
Jenji Ueda has stuffed three takedown attempts in the round now. That's going to take a lot out of Saku Thirtynine.
Ueda unloads a knee to the mid-section.
Ueda throws a knee to the head but misses.
Ueda is looking to control Thirtynine's arms but Thirtynine gets an underhook and turns him. Now Ueda has his back to the cage.
Ueda creates a bit of space for himself and sneaks an elbow through Thirtynine's defenses.

Ueda has Thirtynine pressed up against the cage. He's trying to work for a single leg takedown. Ueda pulls back from the cage and twists to the side, sending Thirtynine tumbling to the mat - Ueda dives into Thirtynine's guard.
The fans in attendance giving it up for the two fighters, who have really let it all hang out in the last minute or so!
Thirtynine keeping full guard, as Ueda tries to pass.
Thirtynine is breathing heavily.
Ueda distracts Thirtynine with his right hand and drops a big elbow with his other arm.
Ueda in full guard, throwing the ground and pound. No damage this time.

That's one minute gone in the round.
Thirtynine can't keep his opponent in guard - Ueda advances to half guard, no doubt looking to mount.
Ueda prevents Thirtynine from improving his position.

Thirtynine looking for submissions off his back.
Thirtynine is not content to let Ueda control the position.
Thirtynine wants to get back to his feet.
Thirtynine tries to roll over but Ueda keeps him under control.
Ueda uses his free foot to push down on Thirtynine's thigh. Eventually he works his other foot free and he's advanced to mount - this is trouble for Thirtynine.
Ueda raining down shots from the mount!

That's two minutes gone in the round.
Ueda in mount throwing good strikes here, bouncing his opponent's head off the canvas.
Thirtynine is desperately trying to improve his position but Ueda has a good base and remains in mount.
The crowd growing excited in anticipation of a finish here! Right on cue, Ueda cracks his opponent with a massive right hand that draws loud cheers!
Ueda trying to control but he's not successful this time.
Thirtynine wants to control but Ueda is having none of it.
Ueda trying to control but he's not successful this time.
Thirtynine takes a big shot to the head but keeps on trying to improve his position.
Ueda looking to control but Thirtynine is working nicely, looking to advance position himself.
Thirtynine is working to get back to half guard.

That's three minutes gone in the round.
Ueda wants to control the pace but Thirtynine is squirming around nicely.
Thirtynine is trying to escape the mount.
Ueda looking to control and managing it successfully.
Ueda trying to control but he's not successful this time.
A nice elbow there by Ueda.
Jenji Ueda overall seems to be getting the better of the ground position in the fight so far.
Thirtynine is looking to get back to his feet - it's going to be hard from this position.
Ueda prevents Thirtynine from getting the reversal.

That's four minutes gone in the round.
The crowd are showing their displeasure at the lack of action as loud boos ring out around the arena.
Ueda trying to control but Thirtynine is having none of it.
Ueda postures up and cracks his opponent a couple of times before moving back into close ground control. Thirtynine looks a forlorn figure.
Ueda looking to control but Thirtynine is working nicely, looking to advance position himself.
A nice elbow there by Ueda.
Thirtynine working to try and regain half guard.
Ueda looking to ground and pound his opponent to a finish here.
The crowd applaud the fighters efforts here as the round comes to an end.
Ueda fakes a shot to the body and cracks his opponent in the head. Nice ground and pound there!
Thirtynine sneaks a leg under to get to half guard.
Ueda thumps the canvas. Not on purpose obviously - he just missed Thirtynine's head.
And that’s the end of the round – the fighters go back to their corners.

Jenji Ueda dominated that second round.
That's time! Ueda's corner gives him a slap on the ass as he gets ready to fight. This is the final round!

Ueda is looking to slow Thirtynine down with leg kicks.
Ueda tries to land with a swinging hook to the body but Thirtynine was well out of range. Poor timing from Ueda.
Ueda tries to close the distance and clinch up but Thirtynine swats him away and circles back towards the center.

Thirtynine looks for a takedown. He's got it. We're now in half guard.

Thirtynine is trying to work for a kimura but Ueda is defending well.
Ueda trying to control here.

Thirtynine is thinking about going for an arm triangle but he can't free his leg.

Thirtynine is looking for a kimura but he's never going to get it from there.
Thirtynine takes a big intake of breath there - he's definitely tired.

That's one minute gone in the round.
Thirtynine is looking to take a break and control but Ueda is keeping him honest, looking to work from the bottom.
Ueda is looking to escape.
Thirtynine controlling the action here.

Thirtynine is looking for an arm triangle, whilst trying to pass to side control. Ueda doesn't seem that keen to cooperate though. No luck this time Thirtynine.

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.
Ueda wants to get back to full guard.
Thirtynine wants to pass to mount but Ueda is defending the position.
Ueda is staying active underneath Thirtynine, who seems content to just control the action from this position.
Thirtynine is just sitting in half guard, waiting for something to happen.

That's three minutes gone in the round.
Ueda trying to control but Thirtynine postures up.
Ueda is looking to improve his position.

It looks like we're going to have a standup here. Neither fighter is doing enough on the ground.
Thirtynine takes a hook to the side of the head. I wonder if that's got his ears ringing.
Ueda doesn't succeed with the takedown

and Thirtynine counters with a nice double leg into side control. Ueda won't be happy with that.
Thirtynine throwing shots but missing, from side control.
Thirtynine throwing shots but missing, from side control.
Thirtynine is moving around in side control but his primary objective seems to be to maintain the position.

That's four minutes gone in the round.

Thirtynine looking for an arm triangle but it's way too loose to do anything.
Jenji Ueda is fighting for a decision here - he's started to take the cautious approach.
Thirtynine wants to lay and pray for a moment but Ueda keeps working.

Thirtynine looking for an arm triangle but it's way too loose to do anything.
Saku Thirtynine has stepped it up - he knows he needs a finish here!
You can see the frustration on Ueda's face, being in this tough position on the bottom.

And that's the end of the fight!
Saku Thirtynine comfortably won the final round on my scorecard.
Well Ueda has outscored his opponent in every aspect of the fight today. Only a scarily incompetent judge or two will keep him from a well deserved win... 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 Shirou Masuda scores the fight 29:28
Judge Taro Takaoka scores the fight 29:27
Judge Yukihiro Yamamoto scores the fight 29:28

In favor of your winner, by unanimous decision... Jenji Ueda!