PBP Commentary

Coming up we have a lightweight MMA rules bout between Ronald Hextole (ranked 0 p4p, 0 weight class) and Masato Kunaida (ranked 0 p4p, 0 weight class). These two fighters really are very evenly matched on the feet - it will be fascinating to see who can assert themselves in that aspect of the fight.

Hextole
vs
Kunaida

175 cm
23
165 lbs
2 - 3 - 0

176 cm
19
165 lbs
3 - 1 - 0

BJJ Blue Belt
Solid Muay Thai
Good in bed

BJJ White Belt
Lethal high kicks
Heavy handed

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 2 - 3 - 0, fighting out of Tokyo, Ronald Hextole!
And introducing the fighter to my right, fighting out of the blue corner.
With a record of 3 - 1 - 0, fighting out of Tokyo, Masato Kunaida!
The judges for this bout are Taro Takaoka, Yuuki Gou and Shigeki Sano.

The bell rings for round one and we are underway!
Hextole is looking to clinch.
Kunaida keeps the fight on the outside.
Hextole tries to clinch but is not successful on this occasion.
Hextole staying out of range there.
Hextole fails in his attempt to clinch.
No luck with that takedown attempt from Hextole.
Hextole thows a leg kick but Kunaida checks it
and Kunaida counters with a quick right hand to the jaw.
Kunaida circles away from the clinch attempt.
Ronald Hextole seems to be the more aggressive standup fighter in this bout.
Hextole tries to clinch but Kunaida moves out of range.
Kunaida lands a nice shot to the body.
Hextole slips a jab and a cross from Kunaida.
Kunaida misses with a looping left.
Kunaida avoids the clinch attempt nicely.
Hextole tries to clinch but Kunaida is having none of it.
Hextole tries to land a leg kick but Kunaida saw it coming and moves away.

That's one minute gone in the round.
Kunaida keeps his opponent at a distance with a nice jab.
Kunaida throws a low kick but it's checked well by Hextole.
Hextole is looking to clinch but Kunaida is avoiding it.
Kunaida avoids the clinch attempt nicely.
Masato Kunaida is looking to keep the fight on the feet at all costs.
A slapping leg kick lands for Kunaida.
Kunaida throws a head kick that misses and slips in the process. He scrambles back to his feet and the fighters circle.
A big left from Kunaida misses.
Hextole is looking to clinch.
Hextole tries to land a front kick but Kunaida steps back. That was a bit too telegraphed.
Hextole tries to clinch up.
Kunaida circles away from the clinch attempt.
Hextole scores with a kick to the body.
Kunaida misses with a jab and misses with a cross straight after too.
Hextole tries to clinch but Kunaida is having none of it.

That's two minutes gone in the round.
The fight stays on the outside here - Hextole looks like he's thinking about clinching though.

Hextole moves into the clinch successfully.
Kunaida is trying to break the clinch but Hextole has him pressed against the cage.
The crowd cheering loudly, showing their appreciation for the quality fight we're seeing here.
Kunaida is trying to break free.
With the fighters up against the cage, Hextole throws an elbow but misses.
Hextole looks to throw an elbow but misses.
Kunaida managing to block the knees to the body from Hextole.
Hextole misses with an elbow strike.
Kunaida blocks an elbow strike.
Hextole lands an elbow inside that Kunaida shrugs off.

It looks like Masato Kunaida has been cut.

Kunaida's corner calls for him to break the clinch, which he does.

That's three minutes gone in the round.
Hextole tries to close the distance and clinch up but Kunaida swats him away and circles back towards the center.
Kunaida stuns Hextole with a nice body shot, before stepping back out of range.
A telegraphed right hand from Kunaida misses the target.
Hextole tries to clinch but Kunaida is having none of it.
Kunaida connects with a nice looking jab.
Hextole fails with an attempt to clinch.

Hextole darts in and clinches Kunaida up against the cage.
An uppercut on the inside fails to land for Hextole.
Kunaida wants to break the clinch but can't.
Kunaida wants to get back to striking at distance but Hextole won't allow it.
Kunaida wants to push off and get back to the center of the mat but Hextole has him pressed against the cage.
Kunaida swings wildly with an uppercut but Hextole uses good head movement to avoid it.
Kunaida is trying to break free.

