PBP Commentary

Coming up we have a lightweight kickboxing rules bout between Ricardo Awa (ranked 0 p4p, 0 weight class) and Masato Kunaida (ranked 0 p4p, 0 weight class). These two fighters really are very evenly matched on the feet - it will be fascinating to see who can assert themselves in that aspect of the fight.

Awa
vs
Kunaida

198 cm
28
168 lbs
14 - 15 - 0

176 cm
29
165 lbs
16 - 8 - 1

Great elbows
Very strong

Good kicks
Heavy handed

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 14 - 15 - 0, fighting out of Tokyo, Ricardo Awa!
And introducing the fighter to my right, fighting out of the blue corner.
With a record of 16 - 8 - 1, fighting out of Tokyo, Masato Kunaida!
The judges for this bout are Shigeki Sano, Hirohito Nitta and Sosuke Kotani.

The bell rings for round one and we are underway!
Kunaida has his head slapped from side to side by a 3 punch combination. That must have hurt him.

It looks like Masato Kunaida has been cut.
A slapping leg kick lands for Awa.
Kunaida takes a push kick to the midsection and stumbles backwards.
Kunaida throws a shot to the body.
Kunaida slips in close and lands a nice hook before moving back out of range.
Awa closes the distance looking to clinch
and Kunaida counters with a right hand to the body.
Awa is looking to clinch.
Awa throws a nice looking combination but Kunaida bobs and weaves to avoid any damage.
This has been an exciting period of action!
Kunaida keeps his opponent at a distance with a nice jab.
Awa tries to clinch but Kunaida moves away
and Kunaida counters with a good low kick that Awa was not able to check.
Awa has a nice red mark on his side after a thudding body kick by Kunaida.
Awa wants to clinch up but Kunaida keeps it at a distance.
Kunaida blocks a low kick nicely.
Kunaida misses with a left hand
and Awa counters with a good low kick that Kunaida was not able to check.
Awa tries to clinch there but Kunaida circles away.
Awa wants to clinch up but Kunaida keeps it at a distance.
Kunaida circles away from the clinch attempt.

That's one minute gone in the round.
Kunaida throws a body punch but Awa moves out of range.
Kunaida throws a leg kick but he was too far away and it doesn't land.
Kunaida pivots, looking for a leg kick but Awa is out of range and Kunaida settles back down.
A left lands for Kunaida.
Awa slips under a jab.
Kunaida misses with a hook
and Awa counters with a shot to the ribs. That looked like it hurt.
Kunaida misses with a straight right.
Kunaida waving his hands out in front of him, looking to distract Awa.
Awa fails to land with a series of punches.
Awa scores with a kick to the midsection.
Awa really does look like a pencil wearing a pair of gloves. Let's hope he has a gameplan to suit that ridiculous body shape.
Awa tries to grapple but his opponent circles
and Kunaida counters with a stiff right hand.
Awa shakes his hands off, looking to compose himself, but takes a jab to the jaw whilst he does it.
Awa lands a leg kick. The shin dug right into the meat of the thigh.
Kunaida tries to score with a leg kick but it misses it's target.

That's two minutes gone in the round.
Awa pulls out of a head kick attempt.
Awa avoids the body shot from Kunaida.

Awa lands a head kick that bluckles Kunaida and drops him to the canvas. He's still conscious but it looks like it's going to take him the full 10 seconds to get back his senses! He's up on 9 and seems to be just about OK to continue.... the referee agrees and we're back to the action with Awa no doubt looking to push for a finish!

