PBP Commentary

Coming up we have a light heavyweight MMA rules bout between Randy Faulkner (ranked 0 p4p, 0 weight class) and Narima Koga (ranked 0 p4p, 0 weight class). 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?

Faulkner
vs
Koga

194 cm
22
224 lbs
2 - 2 - 0

190 cm
26
212 lbs
3 - 4 - 1

BJJ Brown Belt
World class boxer
Granite chin

BJJ Purple Belt
Excellent boxer
Heavy handed

Ladies and gentlemen. This fight is 2 rounds, in the light heavyweight division.
Introducing the fighter to my left, fighting out of the red corner.
With a record of 2 - 2 - 0, fighting out of Tokyo, Randy Faulkner!
And introducing the fighter to my right, fighting out of the blue corner.
With a record of 3 - 4 - 1, fighting out of Tokyo, Narima Koga!
The judges for this bout are Shigeki Fujiwara, Taro Takaoka and Hirohito Nitta.

The bell rings for round one and we are underway!

Koga has managed to clinch.
Koga tries a knee to the head but Faulkner blocks it.
Koga tries to land a knee to the head but Faulkner blocks with his arms.
Koga tries a knee to the head but he's missed.
Koga with an attempt at a knee that misses.

Faulkner breaks the clinch.

Faulkner closes the distance, clinches up and gets a nice trip takedown into side control. Very smooth.
You can see the frustration on Koga's face as Faulkner controls the position.
The ref warns both fighters not to hold the cage as they work up against the meshing.
Faulkner creates some space and throws a big elbow, but Koga sees it coming and moves his head just enough to avoid the strike.
Faulkner wants to take a breather but Koga manages to regain guard - a lesson learnt for Faulkner.
The fighters are pressed up against the cage, both looking to find a bit of space to work.
Faulkner stands up and looks to throw the legs aside to pass to side control. Koga swivels though and keeps the full guard.
Faulkner postures up to throw the ground and pound strikes but they don't connect.

That's one minute gone in the round.
Faulkner in full guard, throwing the ground and pound. No damage this time.
Faulkner with a flurry of punches that miss.
Faulkner with a flurry of punches that miss.
Faulkner throwing strikes but missing.
Faulkner wanted to stand there but Koga had control of the position.
Faulkner controlling from the guard. I say controlling but really, he's stalling.

That's two minutes gone in the round.
My god... these two guys really need to pick up the pace or everyone will leave to go get a beer.
Faulkner trying to control but Koga is working from the bottom.
Faulkner has been looking to land a fair amount of strikes on the ground. He might be looking to soften his opponent up in order to work for a submission.

The ref stands the fighters back up because Randy Faulkner just wasn't active enough.

Koga moves into the clinch.
Koga with an attempt at a knee that misses.
Koga is pressed up against the cage. Faulkner has hold of a leg and is looking to drag Koga down to the mat. Koga avoids the attempt though and has circled away. We're back to striking at a distance.

Faulkner tries to keep at a distance but Koga has taken the fight into the clinch.

That's three minutes gone in the round.
Faulkner gets through Koga's defenses to land a nice punch to the side of the head.
Koga throws a knee to the head but misses.
Koga using the Thai plumb to throw knees but Faulkner has his back arched nicely, preventing the strike.
Faulkner scores with a shoulder strike.
A nice left hand lands by Faulkner.
Koga tries to land a knee to the head but misses.

Faulkner pushes off and circles away, back to the middle of the mat.

Koga gets in close and instigates a clinch.
Koga tries to land a knee to the head but Faulkner blocks with his arms.

Faulkner manages to break the clinch.
Narima Koga is looking to keep the fight on the feet at all costs.
Faulkner throws a head kick that connects with a bit of head and a bit of hand.
Faulkner lands a high kick!

Koga moves into the clinch.

Faulkner breaks from the clinch.

Koga gets a clinch.
Koga with an attempt at a knee that misses.
Koga tries to land a knee to the head but misses.
Koga throws a knee to the head but misses.
Koga looks gassed!
Koga throws a knee to the head but misses.
Koga misses with a knee to the head.

Faulkner has managed to pull guard. Let's see whether he can work an aggressive guard. It will also be interesting to see what tactics Koga uses from the top position.
Faulkner trying to strike off his back.

