PBP Commentary

Coming up we have a light heavyweight MMA rules bout between Takashi Mimashita (ranked 0 p4p, 0 weight class) and Xin Zhao (ranked 0 p4p, 0 weight class). Zhao has chosen Heart Of Courage as his entrance music. Over to our ring announcer for the fighter introductions!

Mimashita
vs
Zhao

186 cm
25
200 lbs
0 - 0 - 0

190 cm
23
204 lbs
1 - 3 - 0

BJJ Blue Belt
Solid Muay Thai
Big heart

BJJ Blue Belt
Counter striker
Enjoys gardening

Ladies and gentlemen. This fight is 3 rounds, in the light heavyweight division.
Introducing the fighter to my left, fighting out of the red corner.
With a record of 0 - 0 - 0, fighting out of Tokyo, Takashi Mimashita!
And introducing the fighter to my right, fighting out of the blue corner.
With a record of 1 - 3 - 0, fighting out of Tokyo, Xin Zhao!
The judges for this bout are Hirohito Nitta, Kenichi Hosakawa and Shigeki Sano.

The bell rings for round one and we are underway!
Zhao throws a head kick that misses and slips in the process. He scrambles back to his feet and the fighters circle.
Mimashita tries to clinch there but Zhao circles away.
Mimashita tries to clinch but is not successful on this occasion.
Mimashita misses with an attempted mid kick.

Mimashita forces Zhao back against the cage and clinches.

Mimashita breaks the clinch.
Mimashita tries to clinch there but Zhao circles away.
Mimashita checks a leg kick.
Mimashita shoots in for a takedown but Zhao shows good takedown defense.
Takashi Mimashita seems to be the more aggressive standup fighter in this bout.
Mimashita tries to clinch there but Zhao circles away.
Zhao finds nothing but air with that leg kick attempt.
Zhao throws a head kick that half lands.
Zhao throws a nice inside leg kick.
Zhao avoids the clinch attempt nicely.
Mimashita is looking to clinch but Zhao is avoiding it.
Mimashita tries to clinch up but Zhao circles away and keeps his distance.

That's one minute gone in the round.
Mimashita avoids a low kick by using good footwork.
A punch combination from Mimashita misses.
Mimashita shapes like he's going to throw a leg kick but settles back down.

Mimashita gets in close and instigates a clinch.
Mimashita misses the knee to the body. Nice hip positioning from Zhao.
Mimashita lands an elbow inside.
A nice right hand lands inside from Mimashita.
Zhao takes an elbow to the forehead.

Mimashita escapes the clinch and we're back to striking.
Mimashita fails with the takedown.

Zhao closes the distance and pushes Mimashita back into the cage.

Mimashita's corner calls for him to break the clinch, which he does.
Zhao lands a high kick!

That's two minutes gone in the round.
The crowd are loving this. Great action here.
Mimashita wants to clinch up but Zhao keeps it at a distance.

Mimashita clinches.

Mimashita breaks the clinch.
Mimashita moves to clinch but Zhao breaks away
and Zhao counters with a quick right hand to the jaw.
The fight stays on the outside here - Mimashita looks like he's thinking about clinching though.
Zhao avoids the head kick by Mimashita.
Zhao misses with a body kick.
Zhao lands with a slapping head kick.

Mimashita instigates a clinch.
A nice glancing elbow lands by Mimashita.
Mimashita with an attempt at a knee that misses.
Zhao misses with a knee to the head.

That's three minutes gone in the round.

Mimashita pushes off and circles away, back to the middle of the mat.
Mimashita tries to close the distance and clinch up against the cage but Zhao paws at him with a jab and circles away.
Mimashita shoots in but Zhao avoids the takedown attempt easily.
That's three failed takedown attempts in the round for Takashi Mimashita. That's going to take a lot out of him.
Zhao goes for a high kick. It partially lands.
Zhao buckles his opponent's knee momentarily with a nice leg kick.
Mimashita tries to clinch up against the cage, rushing in the close the distance. Zhao manages to break the clinch and circles back to the middle of the mat.
Mimashita shoots in for a takedown - he's clinched up with Zhao but Zhao pushes him off and we're back to square one.
Mimashita is breathing heavily.
Zhao shoots in and drives through. Mimashita sprawls well.
Mimashita misses with a takedown attempt - Zhao sprawls well and throws a nice strike on the way out which just misses.
Zhao pulls out of a head kick attempt.

