PBP Commentary

Coming up we have a light heavyweight MMA rules bout between Nao Tanaka (ranked 0 p4p, 0 weight class) and John Rambo (ranked 0 p4p, 0 weight class). Both fighters look fresh as a daisy as they make their way towards the cage.

Tanaka
vs
Rambo

183 cm
18
210 lbs
0 - 1 - 0

185 cm
18
215 lbs
0 - 1 - 0

BJJ White Belt
Excellent MT
Self confident

BJJ White Belt
Counter fighter
Solid chin

Zombie Nutrition - LOD
Tokyo United Fightwear

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 - 1 - 0, fighting out of Tokyo, Nao Tanaka!
And introducing the fighter to my right, fighting out of the blue corner.
With a record of 0 - 1 - 0, fighting out of Tokyo, John Rambo!
The judges for this bout are Taro Takaoka, Yasuomi Hirokawa and Ren Mimura.

The bell rings for round one and we are underway!

Tanaka clinches.
A knee to the head by Tanaka.

It looks like John Rambo has been cut.
Tanaka drops down looking for an ankle pick but Rambo pulls his leg out and moves away.
Rambo looking to land some kicks to the body here.
Tanaka lands with a nice low kick. That'll leave a bruise.
Tanaka throws a head kick that misses and slips in the process. He scrambles back to his feet and the fighters circle.
Tanaka looks to land a combination but Rambo avoids it well.

Tanaka closes the distance and clinches.
Tanaka is trying to work for a single leg takedown but Rambo pulls him back up using the underhooks.
Tanaka tries a knee to the head but Rambo blocks it.
Tanaka tries to break the clinch but Rambo is controlling the position.

Rambo breaks from the clinch.

That's one minute gone in the round.

Tanaka forces Rambo back against the cage and clinches.

Rambo pulls Tanaka into guard.
If this pace continues, the referee will definitely step in and force a standup.
Rambo is avoiding any damage by keeping wrist control.
There's a bit of a scramble here and now Rambo is on top in guard.
Rambo is intent on slowing down the pace of the fight, simply looking to control.

That's two minutes gone in the round.

The referee decides to stand the fighters back up, due to lack of activity on the part of Nao Tanaka.
Danga de danga de dang - Tanaka scores with a four punch combination!
Tanaka looking to take his opponent's legs away with the low kicks.
The crowd are loving this. Great action here.

Tanaka clinches up against the cage.

That's three minutes gone in the round.
Rambo is trying to pull guard but Tanaka turns him against the cage and we stay in the clinch.
Rambo tries to jump guard but he falls flat on his backside. Tanaka smiles and moves away.
Jab, cross, leg kick. Nice combination by Tanaka!

Tanaka moves into the clinch.
Tanaka is looking to break free of the clinch but Rambo has double underhooks.

Rambo ties up his opponent against the cage and manages to drag the fight down to the ground. Rambo no doubt will be looking to work submissions from his guard.
Rambo is pulling down on Tanaka's head. It's preventing any offense from Tanaka, at least for the moment.
The fighters are pressed up against the cage, both looking to find a bit of space to work.

That's four minutes gone in the round.
Tanaka is looking to stand up but Rambo won't let him.
Tanaka wants to pass the guard but Rambo is keeping the position.

Neither fighter is doing enough for the referee's liking and he's decided to stand them back up.
Tanaka throws a head kick that misses.

Tanaka gets to the clinch - let's see what his plan is here.
This is a great period of action - very entertaining stuff!
As the round comes to an end the crowd are showing their appreciation for a great round of action.
Tanaka looks like he'd prefer to be striking at range right now.
Tanaka jumps guard but Rambo stands there with Tanaka around his waist. Tanaka gives up and drops back to his feet. We remain in the clinch.
That's three failed takedown attempts in the round for Nao Tanaka. That's going to take a lot out of him.
Tanaka tries a knee to the head but he's missed.
And that’s the end of the round – the fighters go back to their corners.

Nao Tanaka dominated that round.
The cut man is working on John Rambo's cut.
That's time! Back to the action!

That kick from Rambo tenderised Tanaka's leg. Tanaka is trying to keep his angry face on.
A head kick by Rambo misses
and Tanaka counters with a nice leg kick.

Tanaka clinches.
Rambo keeps control of Tanaka as he tries to wriggle out of the double underhooks.
Tanaka is trying to break free.
Tanaka wants to get back to striking at distance but Rambo won't allow it.
Tanaka scores a nice knee to the body.
Rambo wants to get back to striking at distance but Tanaka won't allow it.
Rambo is looking to break free of the clinch but Tanaka has double underhooks.
Rambo can't break the clinch.
Knees to the body from Tanaka.
Rambo is trying to force a seperation but Tanaka has the dominant position.

That's one minute gone in the round.
Rambo tries to take the fight to the ground by pulling guard but can't manage it.
Tanaka fails to pull guard.
Tanaka tries a knee to the head but he's missed.
Rambo wants to break free. God knows he wants to breaaaak freeee.

Rambo breaks the clinch.

Tanaka closes the distance and clinches.
Tanaka tries to take the fight to the ground by pulling guard but can't manage it.
Tanaka with a knee to the head.

Rambo jumps guard and drags Tanaka to the mat. He's obviously going to be looking for submissions off his back.
Rambo is breathing heavily.
Rambo has Tanaka pulled in close to control his posture.
Tanaka wants to stand but Rambo has a closed guard, so he can't escape.

That's two minutes gone in the round.
Tanaka in full guard, throwing the ground and pound. No damage this time.