Kunaida is rocked!
We've seen a great period of action over the last minute or so - credit to both fighters for going all out!
Awa throws a series of punches but Kunaida avoids them all with ease.
Kunaida is still on wobbly legs! Can Awa finish him?
Awa tries to clinch but Kunaida is having none of it.
Kunaida seems to have recovered his senses.
Kunaida connects with a body shot that sends Awa's belly button to the back.
Kunaida is looking to land body kicks.
Kunaida lands an overhand right.
Awa looks to clinch
and Kunaida counters with a leg kick.
Kunaida blocks a head kick by Awa.
The fight stays on the outside here - Awa looks like he's thinking about clinching though.
Awa is looking to clinch but Kunaida is avoiding it.
The crowd are going absolutely nuts as the round comes to an end - what a fantastic round of action!
Kunaida uses good footwork to get in and out, landing a nice hook.
Awa lunges in with swinging rights and lefts but Kunaida circles away quickly and effectively.
Kunaida looks to land a combination but Awa avoids it well.
Kunaida misses with an uppercut.
And that’s the end of the round – the fighters go back to their corners.

Ricardo Awa should take that round, based on the knockdown.
The cut man is working on Masato Kunaida's cut.
The minute break is over - no more time for sponges and pep talks - back to the action!

Kunaida darts in and out, connecting with a jab.
Awa needs to keep his hands up - Kunaida had a free shot at his head there.
Kunaida throws a shot from downtown. Awa moves away and avoids it.
Awa is looking to clinch but Kunaida is avoiding it.
Awa tries to close the distance and clinch up against the ropes but Kunaida paws at him with a jab and circles away.
Awa looks shocked there as he takes a right hand to the temple.
The fight stays on the outside here - Awa looks like he's thinking about clinching though.
Awa tries to clinch but Kunaida moves away
and Kunaida counters with a nice jab to the body that keeps Awa thinking.
Kunaida goes for a spinning back kick but it misses.
Awa misses with a double jab.
Awa misses with a wild combination.
Awa darts in trying to clinch
and Kunaida counters with an inside leg kick.
Awa tries to clinch up.
Kunaida circles away from the clinch attempt

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

That's one minute gone in the round.
Awa misses with a hook from the clinch.
Awa throws a head punch that misses.
Awa wants to strike at distance but he can't break free of the clinch.
I was talking to Awa's coach per-fight and he was telling me that they'd been working on the clinch in the runup to this fight.
With the fighters clinched against the ropes, Kunaida creates a bit of distance for himself and scores with a nice uppercut.
An uppercut on the inside fails to land for Kunaida.
A left hand lands to the body for Kunaida.
Both fighters are absolutely exhausted here.
Awa avoiding damage as Kunaida throws knees to the body.
A shot in the inside from Awa.
Awa misses with an elbow over the top.
Kunaida scores with a shoulder strike.
Awa lands a body shot.
Awa looks to throw an elbow but misses.
Kunaida misses with a shot to the kidneys.
Awa has had enough of the clinch and is looking to separate.
Kunaida throws a punch but it's blocked by Awa.
Kunaida can't find room to land a body shot as Awa controls the action.
Kunaida tries a shoulder strike but it doesn't do any damage.
The crowd are loving this. Great action here.
Kunaida throws a blind hook that connects with the side of Awas head.

That's two minutes gone in the round.
Kunaida tries to land knees in the clinch but Awa avoids the damage to the body.
Awa lands an elbow inside that Kunaida shrugs off.
Kunaida looking to slow down the pace here.
Awa on the defensive, avoiding the knees to the body.
Awa is trying to break the clinch but Kunaida has him pressed against the ropes.
Kunaida can't find room to land a body shot as Awa controls the action.
Kunaida lands a nice uppercut.
A frustrated look appears on Awa's face as he tries to break the clinch.
Kunaida goes for a body shot but it's blocked.
Kunaida presses Awa against the ropes and delivers a mid-strength body shot.
Kunaida tries to land a knee to the body but he is off balance and Awa avoids it.
Kunaida misses with a hook from the clinch.

Awa breaks the clinch.
The crowd are going absolutely nuts as the round comes to an end - what a fantastic round of action!
Awa slips a straight right by Kunaida.
Kunaida scores with a hook.
Kunaida throws a sloppy head kick and Awa moves out of range easily.
A slapping leg kick lands for Kunaida.
And that’s the end of the round – the fighters go back to their corners.

