PBP Commentary

Coming up we have a bantamweight MMA rules bout between Nihiji Funja (ranked 0 p4p, 0 weight class) and Holy Shito (ranked 0 p4p, 0 weight class). We have two fighters making their debuts here, so let's see who comes out of this one with their first professional victory.

Funja
vs
Shito

150 cm
20
135 lbs
0 - 0 - 0

179 cm
18
144 lbs
0 - 0 - 0

BJJ Blue Belt
Dangerous knees
Self confident

BJJ Blue Belt
Counter striker
Intelligent

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 0 - 0 - 0, fighting out of St Petersburg, Nihiji Funja!
And introducing the fighter to my right, fighting out of the blue corner.
With a record of 0 - 0 - 0, fighting out of St Petersburg, Holy Shito!
The judges for this bout are Viktor Lagutenko, Dmitry Maklakov and Vladimir Khabensky.

The bell rings for round one and we are underway!
Funja shoots in looking for a takedown but Shito manages to keep the fight standing, pushing Funja's face into the canvas for good measure before circling away.
Funja shoots in but doesn't get the takedown
enabling Shito to counter with a crisp jab.
Nice takedown defense from Shito. No joy for Funja on that attempt.
That's three failed takedown attempts in the round for Nihiji Funja. That's going to take a lot out of him.
Shito tries to clinch but Funja is having none of it.
Funja shoots in looking for a takedown. Shito tries to sprawl out of it but Funja keeps driving through. The fighters are pinned against the cage. Shito manages to get underhooks and after a bit of a struggle, circles away and we're back to standing.
Funja gets his takedown attempt stuffed easily
and Shito counters with a nice leg kick.

Shito takes the fight into the clinch.
Shito drops down for a takedown but doesn't get it.
Funja lands a right uppercut that snaps the head of Shito backwards.

That's one minute gone in the round.
Funja drops down looking for an ankle pick but Shito pulls his leg out and moves away.
Funja closes the distance looking to clinch
and Shito cracks him with a counter punch right on the button.
Shito scoring well with a low kick there.
Funja has his takedown stuffed
and Shito counters with a nice leg kick.
Funja tries for a takedown but Shito circles away easily
and Shito counters with a slapping leg kick.

That's two minutes gone in the round.
Shito scores with a decent looking hook.
Funja fails with the takedown

and Shito counters with a single leg into guard. Funja didn't expect that.
Funja might be looking to lock onto one of his opponent's long limbs for a submission, whilst we're on the ground.
Funja is breathing heavily.
This has been an exciting period of action!
The referee is asking the fighters to pick up the pace.
Shito is stalling in the full guard.
Shito throwing elbows and punches but not connecting, as Funja works some decent striking defense from the bottom.
Funja has a butterfly guard looking to sweep but Shito has passed into side control.
Funja could do with loosing a few pounds - he looks very soft around the mid section, to put it politely.
Funja is being controlled here.
The ref warns both fighters not to hold the cage as they work up against the meshing.

That's three minutes gone in the round.
Shito tries to move to mount but Funja blocks the move with his legs.
Shito landing strikes.
Shito 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.
Shito sitting in side control, looking to soften his opponent up with elbows and hammerfists but Funja is avoiding damage well and looking to escape the position.
Shito is working Funja over with some ground and pound from side control.
Funja is positioning himself to get back to half guard.
Shito landing with strikes to the head and body from side control.
Funja tries to get back to half guard but can't.
Shito is chipping away with strikes.

That's four minutes gone in the round.
Shito is moving around in side control but his primary objective seems to be to maintain the position.
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!
Funja tries to bench press Shito off him but Shito keeps the position.
Shito landing with strikes to the head and body from side control.

Shito tries for a kimura but Funja is defending well.
As the round comes to an end the crowd are showing their appreciation for a great round of action.
Funja takes a big shot right to the temple there but he's taken it well.
And that’s the end of the round – the fighters go back to their corners.

Holy Shito dominated that round.
That's time! Funja's corner gives him a slap on the ass as he gets ready to fight.

Shito moves into range and connects with a jab.
Nihiji Funja seems to be the more aggressive standup fighter in this bout.
Funja tries to clinch up against the cage, rushing in the close the distance. Shito manages to break the clinch and circles back to the middle of the mat.
Shito pushing out the jab but it's not landing.
Shito stuffs a takedown. It's all about dictating where the fight takes place and Shito wants it to stay on the feet.

Shito manages to get an easy takedown there - catching Funja on his heels. He'll look to pass Funja's guard now, I'm sure.
Funja working a defensive guard but Shito manages to pass into side control anyway.
Funja wants to control but Shito postures up.

Shito working hard here to secure a kimura but he's not really in the right position for it.
Funja tries to work a leg under to get back to half guard but Shito wriggles his own leg back out and remains in side control.

That's one minute gone in the round.

Shito tries for an arm triangle. That looks pretty tight to me. Is this one over!?! Possibly, maybe, no Shito has let go of the choke. Obviously it wasn't as tight as we thought!
Funja on the wrong end of some ground and pound.
Shito connects with a decent looking elbow from side control that caused Funja some visible discomfort.
Shito scoring with punches from side control.
Funja on the wrong end of some ground and pound.
Shito is a painfully thin specimen of a man. You do wonder whether a good body kick would snap him clean in two.
Shito lands an elbow.

Funja is rocked!
Shito scoring with punches from side control.
Oh Funja is still in real trouble! Will he be able to recover?!!

Shito tries for a kimura. Not really close to a finish though.
The crowd cheering loudly, showing their appreciation for the quality fight we're seeing here.
Shito slows the pace down.
Shito is putting a hurting on Funja here, landing some big shots from side control.
Holy Shito has got the better of the ground game so far.

That's two minutes gone in the round.
Shito scores with a big shot from side control... and another... and another! Oh Funja is done here - save him referee! More strikes land and eventually the ref does step in and Shito can finally stop beating on his defenseless opponent!

Ladies and gentlemen, after 2:19 of round 2, we have a winner by way of TKO (Strikes). Holy Shito!