PBP Commentary

Coming up we have a welterweight MMA rules bout between Ryu Ken (ranked 0 p4p, 0 weight class) and Thiago Alves (ranked 0 p4p, 0 weight class). Buckle up people - heeeeeeeeeere we go!

Ken
vs
Alves

168 cm
18
170 lbs
0 - 0 - 0

175 cm
25
170 lbs
0 - 1 - 0

BJJ Blue Belt
Brawler
Big heart

BJJ Blue Belt
Excellent boxer
Determined

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 0 - 0 - 0, fighting out of Tokyo, Ryu Ken!
And introducing the fighter to my right, fighting out of the blue corner.
With a record of 0 - 1 - 0, fighting out of Tokyo, Thiago Alves!
The judges for this bout are Yukihiro Yamamoto, Shigeki Fujiwara and Sosuke Kotani.

The bell rings for round one and we are underway!
Alves with a lazy takedown attempt

and Ken counters with a nice double leg into half guard.
Ken is looking to advance position but Alves won't allow it.
Ken knows he needs to get back to his feet asap. He's simply no match for Alves on the ground.
Alves looks like he's trying to stand up.
Ken prevents Alves from improving his position.
Ken could do with losing a few pounds - he looks very soft around the mid section, to put it politely.
Ken wants to lay and pray for a moment but Alves keeps working.
Alves trying to keep hold of his opponent's head but Ken manages to pass to mount!
Ken thowing shots but they're missing.

Ken working for a guillotine from mount but Alves is in no mood to give up.

That's one minute gone in the round.
Ken controlling the pace for now.
Alves wants to control but Ken is having none of it.
Ken looking to control but Alves is working nicely, looking to advance position himself.
Alves wants to improve position but instead he's given up his back.

That's two minutes gone in the round.
The crowd hopeful of a finish here - Ken's supporters are on their feet, screaming for him to go for the rear naked choke.
Alves controlling the position well but he knows he's in a bad position.

Ken working for a choke but Alves is defending well.
Alves looks gassed!

Alves showing good submission defense here.
I would not like to be Alves right now.

That's three minutes gone in the round.
Ken connects with a big shot to the side of Alves's head.
Alves manages to reverse the position and now he's in Ken's guard. Nice work there by Alves.
Alves wants to stand and escape but instead Ken has hit a sweep and he's now on top in guard.
Alves looking to control.
The fighters are pressed up against the cage, both looking to find a bit of space to work.
Ken looking to pass the guard.

That's four minutes gone in the round.
Ken works a leg free and moves into half guard.

Alves looking to work for a kimura from the bottom.
Ken slows the pace down in half guard.
The crowd applaud the fighters efforts here as the round comes to an end.
Alves won't allow Ken to pass to mount.
And that’s the end of the round – the fighters go back to their corners.

Ryu Ken dominated that round.
The fighters' corners scream their final instructions, as the referee calls time. Here we go, back to the action!

Ken takes the fight into the clinch.
Ken gets an overhook and lands an elbow to the side of the head.

Ken breaks the clinch.
Alves leaves Ken with his face pressed against the mat as he sprawls beautifully, defending against a solid takedown attempt.
Ken misses with a kick to the body.

Ken is looking for a takedown here. He's shot in and has managed to get it, finishing up in Alves's half guard.
Ken not doing much here.
Alves flails away from the bottom but he's not doing any damage.

That's one minute gone in the round.
Alves is trying is best to control the position here.
Alves is breathing heavily.
Alves gets full guard.
Ken looking to pass the guard.
Alves trying to control the position.
Ken tries to stand but Alves is controlling from the bottom.
Ken wants to pass the guard but Alves is keeping the position.

That's two minutes gone in the round.
Ken is taking a break and basically stalling. The referee will not allow him to do that for long.

The referee has ruled that neither fighter is active enough on the ground and has stood them back up.
Ken throws a combination that misses
and Alves counters with a straight right hand.
Alves fails in his attempt to clinch.

Ken moves into range and clinches up with Alves.

Ken manages to pull guard. Let's see whether he can land a sub off his back.
Ken is working an open guard here, looking to improve his position. No doubt that will leave him open to counters but at least he's being more offensive.
Alves looking to pass the guard.

Alves has gone for a leg lock! Ken slips out almost immediately though and dives into Alves's guard.

