PBP Commentary

Coming up we have a middleweight MMA rules bout between Take Kobayashi (ranked 0 p4p, 0 weight class) and Halo Shono (ranked 0 p4p, 0 weight class). Both fighters look fresh as a daisy as they make their way towards the ring.

Kobayashi
vs
Shono

182 cm
22
187 lbs
1 - 0 - 0

184 cm
20
184 lbs
1 - 1 - 0

BJJ Purple Belt
Counter striker
KO power

BJJ Blue Belt
Brawler
Intelligent

Ladies and gentlemen. This fight is 3 rounds, in the middleweight division.
Introducing the fighter to my left, fighting out of the red corner.
With a record of 1 - 0 - 0, fighting out of Tokyo, Take Kobayashi!
And introducing the fighter to my right, fighting out of the blue corner.
With a record of 1 - 1 - 0, fighting out of Tokyo, Halo Shono!
The judges for this bout are Tatsuya Matsuyama, Shigeki Sano and Hirohito Nitta.

The bell rings for round one and we are underway!
Kobayashi throws a head kick that misses and slips in the process. He scrambles back to his feet and the fighters circle.

Shono takes the fight into the clinch.
Shono has Kobayashi pushed against the ropes.
Kobayashi tries for a takedown but Shono manages to get underhooks.
Both fighters working to control the clinch.
Kobayashi jumps guard but his hands slip and he falls flat on his back. Well, he's made himself look a right mug there, as Shono walks away with a smile on his face. Kobayashi gets slowly back to his feet and shakes his head.
Shono tries to clinch but Kobayashi is having none of it.
Kobayashi fails with a takedown attempt.
That's three failed takedown attempts in the round for Take Kobayashi. That's going to take a lot out of him.
Kobayashi shoots for a takedown but Shono saw that one coming a mile off and avoided it easily.

Kobayashi has Shono up against the ropes in a clinch.
Shono using the Thai clinch to land knees to the body.

Shono breaks the clinch.
Kobayashi lands a nice hook to Shono's body. Shono takes it in his stride and looks to land his own strikes.
Shono rushes forward with a series of wild hooks but Kobayashi moves out of range and avoids them all easily.
Shono tries to clinch but Kobayashi is having none of it.
Kobayashi tries to clinch but Shono is having none of it.

That's one minute gone in the round.
Shono tries to clinch
and Shono takes a counter punch right on the button for his troubles.
Shono avoids a low kick by using good footwork.
Shono tries to shoot in for a takedown. He's got hold of a leg but Kobayashi swivels and escapes.
Shono wants to clinch.

Shono darts in and lands a nice takedown into half guard.
Kobayashi gets full guard.

Kobayashi throwing his legs up looking for a triangle.
Kobayashi wants to sweep but no luck.

That's two minutes gone in the round.
Shono trying to control but Kobayashi is working from the bottom.
Shono really doesn't want to stay on the ground with Kobayashi. If he can't get it back to his feet, it's only a matter of time before he'll be tapping out.

Kobayashi is active off his back here, looking for submissions.
Kobayashi is breathing heavily.

That's three minutes gone in the round.
Shono controls the pace of the fight for a moment.
Kobayashi looking to sweep using the butterfly guard but Shono puts pay to that idea as he passes nicely into half guard.
Kobayashi makes his way to full guard. A much better position for Kobayashi.
Kobayashi trying to keep a closed guard but Shono is proving a slippery customer.
The fighters are trapped in the ropes so we're going to have a reposition here. The ref calls for a break and repositions the fighters in the center of the ring.
Kobayashi keeping moving, preventing Shono from controlling successfully.

That's four minutes gone in the round.
The crowd are getting on the fighters' backs, as the pace has dropped off in the last minute or so.

Kobayashi looking for a guillotine here but Shono defends easily.
Kobayashi is looking to sweep but instead, Shono has passed into half guard.
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 Take Kobayashi will probably get the nod.
The minute break is over - no more time for sponges and pep talks - back to the action!

Kobayashi circles away from the clinch attempt

and Kobayashi counters with a takedown into side control.
The fighters are tangled up in the ropes here. We might need a restart if the fighters can't break free themselves.
You can see the frustration on Shono's face, being in this tough position on the bottom.
Kobayashi lands a knee to the body and follows it up with some ground and pound to the head. That will wear Shono down.
Kobayashi fails to land a wild elbow strike.
Shono is positioning himself to get back to half guard.
Shono is breathing heavily.
Shono on the wrong end of some ground and pound.

That's one minute gone in the round.
Kobayashi wants to lay and pray for a moment but Shono keeps working.
Kobayashi content to control the pace. The referee will try and keep them active though.
Shono can't do much from the bottom here.

That's two minutes gone in the round.
The crowd are getting on the fighters' backs, as the pace has dropped off in the last minute or so.

Kobayashi is working for what looks like an arm triangle here. Shono is trying to escape and Kobayashi transitions quickly into an armbar! He's slapped it on tight and Shono is forced to tap! Nice work there by Kobayashi! Very nice indeed!

Ladies and gentlemen, after 2:28 of round 2, we have a winner by way of Submission (Armbar). Take Kobayashi!