PBP Commentary

Coming up we have a bantamweight MMA rules bout between Hideaki Inoue (ranked 3990 p4p, 196 weight class) and Larry Cucumber (ranked 4438 p4p, 221 weight class). Cucumber has chosen https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=UhRXn2NRiWI as his entrance music. Hideaki Inoue has a significant reach advantage - let's see if he can make it count.

Inoue
vs
Cucumber

176 cm
24
140 lbs
3 - 1 - 0

150 cm
27
130 lbs
8 - 8 - 0

Abu Dhabi Champ
Excellent boxer
KO power

BJJ Purple Belt
Brawler
Knockout power

Ladies and gentlemen. This fight is 3 rounds, in the bantamweight division.
Introducing the fighter to my left, fighting out of the red corner.
With a record of 3 - 1 - 0, fighting out of Sydney, Hideaki Inoue!
And introducing the fighter to my right, fighting out of the blue corner.
With a record of 8 - 8 - 0, fighting out of Las Vegas, Larry Cucumber!
The judges for this bout are David Schapiro, Jorge Garcia and Joseph Jones.

The bell rings for round one and we are underway!

Cucumber looking to shoot here. He's gone for it and he's landed a takedown into side control! Oh, that's bad for Inoue!
Inoue wants to control but Cucumber postures up.
Inoue tries to improve position but can't.
Inoue struggling a bit here.
Inoue has been talking about how he's improved his wrestling in the run up to the fight so let's see if that's enough to sway the balance.

Cucumber is looking for a kimura. He might have it! No, Inoue has escaped the position, nice work there.
Cucumber really doesn't want to stay on the ground with Inoue. If he can't get it back to his feet, it's only a matter of time before he'll be tapping out.

Cucumber tries for a kimura. Not really close to a finish though.
Inoue is trying to get back to half guard. He's pushing on Cucumber's leg. He's managed it. Nice work.
We've had a slow start to the round here - hopefully the action picks up.
Cucumber trying to mount his opponent but Inoue defends it.
Inoue gets full guard.

That's one minute gone in the round.
Cucumber pressing down on his opponent's thigh, looking to pass guard. Inoue is keeping the position for now.
The fighters are pressed up against the cage, both looking to find a bit of space to work.

Inoue looking for a guillotine here but Cucumber defends easily.
Inoue keeping moving, preventing Cucumber from controlling successfully.
A real slowdown in the pace of the fight for a moment, as Inoue holds on and takes a little breather.
Inoue is trying to keep Cucumber in close.
Cucumber trying to pass the guard but can't manage it just yet.
Inoue keeping moving, preventing Cucumber from controlling successfully.
Cucumber wants to pass the guard but Inoue is keeping the position.

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.
Inoue is avoiding any damage by keeping wrist control.
Cucumber trying to control the position from guard on top but Inoue is wriggling around, looking for whatever he can.
Inoue bucks up whilst keeping hold of a body lock, managing to reverse the position. Now he's in top in Cucumber's guard.

Cucumber has control of Inoue's left arm, preventing Inoue from doing any damage.
Cucumber thows some rabbit punches from the bottom but they don't do any damage.
Inoue postures up to throw the ground and pound strikes but they don't connect.
Cucumber looking to hit a scissor sweep but Inoue is one step ahead there.
Cucumber not looking particularly offensive just at the moment.

Inoue 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.
Our spies down at at LOD: Legion's PIT Fight Club inform us that Cucumber has really been working on his submissions in the buildup to this fight. Will it pay off?
Inoue lands a couple of decent looking shots.

That's three minutes gone in the round.
Cucumber is striking but Inoue is not phased and passes to half guard.
Inoue controlling the pace.

Inoue is trying to work for a kimura. This could be trouble! No, Cucumber has managed to free his arm - good work.
Inoue is thwarting Cucumber's attempts to control the position.
Cucumber is pressing down on Inoue's left leg trying to get back to full guard. He's managed it.
Cucumber throwing strikes off his back to little effect.

Inoue drops back for a leg! It's a sloppy attempt though and Inoue jumps back into guard quickly, to retain the dominant position.

