PBP Commentary

Coming up we have a lightweight MMA rules bout between Mayuri Tatsuki (ranked 0 p4p, 0 weight class) and Derek Riggs (ranked 0 p4p, 0 weight class). Tatsuki's ring entrance music is that housewives' favourite, Norther - Released. Derek Riggs has the better chin. Will he look to stand and bang today?

Tatsuki
vs
Riggs

170 cm
35
166 lbs
31 - 11 - 1

177 cm
30
168 lbs
24 - 16 - 0

Great wrestler
Excellent boxer
Cardio machine

Good wrestler
World class boxer
Granite chin

Perkele!

Perkele!
Merciless Gladiators

Ladies and gentlemen. This fight is 3 rounds, in the lightweight division.
Introducing the fighter to my left, fighting out of the red corner.
With a record of 31 - 11 - 1, fighting out of Helsinki, Mayuri Tatsuki!
And introducing the fighter to my right, fighting out of the blue corner.
With a record of 24 - 16 - 0, fighting out of Helsinki, Derek Riggs!
The judges for this bout are Frank Antenori, Timothy Bukovac and Jack Bonds.

The bell rings for round one and we are underway!
Tatsuki ducks low and lands a nice hook to the body of his opponent.
Tatsuki stuns Riggs with a nice body shot, before stepping back out of range.
Tatsuki takes a shot right to the bread basket.
A swing and a miss from Riggs.
Tatsuki moves out of range as Riggs strikes.
Riggs with a nice looking leg kick. You could hear that one land in a back row.
Riggs attempts a low kick but it misses it's target.
Riggs keeps the fight standing with a nice sprawl.
Tatsuki moves out of range of the strikes.
Riggs attempts a leg kick but it's missed by a good margin.
Riggs defends well against a solid takedown attempt from Tatsuki.
Tatsuki moves his head to the side to avoid a jab but walks straight into a cross.
Tatsuki connects with a good right hand that stumbles Riggs. Riggs circles away out of range and recomposes himself.
Derek Riggs seems to be the more aggressive standup fighter in this bout.

That's one minute gone in the round.
Riggs pushing out the jab but it's not landing.
Riggs misses with a hook. Tatsuki ducked under it nicely.
Nice defenses there by Tatsuki.
Riggs misses with a body shot. Nice footwork from Tatsuki.
Tatsuki throws a decent looking leg kick but it doesn't land clean.
Riggs swings away but doesn't land with a series of punches.
Derek Riggs is looking to keep the fight on the feet at all costs.
Tatsuki looks to throw the jab but Riggs is out of range.
Riggs scores with a straight right hand, right through his opponent's guard.
Riggs leaves Tatsuki with his face pressed against the mat as he sprawls beautifully, defending against a solid takedown attempt.
That's three failed takedown attempts in the round for Mayuri Tatsuki. That's going to take a lot out of him.
Tatsuki throws a nice inside leg kick.
Riggs misses with a jab to the body
and Tatsuki makes him pay by landing a thudding low kick.

That's two minutes gone in the round.
Tatsuki defending well as Riggs loads up on a big left hand.
Riggs misses with a wild body shot.
Tatsuki misses with a double jab.
Riggs scoring well with a low kick there.
Riggs fakes low and throws an overhand right that catches Tatsuki on the side of the head.
Fantastic stuff here - a very entertaining period of action, which has drawn cheers from the crowd.
Tatsuki misses with a head kick.
Riggs misses the jab.
Riggs circles away from the clinch attempt.
Tatsuki throws a jab but it's blocked by Riggs.
Riggs lands an overhand right.
Tatsuki lands a nice hook to Riggs's body. Riggs takes it in his stride and looks to land his own strikes.

That's three minutes gone in the round.
Riggs throws a low kick, looking for Tatsuki's leg but Tatsuki calmly moves out of range.

Riggs moves into the clinch.
Riggs is trying to maintain a safe position but Tatsuki gets an underhook and turns Riggs into the cage.
Riggs throws a head punch that misses.
A head punch on the inside from Riggs fails to land.
Tatsuki controlling the action here for a moment.
Riggs has a couple of punches blocked by Tatsuki.

Tatsuki pushes off and circles away, back to the middle of the mat.
Tatsuki misses with a jab, cross combination.
Riggs throws a leg kick but he was too far away and it doesn't land.
Tatsuki fails with an attempt to clinch.

Tatsuki drives through with a really nice takedown into side control.
The referee is pacing around the two fighters - he looks like he's thinking about a standup.
Tatsuki is putting a hurting on Riggs here, landing some big shots from side control.