That's four minutes gone in the round.
Hextole lands an elbow inside.
Hextole throws a nice elbow but it doesn't land.
Kunaida blocks an elbow strike.
Hextole trying to control the position but instead, Kunaida has worked for underhooks and has pushed Hextole into the cage.
Kunaida blocking some punches.
Hextole lands a knee to the head there! That was nasty!
Hextole is trying to slow down the pace in the clinch, to catch his breath.
As the round comes to an end the crowd are showing their appreciation for a great round of action.
Kunaida takes a knee to the side of the body.
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!
Kunaida is trying to break the clinch but Hextole is controlling him.
And that’s the end of the round – the fighters go back to their corners.

Ronald Hextole dominated that round.
The cut man is working on Masato Kunaida's cut.
That's the end of the round. The referee orders the cornermen out of the cage so we can get back down to business.

Hextole has a takedown stuffed.
Hextole fails in his attempt to clinch.
Kunaida avoids the clinch attempt nicely.
Kunaida circles away from the clinch attempt.
Hextole takes a nice looking leg kick right on the meat of his thigh there.
Kunaida throws out a loose jab but Hextole uses good head movement to avoid it.
Kunaida lands with a nice combination. Hextole backs away looking to recover.
Hextole tries to clinch up against the cage, rushing in the close the distance. Kunaida manages to break the clinch and circles back to the middle of the mat.
Hextole looks to clinch
and Kunaida counters with a nice uppercut.
Hextole tries to close the distance and clinch up but Kunaida swats him away and circles back towards the center.
Kunaida scores with a decent looking hook.
Kunaida keeps the fight on the outside.

That's one minute gone in the round.
Kunaida circles away from the clinch attempt.
Hextole staying out of range there.
Kunaida lands a nice hook to Hextole's body. Hextole takes it in his stride and looks to land his own strikes.
Kunaida lands with a kick to the temple. Hextole shrugs as if to say "is that all you've got?"
Hextole tries to clinch but Kunaida moves out of range.
Hextole is looking to clinch but Kunaida is avoiding it.
Kunaida scores with a three punch combo!
A left lands for Kunaida.

Hextole clinches up against the cage.
A battle for position here, against the cage.
Hextole is looking to score with knees to the body. Maybe he'll change it up and go body then head. Kunaida is defending well for now.
Hextole creates a bit of distance and throws an elbow that only just misses.

That's two minutes gone in the round.
Kunaida avoiding damage as Hextole throws knees to the body.
Hextole with an attempt at a knee that misses.
A frustrated look appears on Kunaida's face as he tries to break the clinch.
Kunaida blocks the elbow strike.
A nice glancing elbow lands by Hextole.
Kunaida blocks a knee to the body. He'll have a nicely bruised forearm in the morning.
Kunaida trying to stall but Hextole improves his position.
Hextole letting Kunaida take a breather here.
Kunaida has had enough of the clinch but Hextole keeps him there for the moment.
This has been an exciting period of action!
Hextole content to slow the pace in the clinch.

That's three minutes gone in the round.
Kunaida is trying to break the clinch but Hextole has him pressed against the cage.
The fighters are pressed against the cage, as the pace of the fight slows.
Kunaida wants to push off and get back to the center of the mat but Hextole has him pressed against the cage.
Come on Hextole - let's have some action - none of this stalling nonsense.
A battle for position here, against the cage.
The ref breaks the fighters up, due to lack of action by Ronald Hextole.
Hextole wants to clinch.
Kunaida fails to land with the punch combination there - jab, cross, hook, miss, miss, miss.

That's four minutes gone in the round.

Hextole rushes Kunaida and presses him up against the cage.
Kunaida looks like he'd prefer to be striking at range right now.
Kunaida can't break the clinch.
Hextole lands an elbow inside that Kunaida shrugs off.
Kunaida has had enough of the clinch and is looking to separate.
The fighters are starting to perspire pretty heavily.
Hextole tries to stall but Kunaida uses the opportunity to gain a better position.
Kunaida can't break the clinch.
The crowd applaud the fighters efforts here as the round comes to an end.
Hextole pushes off and fires off an elbow that misses, before clinching up again, against the cage.
Hextole throws an elbow but it misses.
Hextole can't find room to land a body shot as Kunaida controls the action.
And that’s the end of the round – the fighters go back to their corners.

