PBP Commentary

Coming up we have a lightweight MMA rules bout between Jose Correa (ranked 0 p4p, 0 weight class) and Noritada Hanari (ranked 0 p4p, 0 weight class). Well, I have no idea who's going to take this one!

Correa
vs
Hanari

174 cm
23
164 lbs
4 - 2 - 0

172 cm
21
163 lbs
3 - 4 - 0

Abu Dhabi Champ
Excellent boxer
Very quick

Good wrestler
Lethal high kicks
Good gas tank

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 4 - 2 - 0, fighting out of Montreal, Jose Correa!
And introducing the fighter to my right, fighting out of the blue corner.
With a record of 3 - 4 - 0, fighting out of Los Angeles, Noritada Hanari!
The judges for this bout are Jack Bonds, Frank Antenori and .

The bell rings for round one and we are underway!
A nice combination there by Correa.
Correa takes a thudding leg kick, right into the meat of the thigh.
Correa's corner calls for a 1-2. Correa obliges with the 1 part as he scores the single shot and moves back out of range.
Hanari's hands are dropping dangerously low here and Correa connects clean with a right hook that sends him down to one knee! Hanari scrambles back to his feet.
Hanari lands a nice leg kick that just misses Correa's sensitive parts.
Correa looks to have improved his striking defense since last time we saw him fight.
Horrible takedown attempt by Correa or perhaps it was just good defense by Hanari, which made it look bad.
Hanari throws a body kick but he was well out of range there.
Hanari takes a swing at Correa's ribcage but misses.
Jose Correa seems to be the more aggressive standup fighter in this bout.
Correa misses with a wild body shot.
Nice uppercut lands for Correa. That snapped Hanari's head back.
Correa chopped to the floor by a nice leg kick but he springs right back up before Hanari can pounce on him.
Wooooo! Give it up for these two warriors! They are putting on a show!
Correa works over Hanari's head and body with a nice combination.

It looks like Noritada Hanari has been cut.
Correa pushing out the jab but it's not landing.
Hanari tries to counter with a clinch but Correa shakes him off and moves away.
Correa fails with a takedown attempt.
Correa shoots in for a double leg but Hanari sprawls well. That's going to sap some energy.
Hanari tries to counter by closing the distance.
That's three failed takedown attempts in the round for Jose Correa. That's going to take a lot out of him.
Correa misses with a jab, cross combination.
Hanari wants to counter with a clinch but Correa pushes him away.
Hanari avoids a lazy jab quite easily.

That's one minute gone in the round.
Hanari lunges in with swinging rights and lefts but Correa circles away quickly and effectively.
Correa tries to bum rush Hanari with a series of wild strikes but Hanari uses good footwork to avoid the assault.
Hanari tries to counter by closing the distance.
Correa throws a hard body shot but it just misses.
A swing and a miss from Correa.
Correa paws at his opponent with the jab and then lunges in with a straight, right on the button.
Correa lands with a cross.
Correa throws a hard body shot but it just misses.
Correa swings for the body but Hanari moves out of range.
Hanari bobs and weaves well there to avoid the strikes.
Correa throws an overhand right that lands on Hanari's shoulder, as Hanari tries to avoid the shot.
Correa throws a looping overhand right but Hanari ducks down to avoid it.
Hanari goes for a spinning back kick but it misses.
Correa changes levels looking for a counter takedown but doesn't commit.
Hanari misses the jab.
Hanari connects with a good right hand that stumbles Correa. Correa circles away out of range and recomposes himself.
Correa moves out of range of the body kick.
Hanari has his head snapped back a nice jab. A little nod from Hanari there as he acknowledges the shot.
Hanari fakes a couple of low kicks, before throwing one on the third attempt. It connects and Correa has to reset his feet before getting ready to engage.
The crowd are loving this. Great action here.
A combination from Correa does no damage.
Correa fakes high and shoots in for a takedown but Hanari avoids it really well and circles away.

That's two minutes gone in the round.
Hanari throws a leg kick but Correa checks it.
Hanari misses with a low kick.
Hanari tries to clinch up but Correa circles away and keeps his distance.
An attempted straight right counter from Correa misses the target.
The sound of bone on bone echoes around the arena as Correa checks a leg kick.
Hanari slips under a jab.
Correa misses with a looping right.
Correa on the wrong end of a kick to the body.

Correa shoots in for a takedown and gets it.
Hanari trying to control here.
The ref warns both fighters not to hold the cage as they work up against the meshing.
Hanari makes his way to full guard. A much better position for Hanari.