That's four minutes gone in the round.
Mimashita tries to close the distance and clinch but Zhao swats him to one side with an open hand palm strike and circles away.
Mimashita fails with a takedown attempt from distance.
A head kick misses from Zhao.

Zhao shoots in for a takedown from distance. He catches Mimashita napping and manages to drive through into side control!
We've seen a great period of action over the last minute or so - credit to both fighters for going all out!
The referee claps his hands together and tells the fighters to work.
Mimashita is trying to improve his position.
Zhao tries to cartwheel into mount but he doesn't manage it.
The crowd are going absolutely nuts as the round comes to an end - what a fantastic round of action!
Mimashita tries to bench press Zhao off him but Zhao keeps the position.
And that’s the end of the round – the fighters go back to their corners.

Xin Zhao dominated that round.
The fighters get back to their feet, the hooter sounds and we're back to the action!

Zhao has closed the distance and engaged Mimashita in a clinch.
Mimashita is struggling to control the position.
Mimashita pushes off an throws an elbow but Zhao leans to the side and avoids it. We're back to clinching against the cage.

Mimashita escapes the clinch and we're back to striking.
Mimashita will have to do better than that with his takedown attempts.
Mimashita tries to clinch there but Zhao circles away.

Zhao takes the fight into the clinch.
The fighters are pressed against the cage, as the pace of the fight slows.
Mimashita throws a knee to the head but misses.

That's one minute gone in the round.
Mimashita misses with an elbow over the top.
Zhao blocks the elbow strike.
Mimashita gets an overhook and lands an elbow to the side of the head.
Mimashita lands a glancing elbow in the clinch.
Mimashita tries to take the fight to the ground by pulling guard but can't manage it.
A nice glancing elbow lands by Mimashita.
Zhao is trying to break the clinch but Mimashita has him pressed against the cage.
Mimashita tries to land a knee to the head but Zhao blocks with his arms.
Mimashita throws a knee to the head but misses.
Mimashita tries to land a knee to the head but misses.
Mimashita keeps control of Zhao as he tries to wriggle out of the double underhooks.
Mimashita throws an elbow that misses.
Mimashita throws an elbow that misses.

That's two minutes gone in the round.
The referee calls for Zhao to work.

Mimashita manages to break the clinch.
Mimashita tries to clinch up against the cage, rushing in the close the distance. Zhao manages to break the clinch and circles back to the middle of the mat.
Mimashita shoots for a takedown but Zhao saw that one coming a mile off and avoided it easily.
That's three failed takedown attempts in the round for Takashi Mimashita. That's going to take a lot out of him.
Both fighters are absolutely exhausted here.
Zhao throws a leg kick that misses.
Zhao looks for a takedown here. Will he get it? Mimashita is fending him off so far but Zhao persists. Nope, Mimashita circles away and we're back to standing.

Zhao darts in and clinches Mimashita up against the cage.
Mimashita missing with knees to the body.
Zhao is trying to break the clinch but Mimashita has him pressed against the cage.
Zhao blocks the elbow strike.
Mimashita fails to pull guard.
Fantastic stuff here - a very entertaining period of action, which has drawn cheers from the crowd.
Mimashita is trying to stall.
Mimashita misses with the head strike.

That's three minutes gone in the round.

Mimashita escapes the clinch and we're back to striking.
Xin Zhao seems to be getting the better of the standup.
Zhao moves into range and lands a nice body kick.
No luck for Zhao with that takedown attempt.
Takashi Mimashita is looking to throw some combinations by the looks of things.
Mimashita is looking to take this fight into the clinch.
Zhao pivots, looking for a leg kick but Mimashita is out of range and Zhao settles back down.
Mimashita throws a combination that misses
and Zhao counters with a nice low kick that buckles Mimashita's knee momentarily.
Mimashita moves in looking to clinch but Zhao pushes him off.
Zhao slips under a jab.
Zhao lunges in with an uppercut that skims his opponent's chin.
Zhao lands with a nice combination. Mimashita backs away looking to recover.

That's four minutes gone in the round.
Mimashita has his front leg slapped to the side - a nice low kick landing there from Zhao.
Fantastic stuff here - a very entertaining period of action, which has drawn cheers from the crowd.
Zhao paws at his opponent with the jab and then lunges in with a straight, right on the button.
Zhao delivers a nice body kick.