That was a close second round but I would say that Ronald Hextole will probably get the nod.
The cut man is working on Masato Kunaida's cut.
Well, the break between rounds is over. Let's get back to the scrappin! Let's hear some noise people - this is the final round!

Hextole moves out of range as Kunaida strikes.
A decent looking cross lands there for Kunaida.
Kunaida attempts a leg kick but it's missed by a good margin.
Kunaida circles away from the clinch attempt.
Hextole is looking to take this fight into the clinch.
Kunaida jabs away that one connects to the head of his opponent.
Hextole tries to clinch up against the cage, rushing in the close the distance. Kunaida manages to break the clinch and circles back to the middle of the mat.
Kunaida jabbing away but nothing is landing.
Masato Kunaida seems to be getting the better of the standup.
Kunaida scores with a nice right hand.
Hextole tries to close the distance and clinch up but Kunaida swats him away and circles back towards the center.
Hextole delivers a nice body kick.
Hextole drops his hands and takes a jab to the jaw for his troubles.

That's one minute gone in the round.
Kunaida dips down and scores with a jab to the body.
Hextole throws a leg kick but he was too far away and it doesn't land.

Hextole moves into the clinch.
Kunaida wants to strike at distance but he can't break free of the clinch.
Kunaida blocks a knee to the body. He'll have a nicely bruised forearm in the morning.
With the two fighters working up against the cage, Hextole just misses with a elbow thrown towards Kunaida's brow.
Kunaida dodges an elbow strike from Hextole.
A bit of stalling here from Hextole.
Hextole using the Thai plumb to throw knees but Kunaida has his back arched nicely, preventing the strike.
Hextole stalling in the clinch but Kunaida improves position.
Hextole goes for a body shot but it's blocked.
Hextole throws an elbow but it's blocked.
Kunaida avoids the elbow strike from Hextole, against the cage.

That's two minutes gone in the round.
Kunaida blocks an uppercut.
A battle for position here, against the cage.
Hextole throws an elbow that misses.
Kunaida blocks an elbow strike from Hextole.
Kunaida is trying to push Hextole away but Hextole has him pressed against the cage, so he's going nowhere.
Hextole creates a bit of distance and throws an elbow that only just misses.
Kunaida is trying to push Hextole away but Hextole has him pressed against the cage, so he's going nowhere.
Hextole misses with an elbow strike.
Hextole tries to stall but Kunaida uses the opportunity to gain a better position.

That's three minutes gone in the round.
A frustrated look appears on Kunaida's face as he tries to break the clinch.

Kunaida manages to break the clinch.
Hextole tries to clinch there but Kunaida circles away.
Kunaida throws a wild combination but nothing lands.

Hextole has closed the distance and engaged Kunaida in a clinch.
Hextole lands a nice knee to the body.
Hextole throws an elbow but it misses.
With the fighters up against the cage, Hextole throws an elbow but misses.
Hextole misses with an elbow strike.
Hextole misses with an elbow strike.
Kunaida working hard to break the clinch.
Kunaida avoiding damage as Hextole throws knees to the body.

That's four minutes gone in the round.
Hextole pushes off and fires off an elbow that misses, before clinching up again, against the cage.
Kunaida avoids the elbow strike from Hextole, against the cage.
Hextole tries to stall but Kunaida uses the opportunity to gain a better position.
Kunaida tries to break the clinch but Hextole is controlling the position.
Kunaida blocks a couple of punches on the inside.
Hextole leaning his opponent against the cage.
Ronald Hextole is fighting for a decision here - he's started to take the cautious approach.
With the two fighters working up against the cage, Hextole just misses with a elbow thrown towards Kunaida's brow.
The crowd applaud the fighters efforts here as the round comes to an end.
Kunaida takes an elbow to the temple.
Kunaida on the defensive, avoiding the knees to the body.
Masato Kunaida has stepped it up - he knows he needs a finish here!
Kunaida lands a left hand.

And that's the end of the fight!
Ronald Hextole showed his dominance in that final round.
Well I reckon that's a shut out for Hextole, 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 Taro Takaoka scores the fight 30:28
Judge Yuuki Gou scores the fight 29:28
Judge Shigeki Sano scores the fight 30:27

In favor of your winner, by unanimous decision... Ronald Hextole!