PBP Commentary

Coming up we have a light heavyweight MMA rules bout between Darren Manhove (ranked 0 p4p, 0 weight class) and Yuji Nagata (ranked 0 p4p, 0 weight class). Darren Manhove is staring across the cage at his opponent, tweaking his nipples... Tweaking his own nipples that is.

Manhove
vs
Nagata

188 cm
25
211 lbs
6 - 3 - 0

191 cm
19
218 lbs
2 - 1 - 0

BJJ Blue Belt
Solid boxing
Experienced

BJJ Blue Belt
Brawler
Powerful

Kangaroo Punch (Formally Happy Pills) - Laundry 90

Ladies and gentlemen. This fight is 3 rounds, in the light heavyweight division.
Introducing the fighter to my left, fighting out of the red corner.
With a record of 6 - 3 - 0, fighting out of Sydney, Darren Manhove!
And introducing the fighter to my right, fighting out of the blue corner.
With a record of 2 - 1 - 0, fighting out of Sydney, Yuji Nagata!
The judges for this bout are Donatello Bradman, Ben Watson and Eliza Hachem.

The bell rings for round one and we are underway!
Manhove takes a hook to the side of the head. I wonder if that's got his ears ringing.
Nagata displays good takedown defense there as he swats away a double leg from Manhove.
Manhove looks to score with a jab to the body but Nagata is just out of range.

Nagata drops Manhove with a left right combo! Nagata follows him down to the ground into side control.
Fantastic stuff here - a very entertaining period of action, which has drawn cheers from the crowd.
Manhove tries to bench press Nagata off him but Nagata keeps the position.
Nagata wants to control but Manhove is keeping him busy.

Nagata looking for an arm triangle but it's way too loose to do anything.
Nagata tries to advance to mount but Manhove denies him.
The ref warns both fighters not to hold the cage as they work up against the meshing.
Manhove tries to improve position but can't.

That's one minute gone in the round.
Manhove takes a big shot right to the temple there but he's taken it well.
Nagata tries to stand but Manhove controls the position and pulls Nagata into his guard.

Manhove is looking for a guillotine. You can't force these things though and Nagata defends well.
Nagata scores with a decent looking elbow strike.
Nagata throwing shots from guard but he's hitting more mat than opponent.
Nagata trying to land body shots but he keeps hitting the mat.

Nagata has gone for a leg lock! Manhove slips out almost immediately though and dives into Nagata's guard.

Nagata wants to hit a switch here but Manhove passes into full mount! Oh no, disaster for Nagata there!

That's two minutes gone in the round.
Nagata working to try and regain half guard.
Manhove is landing with some decent strikes but Nagata is trying to advance his position so the referee is letting the fight continue.
Nagata regains half guard.
Manhove slips a nice elbow through Nagata's hands, connecting with Nagata's forehead.
Manhove passes into side control, despite Nagata's attempt to control the position.
The crowd are loving this. Great action here.
Nagata tries to work a leg under to get back to half guard but Manhove wriggles his own leg back out and remains in side control.

That's three minutes gone in the round.
Manhove cracks Nagata with a big elbow.
Manhove working away.
The fighters are pressed up against the cage, both looking to find a bit of space to work.
Manhove is looking to take a break and control but Nagata is keeping him honest, looking to work from the bottom.

Manhove looking for an arm triangle but it's way too loose to do anything.
Manhove working the ground and pound.
Manhove taking a breather here.

That's four minutes gone in the round.
Manhove sitting in side control, looking to soften his opponent up with elbows and hammerfists but Nagata is avoiding damage well and looking to escape the position.
Manhove lands a few punches from side control.
Manhove working the ground and pound from side control.
Nagata can't do much from the bottom here.
Nagata dodges the ground and pound from Manhove.
Sloppy strikes there by Manhove.
Nagata takes an elbow right on the bridge of the nose and winces in pain.
Nagata is trying to improve his position.
And that’s the end of the round – the fighters go back to their corners.

A close round but Yuji Nagata will probably get the nod.
Well, the break between rounds is over. Let's get back to the scrappin!

Both fighters circling a little - Nagata finishes the exchange with a kick to the body.
Nagata tries to bum rush Manhove with a series of wild strikes but Manhove uses good footwork to avoid the assault.
Nagata throws a head kick that misses.
A head kick by Nagata misses

and Manhove counters with a takedown into side control! That could mean trouble for Nagata!
Nagata is trying to get back to half guard. He's pushing on Manhove's leg. He's managed it. Nice work.
Nagata tries to roll over but Manhove keeps him under control.
Nagata trying to hold on to Manhove's head to control him but Manhove postures up.

That's one minute gone in the round.
Manhove throwing shots but they're hitting the canvas more than the man.
Nagata gets full guard.
Nagata looking to control.
Manhove landing with the ground and pound.
Nagata utilising some decent striking defenses from the guard, preventing the ground and pound.

Nagata is looking for a guillotine. You can't force these things though and Manhove defends well.
Manhove definitely looks more muscular than last time we saw him fight.
Manhove throwing elbows and punches but not connecting, as Nagata works some decent striking defense from the bottom.

That's two minutes gone in the round.
My god... these two guys really need to pick up the pace or everyone will leave to go get a beer.