Zhao instigates a clinch.
Zhao misses with a knee strike.
Zhao avoiding damage as Mimashita throws knees to the body.
Zhao wants to get back to striking at distance but Mimashita won't allow it.
Mimashita trying to control the position but instead, Zhao has worked for underhooks and has pushed Mimashita into the cage.
Zhao is looking to score with knees to the body. Maybe he'll change it up and go body then head. Mimashita is defending well for now.
As the round comes to an end the crowd are showing their appreciation for a great round of action.

Zhao ties up his opponent against the cage and manages to drag the fight down to the ground. Zhao no doubt will be looking to work submissions from his guard.
And that’s the end of the round – the fighters go back to their corners.

Xin Zhao showed his class in that round. I'd imagine he'll take it on all the scorecards.
The corners get their ten second warning. Both fighters stand from their stools and stare eachother down, ready to get back to the action. This is the final round!

Mimashita moves in looking to clinch but Zhao pushes him off.
A telegraphed right hand from Zhao misses the target.
Mimashita uses decent footwork to sidestep a right hand from Zhao.
Mimashita looks to clinch
and Zhao counters with a stiff right hand.
Zhao displays good takedown defense there as he swats away a double leg from Mimashita.
Mimashita fails in his attempt to clinch.
Mimashita moves in looking to clinch but Zhao pushes him off.
Zhao avoids the clinch attempt nicely.
Zhao closes the distance and clinches up with Mimashita, looking for a takedown. Zhao pushes Mimashita against the cage but Mimashita circles to the side and manages to break the clinch.
Zhao keeps the fight on the outside.

Zhao pushes Mimashita up against the cage in a clinch.

Mimashita breaks from the clinch.
Mimashita shoots in for a takedown. "Ole!" shouts Zhao as he jumps to the side.
Both fighters are breathing heavily.

That's one minute gone in the round.
Zhao with a nice looking leg kick. You could hear that one land in a back row.

Mimashita has managed to clinch.
Mimashita working hard to break the clinch.
Mimashita has Zhao pressed against the cage, preventing Zhao from circling away and getting back to striking at range.

Mimashita breaks from the clinch.
Mimashita tries to grapple but his opponent circles
enabling Zhao to counter with a crisp jab.
Mimashita tries to clinch up.

Mimashita clinches with his opponent.
Mimashita swings away with an uppercut that misses.
Mimashita keeps the fight in the clinch, despite Zhao's efforts to push away.

That's two minutes gone in the round.

Mimashita drags the fight down to the ground.
Mimashita keeping moving, preventing Zhao from controlling successfully.
Zhao prevents Mimashita from getting back to his feet.
Zhao working some ground and pound from guard but it's not doing any damage.
Zhao pressing down on his opponent's thigh, looking to pass guard. Mimashita is keeping the position for now.

OK we're going to have a standup here. Xin Zhao hasn't been effective enough on the ground and the referee wants a restart.
Mimashita misses with a takedown attempt. He shot from a bit too far out.
That's three failed takedown attempts in the round for Takashi Mimashita. That's going to take a lot out of him.

That's three minutes gone in the round.
Zhao lands a jab to the nose.
Mimashita throws a right hand that Zhao ducks under and follows up with a left that Zhao also avoids with ease.
Zhao tries to land with a swinging hook to the body but Mimashita was well out of range. Poor timing from Zhao.
A really sloppy takedown attempt there from Zhao.

Mimashita tries to keep at a distance but Zhao has taken the fight into the clinch.

Zhao pushes off and circles away, back to the middle of the mat.
Zhao keeps the fight on the outside.
Zhao fails with the takedown.
Zhao circles away from the clinch attempt.

That's four minutes gone in the round.

Zhao moves into the clinch.
The referee calls for Mimashita to work.

Zhao decides to pull guard.
Zhao wants to stand but Mimashita is controlling the position.
Zhao preventing the ground and pound from doing any damage.
The crowd applaud the fighters efforts here as the round comes to an end.
Mimashita postures up to throw the ground and pound strikes but they don't connect.
Mimashita would like to get this fight back to the feet but can't get free from the closed guard.

And that's the end of the fight!
I would just about give that final round to Xin Zhao.
I've got Zhao winning every round here. Surely the decision will go his way and he'll pick up a well deserved decision victory. 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 Hirohito Nitta scores the fight 27:30
Judge Kenichi Hosakawa scores the fight 27:30
Judge Shigeki Sano scores the fight 27:30

In favor of your winner, by unanimous decision... Xin Zhao!
During a confident post fight interview, Xin Zhao thanked all his fans. He seemed very genuine when describing how motivated his fans keep him.