Cucumber is working actively off his back, looking to secure an arm or perhaps work for a triangle.

That's four minutes gone in the round.
Inoue trying to control the position from guard on top but Cucumber is wriggling around, looking for whatever he can.
Cucumber being controlled here, momentarily.
Inoue wants to pass the guard but Cucumber is keeping the position.
Inoue content to stall in guard here.
Inoue's ground tactics aren't going to win him many fans. Let's hope he's got fireworks for us if he gets back to his feet because he's not doing much on the ground.
Boooooooooooooooooooo!!! God, this has been a terrible round. Come on you two, sort yourselves out!
And that’s the end of the round – the fighters go back to their corners.

That was a close round but I would say that Hideaki Inoue will probably get the nod.
Well, the break between rounds is over. Let's get back to the scrappin!

Cucumber throws a series of punches but Inoue moves out of range.
Inoue closes this distance looking for a takedown but Cucumber circles away.
Inoue tries to close the distance and clinch but Cucumber swats him to one side with an open hand palm strike and circles away.

Cucumber shoots in for a takedown and gets it. Let's see what he's got on the mat.
Cucumber wants to control from the top but Inoue keeps moving.
Inoue pulls Cucumber in to control the position.
Cucumber trying to control but Inoue is working from the bottom.
Cucumber looking to sit in guard and control but Inoue gets the butterfly guard and sweeps. He's now in the guard on the top.

Cucumber not looking particularly offensive just at the moment.
We've had a slow start to the round here - hopefully the action picks up.
Cucumber lands a decent shot there.
Inoue pushes down on Cucumber's leg and manages to get into half guard.
Inoue passes to full mount!

That's one minute gone in the round.
Inoue tries to control but Cucumber wriggling away.
Cucumber is writhing around trying to get back to his feet.

Inoue working to secure an arm triangle but it's not happening for him just yet.
The ref warns both fighters not to hold the cage as they work up against the meshing.

Inoue goes for an armbar but he's fallen flat on his backside there and now Cucumber is on top in guard.
Inoue manages to sweep nicely, so he's now on top. Cucumber manages to get himself to full guard.

Inoue will need to keep those long limbs tucked in whilst he's on the ground, to prevent any submissions.
Cucumber keeping moving, preventing Inoue from controlling successfully.
Cucumber is working an open guard here, looking to improve his position. No doubt that will leave him open to counters but at least he's being more offensive.
Inoue throwing strikes but missing.

That's two minutes gone in the round.
Inoue trying to control but Cucumber is working from the bottom.
Inoue wants to pass the guard but Cucumber is keeping the position.
Cucumber throws a couple of weedy looking strikes off his back.

Inoue 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.
Cucumber thows some rabbit punches from the bottom but they don't do any damage.
Inoue trying to pass the guard but can't manage it just yet.
Inoue trying to control the position from guard on top but Cucumber is wriggling around, looking for whatever he can.

Cucumber is throwing his legs up, looking for submissions. Inoue is aware though and is defending well.

That's three minutes gone in the round.
Inoue in full guard, throwing the ground and pound. No damage this time.
Inoue trying to control but Cucumber is working from the bottom.
Cucumber is trying to control the position from the bottom.
Cucumber doesn't do any damage with a couple of strikes from the bottom.

The referee has decided to stand the fighters back up, so we'll restart on the feet.
Cucumber comes forward and lands a shot to the body, then darts back out of range.
Inoue slips under a jab from Cucumber.
An attempted straight right counter from Inoue misses the target.
Inoue defending well as Cucumber loads up on a big left hand.
It looked like Inoue wanted to counter with a hook but didn't fully commit.
Cucumber throws an off balance right hand
and Inoue counters with a stiff right hand.

Cucumber looking to shoot here. He's gone for it and he's landed a takedown into side control! Oh, that's bad for Inoue!
Inoue manages to get one leg in to regain half guard.
Inoue gets full guard.

That's four minutes gone in the round.
Inoue pulls Cucumber in close to his closed guard and prevents Cucumber from doing any damage or advancing position.

