PBP Commentary

Coming up we have a lightweight MMA rules bout between Mike Hussle (ranked 0 p4p, 0 weight class) and Matsui Takamatsu (ranked 0 p4p, 0 weight class). Takamatsu has chosen Dogs of War as his entrance music. Matsui Takamatsu told me before the fight that he's been watching a lot of DVDs so let's see if that helps him in this one! I can't wait to find out!

Hussle
vs
Takamatsu

170 cm
22
159 lbs
9 - 8 - 0

165 cm
24
146 lbs
11 - 8 - 1

Good wrestling
World class boxer
Cardio machine

Good wrestler
Excellent boxer
Good gas tank

V-Mask Clothing (10%)
Spartan Nutrition

Ladies and gentlemen. This fight is 3 rounds, in the lightweight division.
Introducing the fighter to my left, fighting out of the red corner.
With a record of 9 - 8 - 0, fighting out of London, Mike Hussle!
And introducing the fighter to my right, fighting out of the blue corner.
With a record of 11 - 8 - 1, fighting out of Hilo, Matsui Takamatsu!
The judges for this bout are Nard Betker, Daniel Blasius and Paulsen Ambrosius.

The bell rings for round one and we are underway!
Good leg kick by Hussle there. It's the ones that make that thud noise that hurt and that was an almighty thud.
Takamatsu turns his hip over beautifully as he lands a nice leg kick.
We've been told by Hussle's head coaches at Team Finland that he's been working on his takedown defense in preparation for this fight.
Hussle displays some good footwork, moving neatly out of range as Takamatsu throws out the jab.
Hussle throws a monster uppercut resembling something out of street fighter but it doesn't land.
Takamatsu throws a big shot that misses.
Hussle throws a jab but it's blocked by Takamatsu.
Hussle misses with a looping left.
And an attempted straight right on the counter from Takamatsu! But no joy.
Hussle throws a quick inside leg kick.
Hussle connects with a crisp jab.
Takamatsu defending well as Hussle loads up on a big left hand.
Hussle rushes in with a sloppy looking punch
and Takamatsu counters with a lovely shot to the body.
Hussle misses with a low kick as Takamatsu jumps back.
It seemed like Takamatsu was going to counter with the hook but didn't fully commit to it.
Takamatsu walks into a jab.
Hussle misses with a jab and misses with a cross straight after too.
It seemed like Takamatsu was going to counter with the hook but didn't fully commit to it.
Hussle throws a sloppy head kick and Takamatsu moves out of range easily.
This is a great period of action - very entertaining stuff!
Hussle misses with a leg kick.
Hussle throws a jab to the body, straight down the pipe. Boom. That sent Takamatsu stumbling backwards but he manages to regain his composure quickly.
Hussle misses with a wild body shot.
Like a baseball bat into the meat of his leg there - nice leg kick by Hussle.

That's one minute gone in the round.
Hussle connects with the punch.
Hussle tests Takamatsu's chin there with a solid looking shot.
Takamatsu checks a leg kick nicely.
A big left from Takamatsu misses.
Nice uppercut there from Hussle.
Hussle throws a right hand that misses
and Takamatsu counters with an outside leg kick.
Hussle misses with a telegraphed body shot

and Takamatsu holds on and brings the fighters into a clinch.
Nice body punch from Hussle.
Takamatsu wants to break the clinch but can't.
Takamatsu misses with a body punch.
Takamatsu misses with the head strike.
Hussle stays in close to his opponent and throws a right hand to the body.
Hussle lands with a light punch inside.
Hussle lands a right uppercut that snaps the head of Takamatsu backwards.
Wooooo! Give it up for these two warriors! They are putting on a show!
Hussle softening up his opponent with strikes, against the cage.
Takamatsu misses with a hook from the clinch.
Hussle fails to land with a short punch on the inside.
Hussle tries to work over Takamatsu's body with a swooping hook but it only glances the target.
Takamatsu struggles to land a body shot inside as Hussle controls his hands.

