PBP Commentary

Coming up we have a bantamweight MMA rules bout between Koji Kenjahara (ranked 0 p4p, 0 weight class) and Masato Takaya (ranked 0 p4p, 0 weight class). Kenjahara's ring entrance music is that housewives' favourite, Roll wit Uz by Thai. Koji Kenjahara has the better chin. Will he look to stand and bang today?

Kenjahara
vs
Takaya

161 cm
18
135 lbs
2 - 0 - 0

162 cm
22
145 lbs
2 - 1 - 0

BJJ Blue Belt
Counter striker
Intelligent

BJJ Blue Belt
Basic striking
Determined

Top MMA Nutrition
Mustang Fight Food

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 2 - 0 - 0, fighting out of Tokyo, Koji Kenjahara!
And introducing the fighter to my right, fighting out of the blue corner.
With a record of 2 - 1 - 0, fighting out of Tokyo, Masato Takaya!
The judges for this bout are Ren Mimura, Yuuki Gou and Taro Takaoka.

The bell rings for round one and we are underway!
A punch combination from Takaya misses.
Kenjahara looks for a takedown here. Will he get it? Takaya is fending him off so far but Kenjahara persists. Nope, Takaya circles away and we're back to standing.
Kenjahara fails with the takedown.
Masato Takaya seems to be the more aggressive standup fighter in this bout.
Kenjahara dodges the punch combination from Takaya.
Takaya throws a combination but it was largely blocked by Kenjahara.
Takaya thows a left - swing and a miss!
Takaya lands with a cross to side of his opponent's head.
Takaya throws a body kick that misses.
Kenjahara fails with a takedown attempt.
That's three failed takedown attempts in the round for Koji Kenjahara. That's going to take a lot out of him.
Kenjahara will have to do better than that with his takedown attempts.
Kenjahara avoids a punch combination nicely.
A really sloppy takedown attempt there from Kenjahara.
Takaya swings and misses with a hook to the body.
Danga de danga de dang - Takaya scores with a four punch combination!

That's one minute gone in the round.
Horrible takedown by Kenjahara or perhaps it was just good defense by Takaya which made him look bad.
Takaya throws a nice inside leg kick.

Takaya takes the fight into the clinch.
Takaya managing to block the knees to the body from Kenjahara.

Takaya is trying to trip Kenjahara. He has hold of a leg but Kenjahara is hopping around, keeping his balance for the moment. Takaya persists though and gets the takedown into guard.
Kenjahara is breathing heavily.
Kenjahara keeping moving, preventing Takaya from controlling successfully.
Kenjahara will have to put a bit more behind his punches if he's going to do any damage from this position.
Takaya looking to control the position here, rather than advance.
Takaya must be cautious of submissions here, given that his opponent has the superior Jiu Jitsu.
Kenjahara utilising some decent striking defenses from the guard, preventing the ground and pound.

Kenjahara working for a triangle but Takaya defends it easily.
Takaya postures up and scores with a shot to the body and a follow up elbow to the head.

That's two minutes gone in the round.
Kenjahara keeping moving, preventing Takaya from controlling successfully.
Takaya postures up and lands some nice ground and pound.
Kenjahara can't keep his opponent in guard - Takaya advances to half guard, no doubt looking to mount.
Kenjahara is not content to let Takaya control the position.
Takaya is taking a breather. Kenjahara says something to him but it's hard to make out. Perhaps he's telling him to get on with it and actually do something.
Takaya's corner are shouting for him to control the position and he seems happy to oblige.
Kenjahara is staying active underneath Takaya, who seems content to just control the action from this position.
Takaya looks towards his corner to check for any instructions. The corner give him nothing to work with, so he cracks Kenjahara with a short hammerfist. I guess that's as good as any advice he could get in this position.
Takaya is keen to just control but Kenjahara is a slippery customer.
Takaya wants to free his trapped foot but Kenjahara is holding on for dear life with his legs.
Takaya scores with a couple of good hammerfists.
The fighters are tangled up in the ropes here. We might need a restart if the fighters can't break free themselves.

That's three minutes gone in the round.
Takaya works his way into full mount!
Kenjahara wants to hold on but Takaya pushes him away.
Both fighters really going for it on the ground here!
Kenjahara working to try and regain half guard.
Takaya throwing sloppy strikes, which aren't doing any damage.
Kenjahara is wriggling around trying to escape.
Takaya thowing strikes but they're hitting the gloves, not doing any damage.
Kenjahara regains half guard.
Kenjahara lands one or two decent shots to the body here. Although from his own half guard, he's not going to be causing too much damage.
Kenjahara is trying to control but can't.