Inoue is looking for a triangle but Cucumber pushes his legs off easily.
Cucumber controls from within his opponent's guard.
Inoue tries to land a sweep but no joy.
Cucumber looking to sit in guard and control but Inoue gets the butterfly guard and sweeps. He's now in the guard on the top.

Wooooo! Give it up for these two warriors! They are putting on a show!
Cucumber not looking particularly offensive just at the moment.
Cucumber utilising some decent striking defenses from the guard, preventing the ground and pound.
Inoue wants to control from the top but Cucumber keeps moving.
Inoue postures up and lands a big shot to Cucumber's brow.
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 Hideaki Inoue will probably get the nod.
The corners get their ten second warning. Both fighters stand from their stools and stare eachother down, ready to get back to the action. And we move into the final round!

Excellent takedown into side control there by Cucumber.
Inoue manages to get one leg in to regain half guard.
Inoue is not content to let Cucumber control the position.
Cucumber is thwarting Inoue's attempts to control the position.

Inoue looking for submissions from an awkward position here.

Inoue is defending against the submission attempts here by Cucumber.
Hideaki Inoue overall seems to be getting the better of the ground position in the fight so far.
We've had a slow start to the round here - hopefully the action picks up.

Inoue is looking to sinch up a guillotine here but Cucumber pulls his head out easily.

That's one minute gone in the round.
Inoue moves into full guard.
Cucumber trying to control the position from guard on top but Inoue is wriggling around, looking for whatever he can.
Cucumber loading up with the ground and pound but he's missing more than he's landing in this flurry.
Cucumber missing there with some ground and pound from the guard.
Inoue wants to stand but Cucumber is controlling the position.

Inoue is throwing his legs up, looking for submissions. Cucumber is aware though and is defending well.
Inoue wants to control but instead he gets his guard passed and Cucumber is now in half guard.
Cucumber wants to pass the guard but Inoue is defending well.

That's two minutes gone in the round.
Inoue is looking to control Cucumber's leg but it's slowly edging free. Can Inoue avoid being mounted?
Cucumber looking to pass the half guard. Not this time.

Inoue looking to work for a kimura from the bottom.
Inoue is trying to control but can't.
Cucumber is keen to just control but Inoue is a slippery customer.
Cucumber 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.

Cucumber is trying to work for a kimura. This could be trouble! No, Inoue has managed to free his arm - good work.
Cucumber lands with an elbow from half guard - that looked like it hurt.

That's three minutes gone in the round.
Cucumber seems very keen to just sit and control from half guard but Inoue does not like that idea so much and is remaining active off his back.
Inoue slips a foot under and gets full guard. Nice work.

Inoue is looking for a triangle but Cucumber pushes his legs off easily.
Inoue tries to land a sweep but no joy.
Cucumber throws a strike but Inoue rolls with it and manages to sweep. Now he's in guard on top.

Cucumber trying to keep a closed guard but Inoue is proving a slippery customer.
Cucumber manages to sweep nicely, so he's now on top. Inoue manages to get himself to full guard.

Hideaki Inoue is fighting for a decision here - he's started to take the cautious approach.

That's four minutes gone in the round.
Cucumber postures up to throw the ground and pound strikes but they don't connect.
Inoue wants to sweep here but Cucumber controlling him for the moment.
Inoue is controlling Cucumber's posture.
Inoue being controlled here, momentarily.
Inoue is pulling down on Cucumber's head to control his posture.
Cucumber pressing down on his opponent's thigh, looking to pass guard. Inoue is keeping the position for now.
Boooooooooooooooooooo!!! God, this has been a terrible round. Come on you two, sort yourselves out!
Inoue seems keen to control Cucumber's posture.
Larry Cucumber has stepped it up - he knows he needs a finish here!
Cucumber throws an elbow that misses. Inoue uses the momentum to reverse the position. He's now in Cucumber's guard. Nice move by Inoue!

And that's the end of the fight!
I would just about give that final round to Larry Cucumber.
I think Inoue has won this one but let's see what the judges have to say. 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 David Schapiro scores the fight 29:28
Judge Jorge Garcia scores the fight 29:30
Judge Joseph Jones scores the fight 29:28

In favor of your winner, by split decision... Hideaki Inoue!