PBP Commentary

Coming up we have a bantamweight MMA rules bout between Phillip Meadows (ranked 0 p4p, 0 weight class) and Lee Hitoshi (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.

Meadows
vs
Hitoshi

186 cm
24
140 lbs
1 - 1 - 0

151 cm
25
133 lbs
2 - 2 - 0

BJJ Blue Belt
Counter fighter
Cuts easily

BJJ Blue Belt
Good kicks
Granite chin

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 - 1 - 0, fighting out of Tokyo, Phillip Meadows!
And introducing the fighter to my right, fighting out of the blue corner.
With a record of 2 - 2 - 0, fighting out of Tokyo, Lee Hitoshi!
The judges for this bout are Tatsuya Matsuyama, Ren Mimura and Hirohito Nitta.

The bell rings for round one and we are underway!

Meadows drives through with a takedown into Hitoshi's guard. Let's see what he can do from the top position.
Hitoshi looks really tired already! That doesn't bode well for a good, competitive fight!
The referee is asking the fighters to pick up the pace.
Hitoshi is looking to get back to his feet but can't, whilst Meadows is controlling him.
Meadows with a flurry of punches that miss.
Hitoshi keeping moving, preventing Meadows from controlling successfully.
Meadows stands up over Hitoshi, holding his feet. He dives back in and lands a decent shot to the head.
Meadows will need to keep those long limbs tucked in whilst he's on the ground, to prevent any submissions.
Meadows wants to get up but he can't break Hitoshi's closed guard. He needs to be careful trying to break the legs open, as he's open to submissions here.

That's one minute gone in the round.
Meadows with a couple of shots to the head there. Not particularly brutal.

Hitoshi is looking for a guillotine. You can't force these things though and Meadows defends well.
Meadows wants to control from the top but Hitoshi keeps moving.
Meadows is looking to work some ground and pound but Hitoshi has wrist control.
We get told so often about how wrestlers don't like to be on their backs. Let's see if Hitoshi can do anything to dispel that myth.

That's two minutes gone in the round.

Hitoshi is working an open guard so Meadows takes the opportunity to get back to his feet.
Meadows tries to drive through with a takedown attempt but Hitoshi defends well and Meadows ends up having to push Hitoshi into the cage where they will battle it out in the clinch.

Meadows escapes the clinch and we're back to striking.
Meadows tries to clinch up but Hitoshi circles away and keeps his distance.
Meadows shoots in for a takedown - he's clinched up with Hitoshi but Hitoshi pushes him off and we're back to square one.
Hitoshi misses with an uppercut.
Lee Hitoshi seems to be the more aggressive standup fighter in this bout.

Hitoshi changes levels and drives through with a really nice takedown into side control. Meadows looks really pissed at himself for not defending that better.
Meadows is trying to stand back up. He's worked his way up against the cage but Hitoshi has just dragged him back down to the mat.

That's three minutes gone in the round.
Meadows sneaks a leg under to get back to half guard.
Meadows is trying to control but can't.
Meadows makes his way to full guard. A much better position for Meadows.
Meadows manages to sweep nicely, so he's now on top. Hitoshi manages to get himself to full guard.
The fighters are pressed up against the cage, both looking to find a bit of space to work.

Hitoshi is working an open guard so Meadows takes the opportunity to get back to his feet.

Meadows takes the fight into the clinch.

Meadows pushes off and circles away, back to the middle of the mat.

That's four minutes gone in the round.
Hitoshi doesn't react quick enough there as he takes a shot to the body.
Nice takedown defense from Hitoshi. No joy for Meadows on that attempt.
That's three failed takedown attempts in the round for Phillip Meadows. That's going to take a lot out of him.
Hitoshi slaps away a takedown attempt from Meadows, before circling back to the center of the mat.
Meadows shoots and misses

and Hitoshi counters with a takedown into side control! That could mean trouble for Meadows!
The crowd are loving this. Great action here.
An elbow from Hitoshi crashes against the mat.
Meadows tries to improve position but can't.
Meadows throws a couple of punches but he's in a bad position and they don't land.
As the round comes to an end the crowd are showing their appreciation for a great round of action.
Hitoshi working away.
Meadows is trying to get back to his feet.
Meadows can't do much from the bottom here.
And that’s the end of the round – the fighters go back to their corners.

Phillip Meadows dominated that round.
The fighters' corners scream their final instructions, as the referee calls time. Here we go, back to the action!

Hitoshi throws a head kick that misses.
Meadows fails with a takedown attempt from distance.
Meadows has a takedown stuffed.
Hitoshi throws a sloppy head kick

and Meadows counters into the clinch. Nicely done.
Meadows goes for a takedown in the clinch but Hitoshi prevents it.
That's three failed takedown attempts in the round for Phillip Meadows. That's going to take a lot out of him.
Hitoshi is defending well against a takedown attempt.
Meadows wants a takedown.
Hitoshi should think about turning a few of those tyres round his middle into muscle if he wants people to take him seriously as an athlete.
Both fighters are absolutely exhausted here.

Meadows breaks from the clinch.
Meadows really does look like a pencil wearing a pair of gloves. Let's hope he has a gameplan to suit that ridiculous body shape.
Meadows blocks a leg kick.

