PBP Commentary

Coming up we have a light heavyweight MMA rules bout between Shawn Dir (ranked 0 p4p, 0 weight class) and Saku Katsumoto (ranked 0 p4p, 0 weight class). There are an array of beautiful celebrities at ringside tonight! I wonder if any of them paid for their tickets.

Dir
vs
Katsumoto

200 cm
25
198 lbs
4 - 3 - 0

180 cm
20
190 lbs
3 - 1 - 0

BJJ White Belt
Excellent boxer
Experienced

BJJ Blue Belt
Counter striker
Powerful

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 4 - 3 - 0, fighting out of Tokyo, Shawn Dir!
And introducing the fighter to my right, fighting out of the blue corner.
With a record of 3 - 1 - 0, fighting out of Tokyo, Saku Katsumoto!
The judges for this bout are Yuuki Gou, Taro Takaoka and Yukihiro Yamamoto.

The bell rings for round one and we are underway!
Dir looks to score with a jab to the body but Katsumoto is just out of range.
Katsumoto on the wrong end of a vicious looking body shot.
Dir uses good footwork to get in and out and land a nice right hand before Katsumoto has time to react.
Katsumoto misses with a series of wild punches.
Katsumoto takes a body punch but keeps moving.
Horrible takedown by Katsumoto or perhaps it was just good defense by Dir which made him look bad.
Dir lands a glancing blow to the side of Katsumoto's head.
Dir misses with a body shot.
No luck with that takedown attempt from Katsumoto.
Dir 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 one minute gone in the round.
Dir's jab looks to have found its range, popping Katsumoto under the eye.
Katsumoto throws a sloppy head kick and Dir moves out of range easily.
Dir dips down and scores with a jab to the body.

Katsumoto moves into the clinch successfully.
Katsumoto is working for takedown but Dir is calmly controlling the position for now.
Shawn Dir has stuffed three takedown attempts in the round now. That's going to take a lot out of Saku Katsumoto.
Dir gets underhooks to prevent Katsumoto's takedown attempt.
Katsumoto wants a takedown.
Dir stalling here - the referee won't stand for too much of that.
Dir gets a warning from the ref for wasting time.

That's two minutes gone in the round.
Katsumoto is trying to work for a single leg takedown but Dir pulls him back up using the underhooks.
Dir gets underhooks to prevent Katsumoto's takedown attempt.
Katsumoto drops down looking for an ankle pick but Dir pulls his leg out and moves away.
A telegraphed takedown attempt from Katsumoto is defended easily by Dir.
Dir is looking to wear down Katsumoto with body shots, infact he's throwing more body shots than head shots at the moment.
Good shot there by Dir.

That's three minutes gone in the round.
Katsumoto takes a shot right to the bread basket.
Dir stuffs the takedown attempt from Katsumoto. Katsumoto gets slowly back to his feet.
Katsumoto takes a shot right to the bread basket.
Dir comes forward and lands a shot to the body, then darts back out of range.
Dir lands with a shot to the body.
Katsumoto fails in his attempt to clinch.
Katsumoto pulls out of a head kick attempt.

That's four minutes gone in the round.
Katsumoto fails with the takedown.
Dir cracks Katsumoto with a good jab.
Dir stuffs the takedown attempt from Katsumoto. Katsumoto gets slowly back to his feet.
Katsumoto tries to move into range but Dir moves to the side and lands with a nice right hand.
Katsumoto shoots in for a takedown - he's clinched up with Dir but Dir pushes him off and we're back to square one.
No joy there for Katsumoto, who threw a few shots but didn't land.
And that’s the end of the round – the fighters go back to their corners.

Shawn Dir dominated that round.
That's time! Back to the action!

Katsumoto looks for a takedown but Dir sprawls well.
A shot to the liver by Dir. Beautiful body shot.
Saku Katsumoto seems to be the more aggressive standup fighter in this bout.
Katsumoto shoots in for a takedown but doesn't get it.
Dir misses with the combination.
Dir scores with a nice strike.
Saku Katsumoto is looking to throw some combinations by the looks of things.
Dir scores with a hook to the body. Katsumoto takes a step back and tries to catch his breath.
Dir swats away the attempt to clinch by Katsumoto.
Dir with a jab.

That's one minute gone in the round.
Katsumoto swings away but doesn't land with a series of punches.
Dir lands a nice looking body shot.

Dir gets caught flat footed, as Katsumoto shoots in with a quick takedown into guard.
The ref warns both fighters not to hold the cage as they work up against the meshing.
It looks like the ref is thinking about a standup.
Dir keeping full guard, as Katsumoto tries to pass.
Katsumoto passes Dir's right leg, so he's now in half guard.
Dir is staying active underneath Katsumoto, who seems content to just control the action from this position.

Katsumoto seems to be working for a kimura but Dir defends the submission attempt.
Katsumoto wants to free his trapped foot but Dir is holding on for dear life with his legs.

That's two minutes gone in the round.
Dir wants to get back to full guard.
Katsumoto wants to free his trapped foot but Dir is holding on for dear life with his legs.