That's four minutes gone in the round.
Koga stopping the sweep attempt from Faulkner.
Koga wants to stand but Faulkner is controlling his posture from full guard.
We may be looking at a referee standup if the pace doesn't pick up soon.
Koga stopping the sweep attempt from Faulkner.

That's five minutes gone in the round.

The ref stands the fighters back up, due to lack of action by Narima Koga.

Koga instigates a clinch.
Koga tries a knee to the head but he's missed.
Koga tries a knee to the head but he's missed.
Koga tries a knee to the head but Faulkner blocks it.
Koga using the Thai plumb to throw knees but Faulkner has his back arched nicely, preventing the strike.

Faulkner lands a nice trip takedown into half guard.
Faulkner missing with the ground and pound from half guard.
Faulkner sitting in half guard, looking to land shots. Koga defending well though.

That's six minutes gone in the round.
Faulkner perhaps working for something from half guard, or maybe not. It looks like he's just sitting there.
Faulkner throwing shots but they're hitting the canvas more than the man.
Faulkner perhaps working for something from half guard, or maybe not. It looks like he's just sitting there.
Faulkner with the ground and pound but Koga uses the opportunity to regain guard.
Koga working the defensive guard well to avoid strikes from Faulkner.
Faulkner postures up to throw the ground and pound strikes but they don't connect.

Faulkner gets to his feet - Koga follows without any prompting.
Narima Koga seems to be the more aggressive standup fighter in this bout.
Koga gets his head snapped back by a nice shot there.

That's seven minutes gone in the round.
Faulkner cracks Koga with a nice right hand that draws applause from the crowd.

Koga moves into the clinch.

Faulkner has managed to pull guard. Let's see whether he can work an aggressive guard. It will also be interesting to see what tactics Koga uses from the top position.
Faulkner throwing strikes off his back to little effect.
Koga stopping the sweep attempt from Faulkner.
Faulkner bucks up whilst keeping hold of a body lock, managing to reverse the position. Now he's in top in Koga's guard.

That's eight minutes gone in the round.
Faulkner pressing down on his opponent's thigh, looking to pass guard. Koga is keeping the position for now.
Faulkner won't allow Koga to get back to his feet.
Faulkner loading up with the ground and pound but he's missing more than he's landing in this flurry.
Faulkner slows down the pace of the fight, as he sits in guard.
Faulkner wants to control from the top but Koga keeps moving.

That's nine minutes gone in the round.
Faulkner throwing shots from guard but he's hitting more mat than opponent.
Faulkner loading up with the ground and pound but he's missing more than he's landing in this flurry.
Faulkner throws a strike but Koga rolls with it and manages to sweep. Now he's in guard on top.
Faulkner wants to sweep here but Koga controlling him for the moment.
And that’s the end of the round – the fighters go back to their corners.

Randy Faulkner dominated that round.
That's the end of the round. The referee orders the cornermen out of the cage so we can get back down to business. This is the final round!

Koga darts in and clinches Faulkner up against the cage.
Koga tries a knee to the head but he's missed.
Koga tries to land a knee to the head but Faulkner blocks with his arms.
Koga using the Thai plumb to throw knees but Faulkner has his back arched nicely, preventing the strike.
Koga tries to land a knee to the head but misses.
Koga tries a knee to the head but Faulkner blocks it.
Faulkner works on Koga's body with a couple of short punches.

Faulkner breaks from the clinch.
Faulkner scores with a three punch combo!

Faulkner shoots in and bounces Koga off the cage to secure the takedown into guard.
We've seen a great period of action over the last minute or so - credit to both fighters for going all out!
Faulkner slows down the pace of the fight, as he sits in guard.
Koga is breathing heavily.
Faulkner is looking to work some ground and pound but Koga has wrist control.

That's one minute gone in the round.
Faulkner missing there with some ground and pound from the guard.
Faulkner trying to pass the guard but can't manage it just yet.
Faulkner throwing strikes but missing.
Faulkner wants to control from the top but Koga keeps moving.

That's two minutes gone in the round.
The crowd are hurling abuse towards the fighters... You can hardly blame them though because there isn't a lot going on in the fight.

Randy Faulkner has forced the referee to step in and bring the fight back to the feet.