Rambo is active off his back here, looking for submissions.
Tanaka looking to sit in guard and control but Rambo gets the butterfly guard and sweeps. He's now in the guard on the top.
The crowd are loving this. Great action here.
Rambo won't allow Tanaka to get back to his feet.

That's three minutes gone in the round.
Rambo's corner is telling him to maintain position.

Nao Tanaka has forced the referee to step in and bring the fight back to the feet.
That kick from Rambo tenderised Tanaka's leg. Tanaka is trying to keep his angry face on.
Rambo tries to land a front kick but Tanaka steps back. That was a bit too telegraphed.
Rambo dodges the punch combination from Tanaka.
Tanaka fakes a jab and then connects with a hook.

Tanaka closes the distance and clinches.

That's four minutes gone in the round.

Rambo pushes off and circles away, back to the middle of the mat.
Nao Tanaka is looking to keep the fight on the feet at all costs.
Rambo fails to land with the punch combination there - jab, cross, hook, miss, miss, miss.
Tanaka misses with a wild combination.
Tanaka throws a sloppy head kick
and Rambo counters with a nice body kick.
Rambo throws a lazy head kick
and Tanaka counters with a nice uppercut.
Tanaka is trying hard to land a takedown here. Rambo sprawls well and keeps this one on the feet.
That's three failed takedown attempts in the round for Nao Tanaka. That's going to take a lot out of him.
Tanaka 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.
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!

Rambo changes levels and drives through with a really nice takedown into side control. Tanaka looks really pissed at himself for not defending that better.
As the round comes to an end the crowd are showing their appreciation for a great round of action.
Rambo is staying tight to Tanaka's torso, preventing him from escaping.
And that’s the end of the round – the fighters go back to their corners.

A close second round but John Rambo will probably get the nod - 10:9.
The cut man is working on John Rambo's cut.
The referee calls time. The cornermen exit stage left and we're back to business. This is the final round!

Rambo lands with a thumping leg kick.

Rambo tries to keep at a distance but Tanaka has taken the fight into the clinch.

Rambo pushes off and circles away, back to the middle of the mat.

Tanaka gets a clinch.
Tanaka is trying to work out of this bad position, with his back against the cage.
Tanaka landing knees to the body.
Rambo is trying to pull guard but being pressed up against the cage enables Tanaka to keep the fight standing.
Tanaka is looking to control Rambo's arms but Rambo gets an underhook and turns him. Now Tanaka has his back to the cage.

That's one minute gone in the round.

Rambo breaks from the clinch.

Tanaka closes the distance and clinches.
Tanaka tries to pull guard but Rambo forces him back to his feet, against the cage.
Both guys are working to get underhooks.
Tanaka tries to pull guard but Rambo holds him up against the cage and eventually Tanaka drops back down to his feet.

Rambo pulls guard.
Rambo is adopting a defensive guard.
Rambo working the defensive guard well to avoid strikes from Tanaka.

That's two minutes gone in the round.
Tanaka wants to stand but Rambo is controlling his posture from full guard.
Rambo is doing well to control the posture of his opponent and prevent any damage.
John Rambo has got the better of the ground game so far.
We may be looking at a referee standup if the pace doesn't pick up soon.
Rambo keeping moving, preventing Tanaka from controlling successfully.

The ref stands the fighters back up. Nao Tanaka wasn't doing enough on the ground.
Rambo throws a quick inside leg kick.

That's three minutes gone in the round.
Tanaka throws a leg kick
and Rambo cracks him with a counter punch right on the button.
Jab, cross, leg kick. Nice combination by Tanaka!
Both fighters are breathing heavily.
Rambo misses with a jab and misses with a cross straight after too.
Tanaka blocks a leg kick.
Rambo throws a leg kick which misses Tanaka's front leg but catches the back leg as Tanaka tries to avoid it.
Rambo throws a quick inside leg kick.
Nice defenses there by Tanaka.

Tanaka gets to the clinch - let's see what his plan is here.

Rambo's corner calls for him to break the clinch, which he does.
Tanaka takes a nice looking leg kick right on the meat of his thigh there.
Tanaka chopping away at his opponent's legs.

That's four minutes gone in the round.
This has been an exciting period of action!

Tanaka has taken the fight to the clinch.
Rambo tries to break free but Tanaka pushes him back against the cage.
Tanaka throws a vicious knee straight up the middle but Rambo blocks it with crossed arms.
Rambo keeps control of Tanaka as he tries to wriggle out of the double underhooks.
Tanaka jumps guard but his hands slip and he falls flat on his back. Well, he's made himself look a right mug there, as Rambo walks away with a smile on his face. Tanaka gets slowly back to his feet and shakes his head.
That's three failed takedown attempts in the round for Nao Tanaka. That's going to take a lot out of him.
Rambo with a nice looking leg kick. You could hear that one land in a back row.
Rambo scores with a head kick.
Rambo misses with a head kick.
As the round comes to an end the crowd are showing their appreciation for a great round of action.
Rambo throws a head kick that misses.
Tanaka misses with a body shot
enabling Rambo to counter with a crisp jab.

And that's the end of the fight!
I would just about give that final round to John Rambo.
I think Rambo has won this one but let's see whether the judges agree with me. 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 Taro Takaoka scores the fight 28:29
Judge Yasuomi Hirokawa scores the fight 28:29
Judge Ren Mimura scores the fight 28:29

In favor of your winner, by unanimous decision... John Rambo!
The defeated Nao Tanaka had this to say: 'Battle Lost but the War continues Team Goroshi - Tokyo United Fightwear - Zombie Nutrition'.