That's four minutes gone in the round.
Tatsuki is looking to take a break and control but Riggs is keeping him honest, looking to work from the bottom.
Riggs regains half guard.
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!
Tatsuki sitting in half guard, looking to land shots. Riggs defending well though.
Riggs works his way to full guard. Good work.
Tatsuki throws a strike but Riggs rolls with it and manages to sweep. Now he's in guard on top.

Tatsuki is throwing his legs up, looking for submissions. Riggs is aware though and is defending well.
The crowd are going absolutely nuts as the round comes to an end - what a fantastic round of action!
Tatsuki keeping full guard, as Riggs tries to pass.

Tatsuki is active off his back here, looking for submissions.
And that’s the end of the round – the fighters go back to their corners.

A close round but Derek Riggs will probably get the nod.
The corners get their ten second warning. Both fighters stand from their stools and stare eachother down, ready to get back to the action.

Riggs throws a nice head kick!
Riggs waving his hands out in front of him, looking to distract Tatsuki.
Tatsuki moves away from the strike by Riggs.
Riggs getting the better of the striking in that exchange.
Riggs throws a leg kick but Tatsuki checks it.
Tatsuki takes one on the chin but seems OK.
Riggs tries to check the leg kick but that clearly hurt him.
Riggs with a jab.
Tatsuki jabbing away but nothing is landing.
Riggs motions for Tatsuki to come forward. Riggs throws a leg kick but it misses it's target.
Tatsuki connects with a solid leg kick.

That's one minute gone in the round.
Ouch! a nice leg kick from Riggs, right into the meat.
Tatsuki shoots in with a takedown attempt and he has Riggs pinned against the cage. Riggs gets the underhooks and manages to circle away.
A big right from Tatsuki misses.
Riggs attempts a leg kick but it's missed by a good margin.
Riggs jabs Tatsuki right on the nose. Tatsuki blinks but takes it well.
Riggs connects with a slap. Keep your fist closed son.
Tatsuki with a nice looking leg kick. You could hear that one land in a back row.
Riggs tries to close the distance and clinch up against the cage but Tatsuki paws at him with a jab and circles away.

Tatsuki rushes Riggs and presses him up against the cage.
Riggs has Tatsuki pushed against the cage.

That's two minutes gone in the round.
Wooooo! Give it up for these two warriors! They are putting on a show!
Tatsuki is trying to pull guard but Riggs has him pressed against the cage.
Riggs swings wildly with an uppercut but Tatsuki uses good head movement to avoid it.
Tatsuki fails to pull the fight into his guard.
That's three failed takedown attempts in the round for Mayuri Tatsuki. That's going to take a lot out of him.
Tatsuki is trying to pull guard but Riggs turns him against the cage and we stay in the clinch.
Riggs misses with a punch on the inside.
An uppercut to the body lands inside from Riggs.
A head punch blocked on the inside by Tatsuki.
Tatsuki lands a left hand.
Riggs misses with a hook from the clinch.
Tatsuki is trying to break the clinch but Riggs has him pressed against the cage.
A head punch on the inside from Riggs fails to land.

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

Tatsuki looking for submissions from the bottom but instead Riggs passes into side control.
The fighters are pressed up against the cage, both looking to find a bit of space to work.
Riggs is working Tatsuki over with some ground and pound from side control.

That's three minutes gone in the round.
Tatsuki parries the strikes from Riggs easily there. Riggs is wary of posturing up too much because it might enable Tatsuki to escape.
Riggs lands a nice forearm strike.
Tatsuki is trying to get back to half guard.
Tatsuki throws a couple of punches but he's in a bad position and they don't land.
Tatsuki is looking to reverse the position.
Tatsuki is working hard here to advance position.
The ref warns both fighters not to hold the cage as they work up against the meshing.
Riggs cracks Tatsuki with a big elbow.
Tatsuki is not content to let Riggs control the position.
Tatsuki gets back to half guard.
Ground and pound from Riggs.
Tatsuki has been looking to land a fair amount of strikes on the ground. He might be looking to soften his opponent up in order to work for a submission.

That's four minutes gone in the round.
Riggs prevents Tatsuki from improving his position.
Riggs controlling the pace.
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!

