PBP Commentary

Coming up we have a welterweight MMA rules bout between Thomas Flight (ranked 0 p4p, 0 weight class) and Eiji Kawashima (ranked 0 p4p, 0 weight class). Thomas Flight has the better chin. Will he look to stand and bang today?

Flight
vs
Kawashima

190 cm
23
178 lbs
9 - 2 - 1

182 cm
24
168 lbs
13 - 2 - 0

Good wrestling
World class MT
Cardio machine

Good wrestler
World class boxer
Good gas tank

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 9 - 2 - 1, fighting out of Helsinki, Thomas Flight!
And introducing the fighter to my right, fighting out of the blue corner.
With a record of 13 - 2 - 0, fighting out of Rio de Janeiro, Eiji Kawashima!
The judges for this bout are Ben Zyskovitsi, Arvi Lind and Anni Minnemäki.

The bell rings for round one and we are underway!
Kawashima throws a hook but Flight avoids it easily.
Crunch! Kawashima slams his shin into Flight's torso.
Flight checks a low kick. Bone on bone - not my idea of a good time.
Flight keeps his opponent at a distance with a nice jab.
Flight circles away from the clinch attempt
and Flight counters with a lovely straight right hand!
Kawashima thuds a left hand into Flight's body.
A jab from Flight misses.
Flight misses the jab.
A looping hook to the body misses from Kawashima. Flight does a little dance to reset his feet.
A bone on bone clash there as Kawashima blocks the leg kick.
Kawashima scores with a shot to the body.
Flight lands a jab-cross combination.
Flight avoids the head kick by Kawashima.

That's one minute gone in the round.
A big right from Kawashima misses.
Kawashima throws a low kick, looking for Flight's leg but Flight calmly moves out of range.
Flight is the aggressor but that punch slipped nicely by Kawashima.
Kawashima loads up on a big right hand but Flight slips the punch.
Kawashima throws a jab when Flight was well out of range.
Flight takes a hook to the side of the head. I wonder if that's got his ears ringing.
Kawashima with a nice looking leg kick. You could hear that one land in a back row.
Kawashima moves out of range of the body kick from Flight.
Kawashima misses with a body shot. Nice footwork from Flight.
Flight tries to clinch up against the ropes, rushing in the close the distance. Kawashima manages to break the clinch and circles back to the middle of the mat.
Kawashima looks for the body kick but Flight saw that one coming.
Kawashima throws a shot from downtown. Flight moves away and avoids it.
Flight keeping a good distance there, avoiding the body shot.

That's two minutes gone in the round.
Kawashima fakes a head punch and goes low to the body. Nicely done.
Eiji Kawashima is looking to keep the fight on the feet at all costs.
Flight misses with a body kick.
Flight gets off balance looking for a body kick
and Kawashima counters with a nice low kick that buckles Flight's knee momentarily.
Flight throws a quick head kick that skims the top of Kawashima's head.
Flight ducks under a wild hook from Kawashima.
Kawashima scores with a decent looking hook.
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!
Flight tries to land a body kick
and Kawashima counters with a straight right hand.
Kawashima keeps his opponent at a distance with a nice jab.
Kawashima ducks under an overhand right and circles away with a smile on his face.
Kawashima misses with a hook
and Flight connects with a straight left hand counter down the middle.
Kawashima swings wildly with a right hand that was never going to find it's target.
Eiji Kawashima seems to be the more aggressive standup fighter in this bout.
Flight keeps Kawashima at a distance using the push kick.
Flight throws the kick towards the body but Kawashima avoids it.

That's three minutes gone in the round.
A cross from Kawashima lands.
Kawashima looks to land a left hand but Flight moved out of range nicely.
Kawashima has his head snapped back a nice jab. A little nod from Kawashima there as he acknowledges the shot.
Kawashima slips a straight right by Flight.
Flight throws a poor cross that misses
and Kawashima cracks him with a counter punch right on the button.
Kawashima misses with a looping left.
Nice uppercut there from Flight.
Flight misses with an uppercut. Kawashima saw that one coming.
Kawashima is looking to take this fight into the clinch.
Kawashima swings for the body but Flight moves out of range.
Kawashima misses with a straight left.

That's four minutes gone in the round.
A nice inside leg kick there by Kawashima. That's going to slow Flight down.
Flight scores with a big left there. The judges will like that one.
Flight throws a head kick that looked like it stung.
Kawashima takes a step towards his opponent and connects with a left hand, before circling away.
The crowd are loving this. Great action here.
Kawashima throws a nice inside leg kick.
Kawashima clobbers Flight with an overhand right that has the crowd gasping. That made a horrendous noise.
Kawashima loads up on a big right hand but Flight slips the punch.
Flight lands a nice hook to Kawashima's body. Kawashima takes it in his stride and looks to land his own strikes.
Flight gets cracked with a nice right hand there by Kawashima.
Kawashima lands a leg kick. The shin dug right into the meat of the thigh.
The crowd are going absolutely nuts as the round comes to an end - what a fantastic round of action!
Kawashima misses with a looping right.
Nice body punch from Kawashima.
Flight fails with a rather predictable takedown attempt.
And that’s the end of the round – the fighters go back to their corners.