That's two minutes gone in the round.
Hussle tries a shoulder strike but it doesn't do any damage.
Hussle misses with some punches.
Takamatsu has Hussle pressed up against the cage and is working for takedown. Hussle manages to improve position though and keeps the fight standing.
Hussle blocks a body shot from Takamatsu.
Hussle lands a right uppercut that snaps the head of Takamatsu backwards.

Takamatsu breaks the clinch and we return to the middle of the mat.
Hussle lands a right hook to the body.
Hussle lands a jab.
Hussle buckles his opponent's knee momentarily with a nice leg kick.
Takamatsu blocks a jab.
Sloppy strikes from Hussle. Those never looked like landing.
Takamatsu changes levels for a counter takedown but doesn't follow through with his attempt.
Takamatsu staying out of range there.
Takamatsu looked like he wanted to counter with a punch but didn't throw it.
Hussle misses with a wild body shot.
Takamatsu on the wrong end of a vicious looking body shot.
A nice inside leg kick there by Hussle. That's going to slow Takamatsu down.

Takamatsu has taken the fight to the clinch.
Takamatsu tries to pull guard but Hussle won't allow it.

That's three minutes gone in the round.
Takamatsu tries to pull guard but Hussle holds him up against the cage and eventually Takamatsu drops back down to his feet.
Mike Hussle has stuffed three takedown attempts in the round now. That's going to take a lot out of Matsui Takamatsu.

Takamatsu has managed to pull guard. Let's see whether he can work an aggressive guard. It will also be interesting to see what tactics Hussle uses from the top position.
Hussle sitting in guard, not really doing much.
Hussle won't allow Takamatsu to sweep him here.
Hussle is intent on slowing down the pace of the fight, simply looking to control.
Takamatsu keeping moving, preventing Hussle from controlling successfully.
Takamatsu has a closed guard, preventing anything of note from happening. Perhaps he's looking to stall.

That's four minutes gone in the round.
There's not a lot going on here and the crowd are letting the fighters know they're not willing to tolerate a lack of action.
Takamatsu manages to sweep nicely, so he's now on top. Hussle manages to get himself to full guard.
Hussle tries to land a sweep but no joy.
A real slowdown in the pace of the fight for a moment, as Hussle holds on and takes a little breather.

The referee has motioned to the fighters to stand back up. He just wasn't happy with the level of activity.
Hussle throws a hook but Takamatsu avoids it easily.
The fighters are starting to get sweaty, which will make takedowns a bit more tricky.
Hussle uses good footwork to get in and out, landing a nice hook.
Takamatsu slips under a jab from Hussle.
Hussle ducks under a wild hook from Takamatsu.
Hussle misses with a body shot.
Hussle lands with a hook. Takamatsu tried to avoid it but it clipped the top of his head.
Takamatsu will need to close the distance a bit before he attacks - that leg kick was thrown from too far away.
Takamatsu throws a leg kick
and Hussle counters with a nice uppercut.
Donk. Hussle catches Takamatsu right on the button with a cross.
Hussle throws a leg kick but Takamatsu sees it coming and checks it nicely.
Hussle misses with a body shot.
And that’s the end of the round – the fighters go back to their corners.

Mike Hussle dominated that round.
The fighters get back to their feet, the hooter sounds and we're back to the action!

Hussle takes a swing at Takamatsu's ribcage but misses.
Hussle throws a body shot but no joy.
Hussle misses with a wild combination.
Hussle punishes Takamatsu's body with a nice straight punch.
Takamatsu fakes a jab and then connects with a hook.
Hussle throws a shot from downtown. Takamatsu moves away and avoids it.
Takamatsu throws an overhand right that lands on Hussle's shoulder, as Hussle tries to avoid the shot.
A looping hook to the body misses from Hussle. Takamatsu does a little dance to reset his feet.
Jab by Hussle.
Hussle missing with a left hand there. Takamatsu was out of range so wasted energy throwing that one.
We've had a slow start to the round here - hopefully the action picks up.
Hussle throws a hook to the body but it doesn't connect.
Hussle is really dominating this fight. Is there anything that Takamatsu can do to turn this around?
A slow jab from Takamatsu misses its intended target.
Takamatsu uses good footwork to avoid the strikes from Hussle.
Hussle plants his feet and lands a nice head kick!
Ouch! a nice leg kick from Takamatsu, right into the meat.
This is a great period of action - very entertaining stuff!
Nice uppercut lands for Hussle. That snapped Takamatsu's head back.

