PBP Commentary

Coming up we have a featherweight MMA rules bout between Hideo Shiroma (ranked 0 p4p, 0 weight class) and Yoshihiro Takaya (ranked 0 p4p, 0 weight class). Shiroma comes into the arena with Red Warrior blaring out of the sound system. Takaya comes into a darkened arena with his song building. Jimi Hendrix - All along the Watchtower kicks in, the lights come on and the crowd goes wild! What a showman! Yoshihiro Takaya is the more experienced fighter, so let's see if that makes a difference tonight.

Shiroma
vs
Takaya

168 cm
20
152 lbs
6 - 2 - 0

171 cm
29
152 lbs
19 - 7 - 1

BJJ Purple Belt
Excellent boxer
Granite chin

ADCC Champion
Excellent boxer
Heavy handed

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 6 - 2 - 0, fighting out of Las Vegas, Hideo Shiroma!
And introducing the fighter to my right, fighting out of the blue corner.
With a record of 19 - 7 - 1, fighting out of Las Vegas, Yoshihiro Takaya!
The judges for this bout are Tiny Johnson, Wesley Smith and Daniel Franklin.

The bell rings for round one and we are underway!
Takaya throws a sloppy body shot
and Takaya takes a counter punch right on the button for his troubles.
Shiroma's corner calls for a 1-2. Shiroma obliges with the 1 part as he scores the single shot and moves back out of range.
Takaya swings wildly with a right hand that was never going to find it's target.
Shiroma lands a jab, followed by a cross and another cross, as Takaya backs up against the ropes.
Shiroma misses with a left hand
and Takaya counters with a three punch combo that has Shiroma backing up. Shiroma nods at Takaya to acknowledge the strikes.
Takaya swings away but doesn't land with a series of punches.
Shiroma throws a nice looking combination but Takaya bobs and weaves to avoid any damage.
Shiroma throws a hook to the side of Takaya's head but Takaya sees it coming and ducks under it beautifully.
Takaya's corner calls for a 1-2. Takaya obliges with the 1 part as he scores the single shot and moves back out of range.
Takaya fakes high and shoots in for a takedown but Shiroma avoids it really well and circles away.

That's one minute gone in the round.
Takaya clobbers Shiroma with an overhand right that has the crowd gasping. That made a horrendous noise.
Takaya doesn't react quick enough there as he takes a shot to the body.
Shiroma lunges in with swinging rights and lefts but Takaya circles away quickly and effectively.
Shiroma fails to land with the punch combination there - jab, cross, hook, miss, miss, miss.
Takaya connects with the punch.
Shiroma throws a looping overhand right but Takaya ducks down to avoid it.
Takaya lands a jab. Then a cross. Then finally a nice hook to the body. Good work there by Takaya.
Shiroma scores with a big left there. The judges will like that one.

That's two minutes gone in the round.
Shiroma scores with a big left there. The judges will like that one.
A big left from Takaya misses.
Shiroma steps to the side to avoid the strikes from Takaya.
Shiroma throws a hook but Takaya avoids it easily.
Takaya throws a body punch but Shiroma moves out of range.
Shiroma throws a jab when Takaya was well out of range.
Both fighters are looking to counter, which isn't making for the most exciting fight in the world.
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!
Takaya showing good head movement there, avoiding the strikes from Shiroma.
Shiroma throws a lazy right hand but Takaya sees it coming a mile off and sidesteps it easily.

That's three minutes gone in the round.
Takaya tests Shiroma's chin there with a solid looking shot.
Shiroma connects with a lovely jab that went straight through the gap between Takaya's hands.
Shiroma throws a big shot that misses.
Shiroma throws a jab, cross combination which is slipped
and Takaya counters with a left and a right that stings Shiroma.
Shiroma swings away but doesn't land with a series of punches.
Takaya misses the body punch
and Shiroma counters with a stiff right hand.
Hideo Shiroma is looking to keep the fight on the feet at all costs.
Takaya showing good head movement there, avoiding the strikes from Shiroma.
Takaya misses with the combination.

That's four minutes gone in the round.
The fighters circle momentarily. Takaya darts into range and connects with a nice straight punch.
Takaya gets cracked there but stands up to it.
The crowd are loving this. Great action here.
Shiroma is the aggressor but that punch slipped nicely by Takaya.
Shiroma throws a lazy uppercut
and Takaya makes him pay by landing a nice hook to the body before moving out of range.
Takaya misses with an uppercut
and Shiroma counters with a lovely straight right hand!

Takaya gets in close and instigates a clinch.
As the round comes to an end the crowd are showing their appreciation for a great round of action.
Takaya scores with an uppercut up the middle.
Takaya goes for a takedown attempt but Shiroma pushes him away and we're back to fighting at a distance.
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 Hideo Shiroma will probably get the nod.
The fighters' corners scream their final instructions, as the referee calls time. Here we go, back to the action!

Takaya uses decent footwork to sidestep a right hand from Shiroma.
Shiroma cracks Takaya with a nice right hand that draws applause from the crowd.
Hideo Shiroma is winning the standup battle so far.
Nice uppercut there from Takaya.
Takaya lands with a shot to the body.
Shiroma looks to throw the jab but Takaya is out of range.
Shiroma throws a right and a left that Takaya avoids nicely.
Shiroma throws a right hand that Takaya ducks under and follows up with a left that Takaya also avoids with ease.
Shiroma takes one on the button.

That's one minute gone in the round.
Takaya throws a hook to the body but it doesn't connect.

