PBP Commentary

Coming up we have a featherweight MMA rules bout between Satoshi Ishii (ranked 0 p4p, 0 weight class) and WiLL I Am (ranked 0 p4p, 0 weight class). The crowd giving both fighters a great reception on their way into the arena. That's good to see.

Ishii
vs
I Am

167 cm
24
150 lbs
0 - 0 - 0

175 cm
22
150 lbs
2 - 5 - 0

Good wrestling
Basic striking
Granite chin

BJJ White Belt
Good kicks
Determined

Ladies and gentlemen. This fight is 3 rounds, in the featherweight division.
Introducing the fighter to my left, fighting out of the red corner.
With a record of 0 - 0 - 0, fighting out of Rio de Janeiro, Satoshi Ishii!
And introducing the fighter to my right, fighting out of the blue corner.
With a record of 2 - 5 - 0, fighting out of Rio de Janeiro, WiLL I Am!
The judges for this bout are Paulo Santos, Felipe Paraventi and Mauricio Rocha.

The bell rings for round one and we are underway!
I Am tries to score with an inside leg kick but telegraphs it and Ishii is able to avoid easily.
A slapping leg kick lands for I Am.

Ishii shoots in for a takedown and gets it.
Ishii wants to pass the guard but I Am is defending well.
Ishii not throwing his punches with enough precision this time.
Still in half guard, Ishii seems content to control.
I Am wants to get back to his feet.
I Am trying to hold on to Ishii's head to control him but Ishii postures up.
The fighters are pressed up against the cage, both looking to find a bit of space to work.
Ishii takes a deep breath and rests his weight momentarily on top of his opponent, to control the position.

Well, the referee has seen enough. Neither fighter is active enough on the ground so he's stood them back up.
I Am throws a head kick but Ishii moves out of range.
I Am wants to slow Ishii down by chopping away at his legs.

Ishii closes the distance, clinches up and gets a nice trip takedown into side control. Very smooth.
I Am looks gassed!
Wooooo! Give it up for these two warriors! They are putting on a show!
Ishii tries to move into full mount but can't pass I Am's legs.
I Am is trying to buck Ishii off.

That's one minute gone in the round.
Ishii controlling the position.
Ishii's ground tactics aren't going to win him many fans. Let's hope he's got fireworks for us if he gets back to his feet because he's not doing much on the ground.
The referee must be thinking about standing these guys back up.

The ref stands the fighters back up. Satoshi Ishii wasn't doing enough on the ground.
I Am misses with a few strikes there.

Ishii scores a trip takedown into side control. Nice.
Ishii staying calm.

That's two minutes gone in the round.
I Am is positioning himself to get back to half guard.
Ishii moving around in side mount but really he's just happy to control for now.
This is a great period of action - very entertaining stuff!
The referee wants the fighters to be more active or he's going to reset them on the feet.
Ishii lands an elbow.
Ishii is moving around in side control but his primary objective seems to be to maintain the position.

Ishii is trying to land an Americana. He has the arm isolated but I Am is keeping cool and he's avoided the danger for now.
The referee tells the fighters to keep busy.
I Am tries to bench press Ishii off him but Ishii keeps the position.
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.
I Am trying to remain calm as Ishii controls from the top position.
I Am is trying to buck Ishii off.
The fighters are starting to perspire pretty heavily.
A lull in the action here as Ishii stalls from top position.
Both fighters really going for it on the ground here!

The ref stands the fighters back up because Satoshi Ishii just wasn't active enough.
Ishii avoids the head kick by I Am.
Ishii thows a body shot but no joy.

Ishii 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.
Ishii is stalling in the full guard.

That's four minutes gone in the round.
Ishii has controlled the position for a good 20 seconds, which will no doubt be starting to frustrate his opponent.
I Am wants to stand but Ishii is controlling the position.
Ishii is stalling in the full guard.
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!
It looks like the ref is thinking about a standup.
I Am wants to stand and escape but Ishii is having none of it.

Satoshi Ishii has forced the referee to step in and bring the fight back to the feet.

Ishii is looking for a takedown here. He's shot in and has managed to get it, finishing up in I Am's half guard.
Ishii trying to control the pace.
The crowd are going absolutely nuts as the round comes to an end - what a fantastic round of action!
And that’s the end of the round – the fighters go back to their corners.

Satoshi Ishii dominated that round.
That's the end of the interval. I'm sure that seemed a lot quicker than a minute for our two fighters! Back to the action.

I Am throws a head kick that misses and slips in the process. He scrambles back to his feet and the fighters circle.

