PBP Commentary

Coming up we have a welterweight MMA rules bout between Tatsuya Aoki (ranked 0 p4p, 0 weight class) and Bruce Alvarez Banner (ranked 0 p4p, 0 weight class). Banner has chosen Raining Blood by Slayer as his entrance music. Over to our ring announcer for the fighter introductions!

Aoki
vs
Alvarez Banner

178 cm
32
181 lbs
24 - 13 - 1

180 cm
39
185 lbs
31 - 17 - 1

Abu Dhabi Champ
Solid boxing
Insanely flexible

Olympic wrestler
World class boxer
Good gas tank

The Big Kabosh

BeastMode
Sex Panther! 160q recovery $149

Ladies and gentlemen. This fight is 3 rounds, in the welterweight division.
Introducing the fighter to my left, fighting out of the red corner.
With a record of 24 - 13 - 1, fighting out of Sydney, Tatsuya Aoki!
And introducing the fighter to my right, fighting out of the blue corner.
With a record of 31 - 17 - 1, fighting out of Sydney, Bruce Alvarez Banner!
The judges for this bout are Ron Honeybunn, Eliza Hachem and Ben Hemmingworth.

The bell rings for round one and we are underway!
Banner throws a body punch but Aoki moves out of range.
Aoki misses with a double jab
and Banner counters with a straight right hand.
Banner scores with a nice strike.
Banner bobs and weaves and unloads with a good uppercut.
Banner has been working on his striking defense in training and it's paying off as Aoki is landing a low percentage of strikes.
Aoki takes a jab on the nose. He smiles like he loves it and keeps coming.
Aoki throws a hard body shot but it just misses.
Banner tries to clinch but Aoki is having none of it.
Banner tries to clinch but Aoki is having none of it.
Banner misses with an uppercut
letting Aoki counter with a right hand.
Banner throws a series of punches but Aoki moves out of range.
Banner throws an off balance right hand

and Aoki counters with a nice double leg into side control. Banner won't be happy with that.
Wooooo! Give it up for these two warriors! They are putting on a show!
Aoki scores with a couple of short elbows.
Banner tries to work a leg under to get back to half guard but Aoki wriggles his own leg back out and remains in side control.

Aoki is trying to land an Americana. He has the arm isolated but Banner is keeping cool and he's avoided the danger for now.

That's one minute gone in the round.
Banner is looking for a sweep.
Aoki is looking to take a break and control but Banner is keeping him honest, looking to work from the bottom.
Banner manages to land a sweep and he's now on top! Lovely Jiu Jitsu!

Banner is trying a forearm choke… I don't think that's going to do much at this level of the game.
Aoki tries to get to full guard but Banner has control of the leg.
Banner trying to pass the guard but Aoki defending well.
Banner working over Aoki with some ground and pound. Aoki looks like he wants out of this position, which is understandable.

That's two minutes gone in the round.
Aoki trying to control from the bottom.
Aoki keeping his head moving to avoid the ground and pound.
Banner tries to pass the half guard into mount. Aoki knows what he's doing though and prevents the attempt.
Aoki is trying to maintain the position but Banner is very close to passing his half guard.
Aoki gets back to full guard.
Banner sneaks a leg through and gets to half guard. That was like a knife through butter how easily he passed Aoki's guard.
Aoki is in a tricky position but he's been working on his transitions down at Hate Made Me Asylum, so we'll see if he gets out of it.
The fighters are pressed up against the cage, both looking to find a bit of space to work.
Aoki pushes Banner off looking to stand but Banner dives back in and keeps control.

Aoki is looking to sinch up a guillotine here but Banner pulls his head out easily.
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!
Aoki regains full guard. Nicely done.
Banner throwing elbows and punches but not connecting, as Aoki works some decent striking defense from the bottom.
Banner throwing shots from guard but he's hitting more mat than opponent.

That's three minutes gone in the round.

Aoki is active off his back here, looking for submissions.

Aoki looking for submissions off his back, moving his hips, looking for an opening.
Banner postures up in Aoki's guard and throws a big left but Aoki blocks it.
Aoki lands a beautiful switch and he's in full mount! That could spell trouble for Banner!
Aoki lands with some strikes.
Aoki with a couple of short strikes.
Banner regains half guard.
Aoki working Banner over with strikes.
Banner has the superior BJJ but he's also working some ground strikes into his gameplan.
Banner is looking to regain full guard. Not this time though.
This has been an exciting period of action!
Banner moves his hips nicely and gets into full guard.
Aoki wants to control from the top but Banner keeps moving.

That's four minutes gone in the round.
Banner wants to sweep but no luck.
Banner has momentary wrist control but Aoki slips an elbow through the middle.
Aoki works over Banner with some ground and pound from guard.
Aoki looking to pass the guard.
Banner wants to sweep but no luck.
Banner keeps trying to improve his position.
Aoki throwing shots from guard but he's hitting more mat than opponent.
Banner looking for a sweep. Not yet Banner, not yet.
Aoki works over Banner with some ground and pound from guard.
The crowd are going absolutely nuts as the round comes to an end - what a fantastic round of action!

Banner is working actively off his back, looking to secure an arm or perhaps work for a triangle.
Aoki landing some decent shots from guard.
And that’s the end of the round – the fighters go back to their corners.

Tatsuya Aoki dominated that round.
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.

The fight stays on the outside here - Banner looks like he's thinking about clinching though.
Banner fakes a head shot and lands one to the body.
Aoki shoots in with a takedown attempt and he has Banner pinned against the cage. Banner gets the underhooks and manages to circle away.
Bruce Alvarez Banner seems to be the more aggressive standup fighter in this bout.
Aoki showing good head movement there, avoiding the strikes from Banner.

Aoki scores with a takedown into Banner's guard.
Aoki looking to pass the guard.
Tatsuya Aoki overall seems to be getting the better of the ground position in the fight so far.
Aoki lands a couple of elbows.

That's one minute gone in the round.

Banner had isolated an arm as going for a kimura. Aoki defends it easily.
Aoki throwing strikes from guard but Banner blocks nicely.
Aoki advances position into side control!
Banner is looking for a sweep.
Aoki cracks Banner with a big right hand but Banner just smiles back at him and invites him to have another go.
Aoki lands a few punches from side control.

Aoki is trying to land an Americana. He has the arm isolated but Banner is keeping cool and he's avoided the danger for now.
Aoki is putting a hurting on Banner here, landing some big shots from side control.
Banner is looking for a sweep.

That's two minutes gone in the round.
The crowd are loving this. Great action here.
Banner prevents Aoki from improving position.
Aoki lands a knee to the body and follows it up with some ground and pound to the head. That will wear Banner down.
Aoki connects with a decent looking elbow from side control that caused Banner some visible discomfort.

Aoki thinks about going for a far side armbar but bails out and retains the dominant position instead.
Banner tries to improve position but can't.
Aoki cracks Banner with an elbow. That is naaassty.
Banner is positioning himself to get back to half guard.
Aoki lands a knee to the body and a forearm to the face.

That's three minutes gone in the round.
Aoki lands some shots froms side control.

Banner is rocked!
Aoki scores with a big shot from side control... and another... and another! Oh Banner is done here - save him referee! More strikes land and eventually the ref does step in and Aoki can finally stop beating on his defenseless opponent!

Ladies and gentlemen, after 3:25 of round 2, we have a winner by way of TKO (Strikes). Tatsuya Aoki!
During a confident post fight interview, Tatsuya Aoki thanked all his fans. He seemed very genuine when describing how motivated his fans keep him.