Takaya fakes with an overhand right and moves in to clinch with Shiroma, pushing him back against the ropes.
Shiroma wants to break free but Takaya has control.
Shiroma wants to break free but Takaya has control.
Takaya effectively controlling the action here.
A head punch blocked on the inside by Shiroma.
Shiroma wants to get back to striking at distance but Takaya won't allow it.
Takaya tries for a takedown. No joy.
Shiroma is trying to push Takaya away but Takaya has him pressed against the ropes, so he's going nowhere.
Takaya tries for a takedown but Shiroma manages to get underhooks.

That's two minutes gone in the round.
Takaya blocks an uppercut.
Takaya lands a nice uppercut.
Shiroma is pressed up against the ropes. Takaya has hold of a leg and is looking to drag Shiroma down to the mat. Shiroma avoids the attempt though and has circled away. We're back to striking at a distance.
Hideo Shiroma has stuffed three takedown attempts in the round now. That's going to take a lot out of Yoshihiro Takaya.

Takaya gets to the clinch - let's see what his plan is here.
Takaya throws a hook to the body. More of an arm punch but it's all scoring with the judges.
The pace really dropping off here, momentarily.

Takaya breaks from the clinch.
Takaya tries to bum rush Shiroma with a series of wild strikes but Shiroma uses good footwork to avoid the assault.
Takaya just misses with a punch to the body.

That's three minutes gone in the round.
Nice straight punches there by Takaya. You know Roy Jones Jr respects the hands of Takaya.
Shiroma throws a good cross that connects.
Takaya dips down and scores with a jab to the body.
Shiroma misses the shot to the body.
Takaya tries to clinch but Shiroma moves out of range.
Good standup being displayed there by Shiroma as he connects with a hook.
Shiroma throws an ugly left hook that misses
and Takaya counters with a lovely shot to the body.
Shiroma throws a body punch but Takaya moves out of range.
Takaya throws a combination but comes up with nothing but fresh air.

That's four minutes gone in the round.
Takaya lands with a cross to side of his opponent's head.
Sloppy strikes from Shiroma. Those never looked like landing.
Shiroma walks into a jab.
Takaya misses the body punch
and Shiroma counters with a crisp hook to the side of the head.
Takaya throws a big shot that misses.
Shiroma slaps away a takedown attempt from Takaya, before circling back to the center of the mat.
This has been an exciting period of action!
As the round comes to an end the crowd are showing their appreciation for a great round of action.
Shiroma throws a nice looking combination but Takaya bobs and weaves to avoid any damage.
And that’s the end of the round – the fighters go back to their corners.

Yoshihiro Takaya showed his class in that round. I'd imagine he'll take it on all the scorecards.
That's the end of the round. The referee orders the cornermen out of the ring so we can get back down to business. This is the final round!

Shiroma throws a series of punches but Takaya avoids them all with ease.
Shiroma scores with a jab to the head.
Takaya avoids a lazy jab quite easily.
Shiroma dodges the punch combination from Takaya.
Shiroma misses with a double jab.
Shiroma looks to land a left hand but Takaya moved out of range nicely.
Shiroma swings for the body but Takaya moves out of range.
Takaya looks to score with a jab to the body but Shiroma is just out of range.
Shiroma ducks down and throws a hook to the body but Takaya moves away.
Shiroma is really head hunting here, hardly looking to strike to the body at all.

That's one minute gone in the round.
Shiroma throws a monster uppercut resembling something out of street fighter but it doesn't land.
No luck with that takedown attempt from Takaya.
Shiroma blocks a jab.
Takaya lands a vicious shot with the stealth of a sniper and the strength of a viper. Are vipers that strong? I can think of lots of things that are stronger than a viper - not many rhyme with sniper though.
Good standup being displayed there by Takaya as he connects with a hook.
Takaya swings widly with a right hand
letting Shiroma counter with a right hand.
Shiroma misses with an uppercut.
Shiroma circles away from the clinch attempt
and Shiroma counters with a nice jab to the body that keeps Takaya thinking.

That's two minutes gone in the round.
Shiroma jabs Takaya to the body, keeping him at a distance.
Shiroma fails to land with a series of punches.
Shiroma swings away with a body shot that misses
and Takaya counters with a quick right hand to the jaw.
Takaya looks to score with a jab to the body but Shiroma is just out of range.
Shiroma lands a nice shot that snaps Takaya's head back.
Takaya throws a poor cross that misses
and Shiroma counters with a stiff right hand.

That's three minutes gone in the round.
Shiroma keeps the fight standing with a nice sprawl.
Takaya thows a body shot but no joy.

Takaya has Shiroma up against the ropes in a clinch.
Shiroma stops a takedown attempt from Takaya.
Hideo Shiroma has stuffed three takedown attempts in the round now. That's going to take a lot out of Yoshihiro Takaya.
Takaya softening up his opponent with strikes, against the ropes.
Takaya lands with a good tight uppercut to the head.
Takaya leaning his opponent against the ropes.

That's four minutes gone in the round.
Takaya softening up his opponent with strikes, against the ropes.
Shiroma tries to break the clinch but Takaya is controlling the position.
Takaya scores with an uppercut up the middle.
Takaya misses with a short punch on the inside.
A head punch blocked on the inside by Shiroma.
The crowd applaud the fighters efforts here as the round comes to an end.
Takaya goes for a takedown in the clinch but Shiroma prevents it.
A head punch blocked on the inside by Shiroma.

And that's the end of the fight!
I would just about give that final round to Yoshihiro Takaya.
Well Takaya has outworked and out performed his opponent in all aspects of the game today. He was simply too good and the decision should be no more than a formality. 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 Tiny Johnson scores the fight 27:30
Judge Wesley Smith scores the fight 28:29
Judge Daniel Franklin scores the fight 28:29

In favor of your winner, by unanimous decision... Yoshihiro Takaya!
A very excited looking Yoshihiro Takaya made sure he remembered to thank all the fans both in the arena and on the internet. He said all the coolest people spend all day on MMA websites, which got a big reaction.