PBP Commentary

Coming up we have a welterweight MMA rules bout between Shingo Tanaka (ranked 0 p4p, 0 weight class) and Tom Helm (ranked 0 p4p, 0 weight class). The crowd seem to be enjoying Helm's choice of entrance music: yellow ledbetter. Tom Helm is staring across the cage at his opponent, tweaking his nipples.

Tanaka
vs
Helm

181 cm
19
185 lbs
3 - 1 - 0

180 cm
26
180 lbs
2 - 2 - 0

Good wrestling
Good kicks
Granite chin

BJJ Purple Belt
Counter striker
Enjoys gardening

ANABOLIC **160**

No Limits
ANABOLIC **160**

Ladies and gentlemen. This fight is 3 rounds, in the welterweight division.
Introducing the fighter to my left, fighting out of the red corner.
With a record of 3 - 1 - 0, fighting out of Las Vegas, Shingo Tanaka!
And introducing the fighter to my right, fighting out of the blue corner.
With a record of 2 - 2 - 0, fighting out of Las Vegas, Tom Helm!
The judges for this bout are Cecil Peabody, Robert Twigg and George Francis.

The bell rings for round one and we are underway!
Helm tries to clinch up but Tanaka circles away and keeps his distance.
A bone on bone clash there as Helm blocks the leg kick.
Tanaka moves into range and lands a nice leg kick.
Helm blocks a leg kick.
Tanaka scores with a slapping inside leg kick.
Helm blocks a low kick nicely.
A combination from Helm does no damage.
Helm doesn't manage to clinch there - Tanaka circles away.
Helm pulls out of a head kick attempt.
Helm closes this distance looking for a takedown but Tanaka circles away.
A bone on bone clash there as Helm blocks the leg kick.
Helm shoots for a double leg takedown but Tanaka sprawls well. He's pushed Helm's face into the mat and manages to get back to his feet relatively easily.
A head kick misses from Helm.

Tanaka darts in and lands a nice takedown into half guard.
If this pace continues, the referee will definitely step in and force a standup.
Well, if Tanaka is going to just lie there, perhaps we should talk about what we're having for dinner tonight… I'm having a ham and pineapple pizza… Yum. Can't wait.

That's one minute gone in the round.
Helm is trying to get back to full guard.
Helm is working for an escape here. He's hooked one of Tanaka's legs and he's managed to sneak out and take Tanaka's back!

Helm is looking for the choke from the back position but Tanaka is controlling his hands well.

Tanaka is having to fend off submission attempts from Helm, who is looking to sink in the choke. Helm doesn't have the hooks in though and Tanaka manages to reverse position! He's now on top, in his opponent's guard.
Tanaka controls from within his opponent's guard.
The fighters are pressed up against the cage, both looking to find a bit of space to work.

That's two minutes gone in the round.
Tanaka lands a couple of digs.
Helm is looking to get back to his feet but can't, whilst Tanaka is controlling him.
Tanaka with a flurry of punches that miss.
Tanaka trying to land body shots but he keeps hitting the mat.
Tanaka with a nice head shot there.
Helm controls Tanaka momentarily but Tanaka frees himself.

That's three minutes gone in the round.
Tanaka 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.
Helm looking to control.
Tanaka throws a big elbow that misses.
Helm looking to sweep here. No luck so far.

The ref stands the fighters back up, due to lack of action by Tom Helm.
Helm avoids a kick to the body.
Tanaka throws a sloppy head kick
and Helm counters with a two punch combo.
Helm tries to check the leg kick but that clearly hurt him.
Helm checks the leg kick.
Tanaka is looking to chop away at Helm's legs.

Tanaka shoots in for a takedown from distance. He catches Helm napping and manages to drive through into side control!
The ref warns both fighters not to hold the cage as they work up against the meshing.

