PBP Commentary

Coming up we have a heavyweight MMA rules bout between Jon Paul Fish (ranked 0 p4p, 0 weight class) and Rikiya Sonoda (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.

Paul Fish
vs
Sonoda

186 cm
23
224 lbs
12 - 5 - 0

192 cm
29
272 lbs
12 - 7 - 0

BJJ Purple Belt
Solid boxing
Cardio machine

BJJ Purple Belt
Excellent MT
Good gas tank

Kore Fight Nutrition [TG]

Ladies and gentlemen. This fight is 5 rounds, for the heavyweight championship of the world!
Introducing the champion to my left, fighting out of the red corner.
With a record of 12 - 5 - 0, fighting out of Las Vegas, Jon Paul Fish!
And introducing the challenger to my right, fighting out of the blue corner.
With a record of 12 - 7 - 0, fighting out of Rio de Janeiro, Rikiya Sonoda!
The judges for this bout are Stewart Dunkirk, Daniel Franklin and George Francis.

The bell rings for round one and we are underway!
Sonoda wants to land a leg kick but Fish is out of range.
Sonoda fails in his attempt to clinch.
Ouch! a nice leg kick from Fish, right into the meat.

Sonoda clinches up with Fish and pushes him back against the cage.
Sonoda tries to land knees in the clinch but Fish avoids the damage to the body.
Sonoda missing with knees to the body.
Fish lands a left hand.

It looks like Rikiya Sonoda has been cut.
Sonoda using the Thai plumb to throw knees but Fish has his back arched nicely, preventing the strike.
Sonoda connects with a nasty looking knee right to Fish's face.

It looks like Jon Paul Fish has been cut.
Sonoda using the Thai plumb to throw knees but Fish has his back arched nicely, preventing the strike.
Fish goes for a body shot but it's blocked.
Fish misses with an elbow over the top.
Sonoda landing knees to the body.
Fish on the defensive, avoiding the knees to the body.
Sonoda keeps control of Fish as he tries to wriggle out of the double underhooks.
Sonoda lands an elbow just above Fish 's eye.
Sonoda blocks an elbow strike from Fish.
The crowd are loving this. Great action here.
Sonoda tries to land knees in the clinch but Fish avoids the damage to the body.
Sonoda told us before the fight that he's been working on his elbows. An under utilised technique these days - let's see if it can sway the outcome of the fight.
Fish takes an elbow to the temple.

Fish manages to break the clinch.
Fish looking to land some kicks to the body here.
Fish throws a low kick but Sonoda avoids it.

That's one minute gone in the round.
The sound of bone on bone echoes around the arena as Sonoda checks a leg kick.
Sonoda lands with a kick to the ribs.
A big right from Fish misses.
Fish avoids the clinch attempt nicely.
A nice leg kick lands there from Fish.
Fish lands a jab to the head.
Fish misses with an attempted mid kick.
Fish throws a leg kick but he was too far away and it doesn't land.
Sonoda throws a nice head kick!
Rikiya Sonoda is looking to keep the fight on the feet at all costs.
Sonoda pulls out of a head kick attempt.
Sonoda jabbing away but nothing is landing.
Sonoda tries to close the distance and clinch but Fish swats him to one side with an open hand palm strike and circles away.
Nice defenses there by Fish.
Sonoda scores with a head kick.
Sonoda checks a leg kick.
Sonoda on the receiving end of a decent leg kick there by Fish. Fish obviously looking to wear him down.
Fish lunges in with swinging rights and lefts but Sonoda circles away quickly and effectively.

That's two minutes gone in the round.
The crowd are loving this. Great action here.
Fish has his front leg slapped to the side - a nice low kick landing there from Sonoda.
Sonoda moves out of range as Fish throws a body kick.
Sonoda looks for the body kick but Fish saw that one coming.
Sonoda looks to score with a jab to the body but Fish is just out of range.
Sonoda wants to clinch up but Fish keeps it at a distance.
Rikiya Sonoda seems to be the more aggressive standup fighter in this bout.
Sonoda throws a body shot but no joy.
Sonoda wants to clinch but Fish slips to the side
letting Fish counter with a right hand.
Well, he's not going to score with shots like that. A lazy body kick attempt from Fish.
Fish throws a head kick but Sonoda moves out of range.
Fish tries to score with a low kick but Sonoda moves his leg out of the way.
Fish misses with a low kick.
Fish thows a body kick. Sonoda tries to catch it but that hurt him.
Sonoda tries to clinch but is not successful on this occasion.
Sonoda is looking to clinch.
A clash of legs there as Sonoda blocks the low kick.
Fish tries to work over Sonoda's front leg with a kick but Sonoda checks it.
Fish throws a leg kick but Sonoda sees it coming and moves out of range.

