PBP Commentary

Coming up we have a light heavyweight MMA rules bout between Juan Chavez (ranked 0 p4p, 0 weight class) and Katsu Imai (ranked 0 p4p, 0 weight class). Katsu Imai has the better chin. Will he look to stand and bang today?

Chavez
vs
Imai

183 cm
18
212 lbs
3 - 1 - 0

185 cm
18
211 lbs
2 - 1 - 0

BJJ Blue Belt
Counter striker
Big heart

BJJ Purple Belt
Counter striker
Granite chin

Berserker Nutrition
Pure Gold Nutrition

Ladies and gentlemen. This fight is 3 rounds, in the light heavyweight division.
Introducing the fighter to my left, fighting out of the red corner.
With a record of 3 - 1 - 0, fighting out of Rio de Janeiro, Juan Chavez!
And introducing the fighter to my right, fighting out of the blue corner.
With a record of 2 - 1 - 0, fighting out of Rio de Janeiro, Katsu Imai!
The judges for this bout are Paulo Santos, Thiago Cunha and Leandro Rodrigues.

The bell rings for round one and we are underway!
Chavez misses with a jab, cross combination.
Imai throws a low kick, looking for Chavez's leg but Chavez calmly moves out of range.
Chavez fakes with the hands and throws a leg kick but Imai is out of range.
Chavez lands a lovely overhand right.
Imai shoots in for a double leg but Chavez sprawls well. That's going to sap some energy.
Chavez throws a body punch but Imai moves out of range.
Imai moves in looking to clinch but Chavez pushes him off.
Chavez misses with a low kick.
Chavez misses with an uppercut.

Imai 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.
Chavez controls Imai momentarily but Imai frees himself.

Imai is holding a leg here, probably looking for an ankle lock - he drops back and goes for it! Chavez is in trouble! Is it all over??? No! Chavez has escaped and now he's on top!
Imai preventing the ground and pound from doing any damage.
The ref warns both fighters not to hold the cage as they work up against the meshing.

That's one minute gone in the round.
Chavez looking to pass the guard.
Chavez sitting in guard, not really doing much.
Chavez has to be careful here, sitting in the guard of a superior BJJ player.
Imai keeping moving, preventing Chavez from controlling successfully.
Imai manages to land a sweep and now he's in mount on top!
Chavez flailing away with punches but nothing is landing.
Chavez blocking the ground and pound.

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.
Chavez is looking to get to half guard.
A nice elbow there by Imai.
Chavez wants to control but Imai is having none of it.
The fighters are pressed up against the cage, both looking to find a bit of space to work.
Imai has his opponent pinned against the cage, landing some nasty ground and pound that is really making a bit of a mess out of Chavez's face.
Chavez wants to control but Imai is having none of it.
Imai looking to ground and pound but Chavez is blocking nicely.
Imai throwing sloppy strikes, which aren't doing any damage.
Chavez avoids a strike by Imai and manages to complete a very nice reversal in the process, to end up in Imai's guard! Fantastic escape!
Chavez pressing down on his opponent's thigh, looking to pass guard. Imai is keeping the position for now.

That's three minutes gone in the round.
Chavez trying to control the position from guard on top but Imai is wriggling around, looking for whatever he can.

Imai throwing his legs up looking for a triangle.
Chavez trying to land body shots but he keeps hitting the mat.
Chavez trying to control the position from guard on top but Imai is wriggling around, looking for whatever he can.

Imai has a loose triangle. He'll be looking to tighten that up but Chavez can see exactly what he's planning and manages to posture up and free himself.
Chavez controls the pace of the fight for a moment.
Chavez slips effortlessly into side control - very nice.

That's four minutes gone in the round.
The crowd are starting to boo a lack of action.
Chavez lands a knee to the body and follows it up with some ground and pound to the head. That will wear Imai down.
Chavez scoring with punches and elbows.
Imai tries to work a leg under to get back to half guard but Chavez wriggles his own leg back out and remains in side control.
Chavez passes to full mount! That's big trouble for Imai!
Imai looks gassed!
Chavez putting on the heat here with some good ground and pound!
Imai is squirming around, avoiding Chavez's attempts to control the action.
Chavez is really struggling to control Imai but he's trying to hold on to the position.
Chavez lands a big elbow.
And that’s the end of the round – the fighters go back to their corners.

