PBP Commentary

Coming up we have a featherweight MMA rules bout between Shelton Rice (ranked 0 p4p, 0 weight class) and Ryo Narushima (ranked 0 p4p, 0 weight class). The atmosphere really building for this one as we go over to our ring announcer for the fighter introductions!

Rice
vs
Narushima

200 cm
22
151 lbs
0 - 3 - 1

185 cm
22
145 lbs
0 - 0 - 0

BJJ Blue Belt
Solid Muay Thai
Cuts easily

BJJ Blue Belt
Solid Muay Thai
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 0 - 3 - 1, fighting out of Tokyo, Shelton Rice!
And introducing the fighter to my right, fighting out of the blue corner.
With a record of 0 - 0 - 0, fighting out of Tokyo, Ryo Narushima!
The judges for this bout are Yuuki Gou, Shigeki Fujiwara and Yukihiro Shimada.

The bell rings for round one and we are underway!
An inside leg kick lands from Rice.
Rice really does look like a pencil wearing a pair of gloves. Let's hope he has a gameplan to suit that ridiculous body shape.
Narushima tries to drive through with a takedown attempt but Rice defends well and Narushima ends up having to push Rice into the cage where they will battle it out in the clinch.
Rice is trying to work out of this bad position, with his back against the cage.
Rice wants to get back to striking at distance but Narushima won't allow it.
Narushima tries to land a knee to the head but misses.

Narushima breaks from the clinch.
Rice misses with a jab and misses with a cross straight after too.
Narushima shoots in for a takedown but Rice shows good takedown defense there and keeps this one on the feet.
Narushima shoots in for a takedown but Rice shows good takedown defense there and keeps this one on the feet.
Shelton Rice has stuffed three takedown attempts in the round now. That's going to take a lot out of Ryo Narushima.

Narushima throws the overhand right but ducks down into a quick takedown attempt. Rice was covering up waiting for the punch and Narushima finishes the takedown easily into guard.

Rice throwing his legs up looking for a triangle.
Narushima postures up.

That's one minute gone in the round.
Narushima trying to control the position from guard on top but Rice is wriggling around, looking for whatever he can.
Narushima trying to move into half guard but instead Rice has managed to sweep!

Narushima escapes his hips to the side and looks to be working for an armbar. Rice gives him a little smile and shakes his head. No chance.
Rice sitting in guard, not really doing much.
Narushima doesn't do any damage with a couple of strikes from the bottom.

That's two minutes gone in the round.
Narushima is working from a closed guard but he's struggling to control his opponent.
Narushima has a closed guard, preventing anything of note from happening. Perhaps he's looking to stall.
Rice postures up.

OK we're going to have a standup here. Ryo Narushima hasn't been effective enough on the ground and the referee wants a restart.
Rice stuffs the takedown.
A low kick from Narushima misses
and Rice counters with a head kick.
Narushima stuffs a takedown. It's all about dictating where the fight takes place and Narushima wants it to stay on the feet.
Rice displays good takedown defense there as he swats away a double leg from Narushima.
A low kick from Narushima misses
and Rice counters with a solid body kick.
Narushima looks winded!

That's three minutes gone in the round.
Narushima shoots in for a takedown but Rice shows good takedown defense.
Rice shoots in looking for a takedown. Narushima tries to sprawl out of it but Rice keeps driving through. The fighters are pinned against the cage. Narushima manages to get underhooks and after a bit of a struggle, circles away and we're back to standing.
Narushima misses with a takedown attempt. He shot from a bit too far out.

Narushima gets tackled into the cage by Rice. Rice maintains the clinch.
Rice is trying to push Narushima away but Narushima has him pressed against the cage, so he's going nowhere.
Rice tries to pull guard but Narushima holds him up against the cage and eventually Rice drops back down to his feet.
Rice stalling against the cage.
Narushima is looking to take this one to the mat.

That's four minutes gone in the round.
Narushima changes levels and goes for a takedown here. Rice fights it off and pushes away nicely.
Rice dives in for a single leg takedown but Narushima sprawls and the fighters end up clinched against the cage.
Narushima is trying to pull guard but Rice has him pressed against the cage.
Narushima prevents a takedown attempt there.
Rice tries for a takedown but Narushima manages to get underhooks.
The crowd applaud the fighters efforts here as the round comes to an end.
Rice slows down the pace here.
Narushima wants a takedown but no success here.
And that’s the end of the round – the fighters go back to their corners.

A close round but Ryo Narushima will probably get the nod.
The fighters' corners scream their final instructions, as the referee calls time. Here we go, back to the action!

Narushima scores with a head kick. Rice tried to block it but didn't get his arm up in time.
Narushima shoots in for a takedown. "I don't think so" says Rice as he avoids it easily.
Narushima tries to clinch but is not successful on this occasion.
Narushima stuffs a takedown. It's all about dictating where the fight takes place and Narushima wants it to stay on the feet.
Rice tries to clinch but Narushima is having none of it.
Narushima moves in looking to clinch but Rice pushes him off.
Horrible takedown by Narushima or perhaps it was just good defense by Rice which made him look bad.
Narushima fails in his attempt to clinch.
A head kick misses from Rice.

Rice instigates a clinch.
Narushima throws an elbow that misses.

Narushima drags the fight down to the ground.

That's one minute gone in the round.
Narushima is controlling Rice's posture.
Rice slips nicely into half guard.
Narushima trying to hold on to Rice's head to control him but Rice postures up.
Rice trying to advance position but Narushima counters by regaining guard.
Rice controls the pace of the fight for a moment.
Narushima wants to improve his position but instead Rice has moved into half guard.
Rice is trying to control. Narushima wants to improve his position but can't escape this time.

