PBP Commentary

Coming up we have a featherweight MMA rules bout between Tokyo Drift (ranked 0 p4p, 0 weight class) and Daisuke Numazawa (ranked 0 p4p, 0 weight class). Both fighters look fresh as a daisy as they make their way towards the cage.

Drift
vs
Numazawa

167 cm
29
148 lbs
6 - 11 - 0

170 cm
20
150 lbs
3 - 3 - 0

BJJ Purple Belt
Solid Muay Thai
Big right hand

BJJ Purple Belt
Counter striker
Granite chin

Ladies and gentlemen. This fight is 3 rounds, in the featherweight division.
Introducing the fighter to my left, fighting out of the red corner.
With a record of 6 - 11 - 0, fighting out of Tokyo, Tokyo Drift!
And introducing the fighter to my right, fighting out of the blue corner.
With a record of 3 - 3 - 0, fighting out of Tokyo, Daisuke Numazawa!
The judges for this bout are Sosuke Kotani, Ren Mimura and Shirou Masuda.

The bell rings for round one and we are underway!

Drift clinches up with Numazawa and pushes him back against the cage.
Numazawa fails to pull the fight into his guard.
Drift unloads a knee to the mid-section. Numazawa lets out a prehistoric sounding urrrrgh.
Numazawa avoiding damage.
A short right from Drift.
Drift unloads a knee to the mid-section.
Drift lands a left hand that snaps the head of Numazawa backwards.
Drift landing knees to the head.

Drift pulls guard.
We've seen a great period of action over the last minute or so - credit to both fighters for going all out!
Drift pulls Numazawa in close to his closed guard and prevents Numazawa from doing any damage or advancing position.
Numazawa pressing down on his opponent's thigh, looking to pass guard. Drift is keeping the position for now.
Numazawa is persisting with the attempt to improve his position.
Drift keeping moving, preventing Numazawa from controlling successfully.

That's one minute gone in the round.
Drift pulls Numazawa in to control the position.

Neither fighter is doing enough for the referee's liking and he's decided to stand them back up.
Nice sprawl there from Numazawa as Drift shoots in.
Drift shoots in for a takedown but Numazawa shows good takedown defense there and keeps this one on the feet.
Drift will have to do better than that with his takedown attempts.
That's three failed takedown attempts in the round for Tokyo Drift. That's going to take a lot out of him.
Drift stuffs the takedown attempt from Numazawa. Numazawa gets slowly back to his feet.

The fight moves into the clinch position.
Drift lands a right hand.
Numazawa being controlled against the cage.
Drift lands a nice elbow.

That's two minutes gone in the round.
Drift scores with an uppercut up the middle.
Drift jumps guard but his hands slip and he falls flat on his back. Well, he's made himself look a right mug there, as Numazawa walks away with a smile on his face. Drift gets slowly back to his feet and shakes his head.

Drift moves into range and clinches up with Numazawa.
Drift working Numazawa over with knees to the body.
Drift lands an elbow just above Numazawa 's eye.
A bit of stalling here from Drift.
We've seen a great period of action over the last minute or so - credit to both fighters for going all out!
Drift landing knees to the body. They look like they could hurt.
Drift landing knees to the head.
Drift tries a knee to the head but he's missed.
Numazawa tries to score a body lock takedown but Drift shows good agility there to stay on his feet.
Drift lands an elbow just above Numazawa 's eye.

Numazawa manages to pull guard. Let's see whether he can land a sub off his back.

That's three minutes gone in the round.
Drift trying to control the position from guard on top but Numazawa is wriggling around, looking for whatever he can.
Drift looking to control the position here, rather than advance.
Drift trying to control but Numazawa is working from the bottom.

We're going to have a standup here because Tokyo Drift wasn't active enough for the referee's liking.
Drift tries to score a power double leg takedown but Numazawa sees that one coming and sprawls well. That will dishearten Drift somewhat.

Numazawa closes the distance and clinches.

