PBP Commentary

Coming up we have a middleweight MMA rules bout between Antonio Inoki (ranked 0 p4p, 0 weight class) and Rony Jaa (ranked 0 p4p, 0 weight class). Rony Jaa has the better chin. Will he look to stand and bang today?

Inoki
vs
Jaa

178 cm
29
180 lbs
9 - 7 - 0

188 cm
23
194 lbs
10 - 5 - 0

Good wrestling
Solid boxing
Experienced

BJJ Blue Belt
Excellent MT
Powerful

Ladies and gentlemen. This fight is 3 rounds, in the middleweight division.
Introducing the fighter to my left, fighting out of the red corner.
With a record of 9 - 7 - 0, fighting out of Amsterdam, Antonio Inoki!
And introducing the fighter to my right, fighting out of the blue corner.
With a record of 10 - 5 - 0, fighting out of Amsterdam, Rony Jaa!
The judges for this bout are Aafke Stam, Albert Achterberg and Patrick Alders.

The bell rings for round one and we are underway!
Jaa pivots, looking for a leg kick but Inoki is out of range and Jaa settles back down.
Some wild striking there from Inoki.
Jaa throws a head kick that misses.
Jaa throws a nice outside leg kick.
Inoki throws a low kick but it's checked well by Jaa.

Jaa moves into range and throws a big uppercut. OH! Inoki goes down! Can Jaa finish him!?

Inoki is rocked!

It looks like Antonio Inoki has been cut.
We've seen a great period of action over the last minute or so - credit to both fighters for going all out!

Inoki is looking for a triangle here but Jaa uses the submission attempt to pass into side control.
Inoki regains half guard.
Jaa is looking to advance position but Inoki won't allow it.
Jaa content to control rather than advance.

That's one minute gone in the round.
Inoki is looking to control Jaa's leg but it's slowly edging free. Can Inoki avoid being mounted?
Jaa tries to stand but can't do so whilst Inoki controls his leg.
Inoki throws a strike from the bottom but Jaa passes into side control!
Inoki is looking to reverse the position.
Inoki parries the strikes from Jaa easily there. Jaa is wary of posturing up too much because it might enable Inoki to escape.
Inoki is looking for a sweep.

That's two minutes gone in the round.
Jaa fails to land a wild elbow strike.
Jaa is looking to take a break and control but Inoki is keeping him honest, looking to work from the bottom.
Inoki is trying to get back to half guard.

Jaa stands up and beckons Inoki to his feet.
Inoki ducks down and throws a hook to the body but Jaa moves away.
Jaa moves out of range of the strikes.
Inoki circles away from the clinch attempt.

That's three minutes gone in the round.
Jaa will need to tighten up his combinations if he doesn't want to gas himself out, swinging at thin air.
Inoki throws a right hand that Jaa ducks under and follows up with a left that Jaa also avoids with ease.
Inoki keeps the fight on the outside.
Jaa misses with a jab and misses with a cross straight after too.
Inoki swings and misses with a hook to the body.
Jaa avoids the head kick by Inoki.
Inoki avoids the clinch attempt nicely.
Jaa misses with a kick to the body.
Jaa feints and then cracks Inoki's leading leg with a nice low kick. He's obviously looking to slow Inoki down.
Inoki takes a solid shot to the body. That one hurt him but he's trying not to show it.
Inoki avoids the head kick by Jaa.
Inoki misses with a few strikes there.

That's four minutes gone in the round.
Inoki throws out a loose jab but Jaa uses good head movement to avoid it.

Jaa connects with a vicious head kick that knocks Inoki to the floor! Jaa dives in looking for the finish!
Oh Inoki is still in real trouble! Will he be able to recover?!!
Wooooo! Give it up for these two warriors! They are putting on a show!
Jaa missing with some ground and pound from the half guard.
The fighters are pressed up against the cage, both looking to find a bit of space to work.
Jaa has freed up his trapped foot and advances to mount.
Inoki seems to have got his legs back now.
Inoki is looking to get to half guard.
Jaa controlling the position easily from mount.
The crowd are going absolutely nuts as the round comes to an end - what a fantastic round of action!
Jaa can't quite control the action as he would like just now, as Inoki is looking to escape.
And that’s the end of the round – the fighters go back to their corners.

Rony Jaa dominated that round.
The cut man is working on Antonio Inoki's cut.
That's time! Back to the action!