That's two minutes gone in the round.
Rice passes the half guard and he's now in mount! Big trouble for Narushima!
Rice controlling the position easily from mount.
Narushima wants to try and get back to his feet.
Rice looking to control but Narushima is working nicely, looking to advance position himself.

That's three minutes gone in the round.
Rice punching from mount but Narushima doing a good job of avoiding damage.
Narushima regains half guard.
Narushima tries to strike from the bottom but it doesn't land.
Rice will need to keep those long limbs tucked in whilst he's on the ground, to prevent any submissions.
We may be looking at a referee standup if the pace doesn't pick up soon.
The referee calls for the fighters to work.
Narushima has no desire to be mounted, so is trying to control. Rice is working away from the top position though.

Shelton Rice has forced the referee to step in and bring the fight back to the feet.
Narushima circles away from the clinch attempt.

That's four minutes gone in the round.
Rice tries to clinch but fails miserably
and Narushima counters with a thumping low kick.
Narushima fails with a rather predictable takedown attempt.
Shelton Rice has stuffed three takedown attempts in the round now. That's going to take a lot out of Ryo Narushima.
Narushima is breathing heavily.
Narushima misses with a half-hearted attempt at a head kick.
Rice throws a combination but comes up with nothing but fresh air.
Rice darts in and out, connecting with a jab.
Narushima fakes high and swings low for a body shot but Rice manages to avoid it.
Rice doesn't manage to clinch there - Narushima circles away.
Narushima moves to clinch but Rice breaks away
and Rice counters with a kick to the head that grazes his opponent. Narushima is lucky that one didn't land flush.
Shelton Rice is winning the standup battle so far.
The crowd applaud the fighters efforts here as the round comes to an end.
Rice changes levels and looks for a double leg takedown. Narushima tries to avoid it but Rice manages to keep hold of a leg and drag Narushima to the ground. Narushima escapes though and pops straight back up to his feet.
This has been an exciting period of action!
Rice looks for a takedown but Narushima sprawls well.
And that’s the end of the round – the fighters go back to their corners.

Shelton Rice dominated that second round.
The fighters get back to their feet, the hooter sounds and we're back to the action! This is the final round!

Narushima fails with a rather predictable takedown attempt.

Rice moves into range and clinches up with Narushima.
Rice is trying to work for a single leg takedown but Narushima pulls him back up using the underhooks.
Rice is looking to break free of the clinch but Narushima has double underhooks.
Rice on the defensive, avoiding the knees to the body.
Rice prevents Narushima from breaking the clinch.

Narushima breaks the clinch and we return to the middle of the mat.
Narushima closes this distance looking for a takedown but Rice circles away.
A punch lands to the side of Narushima 's head but he takes it in his stride.
Narushima throws a sloppy head kick
and Rice counters with a leg kick that reverborates around the arena.
Narushima takes a big intake of breath there - he's definitely tired.

That's one minute gone in the round.
Rice slips a jab and a cross from Narushima.
Narushima shoots in for a takedown. "Ole!" shouts Rice as he jumps to the side.
Shelton Rice has stuffed three takedown attempts in the round now. That's going to take a lot out of Ryo Narushima.
Rice is looking to clinch.
Narushima defends well against a solid takedown attempt from Rice.
Rice fails with the takedown.
Rice looks for a takedown here. Will he get it? Narushima is fending him off so far but Rice persists. Nope, Narushima circles away and we're back to standing.
Rice fails miserably with a takedown attempt.
Rice chopped to the floor by a nice leg kick but he springs right back up before Narushima can pounce on him.
Narushima shoots in but no luck this time.

That's two minutes gone in the round.
Rice moves out of range of the leg kick from Narushima.
Rice dives in for a single leg takedown but Narushima sprawls and the fighters end up clinched against the cage.
Rice has had enough of the clinch and is looking to separate.
Rice has dropped down and is looking to force the takedown but it's defended by Narushima after a bit of a struggle.
Narushima stalling the fight.
Narushima changes levels and goes for a takedown here. Rice fights it off and pushes away nicely.
Narushima closes this distance looking for a takedown but Rice circles away.

That's three minutes gone in the round.

Rice gets a clinch.
Narushima trying to land knees to the body.
Narushima goes for a takedown attempt but Rice pushes him away and we're back to fighting at a distance.
Rice shoots in for a takedown. "Ole!" shouts Narushima as he jumps to the side.
Rice lands a slapping body shot.
Narushima has a takedown stuffed.
Rice dives in and grabs Narushima's left leg, looking for a takedown. Narushima pushes down on Rice's head and hops out.

That's four minutes gone in the round.
Narushima dives in for a single leg takedown but Rice sprawls and the fighters end up clinched against the cage.

Rice breaks from the clinch.
A really sloppy takedown attempt there from Rice.
Shelton Rice is looking to throw some combinations by the looks of things.
Rice will have to do better than that with his takedown attempts.
Narushima shoots in for a double leg but Rice sprawls well. That's going to sap some energy.
Rice will have to do better than that with his takedown attempts.
The crowd applaud the fighters efforts here as the round comes to an end.
Narushima connects with a hook to the side of his opponent's head.
Nice takedown defense from Rice. No joy for Narushima on that attempt.
Rice digs a good hook to Narushima's body.

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 Shelton Rice.
I think Rice has won this one but let's see what the judges have to say. 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 Yuuki Gou scores the fight 29:28
Judge Shigeki Fujiwara scores the fight 30:28
Judge Yukihiro Shimada scores the fight 28:29

In favor of your winner, by split decision... Shelton Rice!