Katsumoto is trying a forearm choke… I don't think that's going to do much at this level of the game.
Dir knows he needs to get back to his feet asap. He's simply no match for Katsumoto on the ground.

Katsumoto is working for a kimura but Dir is defending it quite comfortably.
The crowd are loving this. Great action here.
Dir wants to get back to full guard.

That's three minutes gone in the round.
Katsumoto tries to pass the half guard into mount. Dir knows what he's doing though and prevents the attempt.

Katsumoto is looking for a kimura. It's going to be difficult to finish that from half guard though and Dir defends it well.
Katsumoto works his way into side control.
Katsumoto advances to mount.
Dir wants to control but Katsumoto is having none of it.

Katsumoto is thinking about an arm triangle here, looking to tighten it up before moving to side control. Dir can see it coming though and defends well with a couple of strikes to the head and some good arm positioning.

That's four minutes gone in the round.
Katsumoto punching from mount but Dir doing a good job of avoiding damage.
Katsumoto thowing shots but they're missing.
Katsumoto misses with a head shot.

Katsumoto goes for an armbar but he's not got it… Dir turns into him and now he's in Katsumoto's guard.
Katsumoto throws a couple of shots from the bottom but they don't land.
This has been an exciting period of action!
The crowd applaud the fighters efforts here as the round comes to an end.
There's a bit of a scramble here and now Katsumoto is on top in guard.
Dir wants to stand and escape but Katsumoto is having none of it.
And that’s the end of the round – the fighters go back to their corners.

Saku Katsumoto showed his class in that round. I'd imagine he'll take it on all the scorecards.
The corners get their ten second warning. Both fighters stand from their stools and stare eachother down, ready to get back to the action. This is the final round!

Dir ducks down and throws a hook to the body but Katsumoto moves away.
Dir throws a hard body shot but it just misses.
A head kick misses from Katsumoto.
Katsumoto fails with an attempt to clinch.
Katsumoto misses with a double jab.
Katsumoto misses with a jab and misses with a cross straight after too.
Dir connects with a lovely right hand, straight down the pipe.
Dir tries to land with a swinging hook to the body but Katsumoto was well out of range. Poor timing from Dir.
Katsumoto misses with a combination
enabling Dir to counter with a crisp jab.

That's one minute gone in the round.
Dir fails to land with the punch combination there - jab, cross, hook, miss, miss, miss.

Katsumoto clinches with his opponent.
Katsumoto goes for a takedown in the clinch but Dir prevents it.
Katsumoto is trying to drag Dir to the mat but Dir just about manages to keep his footing. He used the cage to his advantage there.
Katsumoto is trying to drag Dir to the mat but Dir just about manages to keep his footing. He used the cage to his advantage there.
Shawn Dir has stuffed three takedown attempts in the round now. That's going to take a lot out of Saku Katsumoto.
Katsumoto changes levels and goes for a takedown here. Dir fights it off and pushes away nicely.

That's two minutes gone in the round.
Dir scores with a sloppy punch to the body. Not much technique there but it did the business.
Dir fails to land with a series of punches.
Katsumoto changes levels and looks for a double leg takedown. Dir tries to avoid it but Katsumoto manages to keep hold of a leg and drag Dir to the ground. Dir escapes though and pops straight back up to his feet.
Katsumoto lunges in with swinging rights and lefts but Dir circles away quickly and effectively.
Katsumoto throws a sloppy head kick and Dir moves out of range easily.
Dir lands a lovely overhand right.
Shawn Dir is winning the standup battle so far.

That's three minutes gone in the round.
Dir lands a nice hook to Katsumoto's body. Katsumoto takes it in his stride and looks to land his own strikes.
Katsumoto closes the distance and takes a jab right on the nose as he does so.
Dir scores with a jab to the jaw.
Katsumoto throws a shot to the body.
Katsumoto throws a looping left and ducks down for a takedown. He's got his arms around Dir's waist but Dir gets an underhook and avoids the takedown by throwing Katsumoto off to one side.
Katsumoto takes a shot right to the bread basket.
Katsumoto on the wrong end of a vicious looking body shot.
A telegraphed takedown attempt from Katsumoto is defended easily by Dir.

That's four minutes gone in the round.
Katsumoto looks for a takedown but Dir sprawls well.
Katsumoto takes a big intake of breath there - he's definitely tired.
Dir listening to his corner there, landing a nice uppercut.
Dir misses with a jab and misses with a cross straight after too.
Shawn Dir is looking to keep the fight on the feet at all costs.
Katsumoto throws a series of punches but Dir avoids them all with ease.
Dir scores with a jab to the head.
Dir fakes a head punch and goes low to the body. Nicely done.

And that's the end of the fight!
I would just about give that final round to Saku Katsumoto.
I think Katsumoto has won this one but let's see whether the judges agree with me. 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 Yuuki Gou scores the fight 29:28
Judge Taro Takaoka scores the fight 29:29
Judge Yukihiro Yamamoto scores the fight 29:28

In favor of your winner, by majority decision... Shawn Dir!