Nagata is working actively off his back, looking to secure an arm or perhaps work for a triangle.
Manhove working in close now, lands a nice elbow to the side of Nagata's head.
Manhove with a nice head shot there.
Manhove is working the ground and pound from guard. He might want to try advancing position though to get more of an impact.
Manhove trying to control the position from guard on top but Nagata is wriggling around, looking for whatever he can.
Manhove scoring with some ground and pound.
Manhove with a nice head shot there.
Manhove content to strike from guard, landing some decent shots.

That's three minutes gone in the round.
Manhove is looking to work some ground and pound but Nagata has wrist control.
Manhove wants to control from the top but Nagata keeps moving.
The referee is pacing around the two fighters - he looks like he's thinking about a standup.
Manhove tries to free his leg and advance position but Nagata is retaining full guard.
Manhove slows down the pace of the fight, as he sits in guard.

The referee decides to stand the fighters back up.

Manhove clinches up against the cage.
Manhove misses with a punch on the inside.
Nagata looking to slow down the pace here.
Manhove has a couple of punches blocked by Nagata.
Manhove trying to land knees to the body.
Manhove lands with a good tight uppercut to the head.

That's four minutes gone in the round.
Nagata is trying to maintain a safe position but Manhove gets an underhook and turns Nagata into the cage.
Nagata is trying to wear down his opponent with knees to the body.
Nagata lands a body shot in the clinch.
Nagata misses with a knee strike.
Nagata cracks Manhove with a nice body shot.
Both fighters are absolutely exhausted here.
Nagata tries to land a knee to the head but misses.
Nagata stalling here - the referee won't stand for too much of that.
Nagata lands a shoulder strike that jolts his opponent's head backwards.
Manhove tries to land a knee to the head but misses.
Nagata utilising his Muay Thai to score with a knee to the body.
An uppercut on the inside fails to land for Nagata.
The crowd thankful this round is nearly over.
Manhove misses with a body punch.
Fantastic stuff here - a very entertaining period of action, which has drawn cheers from the crowd.
Nagata is trying to stall.
Manhove tries for a takedown. No joy.
And that’s the end of the round – the fighters go back to their corners.

That was a close second round but I would say that Darren Manhove will probably get the nod.
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!

Nagata scores with a jab to the jaw of his opponent.
A head kick misses from Nagata.
Manhove seemed to be looking to counter by closing the distance.
Nagata fails to land with the punch combination there - jab, cross, hook, miss, miss, miss.
Nagata lands a jab to the nose.
Nagata lunges in with swinging rights and lefts but Manhove circles away quickly and effectively.
Manhove avoids the head kick by Nagata.
Manhove swung with a counter right hand that didn't connect.
Nagata throws a low kick, looking for Manhove's leg but Manhove calmly moves out of range.

Manhove looking to shoot here. He's gone for it and he's landed a takedown into side control! Oh, that's bad for Nagata!
Nagata struggling a bit here.
Nagata tries to work a leg under to get back to half guard but Manhove wriggles his own leg back out and remains in side control.

That's one minute gone in the round.
Nagata takes a couple of big shots there - the referee warns him that he has to defend himself better.
Nagata wants to control but Manhove postures up.
Manhove wants to lay and pray for a moment but Nagata keeps working.
Nagata manages to land a sweep and he's now on top! Lovely Jiu Jitsu!
Manhove is trying to maintain the position but Nagata is very close to passing his half guard.
Nagata prevents Manhove from improving his position.
The referee calls for the fighters to work.

That's two minutes gone in the round.
Nagata looking to pass the half guard. Not this time.
Nagata trying to control the pace.
Nagata is looking to advance position but Manhove won't allow it.
Manhove is positioning himself well to prevent Nagata advancing to mount.
Nagata tries to stand but his hand is stuck under Manhove.

That's three minutes gone in the round.

Nagata is looking for a kimura but Manhove is holding onto that half guard position, so it's hard for Nagata to get the leverage.
Nagata wants to stand but Manhove has hold of a leg and an arm, so he's trapped for now.

The ref stands the fighters back up due to a lack of activity.
Nagata moves out of range of the strikes.
Nagata pulls out of a head kick attempt.
Good shot there by Manhove.
Nagata is the aggressor but that punch slipped nicely by Manhove.
Nagata needs to keep his hands up - Manhove had a free shot at his head there.
Darren Manhove is looking to throw some combinations by the looks of things.
Manhove avoids a punch combination nicely.

That's four minutes gone in the round.
Nagata misses with a body punch
and Manhove counters with a nice uppercut.
Yuji Nagata is looking to keep the fight on the feet at all costs.
Manhove slips under a jab.

Manhove closes the distance and gets a double leg, slamming Nagata to the mat! Nagata manages to get full guard.

Nagata working from the bottom, still in full guard. He's managed to get a loose triangle. Manhove doesn't seem to be doing much to defend here, obviously he feels comfortable in the position. Manhove manages to throw the legs off his shoulder and he's back into guard - no problem.
Nagata trying to control the position.
Nagata avoiding any damage from the ground and pound.
The crowd thankful this round is nearly over.
Manhove preventing the sweep.

Nagata looking for a guillotine here but Manhove defends easily.

And that's the end of the fight!
I would just about give that final round to Yuji Nagata.
I think Nagata has won this one but let's see whether the judges agree with me. 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 Donatello Bradman scores the fight 28:29
Judge Ben Watson scores the fight 30:29
Judge Eliza Hachem scores the fight 28:29

In favor of your winner, by split decision... Yuji Nagata!