Jaa throws a quick inside leg kick.
Inoki rushes forward with a series of wild hooks but Jaa moves out of range and avoids them all easily.
Inoki tries to clinch but Jaa moves out of range.
Inoki lunges in with swinging rights and lefts but Jaa circles away quickly and effectively.
Inoki tries to close the distance and clinch up against the cage but Jaa paws at him with a jab and circles away.
Inoki has not gone for a single takedown so far in this fight, which seems like a very strange tactic when you consider that he has the superior wrestling and BJJ.
Jaa tries to close the distance and clinch up against the cage but Inoki paws at him with a jab and circles away.
Rony Jaa seems to be getting the better of the standup.
Jaa throws an ugly left hook that misses
and Inoki counters with a series of strikes. Jaa will be more careful next time no doubt.

Jaa has closed the distance and engaged Inoki in a clinch.
Inoki wants to break the clinch but can't.

Jaa pushes off and circles away, back to the middle of the mat.
Inoki fakes high and swings low for a body shot but Jaa manages to avoid it.
Jaa throws a head kick that misses and slips in the process. He scrambles back to his feet and the fighters circle.

That's one minute gone in the round.
Jaa showing good head movement there, avoiding the strikes from Inoki.
A leg kick checked by Inoki.
Inoki slips under a jab.
Inoki misses with a looping left.
Inoki tries to move into range but Jaa moves to the side and lands with a nice right hand.
A leg kick checked by Inoki.
Antonio Inoki is looking to throw some combinations by the looks of things.
Jaa throws a leg kick which misses Inoki's front leg but catches the back leg as Inoki tries to avoid it.
Jaa moves into range and lands a nice leg kick.
Inoki wants to clinch.
Jaa misses with a half-hearted attempt at a head kick.

That's two minutes gone in the round.
Jaa swings away but doesn't land with a series of punches.
Inoki blocks a head kick by Jaa.
Jaa uses some good footwork to avoid the body shot by Inoki.
Inoki rushes forward with a series of wild hooks but Jaa moves out of range and avoids them all easily.
Jaa checks a low kick from Inoki.
Jaa tries to clinch but Inoki is having none of it.
Jaa lands a leg kick that knocks Inoki off balance momentarily.
The crowd are loving this. Great action here.
Jaa throws a head kick that misses and slips in the process. He scrambles back to his feet and the fighters circle.
Jaa will need to close the distance a bit before he attacks - that leg kick was thrown from too far away.
Jaa tries to clinch but Inoki moves out of range.
Jaa pulls out of a head kick attempt.
That kick from Jaa tenderised Inoki's leg. Inoki is trying to keep his angry face on.

That's three minutes gone in the round.
Inoki blocks a head kick by Jaa.
Inoki throws a sloppy head kick and Jaa moves out of range easily.
Jaa misses with a head kick.
Jaa lands a jab followed by a nice looking cross.
Jaa takes a solid shot to the body. That one hurt him but he's trying not to show it.
Jaa misses with a low kick.
Inoki ducks down and throws a hook to the body but Jaa moves away.
Jaa has been the more effective fighter overall so far.
Jaa swings away with a leg kick that misses.
Inoki scores with a nice looking left hook and follows it up with an uppercut!
Inoki scores with a sloppy punch to the body. Not much technique there but it did the business.
Jaa fakes with a right hand and throws a good leg kick, right into the thigh. That had to hurt Inoki.
Jaa circles away from the clinch attempt.
Inoki is hobbling a little on that front leg after taking quite a few leg kicks so far in this fight.

That's four minutes gone in the round.
Inoki swats away the attempt to clinch by Jaa.
A thudding body kick lands there by Jaa!
This is a great period of action - very entertaining stuff!
An inside leg kick from Jaa misses.
Inoki chopped to the floor by a nice leg kick but he springs right back up before Jaa can pounce on him.
Jaa throws a head kick that misses and slips in the process. He scrambles back to his feet and the fighters circle.
Jaa closes the distance looking to clinch
and Inoki cracks him with a counter punch right on the button.
As the round comes to an end the crowd are showing their appreciation for a great round of action.
Inoki moves out of range of the leg kick from Jaa.
Inoki shuffles to his left behind two crisp jabs. Jaa eats them both and turns towards Inoki to reposition himself and eats a stinging right hand-left hook combo.
Inoki misses with an uppercut. Jaa saw that one coming.
And that’s the end of the round – the fighters go back to their corners.

