PBP Commentary

Coming up we have a lightweight MMA rules bout between Roman Hercules (ranked 0 p4p, 0 weight class) and Takamura Ippo (ranked 0 p4p, 0 weight class). Ippo comes into a darkened arena with his song building. Enforcer - Destroyer kicks in, the lights come on and the crowd goes wild! What a showman! Well, I have no idea who's going to take this one!

Hercules
vs
Ippo

173 cm
20
170 lbs
2 - 2 - 0

168 cm
19
147 lbs
2 - 1 - 0

Powerful takedowns
Solid boxing
Very strong

Decent wrestler
Excellent MT
Determined

Sun-Tzu

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 2 - 2 - 0, fighting out of Tokyo, Roman Hercules!
And introducing the fighter to my right, fighting out of the blue corner.
With a record of 2 - 1 - 0, fighting out of Tokyo, Takamura Ippo!
The judges for this bout are Kenichi Hosakawa, Shigeki Sano and Shigeki Fujiwara.

The bell rings for round one and we are underway!
Ippo displays good takedown defense there as he swats away a double leg from Hercules.
Ippo cracks Hercules with a right hand to the side of the head.
Ippo slips under a jab.
Ippo lands a high kick!
Hercules throws a jab when Ippo was well out of range.
Ippo moves out of range as Hercules strikes.
Hercules smiles there as he lands a nice right hand right on the button.
Hercules will have to do better than that with his takedown attempts.
Ippo steps in looking to clinch after the strikes miss from Hercules.
We've had a slow start to the round here - hopefully the action picks up.
Hercules misses with a straight right.

Ippo has taken the fight to the clinch.
Hercules blocking some punches.
Ippo working aggressively here.
Hercules lands a body shot.

That's one minute gone in the round.
Ippo tries to stall but Hercules uses the opportunity to gain a better position.
Ippo tries to stall but Hercules uses the opportunity to gain a better position.
Ippo is persisting with his attempts to control the action in the clinch, rather than do any real damage.
Hercules gets through Ippo's defenses to land a nice punch to the side of the head.
Hercules stays in close to his opponent and throws a right hand to the body.
Hercules lands on the inside with an uppercut.
Hercules gets through Ippo's defenses to land a nice punch to the side of the head.
Ippo lands a shoulder strike that jolts his opponent's head backwards.
A short uppercut from Ippo.
Ippo taking a break, stalling in the clinch.
Ippo is pushing Hercules up against the ropes, for a bit of lean and pray action. Action being used the in the loosest possible sense of the word.
Hercules lands a short shot on the inside that snaps the head of Ippo backwards.
Hercules blocks a body shot from Ippo.
Ippo holding his opponent close, against the ropes.
A nice right hand lands inside from Hercules.
Ippo misses with a short punch on the inside.
Ippo lands on the inside with an uppercut.

That's two minutes gone in the round.
Fantastic stuff here - a very entertaining period of action, which has drawn cheers from the crowd.
Good body shot from Ippo.
Ippo blocks a couple of punches on the inside.
Hercules blocking some punches.
Ippo throws a blind hook that connects with the side of Herculess head.

Hercules lands a nice trip takedown into half guard.
Hercules wants to take a breather but Ippo is having none of it.
Hercules wants to free his trapped foot but Ippo is holding on for dear life with his legs.
Ippo is looking to control Hercules's leg but it's slowly edging free. Can Ippo avoid being mounted?
Hercules tries to pass to full mount but Ippo defends it.
Ippo is trying to maintain the position but Hercules is very close to passing his half guard.

That's three minutes gone in the round.
Ippo is trying to stand up here but Hercules is controlling him well.
Ippo works his way to full guard. Good work.
Ippo looking to sweep here. No luck so far.
Ippo has Hercules pulled in close to control his posture.
Ippo wants to sweep here but Hercules controlling him for the moment.
Hercules working some ground and pound from guard but it's not doing any damage.
Hercules trying to control but Ippo is working from the bottom.
Hercules stands up over Ippo, holding his feet. He dives back in and lands a decent shot to the head.
Hercules trying to control the position from guard on top but Ippo is wriggling around, looking for whatever he can.
Ippo really doesn't want to stay on the ground with Hercules. If he can't get it back to his feet, it's only a matter of time before he'll be tapping out.
Ippo wants to sweep here but Hercules controlling him for the moment.
Hercules is sitting in guard, working some ground and pound.