That's one minute gone in the round.
Hussle motions for Takamatsu to come forward. Hussle throws a leg kick but it misses it's target.
Hussle throws out a leg kick but Takamatsu moves out of range and Hussle only half commits.
Hussle lands a right hook to the body.
Takamatsu thuds his right hand into Hussle's forehead from close range. That could be painful for both fighters.
Hussle is looking to score with low kicks.
Takamatsu keeping at a good range here, avoiding a leg kick.
Hussle cracks a nice hook into Takamatsu's ribs.
The sound of bone on bone echoes around the arena as Takamatsu checks a leg kick.
Hussle fakes a couple of low kicks, before throwing one on the third attempt. It connects and Takamatsu has to reset his feet before getting ready to engage.
Hussle misses with a body punch
and Takamatsu counters with a stiff right hand.
Takamatsu slips a straight right by Hussle.
Takamatsu throws out a token jab with nothing on it.
Hussle takes a swing at Takamatsu's ribcage but misses.
Takamatsu walks into a straight right hand from Hussle.
Takamatsu shoots in for a takedown. "I don't think so" says Hussle as he avoids it easily.
Hussle thuds a left hand into Takamatsu's body.

That's two minutes gone in the round.
Fantastic stuff here - a very entertaining period of action, which has drawn cheers from the crowd.
Hussle misses the shot to the body.
The fight stays on the outside here - Takamatsu looks like he's thinking about clinching though.
Hussle throws out a token jab with nothing on it.
Takamatsu checks a low kick from Hussle.
Takamatsu appears to be waiting to throw a counter punch to the body.
Hussle on the wrong end of a nice jab.
Mike Hussle seems to be the more aggressive standup fighter in this bout.
Hussle jabbing away but nothing is landing.
Hussle scores with a jab to the body.
Takamatsu throws out a leg kick but Hussle moves out of range and Takamatsu only half commits.
Hussle appears to be looking for a counter punch to the body.
Hussle throws a lazy right hand but Takamatsu sees it coming a mile off and sidesteps it easily.
Hussle lands a leg kick and bounces back out of range.
Takamatsu's jab looks to have found its range, popping Hussle under the eye.
Takamatsu lands an overhand left. A wild punch that just about connected.
Takamatsu uses good footwork to avoid the strikes from Hussle.
Takamatsu throws out a counter right but Hussle avoids it with no problem.
Takamatsu connects with a lovely right hand, straight down the pipe.
Hussle is the aggressor but that punch slipped nicely by Takamatsu.
Takamatsu drops down looking to force a counter takedown but Hussle defends it well.

That's three minutes gone in the round.
Hussle throws a jab but it's blocked by Takamatsu.
Hussle misses with an uppercut.
Takamatsu throws a body punch but Hussle moves out of range.
Hussle throws a shot from downtown. Takamatsu moves away and avoids it.
Takamatsu displays some good footwork, moving neatly out of range as Hussle throws out the jab.
Hussle misses with a leg kick
and Takamatsu makes him pay by landing a thudding low kick.
Takamatsu throws a decent looking leg kick but it doesn't land clean.
Hussle throws a hook to the body but it doesn't connect.
Hussle finds nothing but air with that leg kick attempt.
Takamatsu throws an off balance right hand
and Hussle cracks him with a counter punch right on the button.
Hussle motions for Takamatsu to come forward. Hussle throws a leg kick but it misses it's target.
Hussle tries to land with a swinging hook to the body but Takamatsu was well out of range. Poor timing from Hussle.
Takamatsu blocks a low kick nicely.
Hussle is looking to slow Takamatsu down with leg kicks.

Hussle tries to keep at a distance but Takamatsu has taken the fight into the clinch.
Takamatsu swings away with an uppercut that misses.