That's three minutes gone in the round.
Fish throws a sloppy head kick and Sonoda moves out of range easily.
Sonoda throws a lazy head kick
and Fish counters with a straight punch to the midsection.
Sonoda fakes a jab and scores with a low kick.
Nice body kick there by Sonoda.
Sonoda misses with a body kick.
Fish connects with a nice looking jab.
Sonoda plants his feet and lands a nice head kick!
Sonoda comes forward and lands a shot to the body, then darts back out of range.
Sonoda throws a sloppy head kick and Fish moves out of range easily.
Fish is the aggressor but that punch slipped nicely by Sonoda.
Fish jabs. That one connects to the head of his opponent.
Fish does a little shimmy and throws a leg kick. The leg kick missed by a considerable margin though, making him look a little bit silly for doing the shimmy.
The fight stays on the outside here - Sonoda looks like he's thinking about clinching though.
Fish throws out a token jab with nothing on it.
Sonoda throws out a leg kick but Fish moves out of range and Sonoda only half commits.

That's four minutes gone in the round.
This has been an exciting period of action!
That kick from Fish tenderised Sonoda's leg. Sonoda is trying to keep his angry face on.
Sonoda just misses with a punch to the body.
Fish moves out of range of the body kick from Sonoda.
A head kick misses from Fish.
Sonoda scores with a leg kick.
Sonoda tries a head kick but it misses.
Sonoda throws a low kick but Fish avoids it.
A head kick misses from Fish.
Sonoda tries to clinch up against the cage, rushing in to close the distance. Fish manages to break the clinch and circles back to the middle of the mat.
Fish takes one to the side of the head.
Sonoda looks to throw the jab but Fish is out of range.
Fish looking to land some kicks to the body here.
Sonoda wants to clinch up but Fish keeps it at a distance.
Well, he's not going to score with shots like that. A lazy body kick attempt from Sonoda.
Fish does a little shimmy and throws a leg kick. The leg kick missed by a considerable margin though, making him look a little bit silly for doing the shimmy.
Fish pivots as if he's going to throw a leg kick but stops half way.
Fish throws a body kick, spinning off balance
and Sonoda counters with a big head kick but Fish shrugs it off.
And that’s the end of the round – the fighters go back to their corners.

A close round but Rikiya Sonoda will probably get the nod.
Both fighters have cut men working on them during the interval.
That's time! Back to the action!

A leg kick checked by Sonoda.
Sonoda tries to work over Fish's front leg with a kick but Fish checks it.
Fish jabbing away but nothing is landing.
Fish tries a head kick but it misses.
Fish uses good footwork to avoid the strikes from Sonoda.
Fish throws an overhand right that lands on Sonoda's shoulder, as Sonoda tries to avoid the shot.
Fish shapes like he's going to throw a leg kick but settles back down.
Sonoda tries to clinch up against the cage, rushing in to close the distance. Fish manages to break the clinch and circles back to the middle of the mat.
Sonoda staying out of range there.
Well, he's not going to score with shots like that. A lazy body kick attempt from Sonoda.
Sonoda moves to clinch but Fish breaks away
and Fish counters with a nice leg kick.
We've had a slow start to the round here - hopefully the action picks up.
Sonoda misses with a low kick.
Fish lands a head kick!
Fish tries to work over Sonoda's front leg with a kick but Sonoda checks it.
Sonoda tries to clinch but Fish is having none of it.

That's one minute gone in the round.
Sonoda throws a body kick but he was well out of range there.
A clash of legs there as Sonoda blocks the low kick.
The fight stays on the outside here - Sonoda looks like he's thinking about clinching though.
Sonoda throws a head kick that misses and slips in the process. He scrambles back to his feet and the fighters circle.
Sonoda scores with a jab to the jaw of his opponent.
Sonoda throws a half hearted mid kick.
A chopping leg kick lands by Sonoda.
Fish misses with a body kick.

