PBP Commentary

Coming up we have a bantamweight MMA rules bout between Grady Potter (ranked 25568 p4p, 0 weight class) and Takeshi Suzuki (ranked 8464 p4p, 0 weight class). Suzuki has chosen 悲しみのはてに-エレ&# as his entrance music. Grady Potter has a significant reach advantage - let's see if he can make it count.

Potter
vs
Suzuki

198 cm
21
140 lbs
0 - 2 - 0

165 cm
18
135 lbs
0 - 1 - 0

BJJ Blue Belt
Counter fighter
Cuts easily

BJJ White Belt
Basic striking
Solid chin

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 0 - 2 - 0, fighting out of Tokyo, Grady Potter!
And introducing the fighter to my right, fighting out of the blue corner.
With a record of 0 - 1 - 0, fighting out of Tokyo, Takeshi Suzuki!
The judges for this bout are Shigeki Sano, Kenichi Hosakawa and Yukihiro Yamamoto.

The bell rings for round one and we are underway!
Suzuki throws a combination but it was largely blocked by Potter.
Potter is looking to clinch.
Potter is on the wrong end of a nice combination from Suzuki.
Potter tries to close the distance and clinch but Suzuki swats him to one side with an open hand palm strike and circles away.
Despite the aggression on Suzuki's face he doesn't fully commit to the counter.
Suzuki throws a combination but it was largely blocked by Potter.

Potter clinches.
Suzuki wants to get back to striking at distance but Potter won't allow it.

Suzuki's corner calls for him to break the clinch, which he does.
Suzuki fails to land with a series of punches.

Potter has managed to clinch.
Potter is trying to pull guard but being pressed up against the cage enables Suzuki to keep the fight standing.
Potter tries to land a shot to the body but it's blocked.
Potter tries to jump guard but he falls flat on his backside. Suzuki smiles and moves away.

Potter drives through and clinches with Suzuki against the cage.

Potter breaks the clinch.
This is a great period of action - very entertaining stuff!

Potter moves into the clinch successfully.

That's one minute gone in the round.
Potter drops to a knee looking for a takedown but Suzuki gets the underhooks and prevents it.
That's three failed takedown attempts in the round for Grady Potter. That's going to take a lot out of him.

Suzuki is fighting off a takedown attempt but Potter is just too persistent for him and manages to trip Suzuki to the mat. Suzuki regains guard as soon as the fighters hit the mat.
Suzuki wants to sweep here but Potter controlling him for the moment.

Potter drops back looking for a leg! Suzuki is in trouble here! The fighters roll with the hold and Suzuki manages to kick Potter off! Potter jumps back into Suzuki's guard.
Suzuki really doesn't want to stay on the ground with Potter. If he can't get it back to his feet, it's only a matter of time before he'll be tapping out.
Suzuki looking to sweep here. No luck so far.
Potter postures up and lands a big shot to Suzuki's brow.
Potter postures up and lands a big shot to Suzuki's brow.
Potter postures up to throw the ground and pound strikes but they don't connect.
Suzuki 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.

That's two minutes gone in the round.
Potter is intent on slowing down the pace of the fight, simply looking to control.
Potter throwing elbows and punches but not connecting, as Suzuki works some decent striking defense from the bottom.
Suzuki is trying to keep Potter in close.

Suzuki escapes his hips to the side and looks to be working for an armbar. Potter gives him a little smile and shakes his head. No chance.
Suzuki avoiding any damage from the ground and pound.
Potter will need to keep those long limbs tucked in whilst he's on the ground, to prevent any submissions.
Potter cracks Suzuki with a solid left hand.
Potter landing with the ground and pound.
Potter working some ground and pound from guard but it's not doing any damage.
Potter with a nice head shot there.

That's three minutes gone in the round.
Suzuki avoiding any damage from the ground and pound.
Suzuki looks winded!
Potter cracks Suzuki with a solid left hand.
Potter working in close now, lands a nice elbow to the side of Suzuki's head.
Potter landing with the ground and pound.
The fighters are pressed up against the cage, both looking to find a bit of space to work.
Potter working in close now, lands a nice elbow to the side of Suzuki's head.
Potter working from the guard for now, landing some ground and pound.

Potter decides he's had enough of playing guard and decides to stand. Come on Suzuki, up you get!
Potter really does look like a pencil wearing a pair of gloves. Let's hope he has a gameplan to suit that ridiculous body shape.

Potter moves into the clinch.

Potter decides to pull guard.
Potter lands a beautiful sweep and he's now moved into his opponent's guard.

Potter thinks about going for a leg but decides against it, in order to maintain the position.
Potter scoring with some ground and pound.

That's four minutes gone in the round.
Potter with a nice head shot there.
Suzuki has momentary wrist control but Potter slips an elbow through the middle.
The ref warns both fighters not to hold the cage as they work up against the meshing.
Potter is sitting in guard, working some ground and pound.
Potter stands up over Suzuki, holding his feet. He dives back in and lands a decent shot to the head.
Potter landing some decent shots from guard.

Potter drops back for a leg here. A bit of a high risk move... He's looking for a kneebar by the looks of things. Now both of them are looking for submissions. Potter seems to have locked his on tight now - Suzuki screams in pain and taps out furiously! It certainly was a high risk move but it's paid off for Potter, as he picks up the win!

Ladies and gentlemen, after 4:42 of round 1, we have a winner by way of Submission (Kneebar). Grady Potter!
Takeshi Suzuki spoke after the fight, saying 'ごめんねよ ! '.