PBP Commentary

Coming up we have a bantamweight MMA rules bout between Mike Massa (ranked 0 p4p, 0 weight class) and Youngho Kwak (ranked 0 p4p, 0 weight class). Kwak is bobbing his head along to his entrance song: Brown Eyed Girls - Satisfaction. Mike Massa has the better chin. Will he look to stand and bang today?

Massa
vs
Kwak

180 cm
21
135 lbs
3 - 2 - 0

154 cm
25
134 lbs
1 - 1 - 0

BJJ White Belt
Solid boxing
Granite chin

BJJ Blue Belt
Basic striking
Determined

LOD: Affordable Quality

Ladies and gentlemen. This fight is 3 rounds, in the bantamweight division.
Introducing the fighter to my left, fighting out of the red corner.
With a record of 3 - 2 - 0, fighting out of Tokyo, Mike Massa!
And introducing the fighter to my right, fighting out of the blue corner.
With a record of 1 - 1 - 0, fighting out of Tokyo, Youngho Kwak!
The judges for this bout are Yukihiro Shimada, Yuuki Gou and Ren Mimura.

The bell rings for round one and we are underway!
Kwak tries to clinch
and Massa counters with a quick right hand to the jaw.
Kwak tries to grapple but his opponent circles
and Massa counters with a two punch combo.
Kwak cracks the inside of Massa's front leg.
Massa circles away from the clinch attempt.
Massa on the wrong end of a nice low kick. He's acting like it's no big deal but he doesn't want to take many more of those.
Kwak looks to clinch
and Massa counters with a nice uppercut.
Massa scores with a sloppy punch to the body. Not much technique there but it did the business.
Massa moves out of range of the body kick.
Kwak moves in looking to clinch but Massa pushes him off.
Kwak uses some good footwork to avoid the body shot by Massa.

That's one minute gone in the round.

Kwak shoots in from a long way out. He's driving through with the takedown attempt and he eventually gets it, landing in Massa's guard.
Massa wants to sweep but no luck.
Kwak tries to stand but Massa is controlling from the bottom.
Kwak being controlled here momentarily.
Massa really does look like a pencil wearing a pair of gloves. Let's hope he has a gameplan to suit that ridiculous body shape.
Kwak trying to control the position from guard on top but Massa is wriggling around, looking for whatever he can.

The ref stands the fighters back up because Mike Massa just wasn't active enough.
Massa connects with a nice looking jab.

That's two minutes gone in the round.
Kwak looks to clinch
and Massa counters with a lovely straight right hand!
Nice body kick there by Kwak.
Kwak tries to clinch but is not successful on this occasion.
Kwak tries to clinch up against the cage, rushing in to close the distance. Massa manages to break the clinch and circles back to the middle of the mat.
Massa scores with a decent looking hook.
Massa is using his reach advantage well here, landing the more effective single shots from range.
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!
A good leg kick by Kwak.
Kwak tries to clinch but Massa moves away
and Massa counters with a shot to the ribs. That looked like it hurt.

Kwak gets a clinch.
Massa pushes Kwak back against the cage and unloads with a body punch.
Massa managing to block the knees to the body from Kwak.

That's three minutes gone in the round.
Kwak prevents a body shot from Massa.
Massa keeps control of Kwak as he tries to wriggle out of the double underhooks.
Some stalling of biblical proportions here from Massa.
Kwak is trying to pull guard but Massa has him pressed against the cage.
Massa wants to get back to striking at distance but Kwak won't allow it.
Kwak working hard to break the clinch.

Kwak pushes off and circles away, back to the middle of the mat.
Kwak tries to clinch but Massa moves out of range.
Kwak tries to clinch but Massa is having none of it.
Kwak is looking to clinch.
Kwak tries to grapple but his opponent circles
and Massa counters with a nice jab to the body that keeps Kwak thinking.

That's four minutes gone in the round.
Massa comes forward and lands a shot to the body, then darts back out of range.
Kwak darts in trying to clinch
enabling Massa to counter with a crisp jab.
Massa swings and misses with a hook to the body.
Massa digs a good hook to Kwak's body.
As the round comes to an end the crowd are showing their appreciation for a great round of action.
Kwak wants to clinch
and Massa counters with a left and a right that stings Kwak.
Massa is looking to wear down Kwak with body shots, infact he's throwing more body shots than head shots at the moment.
Kwak tries to clinch up but Massa circles away and keeps his distance.
And that’s the end of the round – the fighters go back to their corners.

That was a close round but I would say that Mike Massa will probably get the nod.
That's the end of the round. The referee orders the cornermen out of the cage so we can get back down to business.

Kwak moves to clinch but Massa breaks away
and Massa counters with a crisp hook to the side of the head.
Kwak tries to clinch up.
Massa is using his height advantage well here, landing a good percentage of his punches.
Kwak tries to clinch up
enabling Massa to counter with a crisp jab.
Kwak wants to clinch
and Massa cracks him with a counter punch right on the button.
Massa swats away the attempt to clinch by Kwak.
Kwak takes a big uppercut there. He seems a bit wobbly but no, he's OK.

That's one minute gone in the round.
Kwak thumps Massa with a low kick.
Massa circles away from the clinch attempt
and Massa counters with a stiff right hand.

Massa gets tackled into the cage by Kwak. Kwak maintains the clinch.
Kwak tries to pull guard but Massa holds him up against the cage and eventually Kwak drops back down to his feet.
Kwak misses with a punch to the body.
A battle for position here, against the cage.
Massa misses with a shot to the kidneys.