Sonoda moves into the clinch.
Fish misses with a punch to the body.
Fish tries to land knees in the clinch but Sonoda avoids the damage to the body.
Fish misses with a knee strike.
A frustrated look appears on Fish's face as he tries to break the clinch.
Sonoda tries to land a knee to the head but misses.
Fish lands an elbow inside.
Sonoda lands a knee to the head.
Sonoda tries a knee to the head but he's missed.
I was talking to Fish's coach per-fight and he was telling me that they'd been working on the clinch in the runup to this fight.

That's two minutes gone in the round.
Sonoda using the Thai plumb to throw knees but Fish has his back arched nicely, preventing the strike.
A frustrated look appears on Fish's face as he tries to break the clinch.
Sonoda landing knees to the body.
Wooooo! Give it up for these two warriors! They are putting on a show!
Fish takes a knee right on the jaw!
Fish wants to push off and get back to the center of the mat but Sonoda has him pressed against the cage.
Sonoda blocks the elbow strike.
Rikiya Sonoda seems to be working more effectively in the clinch in the fight so far.
Fish on the defensive, avoiding the knees to the body.
Sonoda lands a glancing elbow in the clinch.
Fish tries to land a knee to the body but he is off balance and Sonoda avoids it.
Fish blocks a knee to the body. He'll have a nicely bruised forearm in the morning.
Sonoda utilising his Muay Thai to score with a knee to the body.
Both fighters are absolutely exhausted here.
Sonoda throws an elbow that misses.
Fish tries to land knees in the clinch but Sonoda avoids the damage to the body.
Sonoda lands a glancing elbow in the clinch.
Fish tries to circle away but Sonoda has him pinned against the cage.
Sonoda lands a nice elbow.
Fish takes a knee to the side of the body.
Knees to the body from Sonoda.
Sonoda tries to land a knee to the body but he is off balance and Fish avoids it.

That's three minutes gone in the round.
Nice elbow from Sonoda.
A frustrated look appears on Fish's face as he tries to break the clinch.
Sonoda creates a bit of space for himself and sneaks an elbow through Fish's defenses.

Jon Paul Fish's cut is getting worse.
Fish takes an elbow to the forehead.
Sonoda is trying to wear down his opponent with knees to the body.
Sonoda using the Thai plumb to throw knees but Fish has his back arched nicely, preventing the strike.
Fish lands a knee to the body.
Sonoda landing knees to the body.
Sonoda lands a nice elbow.
Sonoda scores with a knee to the head.
Sonoda lands an elbow just above Fish 's eye.
Sonoda lands a damaging elbow.

Fish is rocked!
Wooooo! Give it up for these two warriors! They are putting on a show!
Sonoda missing with knees to the body.
With the fighters up against the cage, Fish throws an elbow but misses.
Sonoda putting his Muay Thai to good use. He has Fish in a tight clinch and is doing some damage with knees to the body.
Sonoda lands a good knee to the midsection. Fish won't want to take too many of those.
A knee to the head by Sonoda.
Oh Fish is still all over the place! His legs are completely gone! Will he be able to recover?!!

Jon Paul Fish's cut is bleeding quite badly. He's got to try and protect it.
Sonoda creates a bit of space for himself and sneaks an elbow through Fish's defenses.
Sonoda landing knees to the body. They look like they could hurt.

That's four minutes gone in the round.
Fish takes a knee to the side of the body.
Sonoda has been the more effective fighter overall so far.
Nice elbow from Sonoda.
Sonoda lands an elbow just above Fish 's eye.
Sonoda working the clinch nicely. Fish is working for position but Sonoda cracks him with a big knee to the head! Fish crumples up against the cage and Sonoda lands two more shots before the ref can save Fish! This one is all over!

Ladies and gentlemen, after 4:17 of round 2, we have a winner by way of TKO (Knee & Punches). Rikiya Sonoda! Rikiya Sonoda retains his heavyweight title!
Rikiya Sonoda took to the microphone after his victory and thanked his sponsors, Kore Fight Nutrition [TG] for their support in the buildup to the fight.
The defeated Jon Paul Fish had this to say: 'Clearly, I've got some things to work on. Thanks to everyone who's supported me thus far.'.