That's four minutes gone in the round.
Takamatsu lands a right hand that snaps the head of Hussle backwards.
Takamatsu can't find room to land a body shot as Hussle controls the action.

Takamatsu pulls guard.
Wooooo! Give it up for these two warriors! They are putting on a show!
Hussle sitting in guard, not really doing much.
Takamatsu trying to control the position here.
Takamatsu being controlled here, momentarily.
Hussle wants to control from the top but Takamatsu keeps moving.
And that’s the end of the round – the fighters go back to their corners.

Mike Hussle dominated that second round.
The corners get their ten second warning. Both fighters stand from their stools and stare eachother down, ready to get back to the action. This is the final round!

Hussle throws a leg kick that is checked
and Takamatsu counters with a nice leg kick.
Hussle listening to his corner there, landing a nice uppercut.
Takamatsu has his hands up protecting his head but a hook from Hussle finds it's way round the side to connect with Takamatsu's head.
Takamatsu tries to clinch up.
Hussle moves out of range as Takamatsu strikes.
Takamatsu with a nice looking leg kick. You could hear that one land in a back row.
Hussle scores with a body shot.
Hussle stalks Takamatsu and leaps in with a furious combination of punches. Uppercuts and crosses smash into Takamatsu's face. Takamatsu staggers backwards, shaken.
Hussle lands with an overhand left.
The fighters circling - Takamatsu throws out the jab but it was never going to land.
Takamatsu lands a vicious shot with the stealth of a sniper and the strength of a viper. Are vipers that strong? I can think of lots of things that are stronger than a viper - not many rhyme with sniper though.
Wooooo! Give it up for these two warriors! They are putting on a show!
Hussle steps to the side to avoid the strikes from Takamatsu.
Takamatsu connects nicely with a jab. Noted by the judges no doubt.
Hussle fakes high and swings low for a body shot but Takamatsu manages to avoid it.
Takamatsu on the wrong end of a nice hook.
Takamatsu chopped to the floor by a nice leg kick but he springs right back up before Hussle can pounce on him.
A jab from Takamatsu misses.

That's one minute gone in the round.
Nice body punch from Takamatsu.
Takamatsu lands three nice shots there - that looked like it hurt!
Mike Hussle is winning the standup battle so far.
Hussle lands a really nice looking cross but Takamatsu seems unphased.
Takamatsu takes one on the chin but keeps coming.
Hussle just misses with a punch to the body.
Takamatsu looked like he wanted to counter with a punch but didn't throw it.
A slow jab from Hussle misses its intended target.
Takamatsu wants to clinch up but Hussle keeps it at a distance.
Hussle fires out a quick counter leg kick but Takamatsu just manages to avoid it.
Hussle is looking to score with low kicks.
Hussle lands with a two punch combination before moving back out of range.
Takamatsu has a pretty nasty looking mouse under his right eye.
Takamatsu connects with a leg kick. He turned his hip over nicely there.
The fans in attendance giving it up for the two fighters, who have really let it all hang out in the last minute or so!
Takamatsu shoots in for a takedown but Hussle shows good takedown defense.
It looked like Hussle wanted to counter with a hook but didn't fully commit.
Takamatsu keeping at a good range here, avoiding a leg kick.
Takamatsu tries to clinch but Hussle is having none of it.
Hussle goes for a spinning back kick but it misses.
Hussle throws a head kick that misses and slips in the process. He scrambles back to his feet and the fighters circle.
Takamatsu getting the better of the striking in that exchange.

That's two minutes gone in the round.
Hussle throws a body punch but Takamatsu moves out of range.
Takamatsu uses good head movement to avoid the hook from Hussle.
Takamatsu replies with a solid counter kick to the body but Hussle blocks it well.
Takamatsu shoots in for a takedown but doesn't get it.
Hussle buckles his opponent's knee momentarily with a nice leg kick.
Takamatsu takes a step towards his opponent and connects with a left hand, before circling away.
Hussle cracks Takamatsu with a nice right hand that draws applause from the crowd.
Hussle throws a body kick but he was well out of range there.
Takamatsu scores with a leg kick.
Hussle throws the left hand but Takamatsu avoids the punch easily.
Takamatsu lands a head shot.
Takamatsu swings away but doesn't land with a series of punches.
Takamatsu tries to land with a swinging hook to the body but Hussle was well out of range. Poor timing from Takamatsu.
Hussle has his hands up protecting his head but a hook from Takamatsu finds it's way round the side to connect with Hussle's head.
Hussle misses the jab.
Takamatsu misses with a hook.
Hussle is looking for a counter combo.