That's four minutes gone in the round.
Numazawa throws a vicious knee straight up the middle but Drift blocks it with crossed arms.
Numazawa takes a shot to the head.
Numazawa tries to break free but Drift pushes him back against the cage.
Drift using the Thai plumb to throw knees but Numazawa has his back arched nicely, preventing the strike.
Numazawa is looking to take this one to the mat.
Drift lands an elbow inside.
Drift gets through Numazawa's defenses to land a nice punch to the side of the head.
The fighters are starting to perspire pretty heavily.
Drift lands an elbow inside.
As the round comes to an end the crowd are showing their appreciation for a great round of action.
Numazawa misses with a body punch.
Drift looking to throw knees to the head but Numazawa is blocking nicely.
A bit of stalling here from Drift.
Numazawa tries for a takedown. No joy.
And that’s the end of the round – the fighters go back to their corners.

Tokyo Drift dominated that round.
That's time! Drift's corner gives him a slap on the ass as he gets ready to fight.

Drift with a poor takedown
and Numazawa makes him pay by landing a thudding low kick.
Drift shoots in for a takedown. He's persisting with it as Numazawa sprawls well. Numazawa wins this battle and keeps the fight standing. Drift gets slowly back to his feet.
Drift tries for a takedown but Numazawa sees it coming a mile off and avoids it easily.
That's three failed takedown attempts in the round for Tokyo Drift. That's going to take a lot out of him.

Drift darts in and lands a nice takedown into half guard.
Numazawa wants to control but Drift is keeping busy and won't allow it.
Drift seems very keen to just sit and control from half guard but Numazawa does not like that idea so much and is remaining active off his back.
The referee calls for the fighters to work.
The referee claps his hands together and tells the fighters to work.

The ref stands the fighters back up because Tokyo Drift just wasn't active enough.

Numazawa shoots in for a takedown from distance. He catches Drift napping and manages to drive through into side control!

That's one minute gone in the round.
Numazawa working the ground and pound but he's contacting the mat, not the fighter.
Drift is looking for a sweep.
Drift dodges the ground and pound from Numazawa.
Drift manages to get one leg in to regain half guard.
Numazawa prevents Drift from improving his position.

Numazawa is sneakily working for an arm triangle but Drift sees it coming and defends easily.

Numazawa is sneakily working for an arm triangle but Drift sees it coming and defends easily.
Numazawa prevents Drift from standing back up.

That's two minutes gone in the round.
Numazawa is trying to control the action in half guard but Drift is working away on the bottom, looking perhaps to get back to full guard.
Numazawa tries to pass to full mount but Drift defends it.
Drift keeping his head moving to avoid the ground and pound.
Drift is working for an escape here. He's hooked one of Numazawa's legs and he's managed to sneak out and take Numazawa's back!
Drift controls the position.
The fighters are pressed up against the cage, both looking to find a bit of space to work.
Drift has controlled the position for a good 20 seconds, which will no doubt be starting to frustrate his opponent.

Drift is working for the rear naked choke. He has one arm under the chin but Numazawa has hold of the other arm. A bit of a stalemate here.
Drift controlling well, preventing Numazawa from escaping the position.

That's three minutes gone in the round.
Numazawa looks to control his opponent's hands but he's not mananging it at the moment.
I would not like to be Numazawa right now.
The ref warns both fighters not to hold the cage as they work up against the meshing.
A lull in the action here.
What can Numazawa do to escape this position? He's going to have to figure it out pretty quick if he wants to stay in the fight!

Drift is remaining active here, looking for the choke. The more discerning members of the crowd will appreciate his efforts.

That's four minutes gone in the round.
Numazawa is keeping busy.
Drift is trying to stick to Numazawa's back but Numazawa is turning into Drift. He's managed to reverse the position - now he's in Drift's guard. Polite applause from the crowd in appreciation of some nice Jiu Jitsu by Numazawa.
Numazawa pressing down on his opponent's thigh, looking to pass guard. Drift is keeping the position for now.

The ref stands the fighters back up because Tokyo Drift just wasn't active enough.
Drift shoots in and drives through. Numazawa sprawls well.
Tokyo Drift seems to be the more aggressive standup fighter in this bout.
As the round comes to an end the crowd are showing their appreciation for a great round of action.
Drift fails with the takedown.

Drift gets a clinch.
And that’s the end of the round – the fighters go back to their corners.

Tokyo Drift dominated that second round.
That's time! Drift's corner gives him a slap on the ass as he gets ready to fight. This is the final round!