Koga gets in close and instigates a clinch.
Faulkner lands a body punch.
Koga with an attempt at a knee that misses.
A short right hand to the side of the head by Faulkner.

Faulkner pulls Koga into guard.
Faulkner wants to control here, rather than go for any submissions from the bottom. At least for now.

That's three minutes gone in the round.
The referee claps his hands together and tells the fighters to work.

The ref calls for a clean break and stands the fighters back up. Narima Koga wasn't active enough on the ground.

Faulkner tries to keep at a distance but Koga has taken the fight into the clinch.
Faulkner has a body lock and is looking for a takedown. Koga is bouncing around trying to prevent the takedown and somehow he has indeed managed to stay on his feet.
Faulkner gets through Koga's defenses to land a nice punch to the side of the head.
A short right from Faulkner.
Koga with an attempt at a knee that misses.

Faulkner gets double underhooks and manages to take the fight to the ground.
Koga wants to stand and escape but Faulkner is having none of it.
Faulkner slows down the pace of the fight, as he sits in guard.

That's four minutes gone in the round.
Faulkner is looking to work some ground and pound but Koga has wrist control.
Koga being controlled here, momentarily.
The referee wants the fighters to be more active or he's going to reset them on the feet.
A big thud reverberates around the arena there as Faulkner accidentally thumps the mat. Hopefully he's not broken his hand.
Faulkner looking to control the position here, rather than advance.

That's five minutes gone in the round.

We're going to have a standup here because Randy Faulkner wasn't active enough for the referee's liking.

Koga has managed to clinch.

Faulkner has hold of one of Koga's legs. Koga is fighting the takedown attempt but Faulkner gets the trip and lands the takedown into guard.
Faulkner stands up and looks to throw the legs aside to pass to side control. Koga swivels though and keeps the full guard.
Faulkner thows a big elbow that misses.
Faulkner wants to control from the top but Koga keeps moving.

That's six minutes gone in the round.
Faulkner looking to pass the guard.
Faulkner is looking to work some ground and pound but Koga has wrist control.
Faulkner is frustrating his opponent with some stalling tactics from top position.

The ref stands the fighters back up because Randy Faulkner just wasn't active enough.
Faulkner goes to the watering hole and comes back with a big thumbs up from the judges as he scores a three punch combo.

That's seven minutes gone in the round.
Faulkner throws a two punch combo that lands nicely.

Koga moves into the clinch.
Koga tries to land a knee to the head but misses.
A short body shot lands from Faulkner as the two fighters clinch.
Faulkner slows down the pace here.
Koga tries a knee to the head but Faulkner blocks it.
Koga throws a vicious knee straight up the middle but Faulkner blocks it with crossed arms.

Faulkner breaks the clinch and we're back to striking at distance.
Koga is the more experienced fighter here and he's going to need to draw on some of that experience if he's going to pull this one out the bag.

Faulkner closes the distance and gets a trip takedown into side control. Koga quickly recovers to half guard.
Faulkner takes a deep breath and rests his weight momentarily on top of his opponent, to control the position.
Faulkner throwing shots but they're hitting the canvas more than the man.
Faulkner stalling.
Faulkner frees up his trapped foot and advances to mount.
Narima Koga has stepped it up - he knows he needs a finish here!

That's eight minutes gone in the round.
Koga is trying to escape but when you're mounted that's not too easy.
Faulkner looking to ground and pound but Koga is blocking nicely.
Faulkner controlling his opponent.

That's nine minutes gone in the round.
Koga is in a horrible position here, under a barrage of strikes, he's managing to avoid any damage.
Faulkner punching from mount but Koga doing a good job of avoiding damage.
Faulkner punching from mount but Koga doing a good job of avoiding damage.
Faulkner tucks in and makes sure he doesn't lose the dominant position.
Randy Faulkner overall seems to be getting the better of the ground position in the fight so far.
Faulkner scoring with some good ground and pound from mount here. Will he manage to finish Koga?

And that's the end of the fight!
Randy Faulkner showed his dominance in that final round.
I think Faulkner 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 2 rounds of action, we go to the scorecards for a decision.
Judge Shigeki Fujiwara scores the fight for Randy Faulkner!
Judge Taro Takaoka scores the fight for Randy Faulkner!
Judge Hirohito Nitta scores the fight for Randy Faulkner!

Randy Faulkner wins by unanimous decision!