That's three minutes gone in the round.
Hussle looks to score with a jab to the body but Takamatsu is just out of range.
Hussle scores with a nice head shot.
Hussle scoring well with a low kick there.
Hussle staying out of range there.
Hussle fakes high and swings low for a body shot but Takamatsu manages to avoid it.
Hussle stuns Takamatsu with a nice body shot, before stepping back out of range.
Takamatsu throws a nice hook to the body that draws an oooh from the crowd.
Matsui Takamatsu has stepped it up - he knows he needs a finish here!
Takamatsu on the wrong end of a decent looking cross there.
Hussle steps to the side to avoid the strikes from Takamatsu.
A little feinted left hand from Hussle on the counter but he doesn't commit to it.
Takamatsu throws a hook but Hussle avoids it easily.
An attempted straight right counter from Hussle misses the target.
Takamatsu slips a jab from Hussle.
Takamatsu swings wildly with a hook that is half blocked by Hussle.
Hussle tries to check a leg kick but that clearly hurt him.

Takamatsu pushes Hussle up against the cage in a clinch.
We've seen a great period of action over the last minute or so - credit to both fighters for going all out!

Takamatsu breaks the clinch and we're back to striking at distance.
Hussle scores with a slapping inside leg kick.
Mike Hussle is looking to keep the fight on the feet at all costs.

That's four minutes gone in the round.
A jab from Takamatsu misses.
Jab by Takamatsu.
Takamatsu throws a lazy uppercut
and Hussle counters with a lovely straight right hand!
Takamatsu looks to land a right hand but Hussle moved out of range.
Hussle was looking to counter that move with a punch but didn't quite pull the trigger.
Hussle looks to score with a jab to the body but Takamatsu is just out of range.
And an attempted straight right on the counter from Takamatsu! But no joy.
Hussle finds nothing but air with that leg kick attempt.
Takamatsu misses with a takedown attempt - Hussle sprawls well and throws a nice strike on the way out which just misses.
Mike Hussle has stuffed three takedown attempts in the round now. That's going to take a lot out of Matsui Takamatsu.
Takamatsu keeping a good distance there, avoiding the body shot.
Takamatsu is clearly trying to counter these attacks from Hussle with a body shot.
Hussle lands a leg kick that knocks Takamatsu off balance momentarily.
Takamatsu misses with an uppercut
and Hussle counters with a leg kick.
The crowd applaud the fighters' efforts here as the round comes to an end.
Hussle smiles there as he lands a nice right hand right on the button.
Hussle steps to the side to avoid the strikes from Takamatsu.
Hussle swung with a counter right hand that didn't connect.
Mike Hussle is fighting for a decision here - he's started to take the cautious approach.
Takamatsu thows a left - swing and a miss!
Takamatsu bobs and weaves well there to avoid the strikes.

And that's the end of the fight!
Mike Hussle showed his dominance in that final round.
Well I reckon that's a shut out for Hussle, winning every round. Will the judges agree? They are the ones who matter, even if they are often depressingly incompetent. 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 Nard Betker scores the fight 30:27
Judge Daniel Blasius scores the fight 30:27
Judge Paulsen Ambrosius scores the fight 30:27

In favor of your winner, by unanimous decision... Mike Hussle!
Mike Hussle decided to go for the less than humble approach in his post fight interview, telling everyone how he is going to conquer the world. The crowd seemed to like it when really that sort of approach could have gone either way.
In defeat, Matsui Takamatsu stepped up to the mic, saying '“Move swift as the Wind and closely-formed as the Wood. Attack like the Fire and be still as the Mountain.” *I KEEP moving* emotes a forehead SLAP'.