That's one minute gone in the round.
The fight stays on the outside here - Hitoshi looks like he's thinking about clinching though.
Meadows fails with a takedown attempt.
Meadows lunges in with swinging rights and lefts but Hitoshi circles away quickly and effectively.
Meadows closes the distance and clinches up with Hitoshi, looking for a takedown. Meadows pushes Hitoshi against the cage but Hitoshi circles to the side and manages to break the clinch.
Hitoshi tries to close the distance and clinch but Meadows swats him to one side with an open hand palm strike and circles away.
Meadows tries to clinch but is not successful on this occasion.

That's two minutes gone in the round.
Hitoshi takes a jab on the nose there. A little bit of blood seems to be coming out. Hopefully that won't affect his breathing.
Hitoshi tries to close the distance and clinch up but Meadows swats him away and circles back towards the center.
Meadows tries for a takedown but Hitoshi sees it coming a mile off and avoids it easily.
Lee Hitoshi is looking to throw some combinations by the looks of things.
Hitoshi misses with a jab, cross combination.
Hitoshi slaps away a takedown attempt from Meadows, before circling back to the center of the mat.

Meadows gets a clinch.

That's three minutes gone in the round.

Meadows successfully pulls guard.
Meadows looking for a sweep. Not yet Meadows, not yet.
Meadows controlling Hitoshi's posture.
Meadows looking to control.
Phillip Meadows overall seems to be getting the better of the ground position in the fight so far.

The referee decides to stand the fighters back up, due to lack of activity on the part of Phillip Meadows.

Meadows fakes a strike and closes the distance, dragging Hitoshi to the ground. Meadows is now in Hitoshi's guard.

That's four minutes gone in the round.

Hitoshi pushes Meadows off and gets back to his feet.
Hitoshi looking to land some kicks to the body here.

Meadows moves into range and clinches up with Hitoshi.
The crowd applaud the fighters efforts here as the round comes to an end.

Meadows has Hitoshi pressed up against the cage. He's trying to work for a single leg takedown. Meadows pulls back from the cage and twists to the side, sending Hitoshi tumbling to the mat - Meadows dives into Hitoshi's guard.
Wooooo! Give it up for these two warriors! They are putting on a show!

Hitoshi kicks Meadows off and gets to his feet.
And that’s the end of the round – the fighters go back to their corners.

Phillip Meadows dominated that second 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. This is the final round!

Meadows shoots in for a takedown but Hitoshi shows good takedown defense there and keeps this one on the feet.

Meadows has Hitoshi up against the cage in a clinch.

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

Meadows moves into range and clinches up with Hitoshi.
Meadows tries to pull guard but can't drag his opponent to the mat. Hitoshi just stands there and leans against the cage.

Meadows escapes the clinch and we're back to striking.

Hitoshi gets a double leg takedown into Meadows's guard.
Hitoshi takes a big intake of breath there - he's definitely tired.
Hitoshi is fighting to break Meadows's control of his arms but Meadows is doing a good job of controlling the position at the moment.
The ref warns both fighters not to hold the cage as they work up against the meshing.
Hitoshi wants to pass the guard but Meadows is keeping the position.

That's one minute gone in the round.
Meadows is pulling down on Hitoshi's head. It's preventing any offense from Hitoshi, at least for the moment.
Meadows controls Hitoshi momentarily but Hitoshi frees himself.
Meadows looking to sweep here. No luck so far.

The referee decides to stand the fighters back up, due to lack of activity on the part of Phillip Meadows.
Meadows shoots in for a takedown - he's clinched up with Hitoshi but Hitoshi pushes him off and we're back to square one.
That's three failed takedown attempts in the round for Phillip Meadows. That's going to take a lot out of him.
Hitoshi walks into a jab.
Meadows closes the distance and clinches up with Hitoshi, looking for a takedown. Meadows pushes Hitoshi against the cage but Hitoshi circles to the side and manages to break the clinch.

That's two minutes gone in the round.

Meadows forces Hitoshi back against the cage and clinches.
Meadows has dropped down and is looking to force the takedown but it's defended by Hitoshi after a bit of a struggle.

Meadows manages to break the clinch.
Hitoshi wants to clinch
and Meadows counters with a crisp hook to the side of the head.
Hitoshi is looking to take this fight into the clinch.
Meadows has a takedown stuffed.

That's three minutes gone in the round.

Meadows gets taken down but at least he's managed to land in guard.
Meadows is avoiding any damage by keeping wrist control.
Meadows's ground tactics aren't going to win him many fans. Let's hope he's got fireworks for us if he gets back to his feet because he's not doing much on the ground.
Hitoshi scores with a decent looking elbow strike.
Meadows lands a beautiful switch and he's in full mount! That could spell trouble for Hitoshi!
Hitoshi really trying hard to get back to half guard here.

That's four minutes gone in the round.
Meadows avoids the attempt from Hitoshi to control.
Meadows wants to control the pace but Hitoshi is squirming around nicely.

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 Phillip Meadows.
Well Meadows has outscored his opponent in every aspect of the fight today. Only a scarily incompetent judge or two will keep him from a well deserved win... 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 Tatsuya Matsuyama scores the fight 30:27
Judge Ren Mimura scores the fight 30:27
Judge Hirohito Nitta scores the fight 30:27

In favor of your winner, by unanimous decision... Phillip Meadows!