That's three minutes gone in the round.
Ken wants to control from the top but Alves keeps moving.
Ken controls the pace of the fight for a moment.
Ken has controlled the position for a good 20 seconds, which will no doubt be starting to frustrate his opponent.
Ryu Ken overall seems to be getting the better of the ground position in the fight so far.
The referee is pacing around the two fighters - he looks like he's thinking about a standup.

We're going to have a standup here because Ryu Ken wasn't active enough for the referee's liking.
Ken throws a wild combination but nothing lands.

Ken closes the distance, clinches up and gets a nice trip takedown into side control. Very smooth.
Alves gives up the full mount - oops, sloppy defensive grappling there!

That's four minutes gone in the round.
Alves is desperately trying to improve his position but Ken has a good base and remains in mount.
Ken tucks in and makes sure he doesn't lose the dominant position.
Ken dominating with strikes here.

Ken is standing up, even though he is in mount.
We've seen a great period of action over the last minute or so - credit to both fighters for going all out!

Alves looking to score a takedown here. Ken is defending well but Alves drives through and ends up in Ken's guard.
As the round comes to an end the crowd are showing their appreciation for a great round of action.
Ken not looking particularly offensive just at the moment.
And that’s the end of the round – the fighters go back to their corners.

Ryu Ken dominated that second round.
That's time! Back to the action! This is the final round!

Ken fakes a strike and closes the distance, dragging Alves to the ground. Ken is now in Alves's guard.
Ken sitting in guard, not really doing much.
Alves pulls Ken in close to prevent any damage.
A big thud reverberates around the arena there as Ken accidentally thumps the mat. Hopefully he's not broken his hand.

Ken is holding a leg here, probably looking for an ankle lock - he drops back and goes for it! Alves is in trouble! Is it all over??? No! Alves has escaped and now he's on top!
Ken trying to keep a closed guard but Alves is proving a slippery customer.
Both fighters are breathing heavily.

That's one minute gone in the round.

Ken is active off his back here, looking for submissions.
Alves missing there with some ground and pound from the guard.
Ken doesn't do any damage with a couple of strikes from the bottom.
Alves engaging in some classic timewasting tactics.
The ref warns both fighters not to hold the cage as they work up against the meshing.
Alves trying to control the position from guard on top but Ken is wriggling around, looking for whatever he can.

That's two minutes gone in the round.
We must be close to a standup if these guys don't pick up the pace.
Alves advances to half guard.
Ken is controlling Alves's trapped leg to prevent Alves from advancing to side control.
Alves missing with the ground and pound from half guard.
Alves works his foot free and advances to mount.
Alves looking to control but Ken is working nicely, looking to advance position himself.

That's three minutes gone in the round.
Ken is desperately trying to improve his position but Alves has a good base and remains in mount.
Ken wants to hold on but Alves pushes him away.

Alves stands up from the dominant position. He obviously fancies his chances standing.

Alves tries to sprawl but Ken drives through with a takedown into half guard.

Alves makes some distance and scrambles quickly back to his feet. Nice work!
Nice sprawl there from Ken as Alves shoots in.
Ken has a takedown stuffed.
Alves stuffs the takedown attempt from Ken. Ken gets slowly back to his feet.

That's four minutes gone in the round.
Alves fails with a takedown attempt from distance.
Ken falls off balance throwing a combination
and Alves counters with a series of strikes. Ken will be more careful next time no doubt.

Ken changes levels and drives through with a really nice takedown into side control. Alves looks really pissed at himself for not defending that better.
We've seen a great period of action over the last minute or so - credit to both fighters for going all out!
Ken creates a bit of distance and throws down some hard shots.
As the round comes to an end the crowd are showing their appreciation for a great round of action.
Alves is not content to let Ken control the position.
Alves sneaks a leg under to get back to half guard.

And that's the end of the fight!
That was a close round. You could make an argument for either fighter but I would give it to Ryu Ken.
Well Ken has outscored his opponent in every aspect of the fight today. Only a scarily incompetent judge or two will keep him from a well deserved win... 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 Yukihiro Yamamoto scores the fight 30:27
Judge Shigeki Fujiwara scores the fight 30:27
Judge Sosuke Kotani scores the fight 29:28

In favor of your winner, by unanimous decision... Ryu Ken!