That was a close round but I would say that Juan Chavez will probably get the nod.
The fighters get back to their feet, the hooter sounds and we're back to the action!

Imai throws a looping left and ducks down for a takedown. He's got his arms around Chavez's waist but Chavez gets an underhook and avoids the takedown by throwing Imai off to one side.
Imai shoots for a takedown but Chavez saw that one coming a mile off and avoided it easily.
Juan Chavez is looking to throw some combinations by the looks of things.
Nice jab there from Chavez.
Imai misses with a series of wild punches.
Chavez stuns Imai with a nice body shot, before stepping back out of range.
Imai takes a body punch but keeps moving.
Chavez stuffs the takedown.
Juan Chavez has stuffed three takedown attempts in the round now. That's going to take a lot out of Katsu Imai.

Imai closes the distance, clinches up and gets a nice trip takedown into side control. Very smooth.
The crowd cheering loudly, showing their appreciation for the quality fight we're seeing here.
Imai is looking to take a break and control but Chavez is keeping him honest, looking to work from the bottom.
Chavez manages to get back to half guard.
Imai is keen to just control but Chavez is a slippery customer.

That's one minute gone in the round.
Imai trying to mount his opponent but Chavez defends it.
Chavez gets back to full guard.
Imai stopping the sweep attempt from Chavez.
Chavez preventing the ground and pound from doing any damage.
Imai stopping the sweep attempt from Chavez.
Chavez trying to strike from the bottom but really, it's not the best position to be doing that from!
Chavez is trying to stand up but he's not managed so far.

Well, the referee has seen enough. Neither fighter is active enough on the ground so he's stood them back up.
Chavez throws a series of strikes that have Imai backpedaling.

That's two minutes gone in the round.
Chavez throws a two punch combo that lands nicely.
Imai is breathing heavily.
Imai shoots in for a takedown but doesn't get it.
Imai shoots in and drives through. Chavez sprawls well.
Chavez throws a combination but it was largely blocked by Imai.
Chavez connects with a slap. Keep your fist closed son.
Imai tries to clinch there but Chavez circles away.
Imai takes a shot right to the bread basket.
Chavez throws a hard body shot but it just misses.
Chavez circles away from the clinch attempt.
Chavez slips a straight right by Imai.
Imai shoots in but Chavez avoids the takedown attempt easily.
Juan Chavez seems to be the more aggressive standup fighter in this bout.
Fantastic stuff here - a very entertaining period of action, which has drawn cheers from the crowd.
Chavez throws the kick towards the body but Imai avoids it.

That's three minutes gone in the round.
Imai keeping his hands up high there, blocking the jab from Chavez.
Chavez throws a hard body shot but it just misses.
Chavez misses with an uppercut. Imai saw that one coming.
Chavez looks to land a combination but Imai avoids it well.
Chavez throws a combination but comes up with nothing but fresh air.
Imai fails with the takedown.
Chavez stalks Imai and leaps in with a furious combination of punches. Uppercuts and crosses smash into Imai's face. Imai staggers backwards, shaken.
Juan Chavez is looking to keep the fight on the feet at all costs.
Imai shoots for a double leg takedown but Chavez sprawls well. He's pushed Imai's face into the mat and manages to get back to his feet relatively easily.
Imai misses with a takedown attempt. He shot from a bit too far out.
Chavez swings widly with a right hand
and Imai counters with a body kick that brings a smile to the face of both fighters.

That's four minutes gone in the round.
A low kick from Chavez misses

and Imai counters by clinching up.
Chavez has Imai pushed against the cage.
With the fighters up against the cage, Chavez throws an elbow but misses.
Chavez looking to stall.

Imai pulls guard.
Chavez makes a bit of distance and scores with some ground and pound, still in guard.
Imai looking to sweep here. No luck so far.