That's four minutes gone in the round.
Hercules trying to control the position from guard on top but Ippo is wriggling around, looking for whatever he can.
We get told so often about how wrestlers don't like to be on their backs. Let's see if Ippo can do anything to dispel that myth.
Hercules content to strike from guard, landing some decent shots.
Hercules throwing strikes but missing.
Hercules trying to control but Ippo is working from the bottom.
Hercules trying to pass the guard but can't manage it just yet.
Ippo preventing the ground and pound from doing any damage.
Ippo is trying to control the position but Hercules postures up.
The fighters are tangled up in the ropes here. We might need a restart if the fighters can't break free themselves.
Hercules preventing the sweep.
Hercules cracks Ippo with a solid left hand.
Hercules pressing down on his opponent's thigh, looking to pass guard. Ippo is keeping the position for now.
And that’s the end of the round – the fighters go back to their corners.

Roman Hercules dominated that round.
The fighters' corners scream their final instructions, as the referee calls time. Here we go, back to the action!

Hercules works over Ippo's head and body with a nice combination.
Ippo stalks Hercules and leaps in with a furious combination of punches. Uppercuts and crosses smash into Hercules's face. Hercules staggers backwards, shaken.

Hercules clinches with his opponent.
A nice right hand lands inside from Hercules.
Hercules blocks a punch to the side of the head.
Ippo scores with a shoulder strike.
Ippo swings wildly with an uppercut but Hercules uses good head movement to avoid it.
Ippo is trying to slow down the pace in the clinch, to catch his breath.
Ippo misses with the head strike.
Hercules lands with a left to the head.
Fantastic stuff here - a very entertaining period of action, which has drawn cheers from the crowd.
A real battle for position is taking place between these two warriors.
A head punch on the inside from Ippo fails to land.
A nice right hand lands inside from Hercules.
Hercules scores with a hook to the body.

That's one minute gone in the round.
Hercules lands with a right to the head.
A short left from Hercules.
Hercules doesn't land with the attempted body shot.
Ippo throws a punch but it's blocked by Hercules.
Hercules throws a hook to the body. More of an arm punch but it's all scoring with the judges.
A short body shot lands from Hercules as the two fighters clinch.
Hercules lands a body punch.
Ippo is breathing heavily.
Ippo taking a breather.
Ippo can't find room to land a body shot as Hercules controls the action.
Hercules lands a hook that snaps the head of Ippo backwards.
A head punch on the inside from Ippo fails to land.
Hercules scores with a hook to the body.
Ippo scores with a shot to the side of Hercules's head.
Hercules stays in close to his opponent and throws a right hand to the body.
Hercules makes some space for himself and lands an uppercut.
Hercules lands with a short punch from the clinch.
This has been an exciting period of action!
With the fighters clinched against the ropes, Hercules creates a bit of distance for himself and scores with a nice uppercut.

Ippo is rocked!
Ippo throws an elbow that misses.

That's two minutes gone in the round.
Hercules swings wildly with an uppercut but Ippo uses good head movement to avoid it.
Hercules tries to work over Ippo's body with a swooping hook but it only glances the target.
Ippo displaying some good clinch control by pressing Hercules up against the ropes.
Ippo taking a breather.
Hercules lands a body punch - he's looking to wear down Ippo.
Hercules scores with an uppercut up the middle.
Hercules tried to land a shot to the body but connects with Ippo's elbow.
Hercules lands a body punch - he's looking to wear down Ippo.
Ippo fails to land with a short punch on the inside.
Hercules lands a right hand.
Ippo misses with a body punch.
Roman Hercules has scored more points in the clinch so far.
Hercules is looking for a takedown.
A right handed body shot lands from Hercules.
With the fighters clinched against the ropes, Hercules creates a bit of distance for himself and scores with a nice uppercut.
Ippo is still on wobbly legs! Can Hercules finish him?
Ippo throws an elbow that misses.

That's three minutes gone in the round.
Hercules blocks a punch to the side of the head.
Hercules lands a short shot on the inside that snaps the head of Ippo backwards.
Ippo wants to stall.
Ippo stalling the fight.
Ippo seems to have recovered his senses.
Hercules can't find room to land a body shot as Ippo controls the action.

Hercules pulls guard.
Ippo wants to control from the top but Hercules keeps moving.
There's a bit of a scramble here and now Hercules is on top in guard.

