PBP Commentary

Coming up we have a lightweight MMA rules bout between Neal Cash (ranked 0 p4p, 0 weight class) and Szinja Qoki (ranked 0 p4p, 0 weight class). The crowd seem to be enjoying Qoki's choice of entrance music: Japaaaan. This should be fireworks!

Cash
vs
Qoki

159 cm
19
161 lbs
1 - 3 - 0

170 cm
24
160 lbs
0 - 0 - 0

BJJ Blue Belt
Counter fighter
Cuts easily

BJJ Purple Belt
Counter fighter
Solid chin

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 1 - 3 - 0, fighting out of Tokyo, Neal Cash!
And introducing the fighter to my right, fighting out of the blue corner.
With a record of 0 - 0 - 0, fighting out of Tokyo, Szinja Qoki!
The judges for this bout are Yasuomi Hirokawa, Yukihiro Yamamoto and Yukihiro Shimada.

The bell rings for round one and we are underway!
Cash swings away but doesn't land with a series of punches.
Qoki let fly with a counter punch to the body but it didn't land.
Cash swinging wildly here.
Qoki circles away from the clinch attempt
and Qoki counters with a right hand to the body.
We've had a slow start to the round here - hopefully the action picks up.

Qoki closes the distance and clinches up, looking for a takedown. He shifts his weight and gets a nice trip into half guard.

That's one minute gone in the round.
Qoki is trying to control. Cash wants to improve his position but can't escape this time.
The fighters are pressed up against the cage, both looking to find a bit of space to work.
Cash punching from the bottom.

Qoki is thinking about going for an arm triangle but he can't free his leg.
Cash missing with punches from the bottom.
Cash is refusing to be controlled, as Qoki sits in half guard.
Cash wants to improve his position but Qoki is controlling well.

Qoki is looking for an arm triangle, whilst trying to pass to side control. Cash doesn't seem that keen to cooperate though. No luck this time Qoki.
Qoki throwing shots but Cash is blocking nicely.

That's two minutes gone in the round.
The crowd are hurling abuse towards the fighters... You can hardly blame them though because there isn't a lot going on in the fight.
Cash wants to control but Qoki is keeping busy.
Cash wants to get back to full guard.
Qoki is keen to just control but Cash is a slippery customer.
Cash is looking to improve his position.

Qoki is working for submissions here but there's nothing on.
Cash could do with losing a few pounds - he looks very soft around the mid section, to put it politely.

Qoki is thinking about going for an arm triangle but he can't free his leg.

That's three minutes gone in the round.
Cash is concentrating on defense, preventing Qoki from advancing position.
Cash is looking to control Qoki's leg but it's slowly edging free. Can Cash avoid being mounted?

Cash is defending against the submission attempts here by Qoki.

Qoki is looking for a kimura but Cash is holding onto that half guard position, so it's hard for Qoki to get the leverage.

Qoki wants to work for an arm triangle but Cash is really keeping half guard well and defending the submission attempt.
Cash might be looking to lock onto one of his opponent's long limbs for a submission, whilst we're on the ground.

Qoki is trying to work for a kimura. This could be trouble! No, Cash has managed to free his arm - good work.
Cash really is built like a bowling ball. I wonder if he'd roll if you pushed him down a hill...

That's four minutes gone in the round.
Well. There's a bit of a lull in the action here and the crowd are starting to get restless.
Qoki is looking to take a break and control but Cash is keeping him honest, looking to work from the bottom.
Qoki moves nicely into side control.

Qoki tries for an arm triangle. That looks pretty tight to me. Is this one over!?! Possibly, maybe, no Qoki has let go of the choke. Obviously it wasn't as tight as we thought!
Qoki looks winded!
You can see the frustration on Cash's face, being in this tough position on the bottom.
Boooooooooooooooooooo!!! God, this has been a terrible round. Come on you two, sort yourselves out!

Qoki tries for a kimura. Not really close to a finish though.
Cash struggling a bit here.
And that’s the end of the round – the fighters go back to their corners.

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

Cash fails with a rather predictable takedown attempt.
Cash's corner calls for a 1, 2 combination and Cash duly obliges.

Qoki drives through with a takedown into Cash's guard. Let's see what he can do from the top position.
We've had a slow start to the round here - hopefully the action picks up.
Qoki wants to control from the top but Cash keeps moving.

Qoki thinks about going for a leg but decides against it, in order to maintain the position.

That's one minute gone in the round.

Qoki is trying to work a guillotine from the top, or something like that? Don't know how he thinks he's going to get a finish from there.
Qoki being controlled here momentarily.
Qoki trying to control but Cash is working from the bottom.
Qoki has been the more effective fighter overall so far.
Cash is working from a closed guard but he's struggling to control his opponent.
Qoki scoring with punches to the head and body.
Qoki tries to free his leg and advance position but Cash is retaining full guard.
Cash trying to strike from the bottom but really, it's not the best position to be doing that from!
The ref warns both fighters not to hold the cage as they work up against the meshing.

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.
Cash lands a decent shot there.
Cash keeping moving, preventing Qoki from controlling successfully.