Kenjahara actively working from the bottom here.
Takaya wants to lay and pray for a moment but Kenjahara keeps working.
Takaya is in a good position here but he's just trying to control... And he's not even managing to do that successfully.
Kenjahara regains full guard. Nicely done.

That's four minutes gone in the round.
Takaya throws a big right hand that misses.

Kenjahara working for a triangle but Takaya defends it easily.
Takaya stopping the sweep attempt from Kenjahara.
Takaya wants to control from the top but Kenjahara keeps moving.
Takaya stands up and looks to throw the legs aside to pass to side control. Kenjahara swivels though and keeps the full guard.

Kenjahara throwing his legs up looking for a triangle.
Takaya trying to control but Kenjahara is working from the bottom.

Kenjahara working from the bottom, still in full guard. He's managed to get a loose triangle. Takaya doesn't seem to be doing much to defend here, obviously he feels comfortable in the position. Takaya manages to throw the legs off his shoulder and he's back into guard - no problem.
And that’s the end of the round – the fighters go back to their corners.

Masato Takaya 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.

Takaya fails to land with the punch combination there - jab, cross, hook, miss, miss, miss.
Kenjahara misses with a takedown attempt - Takaya sprawls well and throws a nice strike on the way out which just misses.
Kenjahara has a takedown stuffed.
Kenjahara shoots in for a takedown but Takaya shows good takedown defense.
That's three failed takedown attempts in the round for Koji Kenjahara. That's going to take a lot out of him.
Kenjahara shoots in but no luck this time.
Takaya misses with a jab and misses with a cross straight after too.
Kenjahara will have to do better than that with his takedown attempts.
Some wild striking there from Takaya.
Takaya throws a series of punches but Kenjahara moves out of range.
We've had a slow start to the round here - hopefully the action picks up.
Kenjahara keeping at a good range here, avoiding a leg kick.
Kenjahara takes a thudding leg kick, right into the meat of the thigh.
Both fighters are absolutely exhausted here.
Takaya throws a combination but it was largely blocked by Kenjahara.
Kenjahara fails miserably with a takedown attempt.
Both fighters circling a little - Takaya finishes the exchange with a kick to the body.

That's one minute gone in the round.

Kenjahara tries to keep at a distance but Takaya has taken the fight into the clinch.
Kenjahara has hold of a leg and is looking for a trip takedown. Takaya avoids it nicely though and we remain in the clinch.

Takaya gets a nice trip takedown into half guard.
Takaya seems very keen to just sit and control from half guard but Kenjahara does not like that idea so much and is remaining active off his back.
Kenjahara wants to get back to full guard.
The fighters are trapped in the ropes so we're going to have a reposition here. The ref calls for a break and repositions the fighters in the center of the ring.
Takaya tries to pass the half guard into mount. Kenjahara knows what he's doing though and prevents the attempt.
Kenjahara works his way to full guard. Good work.

Kenjahara looking for submissions from the bottom here. Moving his hips around, possibly looking for an armbar.
Kenjahara keeping moving, preventing Takaya from controlling successfully.
Takaya wants to pass the guard but Kenjahara is keeping the position.
Kenjahara striking from the bottom here.
Kenjahara will have to put a bit more behind his punches if he's going to do any damage from this position.
Kenjahara tries to land a sweep but no joy.

Kenjahara working for a triangle but Takaya defends it easily.

That's two minutes gone in the round.

Kenjahara working for a triangle but Takaya defends it easily.
Takaya wants to pass the guard but Kenjahara is keeping the position.
Takaya throwing strikes but missing.
Kenjahara manages to sweep nicely, so he's now on top. Takaya manages to get himself to full guard.

Kenjahara drops back for a leg! It's a sloppy attempt though and Kenjahara jumps back into guard quickly, to retain the dominant position.
This has been an exciting period of action!
There's a bit of a scramble here and now Takaya is on top in guard.
Takaya preventing the sweep.

Kenjahara is working for submissions here. He's thrown up his legs looking for a tringle but Takaya frees his head nicely. Oh but Kenjahara has switched to an armbar! Takaya is tapping furiously! Lovely submission there!

Ladies and gentlemen, after 3:03 of round 2, we have a winner by way of Submission (Triangle Armbar). Koji Kenjahara!