Drift has closed the distance and engaged Numazawa in a clinch.

Drift breaks the clinch and we return to the middle of the mat.

Drift closes the distance and pushes Numazawa back into the cage.

Drift breaks the clinch.

Numazawa has closed the distance and engaged Drift in a clinch.

Drift manages to break the clinch.

Numazawa clinches up with Drift and pushes him back against the cage.
Drift is trying to slow down the pace of the fight but Numazawa is keeping busy.
A knee to the head by Drift.

Drift breaks the clinch.
Drift shoots in looking for a takedown but Numazawa manages to keep the fight standing, pushing Drift's face into the canvas for good measure before circling away.
Drift shoots in looking for a double leg takedown. Numazawa defends it nicely.
Drift misses with a takedown

and Numazawa counters by moving into the clinch. Good anticipation by Numazawa.
That's three failed takedown attempts in the round for Tokyo Drift. That's going to take a lot out of him.
Both fighters are breathing heavily.

That's one minute gone in the round.
Numazawa is stalling here.
Numazawa is working on a leg, looking for a takedown but Drift is defending well.
An uppercut on the inside fails to land for Numazawa.
Numazawa tries to pull guard but Drift won't allow it.
Drift tries to land a knee to the head but Numazawa blocks with his arms.
Drift lands an elbow inside.
Drift stops a takedown attempt from Numazawa.
Come on Drift - let's have some action - none of this stalling nonsense.
Numazawa blocks an elbow strike from Drift.
Drift softening up his opponent with strikes, against the cage.
Drift pushes off and fires off an elbow that misses, before clinching up again, against the cage.

That's two minutes gone in the round.
Numazawa dictating the pace here, as the fighters clinch against the cage.
Drift throws an elbow but it misses.
A nice right hand lands inside from Drift.
Drift throws a nice elbow but it doesn't land.
Drift lands a left hand.
Numazawa takes an elbow to the forehead.
Numazawa managing to block the knees to the body from Drift.
Numazawa blocks an elbow strike from Drift.
Drift tries a knee to the head but Numazawa blocks it.
Drift misses with an elbow strike.
Numazawa avoids the elbow strike from Drift, against the cage.
Numazawa taking a breather.
Drift lands an elbow inside.

That's three minutes gone in the round.
Numazawa tries to pull guard but Drift holds him up against the cage and eventually Numazawa drops back down to his feet.
Numazawa avoids the elbow strike from Drift, against the cage.

Drift manages to pull guard. Let's see whether he can land a sub off his back.
Drift working the defensive guard well to avoid strikes from Numazawa.

Numazawa is trying to work a guillotine from the top, or something like that? Don't know how he thinks he's going to get a finish from there.
Numazawa postures up and lands a big shot to Drift's brow.
Numazawa slows down the pace of the fight, as he sits in guard.
Numazawa pressing down on his opponent's thigh, looking to pass guard. Drift is keeping the position for now.

That's four minutes gone in the round.
Numazawa won't allow Drift to get back to his feet.
Numazawa trying to control the position from guard on top but Drift is wriggling around, looking for whatever he can.
Numazawa pressing down on his opponent's thigh, looking to pass guard. Drift is keeping the position for now.
Daisuke Numazawa has stepped it up - he knows he needs a finish here!
The referee claps his hands together and tells the fighters to work.

The ref calls for a clean break and stands the fighters back up. Daisuke Numazawa wasn't active enough on the ground.
Drift shoots in and drives through. Numazawa sprawls well.
As the round comes to an end the crowd are showing their appreciation for a great round of action.

Numazawa gets to the clinch - let's see what his plan is here.
Numazawa is looking to break free of the clinch but Drift has double underhooks.
Drift misses with an elbow over the top.

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 Tokyo Drift.
Well Drift 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 Sosuke Kotani scores the fight for Tokyo Drift!
Judge Ren Mimura scores the fight for Tokyo Drift!
Judge Shirou Masuda scores the fight for Tokyo Drift!

Tokyo Drift wins by unanimous decision!
Jumping up and down and very excited, Tokyo Drift waved his t-shirt featuring 1337 ANZAC 's logo in front of the cameras.