Tatsuki actively working from the bottom here.
Tatsuki tries to roll over but Riggs keeps him under control.
Riggs missing with some ground and pound from the half guard.
Riggs working over Tatsuki with some ground and pound. Tatsuki looks like he wants out of this position, which is understandable.
Riggs is keen to just control but Tatsuki is a slippery customer.
Riggs working over Tatsuki with some ground and pound. Tatsuki looks like he wants out of this position, which is understandable.
Nice strikes from Riggs there.
The crowd are going absolutely nuts as the round comes to an end - what a fantastic round of action!
Tatsuki is looking to improve his position.
Tatsuki wants to control but Riggs is keeping busy and won't allow it.
Both fighters really going for it on the ground here!
Riggs working the head and body with strikes.
Riggs is working hard to pass the guard. He's done it - he's now in full mount! Trouble for Tatsuki!
And that’s the end of the round – the fighters go back to their corners.

Derek Riggs 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!

Tatsuki tries a head kick but it misses.
Tatsuki misses with an uppercut.
Riggs takes a swing at Tatsuki's ribcage but misses.
Riggs thuds a left hand into Tatsuki's body.
Riggs jabs Tatsuki right on the nose. Tatsuki blinks but takes it well.
Riggs throws a leg kick but he was too far away and it doesn't land.
Riggs defending well as Tatsuki loads up on a big left hand.
Tatsuki is looking to chop away at Riggs's legs.
Tatsuki misses with a wild body shot.
Riggs throws a quick inside leg kick.
Riggs takes a jab right on the kisser.
Derek Riggs seems to be getting the better of the standup.
The fighters circling - Riggs throws out the jab but it was never going to land.

That's one minute gone in the round.
Tatsuki rushes in with a sloppy looking punch
and Riggs counters with a nice body shot.
Riggs wings a very wild body shot but it does the job and lands to the midsection.
Riggs misses with a wild body shot.
Tatsuki looks to score with a combo but nothing lands.
Riggs throws out a token jab with nothing on it.
Riggs fakes a head punch and goes low to the body. Nicely done.
Riggs thuds a left hand into Tatsuki's body.
Tatsuki wants to slow Riggs down by chopping away at his legs.
Riggs pulls out of a head kick attempt.
Tatsuki bobs and weaves well there to avoid the strikes.
Tatsuki throws an overhand right that lands on Riggs's shoulder, as Riggs tries to avoid the shot.

That's two minutes gone in the round.
Tatsuki avoids a punch combination nicely.
Riggs ducks under a wild hook from Tatsuki.
Riggs throws a series of punches but Tatsuki avoids them all with ease.
Riggs connects with a right hand. Tatsuki shakes it off.
Derek Riggs is fighting for a decision - hopefully he's judged it right and he's actually winning the fight.
Riggs lands a nice leg kick that just misses Tatsuki's sensitive parts.
Tatsuki takes an uppercut right on the jaw but it doesn't phase him.
This is a great period of action - very entertaining stuff!
Riggs tries to land a body kick

and Tatsuki decides to take the opportunity to score a takedown. He's landed in Riggs's guard.
Tatsuki is fighting to break Riggs's control of his arms but Riggs is doing a good job of controlling the position at the moment.
Tatsuki in full guard, throwing the ground and pound. No damage this time.

That's three minutes gone in the round.
Tatsuki looking to pass the guard.
Tatsuki throwing strikes but missing.
Riggs is controlling Tatsuki's posture.
Mayuri Tatsuki has stepped it up - he knows he needs a finish here!
Tatsuki tries to free his leg and advance position but Riggs is retaining full guard.
Tatsuki throwing strikes from guard but Riggs blocks nicely.
Tatsuki working some strikes from top position.

That's four minutes gone in the round.
Tatsuki trying to control the position from guard on top but Riggs is wriggling around, looking for whatever he can.
Tatsuki with a flurry of punches that miss.
Riggs working the defensive guard well to avoid strikes from Tatsuki.
Tatsuki won't allow Riggs to sweep him here.
Riggs is trying to keep Tatsuki in close.
Riggs keeping moving, preventing Tatsuki from controlling successfully.
Tatsuki trying to pass the guard but can't manage it just yet.
As the round comes to an end the crowd are showing their appreciation for a great round of action.
Tatsuki scores with a decent looking elbow strike.

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 Mayuri Tatsuki.
I think Riggs 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 Frank Antenori scores the fight 28:30
Judge Timothy Bukovac scores the fight 29:29
Judge Jack Bonds scores the fight 28:30

In favor of your winner, by majority decision... Derek Riggs!
Our winner, Derek Riggs, made sure he spent some time buttering up the crowd during his post fight interview, which will no doubt bring him a few more fans.