PBP Commentary

Coming up we have a bantamweight MMA rules bout between Bradley Travis (ranked 0 p4p, 0 weight class) and Makunouchi Ippo (ranked 0 p4p, 0 weight class). Rumors backstage are that the fighters have been paid to keep it standing but we know that would never happen in MMA!

Travis
vs
Ippo

151 cm
24
140 lbs
1 - 0 - 0

165 cm
20
130 lbs
0 - 0 - 0

BJJ Blue Belt
Counter fighter
Cuts easily

BJJ White Belt
Excellent boxer
Heavy handed

Ladies and gentlemen. This fight is 3 rounds, in the bantamweight division.
Introducing the fighter to my left, fighting out of the red corner.
With a record of 1 - 0 - 0, fighting out of Tokyo, Bradley Travis!
And introducing the fighter to my right, fighting out of the blue corner.
With a record of 0 - 0 - 0, fighting out of Tokyo, Makunouchi Ippo!
The judges for this bout are Shigeki Fujiwara, Hirohito Nitta and Yasuomi Hirokawa.

The bell rings for round one and we are underway!
Ippo with a poor takedown
and Travis counters with a nice low kick that buckles Ippo's knee momentarily.
Travis throws a combination that misses
and Ippo counters with a series of strikes. Travis will be more careful next time no doubt.
Ippo swinging wildly here.

Ippo rushes Travis and pushes him back against the cage in a clinch.
Ippo tries to jump guard but he falls flat on his backside. Travis smiles and moves away.
Travis swings wildly with a couple of big hooks
and Ippo counters with a nice uppercut.
Ippo gets his takedown attempt stuffed easily
and Travis counters with a flying knee. Nice.
Bradley Travis has stuffed three takedown attempts in the round now. That's going to take a lot out of Makunouchi Ippo.

Ippo has Travis up against the cage in a clinch.

Travis breaks the clinch and we're back to striking at distance.

That's one minute gone in the round.

Ippo has closed the distance and engaged Travis in a clinch.
Ippo looking to throw knees to the head but Travis is blocking nicely.
Ippo has had enough of the clinch but Travis keeps him there for the moment.
Travis misses with some punches.
A frustrated look appears on Travis's face as he tries to break the clinch.
Ippo tries to pull guard but Travis forces him back to his feet, against the cage.
Ippo fails to pull the fight into his guard.
Ippo prevents Travis from breaking the clinch.
Ippo wants to strike at distance but he can't break free of the clinch.
Travis keeps control of Ippo as he tries to wriggle out of the double underhooks.
Travis really is a fat lump.
Ippo wants to break free. God knows he wants to breaaaak freeee.

That's two minutes gone in the round.
Ippo looks like he'd prefer to be striking at range right now.
Ippo drops down looking for an ankle pick but Travis pulls his leg out and moves away.
Ippo throws a head kick that misses.
Ippo misses with a takedown attempt

and Travis counters into the clinch. Nicely done.
Ippo takes a shot to the head.
Ippo tries to pull guard but can't drag his opponent to the mat. Travis just stands there and leans against the cage.
Travis is trying to work out of this bad position, with his back against the cage.
Travis has had enough of the clinch and is looking to separate.
Ippo tries to break the clinch but Travis is controlling the position.

That's three minutes gone in the round.
Ippo lands with a right to the head.
Travis tries to circle away but Ippo has him pinned against the cage.
Ippo has Travis pressed against the cage, preventing Travis from circling away and getting back to striking at range.
Ippo tries for a takedown but Travis manages to get underhooks.
Ippo is looking to take this one to the mat.
Ippo is working for takedown but Travis is calmly controlling the position for now.
Ippo looks winded!
Ippo is looking for a takedown.
Ippo tries a shoulder strike but it doesn't do any damage.
Ippo throws a nice elbow but it doesn't land.
Ippo blocking some punches.

That's four minutes gone in the round.
Both guys are working to get underhooks.
Ippo jumps guard but Travis stands there with Ippo around his waist. Ippo gives up and drops back to his feet. We remain in the clinch.
Travis has had enough of the clinch but Ippo keeps him there for the moment.
An uppercut on the inside fails to land for Travis.

Travis's corner calls for him to break the clinch, which he does.
Ippo misses with a takedown attempt

and Travis counters into the clinch. Nicely done.
Ippo tries to stall but Travis uses the opportunity to gain a better position.
The crowd applaud the fighters efforts here as the round comes to an end.
Travis can't break the clinch.
Ippo wants to get back to striking at distance but Travis won't allow it.
Ippo tries to pull guard but can't drag his opponent to the mat. Travis just stands there and leans against the cage.
And that’s the end of the round – the fighters go back to their corners.

Makunouchi Ippo dominated that round.
The minute break is over - no more time for sponges and pep talks - back to the action!

Travis misses with a head kick.
Travis scores to the head and body with a nice combination!
Travis pulls out of a head kick attempt.
Ippo misses with a takedown attempt
and Travis counters with a head kick.
Travis throws a body kick but he wasn't in range.
Travis fails in his attempt to clinch.
Ippo shoots and misses
and Travis counters with a nice body kick.
Ippo shoots and misses

and Travis moves into the clinch.
Bradley Travis has stuffed three takedown attempts in the round now. That's going to take a lot out of Makunouchi Ippo.
Ippo is looking to break free of the clinch but Travis has double underhooks.
A knee to the head by Travis.
Good anti-grappling being displayed by Travis as Ippo tries to tie him up.