Qoki is trying to work a guillotine from the top, or something like that? Don't know how he thinks he's going to get a finish from there.
Cash looking to control.
Cash keeping moving, preventing Qoki from controlling successfully.

The referee has motioned to the fighters to stand back up. He just wasn't happy with the level of activity.
Cash fails with the takedown
and Qoki counters with a lovely straight right hand!

That's three minutes gone in the round.
Cash shoots in looking for a takedown but Qoki manages to keep the fight standing, pushing Cash's face into the canvas for good measure before circling away.
That's three failed takedown attempts in the round for Neal Cash. That's going to take a lot out of him.
No joy there for Cash, who threw a few shots but didn't land.
As Cash backs off Qoki throws a huge counter combo but Cash manages to avoid it all.

Qoki decides to change it up a bit and drives through with a nice takedown into half guard.

Qoki seems to be looking for submissions.

Qoki is trying to work for a kimura. This could be trouble! No, Cash has managed to free his arm - good work.
Qoki is breathing heavily.

Qoki is looking for a kimura but Cash is holding onto that half guard position, so it's hard for Qoki to get the leverage.

That's four minutes gone in the round.
Cash flails away from the bottom but he's not doing any damage.
Qoki uses his free foot to push down on Cash's thigh. Eventually he works his other foot free and he's advanced to mount - this is trouble for Cash.
Cash regains half guard.

Qoki is looking for a kimura but Cash is holding onto that half guard position, so it's hard for Qoki to get the leverage.
Cash is looking to control Qoki's leg but it's slowly edging free. Can Cash avoid being mounted?
Cash keeps control of the position for the meantime.

Qoki wants to work for an arm triangle but Cash is really keeping half guard well and defending the submission attempt.
Boooooooooooooooooooo!!! God, this has been a terrible round. Come on you two, sort yourselves out!
Cash is not content to let Qoki control the position.
And that’s the end of the round – the fighters go back to their corners.

Szinja Qoki showed his class in that round. I'd imagine he'll take it on all the scorecards.
The fighters' corners scream their final instructions, as the referee calls time. Here we go, back to the action! This is the final round!

Cash has managed to clinch.

Qoki pulls guard successfully.
Cash controls from within his opponent's guard.

Qoki is looking for a triangle but Cash pushes his legs off easily.
We've had a slow start to the round here - hopefully the action picks up.
Qoki can't do much from the bottom at the moment, as Cash controls the pace.

Qoki is throwing his legs up, looking for submissions. Cash is aware though and is defending well.

Qoki looking for submissions off his back, moving his hips, looking for an opening.
Qoki takes a big intake of breath there - he's definitely tired.

That's one minute gone in the round.
Cash trying to control the position from guard on top but Qoki is wriggling around, looking for whatever he can.
Cash has to be careful here, sitting in the guard of a superior BJJ player.

Qoki had isolated an arm as going for a kimura. Cash defends it easily.
Cash showing good wrestling skills to control the position.

Qoki is throwing his legs up, looking for submissions. Cash is aware though and is defending well.

Qoki is looking for a guillotine. You can't force these things though and Cash defends well.
Cash landing with the ground and pound.
Cash stays in close to Qoki's body and controls the position.

Qoki is throwing his legs up, looking for submissions. Cash is aware though and is defending well.

That's two minutes gone in the round.
The crowd are hurling abuse towards the fighters... You can hardly blame them though because there isn't a lot going on in the fight.
Cash is stalling in the full guard.

Cash got a little sloppy there for a moment and Qoki has worked his way into a loose triangle - can he finish it?! No, Cash has managed to get both his arms back between Qoki's legs - danger averted.
Qoki trying to keep a closed guard but Cash is proving a slippery customer.
Cash seems content to control from guard here. He's going to have to remain active though if he doesn't want to get stood back up.
Cash postures up and lands a big shot to Qoki's brow.
Cash controlling from the top position.

That's three minutes gone in the round.

Qoki working for a triangle but Cash defends it easily.
Qoki is trying to control the position but Cash postures up.
Cash is working the ground and pound from guard. He might want to try advancing position though to get more of an impact.
Cash knows he needs to get back to his feet asap. He's simply no match for Qoki on the ground.
Qoki trying to control the position.
Cash is taking a break and basically stalling. The referee will not allow him to do that for long.

The referee has stepped in and called for a break in the action. We'll restart on the feet.
Cash wants to clinch.
Qoki throws out a counter right but Cash avoids it with no problem.

That's four minutes gone in the round.
Neither fighter has done anything of merit for a good minute or two here and the crowd are not happy about it.
Cash tries to clinch but Qoki moves out of range.
Cash backing away here, and Qoki unleashes a leg kick that just misses.
Cash misses with a takedown attempt. He shot from a bit too far out.
Qoki doesn't fully commit to the body shot counter.

Cash rushes Qoki and presses him up against the cage.

And that's the end of the fight!
I would just about give that final round to Szinja Qoki.
I've got Qoki winning every round here. Surely the decision will go his way and he'll pick up a well deserved decision victory. 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 Yasuomi Hirokawa scores the fight 27:30
Judge Yukihiro Yamamoto scores the fight 27:30
Judge Yukihiro Shimada scores the fight 28:29

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