Imai has an omoplata and is looking to use it perhaps as a submission or perhaps to transition. Chavez is in a bit of discomfort here, but he's managed to free himself and has dived into side control! That didn't work out too well for Imai.
Imai is trying to get back to half guard. He's pushing on Chavez's leg. He's managed it. Nice work.
The crowd applaud the fighters efforts here as the round comes to an end.
Imai is looking to get back to full guard here but Chavez has managed to pass to side control instead.
Chavez has his opponent pinned against the cage, landing some nasty ground and pound that is really making a bit of a mess out of Imai's face.
And that’s the end of the round – the fighters go back to their corners.

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

Chavez swings away but doesn't land with a series of punches.
Donk. Chavez catches Imai right on the button with a cross.
Chavez keeps the fight on the outside.
Imai chopped to the floor by a nice leg kick but he springs right back up before Chavez can pounce on him.
Imai tries to clinch up.
Chavez throws a one two combo.
Chavez throws a series of punches but Imai moves out of range.
Imai tries to close the distance and clinch up against the cage but Chavez paws at him with a jab and circles away.
Chavez throws a series of strikes that have Imai backpedaling.
We've seen a great period of action over the last minute or so - credit to both fighters for leaving it all in the cage!
Chavez lands a jab to Imai's midsection.
Imai gets his head snapped back by a nice shot there.
Imai wants to clinch.
Both fighters are breathing heavily.

That's one minute gone in the round.
Chavez chopped to the floor by a nice leg kick but he springs right back up before Imai can pounce on him.
The fight stays on the outside here - Imai looks like he's thinking about clinching though.

Imai decides to change it up a bit and drives through with a nice takedown into half guard.

Imai is looking for a kimura but Chavez is holding onto that half guard position, so it's hard for Imai to get the leverage.

Chavez with the active half guard here but Imai passes nicely into side control.
You can see the frustration on Chavez's face, being in this tough position on the bottom.
Sloppy strikes there by Imai.
Chavez tries to bench press Imai off him but Imai keeps the position.

That's two minutes gone in the round.
Imai remains in side control and seems content to stay there. It's a versatile position from which he can work both strikes and submissions, whilst maintaining that control, so maybe he'll sit here for a while.

Imai is trying to land an Americana. He has the arm isolated but Chavez is keeping cool and he's avoided the danger for now.
Imai is looking to take a break and control but Chavez is keeping him honest, looking to work from the bottom.

Imai tries for a kimura but Chavez is defending well.
Chavez sneaks a leg under to get back to half guard.
Chavez is looking to get back to full guard here but Imai has managed to pass to side control instead.

That's three minutes gone in the round.
Imai seems to be looking to move to his opponent's back but Chavez is holding on tight.
Imai can't quite control the action as he would like just now, as Chavez is looking to escape.
Chavez tries to hold on but Imai postures up.
Chavez is controlling an arm, preventing Imai from taking his back. Although keeping him in mount is no better to be honest.
Imai unloading with bombs!
Chavez is working to get back to half guard.
Chavez wriggling around on the bottom manages to avoid the strikes thrown by Imai.
Imai throwing strikes here but Chavez is writhing around nicely and avoiding any serious damage.

That's four 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.
Imai throws some wild stikes that Chavez manages to avoid easily.
Imai can't quite control the action as he would like just now, as Chavez is looking to escape.
Imai throwing sloppy strikes here. Perhaps if he tightened up his striking from such a dominant position, he'd be able to finish easier.
Chavez can't escape the position.
Imai working the ground and pound effectively.
Chavez wants to improve position but instead he's given up his back.
Katsu Imai has stepped it up - he knows he needs a finish here!
The crowd applaud the fighters efforts here as the round comes to an end.

Imai patiently working for the choke. Which fighter will keep their nerve here?
Chavez is trying to escape under a series of strikes and manages to escape from Imai 's hooks.

And that's the end of the fight!
Juan Chavez showed his dominance in that final round.
Well I reckon that's a shut out for Chavez, winning every round. Will the judges agree? They are the ones who matter, even if they are often depressingly incompetent. 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 Paulo Santos scores the fight 30:27
Judge Thiago Cunha scores the fight 30:27
Judge Leandro Rodrigues scores the fight 30:27

In favor of your winner, by unanimous decision... Juan Chavez!