Hercules is working Ippo over from the guard. He should look to pass the guard and do a little more damage with these strikes.
Hercules makes a bit of distance and scores with some ground and pound, still in guard.
Hercules postures up and lands a big shot to Ippo's brow.
Ippo can't keep his opponent in guard - Hercules advances to half guard, no doubt looking to mount.
Hercules is looking to take a break and control but Ippo is keeping him honest, looking to work from the bottom.

That's four minutes gone in the round.
Hercules working some ground and pound from close in. He's looking to maintain this position and strike for a while by the looks of things... although he'll probably advance to full mount in a minute now I've said that.
Ippo on the receiving end of some nice ground and pound.
Ippo is looking to control Hercules's leg but it's slowly edging free. Can Ippo avoid being mounted?
The referee calls for the fighters to work.
Ippo taking some punishment here, with Hercules in his half guard.
This is a great period of action - very entertaining stuff!

Hercules looking for a kimura but he'll have to free his other leg if he wants to finish that. Perhaps he's just using it as a distraction technique.
Ippo is trying to maintain the position but Hercules is very close to passing his half guard.
And that’s the end of the round – the fighters go back to their corners.

Roman Hercules dominated that second round.
That's the end of the round. The referee orders the cornermen out of the ring so we can get back down to business. And we move into the final round!

Ippo moves out of range as Hercules strikes.
Ippo throws a big counter head kick but Hercules avoids it with no problem.
Ippo blocks a jab.
Ippo uses some good footwork to avoid the body shot by Hercules.
Hercules throws out a loose jab but Ippo uses good head movement to avoid it.
Hercules shoots in for a takedown. "I don't think so" says Ippo as he avoids it easily.
Hercules swings and misses with a hook to the body.
Hercules throws a left and a right that both miss

and Ippo counters by moving into the clinch.
Hercules blocks a punch to the side of the head.
Hercules tries for a takedown but Ippo manages to get underhooks.
We've had a slow start to the round here - hopefully the action picks up.
Hercules is stalling here.
Hercules is pushing Ippo up against the ropes, for a bit of lean and pray action. Action being used the in the loosest possible sense of the word.
Ippo is trying to maintain a safe position but Hercules gets an underhook and turns Ippo into the ropes.

That's one minute gone in the round.
Ippo misses with a punch on the inside.
Ippo has Hercules pressed against the ropes.
Hercules struggles to land a body shot inside as Ippo controls his hands.
Hercules swings wildly with an uppercut but Ippo uses good head movement to avoid it.
Ippo lands with a short shot to the head.
Ippo lands a right hand that snaps the head of Hercules backwards.
Ippo misses with a punch on the inside.
Ippo dictating the pace here, as the fighters clinch against the ropes.
An uppercut on the inside fails to land for Ippo.
Hercules lands with a quick shot inside that doesn't really do much damage.
Hercules tries to work over Ippo's body with a swooping hook but it only glances the target.
Ippo is trying to maintain a safe position but Hercules gets an underhook and turns Ippo into the ropes.
Hercules lands a hook to the side of the head.
Ippo prevents the takedown attempt.
That's three failed takedown attempts in the round for Roman Hercules. That's going to take a lot out of him.
Hercules throws a head punch that misses.
Takamura Ippo has stepped it up - he knows he needs a finish here!

That's two minutes gone in the round.
Ippo misses with a punch on the inside.
Ippo effectively controlling the action here.
Good anti-grappling being displayed by Hercules as Ippo tries to tie him up.
Ippo blocks a couple of punches on the inside.
Hercules is really dominating this fight. Is there anything that Ippo can do to turn this around?
Hercules misses with some punches.
A nice left hand lands by Ippo.

Hercules is rocked!
Ippo lands with a quick shot inside that doesn't really do much damage.
Oh Hercules is still all over the place! His legs are completely gone! Will he be able to recover?!!
Fantastic stuff here - a very entertaining period of action, which has drawn cheers from the crowd.
Ippo scores with a nice hook to the head.
Ippo lands with a short shot to the head.
Ippo dips a shoulder and cracks Hercules with a mighty uppercut! Hercules falls back against the ropes and Ippo unloads with a barrage of strikes! Hercules is completely out with his eyes open, only supported by the ropes! Save him ref! Eventually the ref decides to do his job and jumps in - Ippo screams abuse at the incompetent official before going over to celebrate with his corner. Brutal stuff!

Ladies and gentlemen, after 2:40 of round 3, we have a winner by way of TKO (Strikes). Takamura Ippo!
Takamura Ippo bigged himself up after the win. The crowd seemed to love it.