That's two minutes gone in the round.
Kwak stalling against the cage.
Kwak fails to pull guard.
Kwak looks like he'd prefer to be striking at range right now.

Kwak manages to pull guard. Let's see whether he can land a sub off his back.
Massa tries to stand but Kwak is controlling from the bottom.
Massa stops Kwak from standing up.

Kwak looking for submissions off his back, moving his hips, looking for an opening.
Massa is frustrating his opponent with some stalling tactics from top position.

That's three minutes gone in the round.

Massa got a little sloppy there for a moment and Kwak has worked his way into a loose triangle - can he finish it?! No, Massa has managed to get both his arms back between Kwak's legs - danger averted.
Massa stays in close to Kwak's body and controls the position.
Massa's ground tactics aren't going to win him many fans. Let's hope he's got fireworks for us if he gets back to his feet because he's not doing much on the ground.
It looks like the ref is thinking about a standup.
Massa has controlled the position for a good 20 seconds, which will no doubt be starting to frustrate his opponent.
The ref warns both fighters not to hold the cage as they work up against the meshing.

That's four minutes gone in the round.

The ref stands the fighters back up because Mike Massa just wasn't active enough.
Massa on the receiving end of a decent leg kick there by Kwak. Kwak obviously looking to wear him down.
Massa with a hook.
Mike Massa is winning the standup battle so far.
Kwak tries to clinch but Massa moves out of range.
Massa lands an overhand right.
Mike Massa is looking to keep the fight on the feet at all costs.
Kwak takes one to the side of the head.

Kwak gets a clinch.
The crowd applaud the fighters efforts here as the round comes to an end.
Kwak blocks a couple of punches on the inside.
Kwak wants to get back to striking at distance but Massa won't allow it.
And that’s the end of the round – the fighters go back to their corners.

That was a close second round but I would say that Mike Massa will probably get the nod.
That's the end of the interval. I'm sure that seemed a lot quicker than a minute for our two fighters! Back to the action. This is the final round!

Kwak throws a leg kick but Massa sees it coming and checks it nicely.
Kwak uses good footwork to avoid the strikes from Massa.
Nice uppercut there from Massa.

Kwak closes the distance and pushes Massa back into the cage.
Massa is trying to push Kwak away but Kwak has him pressed against the cage, so he's going nowhere.
Nice body punch from Massa.

Massa breaks the clinch.
Massa changes levels and scores with a jab to the body.
Kwak tries to clinch up but Massa circles away and keeps his distance.
Kwak keeping his hands up high there, blocking the jab from Massa.
Kwak tries to clinch up.

That's one minute gone in the round.
Massa lands with an uppercut that bounces Kwak off the cage and back into range.
Massa circles away from the clinch attempt
and Massa counters with a series of strikes. Kwak will be more careful next time no doubt.
Kwak tries to clinch but fails miserably
and Massa counters with a nice uppercut.
Kwak should think about turning a few of those tyres round his middle into muscle if he wants people to take him seriously as an athlete.
Kwak tries to close the distance and clinch up but Massa swats him away and circles back towards the center.
Youngho Kwak is looking to throw some combinations by the looks of things.
Massa circles away from the clinch attempt
and Massa counters with a nice jab to the body that keeps Kwak thinking.
A big left from Massa misses.

That's two minutes gone in the round.
Kwak tries to close the distance and clinch but Massa swats him to one side with an open hand palm strike and circles away.
Massa fails to land with a series of punches.
Massa swats away the attempt to clinch by Kwak.
Massa scores with a nice looking left hook and follows it up with an uppercut!
Kwak fails in his attempt to clinch.
Kwak has a pretty nasty looking mouse under his right eye.
Massa throws a shot to the body.
Kwak moves to clinch but Massa breaks away
and Massa counters with a lovely straight right hand!
Massa bobs and weaves and throws out a fast jab that snaps Kwak's head backwards.

That's three minutes gone in the round.
Kwak tries to clinch but Massa is having none of it.
Massa with a hook.
Kwak tries to close the distance and clinch up against the cage but Massa paws at him with a jab and circles away.
Kwak closes the distance looking to clinch

and Massa counters by moving into the clinch. Good anticipation by Massa.

Kwak manages to break the clinch.
Kwak closes the distance and takes a jab right on the nose as he does so.

Kwak fakes with an overhand right and moves in to clinch with Massa, pushing him back against the cage.
Massa wants to break the clinch but can't.
Massa is trying to force a seperation but Kwak has the dominant position.

That's four minutes gone in the round.
Massa looks like he'd prefer to be striking at range right now.
Kwak is looking for a takedown up against the cage. Massa gets underhooks though and prevents the takedown attempt.
Kwak stalling in the clinch but Massa improves position.
Kwak blocks a punch to the side of the head.
Massa has had enough of the clinch and is looking to separate.
Mike Massa is fighting for a decision here - he's started to take the cautious approach.
Kwak is pushing Massa up against the cage, for a bit of lean and pray action. Action being used the in the loosest possible sense of the word.
Kwak is working for takedown but Massa is calmly controlling the position for now.

And that's the end of the fight!
Mike Massa showed his dominance in that final round.
Well I reckon that's a shut out for Massa, winning every round. Will the judges agree? They are the ones who matter, even if they are often depressingly incompetent. 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 Shimada scores the fight 28:29
Judge Yuuki Gou scores the fight 30:27
Judge Ren Mimura scores the fight 30:27

In favor of your winner, by split decision... Mike Massa!