That's one minute gone in the round.
Ippo is trying to break free.
Ippo prevents Travis from breaking the clinch.
Ippo jumps guard but his hands slip and he falls flat on his back. Well, he's made himself look a right mug there, as Travis walks away with a smile on his face. Ippo gets slowly back to his feet and shakes his head.
Travis moves out of range of the leg kick from Ippo.
Travis tries a switch kick but it misses it's target.
Ippo throws a leg kick

and Travis counters into the clinch. Nicely done.
Ippo wants to break free. God knows he wants to breaaaak freeee.
Ippo wants to break the clinch but can't.
Travis on the defensive, avoiding the knees to the body.

That's two minutes gone in the round.
Ippo tries to pull guard but Travis won't allow it.
Ippo is breathing heavily.
Travis stops a takedown attempt from Ippo.
Ippo is trying to pull guard but Travis turns him against the cage and we stay in the clinch.
Travis is trying to break free.
Travis wants to push off and get back to the center of the mat but Ippo has him pressed against the cage.
Travis is looking to break free of the clinch but Ippo has double underhooks.
A head punch on the inside from Travis fails to land.
Ippo can't break the clinch.

Travis breaks from the clinch.
Ippo avoids the head kick by Travis.

That's three minutes gone in the round.

Ippo clinches with his opponent.
Ippo is trying to pull guard but being pressed up against the cage enables Travis to keep the fight standing.
Travis prevents Ippo from breaking the clinch.

Ippo pushes off and circles away, back to the middle of the mat.
Ippo slips a jab and a cross from Travis.
Makunouchi Ippo seems to be the more aggressive standup fighter in this bout.
Ippo doesn't succeed with the takedown
and Travis counters with a flying knee. Nice.
Ippo misses with a takedown
and Travis counters with a left to the body.
Ippo shoots and misses
and Travis counters with a flying knee. Nice.
Travis scores with a three punch combo!

That's four minutes gone in the round.
Sloppy strikes from Travis. Those never looked like landing.

Travis pushes Ippo up against the cage in a clinch.
Travis gets double underhooks to prevent a takedown attempt from Ippo.

Travis breaks the clinch and we return to the middle of the mat.
A head kick misses from Travis.
The crowd applaud the fighters efforts here as the round comes to an end.
Travis tries a switch kick but it misses it's target.

Ippo moves into the clinch.
And that’s the end of the round – the fighters go back to their corners.

Bradley Travis dominated that second round.
OK. That's time! The bell goes and we're back to the action. The crowd applaud as we get ready to start the final round!

Travis tries a head kick but it misses.
Ippo with a poor takedown

and Travis counters by clinching up.

Travis breaks the clinch.
Ippo misses with a takedown

and Travis holds on and brings the fighters into a clinch.
Ippo keeps control of Travis as he tries to wriggle out of the double underhooks.
Travis looks like he'd prefer to be striking at range right now.
With the two fighters working up against the cage, Ippo just misses with a elbow thrown towards Travis's brow.
Ippo drops to a knee looking for a takedown but Travis gets the underhooks and prevents it.
Bradley Travis has stuffed three takedown attempts in the round now. That's going to take a lot out of Makunouchi Ippo.
Travis lands a body punch in the clinch.

That's one minute gone in the round.
Ippo trying to stall but Travis improves his position.
Travis tries to break free but Ippo pushes him back against the cage.
Ippo fails to pull the fight into his guard.
A frustrated look appears on Ippo's face as he tries to break the clinch.
Travis has not gone for a single takedown so far in this fight, which seems like a very strange tactic when you consider that he has the superior wrestling and BJJ.
Travis looks like he'd prefer to be striking at range right now.
Travis is trying to break the clinch but Ippo is controlling him.
Ippo drops to a knee looking for a takedown but Travis gets the underhooks and prevents it.
Ippo takes a big intake of breath there - he's definitely tired.
Ippo fails to pull guard.

That's two minutes gone in the round.
Travis is defending well against a takedown attempt.
Travis is trying to force a seperation but Ippo has the dominant position.
Bradley Travis has scored more points in the clinch so far.
Travis makes some space for himself and lands an uppercut.
Ippo tries to take the fight to the ground by pulling guard but can't manage it.
A frustrated look appears on Travis's face as he tries to break the clinch.
Travis lands with a quick shot inside that doesn't really do much damage.
Travis tries to break free but Ippo pushes him back against the cage.
Ippo goes for a takedown in the clinch but Travis prevents it.

That's three minutes gone in the round.
Ippo tries to pull guard but Travis won't allow it.
Ippo is trying to pull guard but being pressed up against the cage enables Travis to keep the fight standing.
Ippo tries to circle away but Travis has him pinned against the cage.
Ippo keeps the fight in the clinch, despite Travis's efforts to push away.
Travis is trying to break free.
Ippo changes levels and goes for a takedown here. Travis fights it off and pushes away nicely.
Travis throws a combination but comes up with nothing but fresh air.

That's four minutes gone in the round.
Ippo has his takedown stuffed

and Travis counters by clinching up.
Travis wants to break the clinch but can't.
Travis is trying to push Ippo away but Ippo has him pressed against the cage, so he's going nowhere.
Ippo looks like he'd prefer to be striking at range right now.
Travis is trying to push Ippo away but Ippo has him pressed against the cage, so he's going nowhere.
Travis lands a right uppercut that snaps the head of Ippo backwards.
Ippo tries to jump guard but he falls flat on his backside. Travis smiles and moves away.

Travis forces Ippo back against the cage and clinches.

And that's the end of the fight!
Bradley Travis showed his dominance in that final round.
I think Travis 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 Shigeki Fujiwara scores the fight 29:28
Judge Hirohito Nitta scores the fight 29:28
Judge Yasuomi Hirokawa scores the fight 29:28

In favor of your winner, by unanimous decision... Bradley Travis!