Ishii fakes a strike and closes the distance, dragging I Am to the ground. Ishii is now in I Am's guard.
Ishii slows down the pace of the fight, as he sits in guard.

The ref stands the fighters back up because Satoshi Ishii just wasn't active enough.

Ishii scores a takedown into full mount!
Ishii content just to control the position here.
I Am is breathing heavily.
Ishii putting on the heat here with some good ground and pound!

That's one minute gone in the round.
Ishii tucks in and makes sure he doesn't lose the dominant position.
Ishii landing punches.
Ishii controlling the pace for now.
I Am slips a leg in and gets back to half guard.
Ishii trying to pass the guard but I Am defending well.
Ishii controlling the pace.

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

Ishii closes the distance and looks for a trip takedown... aaaand he's got it - Ishii lands in his opponent's guard.
Ishii slows down the pace of the fight for a moment. He'll need to remain active if he doesn't want to see the fight stood back up.

That's two minutes gone in the round.
The crowd are loving this. Great action here.
I Am wants to stand and escape but Ishii is having none of it.
The referee looks like he's ready to step in and stand the fighters back up.
Ishii throwing shots from guard but he's hitting more mat than opponent.
I Am being controlled here, momentarily.

The ref stands the fighters back up because Satoshi Ishii just wasn't active enough.
I Am takes a punch to the jaw and another one to the bread basket.
WiLL I Am seems to be the more aggressive standup fighter in this bout.

I Am tries to sprawl but Ishii drives through with a takedown into half guard.
Ishii controlling the action here.

That's three minutes gone in the round.
I Am is trying to stand up here but Ishii is controlling him well.
Ishii with a momentary lay and pray from half guard.

The referee decides to stand the fighters back up, due to lack of activity on the part of Satoshi Ishii.

Ishii fakes an overhand right and shoots for a takedown. I Am sprawls well initially but Ishii persists and gets the takedown into half guard.
Ishii looking to pass the half guard. Not this time.
Ishii with a momentary lay and pray from half guard.

I Am kicks off Ishii and gets to his feet.
WiLL I Am is looking to keep the fight on the feet at all costs.

Ishii shoots in from a long way out. He's driving through with the takedown attempt and he eventually gets it, landing in I Am's guard.

That's four minutes gone in the round.
We've seen a great period of action over the last minute or so - credit to both fighters for going all out!
Ishii sitting in guard, not really doing much.

Ishii is trying to work a guillotine from the top, or something like that? Don't know how he thinks he's going to get a finish from there.
I Am wants to get back to his feet but Ishii is in a dominant position and won't allow it.
Satoshi Ishii overall seems to be getting the better of the ground position in the fight so far.
The crowd are going absolutely nuts as the round comes to an end - what a fantastic round of action!
Ishii stays in close to I Am's body and controls the position.

The referee decides to stand the fighters back up, due to lack of activity on the part of Satoshi Ishii.

Ishii scores with a nice takedown into half guard. Let's see what he's got on the ground.
And that’s the end of the round – the fighters go back to their corners.

Satoshi Ishii dominated that second round.
The minute break is over - no more time for sponges and pep talks - back to the action! This is the final round!

Ishii closes the distance, clinches up and gets a nice trip takedown into side control. Very smooth.
Ishii controls the position.
I Am prevents Ishii from improving position.
Ishii is maintaining the dominant position - no doubt I Am will start to get frustrated soon if he's not already.
Ishii working away.
Ishii controls the position from side control.
The referee is pacing around the two fighters - he looks like he's thinking about a standup.
Ishii has knee on belly and moves into mount.
Ishii controlling from the full mount.
I Am takes a big intake of breath there - he's definitely tired.

That's one minute gone in the round.
I Am wants to use the cage to get back to his feet here.

Ishii jumps to side control looking for an arm triangle but I Am manages to avoid the submission attempt.
Ishii moving around in side mount but really he's just happy to control for now.
Ishii seems to have a rather negative gameplan on the ground. He seems keen to just score the takedown and hold down I Am for as long as he can get away with.

That's two minutes gone in the round.

Ishii has hold of I Am's arm. He's looking for a kimura. I Am seems comfortable defending it but Ishii has shifted his position slighty and is cranking on the arm! I Am is real pain and he's forced to tap out! I Am is disgusted with himself for not defending it better but Ishii couldn't care less - he's delighted!

Ladies and gentlemen, after 2:11 of round 3, we have a winner by way of Submission (Kimura). Satoshi Ishii!