Rony Jaa showed his class in that round. I'd imagine he'll take it on all the scorecards.
The cut man is working on Antonio Inoki's cut.
The fighters get back to their feet, the hooter sounds and we're back to the action! And we move into the final round!

Jaa doesn't manage to clinch there - Inoki circles away.
Jaa doesn't react quick enough there as he takes a shot to the body.
Jaa lands a leg kick. The shin dug right into the meat of the thigh.
Inoki walks into a straight right hand from Jaa.

Jaa throws a left that rocks Inoki and follows with a right that sends him tumbling to the canvas! Jaa dives into side control, looking to finish! Can Inoki regain composure!
This has been an exciting period of action!
Inoki is looking for a sweep.
The referee asks Jaa politely if he wouldn't mind getting on with it and actually doing something. Jaa prefers to stall for the moment though.
Inoki avoids any damage from the ground and pound of Jaa.
Inoki tries to improve position but can't.

Jaa decides to stand up, so the ref orders Inoki to his feet.
Jaa swings away with a leg kick that misses.

That's one minute gone in the round.
Jaa finds nothing but air with that leg kick attempt.
Jaa scores to the head and body with a nice combination!
Jaa lands a leg kick. The shin dug right into the meat of the thigh.
Jaa dodges the punch combination from Inoki.
Jaa fakes and then throws a beautiful body shot. Inoki looks a bit winded and takes a step backwards to take a breath.
Jaa throws a right high kick that is partially blocked by Inoki.
Jaa is looking to take this fight into the clinch.
Inoki takes a push kick to the midsection and stumbles backwards.
Jaa misses with a wild combination.

That's two minutes gone in the round.
Jaa connects with a leg kick. He turned his hip over nicely there.
Both fighters are breathing heavily.
This has been an exciting period of action!
Inoki takes a head kick and shrugs it off.

Jaa lands a high kick to the side of Inoki's head that stuns him and send him tumbling down to the canvas! Jaa dives into guard, looking to finish.
Jaa preventing the sweep.
Inoki wants to control here, rather than go for any submissions from the bottom. At least for now.
Jaa trying to control the position from guard on top but Inoki is wriggling around, looking for whatever he can.
Jaa might have to switch it up a bit here because his efforts to control Inoki kaven't been going to plan, at least at the current moment in time.
The ref warns both fighters not to hold the cage as they work up against the meshing.
Inoki looking to sweep using the butterfly guard but Jaa puts pay to that idea as he passes nicely into half guard.
Inoki on his back here. We all know that wrestlers don't like being on their back so let's see if Inoki tries to get out of the position.

That's three minutes gone in the round.
Jaa tries to pass to full mount but Inoki defends it.
Inoki is staying active underneath Jaa, who seems content to just control the action from this position.
Jaa sitting in half guard, looking to land shots. Inoki defending well though.
Jaa trying to control from half guard but Inoki is working away.
Inoki trying to control from the bottom.
Rony Jaa has got the better of the ground game so far.
Inoki is looking to improve his position.
Jaa content to control rather than advance.

That's four minutes gone in the round.

Rony Jaa has forced the referee to step in and restart the fight on the feet.
Jaa tries a switch kick but it misses it's target.
An inside leg kick lands from Jaa.
Jaa tries to clinch but Inoki moves out of range.
Inoki swings wildly with a couple of big hooks
and Jaa counters with a thumping low kick.
Inoki takes one to the chin there.
Inoki avoids the head kick by Jaa.
Antonio Inoki has stepped it up - he knows he needs a finish here!
Rony Jaa is fighting for a decision - hopefully he's judged it right and he's actually winning the fight.
Jaa tries to clinch up against the cage, rushing in the close the distance. Inoki manages to break the clinch and circles back to the middle of the mat.
The crowd are going absolutely nuts as the round comes to an end - what a fantastic round of action!
Ouch! a nice leg kick from Jaa, right into the meat.
We've seen a great period of action over the last minute or so - credit to both fighters for going all out!
A solid leg kick lands there for Jaa.
Jaa scores with a reasonable looking shot to the body. Inoki doesn't seem bothered though.

And that's the end of the fight!
Rony Jaa comfortably won the final round on my scorecard.
Well Jaa 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 Aafke Stam scores the fight 27:30
Judge Albert Achterberg scores the fight 26:30
Judge Patrick Alders scores the fight 27:30

In favor of your winner, by unanimous decision... Rony Jaa!