Masato Kunaida showed his class in that round. I'd imagine he'll take it on all the scorecards.
The cut man is working on Masato Kunaida's cut.
That's time! Awa's corner gives him a slap on the ass as he gets ready to fight. And we move into the final round!

Kunaida throws a right hand that Awa ducks under and follows up with a left that Awa also avoids with ease.
A head kick misses from Kunaida.
Awa misses with a double jab

and Kunaida holds on and brings the fighters into a clinch.
Awa lands with a left to the head.
Awa lands a body punch - he's looking to wear down Kunaida.

Awa breaks the clinch and we're back to striking at distance.
Awa rushes forward with a series of wild hooks but Kunaida moves out of range and avoids them all easily.
Ricardo Awa is winning the standup battle so far.
Awa tries to clinch up.
Awa closes the distance but Kunaida moves to the side
and Kunaida counters with a nice uppercut.
Awa slips a jab from Kunaida.
Awa wants to clinch but Kunaida slips to the side
The fighters are going at a pretty good pace and they're both starting to sweat now.
letting Kunaida counter with a right hand.
A slow jab from Kunaida misses its intended target.
Kunaida throws a sloppy head kick and Awa moves out of range easily.
Awa tries to clinch there but Kunaida circles away.
A big right from Kunaida misses.

That's one minute gone in the round.
Awa closes the distance looking to clinch
and Kunaida connects with a straight left hand counter down the middle.
Awa moves to clinch but Kunaida breaks away
and Kunaida counters with a crisp hook to the side of the head.
Ricardo Awa seems to be the more aggressive standup fighter in this bout.
Kunaida ducks down and throws a hook to the body but Awa moves away.
Kunaida lands with a kick to the temple. Awa shrugs as if to say "is that all you've got?"
Awa pulls out of a head kick attempt.
Awa tries to clinch up.
Awa tries to clinch up but Kunaida circles away and keeps his distance.
Kunaida moves into range and lands a nice leg kick.
Awa tries to clinch but Kunaida is having none of it.

Awa drives through and clinches with Kunaida against the ropes.
Awa takes an elbow to the temple.

Awa manages to break the clinch.

Kunaida tries to keep at a distance but Awa has taken the fight into the clinch.

That's two minutes gone in the round.
Kunaida tried to land a shot to the body but connects with Awa's elbow.
Kunaida blocks a knee to the body. He'll have a nicely bruised forearm in the morning.
Awa wants to get back to striking at distance but Kunaida won't allow it.
Kunaida tries to land a knee to the head but misses.
Awa misses with a punch to the body.
Kunaida lands a hook to the side of the head.
This is a great period of action - very entertaining stuff!
Kunaida pushes off and fires off an elbow that misses, before clinching up again, against the ropes.
Kunaida missing with knees to the body.
Kunaida tries to land knees in the clinch but Awa avoids the damage to the body.
Nice body punch from Kunaida - that landed with a thud.
Still in the clinch, Kunaida scores with a nice short uppercut.
Kunaida throws a blind hook that connects with the side of Awas head.

Awa is rocked!
As the round comes to an end the crowd are showing their appreciation for a great round of action.
Awa prevents a body shot from Kunaida.
Oh Awa is still all over the place! His legs are completely gone! Will he be able to recover?!!
Kunaida blocks an elbow strike from Awa.
Awa seems to have got his legs back now.
Kunaida blocks the elbow strike.
Kunaida lands with a short punch from the clinch.
Awa blocks a couple of punches on the inside.

And that's the end of the fight!
Masato Kunaida comfortably won the final round on my scorecard.
I think Kunaida 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 Shigeki Sano scores the fight 28:28
Judge Hirohito Nitta scores the fight 28:28
Judge Sosuke Kotani scores the fight 28:28

The fight is ruled a draw!