That's three minutes gone in the round.
Correa pushes down on Hanari's leg and manages to get into half guard.
Correa missing with some ground and pound from the half guard.
Hanari is looking to control Correa's leg but it's slowly edging free. Can Hanari avoid being mounted?
Correa has been looking to land a fair amount of strikes on the ground. He might be looking to soften his opponent up in order to work for a submission.
Correa wants to pass the guard but Hanari is defending well.
Correa prevents Hanari from improving his position.
Still in half guard, Correa seems content to control.
Hanari keeping his head moving to avoid the ground and pound.
Hanari regains full guard. Nicely done.
Hanari is trying to keep Correa in close.
Correa lands a couple of decent looking shots.

That's four minutes gone in the round.
Correa trying to pass the guard but can't manage it just yet.
Correa trying to control the position from guard on top but Hanari is wriggling around, looking for whatever he can.
Correa passes easily into side control. Nice work.
Hanari is trying to get back to half guard.
Hanari manages to get back to half guard.
Correa prevents Hanari from improving his position.

Correa seems to be working for a kimura but Hanari defends the submission attempt.
And that’s the end of the round – the fighters go back to their corners.

Jose Correa dominated that round.
The cut man is working on Noritada Hanari's cut.
The referee calls time. The cornermen exit stage left and we're back to business.

Correa slaps away a takedown attempt from Hanari, before circling back to the center of the mat.
A little feinted left hand from Correa on the counter but he doesn't commit to it.
Correa slaps away a takedown attempt from Hanari, before circling back to the center of the mat.
Correa dips down and scores with a jab to the body.

Hanari gets in close and instigates a clinch.
An uppercut on the inside fails to land for Hanari.
Hanari lands with a short head shot on the inside.
Hanari swings wildly with an uppercut but Correa uses good head movement to avoid it.
Hanari works on Correa's body with a couple of short punches.
We've had a slow start to the round here - hopefully the action picks up.
Hanari working aggressively here.
With the fighters clinched against the cage, Hanari creates a bit of distance for himself and scores with a nice uppercut.
A short right hand to the side of the head by Correa.
Hanari scores with a nice hook to the head.

That's one minute gone in the round.
With the fighters clinched against the cage, Hanari creates a bit of distance for himself and scores with a nice uppercut.
Correa wants a takedown.
Correa is really dominating this fight. Is there anything that Hanari can do to turn this around?
Hanari lands a hook to the side of the head.

Correa drags the fight down to the ground.
Hanari is pushing down on Correa's leg trying to pass to half guard. Correa is fighting to maintain full guard but Hanari has managed to sneak the leg through.
Hanari seems to be taking a bit of a break to think of his next move. He lands a short punch in the meantime.

Correa looking for submissions off his back.
Hanari seems to be taking a bit of a break to think of his next move. He lands a short punch in the meantime.
Hanari is working hard to pass the guard. He's done it - he's now in full mount! Trouble for Correa!
Hanari trying to control but Correa is having none of it.
Hanari content just to control the position here.

That's two minutes gone in the round.
Correa tries to get back to half guard but can't.
Correa tries to hold on but Hanari postures up.
Hanari tries to control but Correa wriggling away.
Correa regains half guard.
Correa is looking to get full guard. It looks like he might be successful but at the last minute Hanari jumps into side control!
We've seen a great period of action over the last minute or so - credit to both fighters for going all out!
Correa is positioning himself to get back to half guard.
Hanari working the ground and pound from side control.
Correa tries to get back to half guard but can't.
Jose Correa overall seems to be getting the better of the ground position in the fight so far.

That's three minutes gone in the round.
Correa is not in a great position here, taking some shots.
Correa manages to get one leg in to regain half guard.

Correa is looking to sinch up a guillotine here but Hanari pulls his head out easily.
Correa is looking to improve his position.
Correa wants to control but Hanari is keeping busy.
The fighters are pressed up against the cage, both looking to find a bit of space to work.
Hanari wants to free his trapped foot but Correa is holding on for dear life with his legs.
Hanari is figuring out what he wants to do next.
Correa wants to control but Hanari is keeping busy and won't allow it.

Correa actively working from the bottom here.
Correa is looking to control Hanari's leg but it's slowly edging free. Can Correa avoid being mounted?

That's four minutes gone in the round.
Hanari trying to control the pace.
Hanari seems very keen to just sit and control from half guard but Correa does not like that idea so much and is remaining active off his back.
Hanari working Correa over with strikes.
Correa moves into full guard.
Hanari chips away with some ground and pound.