Eiji Kawashima dominated that round.
The referee calls time. The cornermen exit stage left and we're back to business.

The sound of bone on bone echoes around the arena as Kawashima checks a leg kick.
Kawashima scores with a decent looking hook.
Kawashima walks into a straight right hand from Flight.
Nice straight punches there by Flight. You know Roy Jones Jr respects the hands of Flight.
Kawashima throws a hook but Flight avoids it easily.
Flight misses with a low kick.
Flight uses good head movement to avoid the hook from Kawashima.
Flight swings for the body but Kawashima moves out of range.
Kawashima wants to clinch.
Kawashima loads up on a big right hand but Flight slips the punch.

That's one minute gone in the round.
Kawashima moves out of range of the body kick.
Flight misses with a body shot.
A looping hook to the body misses from Kawashima. Flight does a little dance to reset his feet.
Flight is using his height advantage well here, landing a good percentage of his punches.

Flight clinches up with Kawashima and pushes him back against the ropes.
Kawashima stalling in the clinch.
Kawashima trying to control the position but instead, Flight has worked for underhooks and has pushed Kawashima into the ropes.
Flight tries a body shot but Kawashima blocks it.
A left hand lands to the body for Kawashima.
A battle for position here, against the ropes.
Kawashima swings away with an uppercut that misses.
Flight is trying to stall.

That's two minutes gone in the round.
A real battle for position is taking place between these two warriors.
Kawashima lands a left hand that snaps the head of Flight backwards.
Flight trying to stall but Kawashima improves his position.
Some stalling of biblical proportions here from Kawashima.
A hook to the body from Flight.
Flight blocks an uppercut.
Flight misses with a hook to the ribs.
A head punch on the inside from Flight fails to land.
A short uppercut from Kawashima.
We've seen a great period of action over the last minute or so - credit to both fighters for going all out!
Kawashima throws a punch but it's blocked by Flight.
Kawashima tries to work over Flight's body with a swooping hook but it only glances the target.
Kawashima prevents a body shot from Flight.
Kawashima stalling here - the referee won't stand for too much of that.

That's three minutes gone in the round.
Kawashima scores with a nice hook to the head.
Kawashima lands a shoulder strike.
Kawashima lands with a left to the head.

It looks like Thomas Flight has been cut.
Kawashima misses with the head strike.
A body shot lands from Kawashima.
Kawashima blocking some punches.
Flight tries to throw a body punch but Kawashima avoids it by throwing Flight back against the ropes.
A nice left hand lands by Kawashima.
Kawashima swings away with an uppercut that misses.
Flight fails to land with a short punch on the inside.
Nice body punch from Flight.
Flight lands a left hand.
Flight misses with a punch to the body.

That's four minutes gone in the round.
Kawashima lands with a right to the head.
Kawashima is working hard here but doesn't seem to be able to control effectively, up against the ropes.
Flight goes for a takedown in the clinch but Kawashima prevents it.
Kawashima blocks a body shot from Flight.
Fantastic stuff here - a very entertaining period of action, which has drawn cheers from the crowd.
Kawashima makes some space for himself and lands an uppercut.
Flight blocking some punches.
Kawashima lands a right hand that snaps the head of Flight backwards.
Flight tries to throw a body punch but Kawashima avoids it by throwing Flight back against the ropes.
As the round comes to an end the crowd are showing their appreciation for a great round of action.
Flight can't find room to land a body shot as Kawashima controls the action.
Kawashima lands with a short shot to the head.
Flight blocks a body shot from Kawashima.
Kawashima lands a right hand.
And that’s the end of the round – the fighters go back to their corners.

Eiji Kawashima showed his class in that round. I'd imagine he'll take it on all the scorecards.
The cut man is working on Thomas Flight's cut.
The referee calls time. The cornermen exit stage left and we're back to business. Let's hear some noise people - this is the final round!

Jab, jab by Kawashima - just one landing.
Flight with a poor takedown
enabling Kawashima to counter with a crisp jab.
Flight lands with a nice low kick. That'll leave a bruise.
Kawashima throws a right hand that Flight ducks under and follows up with a left that Flight also avoids with ease.
Flight misses with a head kick.
Kawashima connects with a body shot.
Flight takes one to the side of the head.
Kawashima throws a body punch but Flight moves out of range.
Flight misses with a half-hearted attempt at a head kick.
Nice jab there from Kawashima.
Kawashima pushes Flight away with a front kick.
A head kick from Kawashima lands but Flight takes it in his stride.

Flight is rocked!
The crowd are loving this. Great action here.
The fighters circling - Flight throws out the jab but it was never going to land.
Oh Flight is still all over the place! His legs are completely gone! Will he be able to recover?!!
Kawashima swinging wildly here.

That's one minute gone in the round.
Kawashima cracks Flight with a big right hand that sees him stumbling back against the ropes! Flight falls to his knees and Kawashima doesn't need a second invitatation - he rushes in and fires off several unanswered shots that force the referee to stop the fight! This one is all over!

Ladies and gentlemen, after 1:07 of round 3, we have a winner by way of TKO (Strikes). Eiji Kawashima!
Eiji Kawashima seemed lost for words in his post fight interview but he remembered to thank his fans and directed everyone to his website.