That's four minutes gone in the round.
Sloppy strikes there by Tanaka.
Helm taking a bit of punishment here - Tanaka scoring with strikes.
This has been an exciting period of action!
Helm is trying to control Tanaka's posture but Tanaka avoids it.
Helm gets one leg under and gets the fight to half guard.
Tanaka looks to land a strike but Helm avoids it nicely and regains full guard.
Helm being controlled here, momentarily.
As the round comes to an end the crowd are showing their appreciation for a great round of action.
Tanaka with a flurry of punches that miss.
And that’s the end of the round – the fighters go back to their corners.

Shingo Tanaka dominated that round.
OK. That's time! The bell goes and we're back to the action.

Helm doesn't manage to clinch there - Tanaka circles away.
Helm does a little shimmy and throws a leg kick. The leg kick missed by a considerable margin though, making him look a little bit silly for doing the shimmy.
Tanaka connects with a leg kick. Helm looked like he was expecting something else and didn't defend it.
Tanaka throws a nice outside leg kick.
Tanaka throws a leg kick

and Helm counters with a takedown into side control.

Helm tries for a kimura but Tanaka is defending well.
Tanaka is looking for a sweep.
This is a great period of action - very entertaining stuff!
Tanaka is working hard to escape and get back to his feet. After a battle for position, Helm asserts his dominance and retains side control.
Helm lands an elbow.

That's one minute gone in the round.
Tanaka tries to bench press Helm off him but Helm keeps the position.
Helm misses with the ground and pound.

Helm looking for an arm triangle but it's way too loose to do anything.
Helm in side control, trying to ground and pound but not landing this time.

That's two minutes gone in the round.
Helm throwing ground and pound but whilst doing so, he forgets to control position and Tanaka works his way back to half guard. Good composure under pressure.
Tanaka regains full guard, whilst avoiding punches from Helm.
Tanaka has a closed guard, preventing Helm from standing up.

Helm drops back looking for a heel hook - he quickly realises he's not going to get it but Tanaka manages to dive on top of him before he can escape and now Helm has Tanaka in his guard.
Helm looking to control but Tanaka passes into half guard.

That's three minutes gone in the round.
Tanaka is nestled in close to Helm, controlling him well. He's worked in a nice elbow to the side of the head as well, for good measure.
Helm slips a foot under and gets full guard. Nice work.
Tanaka 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.
Tanaka won't allow Helm to sweep him here.
Tanaka working in close now, lands a nice elbow to the side of Helm's head.
Tanaka wants to control from the top but Helm keeps moving.

That's four minutes gone in the round.
Tanaka is really struggling to control Helm but he's trying to hold on to the position.
Helm is looking to get back to his feet but can't, whilst Tanaka is controlling him.
The referee wants the fighters to be more active or he's going to reset them on the feet.
Tanaka's corner is telling him to maintain position.

The ref stands the fighters back up. Shingo Tanaka wasn't doing enough on the ground.
Helm walks forward, straight into a front kick from Tanaka.
Shingo Tanaka seems to be the more aggressive standup fighter in this bout.
Helm is breathing heavily.
Wooooo! Give it up for these two warriors! They are putting on a show!
Tanaka throws out a leg kick but Helm moves out of range and Tanaka only half commits.
A nice leg kick lands there from Tanaka.
As the round comes to an end the crowd are showing their appreciation for a great round of action.
The fight stays on the outside here - Helm looks like he's thinking about clinching though.
Helm shoots in but Tanaka avoids the takedown attempt easily.
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 Shingo Tanaka will probably get the nod.
OK. That's time! The bell goes and we're back to the action. The crowd applaud as we get ready to start the final round!

Tanaka lands with a kick to the ribs.
The fight stays on the outside here - Helm looks like he's thinking about clinching though.
Helm checks the leg kick.
Helm chopped to the floor by a nice leg kick but he springs right back up before Tanaka can pounce on him.
Tanaka throws a leg kick but Helm checks it.
Tanaka lands a high kick!
Whack! Tanaka lands a heavy head kick that drops Helm. The ref tackles Tanaka to stop the fight - a great save by the referee because Helm was done.

Ladies and gentlemen, after 0:41 of round 3, we have a winner by way of TKO (Head Kick). Shingo Tanaka!