Correa had isolated an arm as going for a kimura. Hanari defends it easily.
Hanari is working the ground and pound from guard. He might want to try advancing position though to get more of an impact.
Hanari wants to control from the top but Correa keeps moving.
And that’s the end of the round – the fighters go back to their corners.

Noritada Hanari showed his class in that round. I'd imagine he'll take it on all the scorecards.
The cut man is working on Noritada Hanari's cut.
The minute break is over - no more time for sponges and pep talks - back to the action! This is the final round!

Hanari throws a body kick but he wasn't in range.
Hanari showing good head movement there, avoiding the strikes from Correa.
Correa throws a big shot that misses.
Correa misses the shot to the body.
Hanari scores with a sloppy punch to the body. Not much technique there but it did the business.
Hanari misses the shot to the body.
A big left from Correa misses.
Hanari is looking to clinch.
Hanari lands an overhand left. A wild punch that just about connected.
Correa throws a body punch but Hanari moves out of range.
Hanari tries to counter by closing the distance.
Hanari lands with a straight right. Correa didn't see that one coming.
We've had a slow start to the round here - hopefully the action picks up.
Correa cracks Hanari with a good jab.
Hanari with a body punch. A glancing blow.
Hanari turns his hip over beautifully as he lands a nice leg kick.
Hanari tries to clinch but Correa moves out of range.
Hanari takes a hook to the side of the head. I wonder if that's got his ears ringing.
We've seen a great period of action over the last minute or so - credit to both fighters for going all out!
A telegraphed right hand from Hanari misses the target.

That's one minute gone in the round.
Correa throws a hook but Hanari avoids it easily.
Correa scores with a sloppy punch to the body. Not much technique there but it did the business.

Correa shoots in for a takedown from distance. He catches Hanari napping and manages to drive through into side control!
Hanari is trying to get back to half guard. He's pushing on Correa's leg. He's managed it. Nice work.
Correa wants to free his trapped foot but Hanari is holding on for dear life with his legs.

Correa is looking for a kimura here.
Correa missing with some ground and pound from the half guard.
Hanari moves into full guard.

Hanari looking for a guillotine here but Correa defends easily.

That's two minutes gone in the round.
Correa with a flurry of punches that miss.
Hanari is trying to keep Correa in close.
Hanari controlling the position.
Correa wants to control from the top but Hanari keeps moving.
Correa working some ground and pound from guard but it's not doing any damage.
Correa looking to sit in guard and control but Hanari gets the butterfly guard and sweeps. He's now in the guard on the top.

Hanari preventing the sweep.

That's three minutes gone in the round.

Correa looking for submissions from the bottom here. Moving his hips around, possibly looking for an armbar.

Correa looking for submissions from the bottom here. Moving his hips around, possibly looking for an armbar.
Both fighters are breathing heavily.
Hanari wants to control from the top but Correa keeps moving.

Hanari got a little sloppy there for a moment and Correa has worked his way into a loose triangle - can he finish it?! No, Hanari has managed to get both his arms back between Correa's legs - danger averted.

Correa working for submissions but it's allowed Hanari to get to half guard.
Hanari wants to control but Correa is keeping him busy.
Hanari frees up his trapped foot and advances to mount.
Hanari with the ground and pound from mount.

That's four minutes gone in the round.

Hanari wants to finish this one by submission but Correa is holding onto his waist, trying to prevent any attacks from Hanari.
Hanari lands an elbow that was bordering on illegal but the referee lets it go with a warning.

Correa is rocked!

Hanari looking for a guillotine from mount but Correa is having none of it.
Oh Correa is still in real trouble! Will he be able to recover?!!
Correa is squirming around, avoiding Hanari's attempts to control the action.
Correa is in all sorts of trouble here.
Correa seems to have got his legs back now.
Correa manages to regain half guard. Good work.
Correa is pressing down on Hanari's left leg trying to get back to full guard. He's managed it.
Hanari landing with the ground and pound.
Hanari makes a bit of distance and scores with some ground and pound, still in guard.

And that's the end of the fight!
I would just about give that final round to Noritada Hanari.
I think Hanari 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 Jack Bonds scores the fight 29:29
Judge Frank Antenori scores the fight 28:29
Judge Percy O'Donnell scores the fight 28:29

In favor of your winner, by majority decision... Noritada Hanari!
During a confident post fight interview, Noritada Hanari thanked all his fans. He seemed very genuine when describing how motivated his fans keep him.