PBP Commentary

Coming up we have a light heavyweight MMA rules bout between Hiro Sho (ranked 0 p4p, 0 weight class) and Stan Best (ranked 0 p4p, 0 weight class). Buckle up people - heeeeeeeeeere we go!

Sho
vs
Best

185 cm
18
205 lbs
0 - 1 - 0

192 cm
22
200 lbs
0 - 1 - 0

BJJ Blue Belt
Counter striker
Cuts easily

BJJ Blue Belt
Brawler
Likes ground

Ladies and gentlemen. This fight is 3 rounds, in the light heavyweight division.
Introducing the fighter to my left, fighting out of the red corner.
With a record of 0 - 1 - 0, fighting out of Tokyo, Hiro Sho!
And introducing the fighter to my right, fighting out of the blue corner.
With a record of 0 - 1 - 0, fighting out of Tokyo, Stan Best!
The judges for this bout are Shigeki Sano, Yasuomi Hirokawa and Shigeki Fujiwara.

The bell rings for round one and we are underway!
Sho lands a pitter patter jab to the forehead of his opponent.
Sho works over Best's head and body with a nice combination.
Sho tries to clinch but Best moves out of range.
Best throws a head kick that misses and slips in the process. He scrambles back to his feet and the fighters circle.
Sho moves out of range of the body kick.
Best takes a kick to the body and keeps moving.
Best shoots in with a takedown attempt and he has Sho pinned against the cage. Sho gets the underhooks and manages to circle away.
Sho gets his takedown attempt stuffed easily
and Best counters with a body kick that stops Sho in his tracks momentarily.
Some bone on bone action there as Sho checks a low kick. Luckily it wasn't a particularly hard one.
Best throws a combination that misses

and Sho counters with a driving takedown into guard. Nice work there by Sho.
Fantastic stuff here - a very entertaining period of action, which has drawn cheers from the crowd.
Best keeping moving, preventing Sho from controlling successfully.
Sho won't allow Best to sweep him here.
Best controls Sho momentarily but Sho frees himself.

That's one minute gone in the round.
Best is looking to get back to his feet but can't, whilst Sho is controlling him.
Sho controls from within his opponent's guard.
Sho trying to land body shots but he keeps hitting the mat.

Well, the referee has seen enough. Neither fighter is active enough on the ground so he's stood them back up.
Sho blocks a head kick by Best.
Best is looking to clinch.
Sho misses with a half-hearted attempt at a head kick.

Sho scores a takedown into full mount!

That's two minutes gone in the round.
Sho can't quite control the action as he would like just now, as Best is looking to escape.
Sho lands an elbow that was bordering on illegal but the referee lets it go with a warning.
Best tries to lock up and control but Sho gives him a forearm to the face and pushes him away.
Best is in all sorts of trouble here.
Sho punishing his opponent with strikes.
Best taking shots to the head.
Best gets back to half guard.
Sho is breathing heavily.
Best is trying to control but can't.

That's three minutes gone in the round.
Best wants to improve his position but Sho is controlling well.
The ref warns both fighters not to hold the cage as they work up against the meshing.
Best trying to control from the bottom.
Best missing with punches from the bottom.
Best trying to hold on to Sho's head to control him but Sho postures up.
The fighters are starting to perspire pretty heavily.
Best wants to improve his position but Sho is controlling well.
Sho throwing punches and elbows but they're not doing any damage.

Well, the referee has seen enough. Neither fighter is active enough on the ground so he's stood them back up.
Sho tries to grapple but his opponent circles

and Best counters with a nice double leg into side control. Sho won't be happy with that.

That's four minutes gone in the round.
Best working the ground and pound.
Best is working Sho over with some ground and pound from side control.
Best wants to lay and pray for a moment but Sho keeps working.
Best connects with a decent looking elbow from side control that caused Sho some visible discomfort.
Sho is trying to control Best's posture but Best avoids it.
The crowd applaud the fighters efforts here as the round comes to an end.
Sho takes a nasty elbow to the side of the head.
Best is staying tight to Sho's torso, preventing him from escaping.
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 Hiro Sho will probably get the nod.
That's the end of the interval. I'm sure that seemed a lot quicker than a minute for our two fighters! Back to the action.

Best darts in trying to clinch
and Sho counters with a big head kick but Best shrugs it off.
Best tries to clinch but is not successful on this occasion.
Sho misses with a takedown

so Best counters with a double leg into guard. Good agility.
Sho is trying to control the position from the bottom.
Sho has momentary wrist control but Best slips an elbow through the middle.

Best gets to his feet and steps away from his opponent.
Best looks to land a combination but Sho avoids it well.
Both fighters are absolutely exhausted here.
Best tries to clinch but is not successful on this occasion.

That's one minute gone in the round.
Sho blocks a head kick by Best.

Best drives through with a really nice takedown into side control.
Best is looking to take a break and control but Sho is keeping him honest, looking to work from the bottom.
Best is putting a hurting on Sho here, landing some big shots from side control.
Best scoring with punches and elbows.
Best working the head and body with strikes.
Sho prevents Best from improving position.
Sho taking punishment in the form of punches.

That's two minutes gone in the round.

Best is trying to land an Americana. He has the arm isolated but Sho is keeping cool and he's avoided the danger for now.
Best trying to control the position but Sho is working away.
Best creates some space and throws a big elbow, but Sho sees it coming and moves his head just enough to avoid the strike.
Best working the body and head with strikes.
Best landing with strikes to the head and body from side control.

Best tries for a kimura. Not really close to a finish though.
Best wants to lay and pray for a moment but Sho keeps working.

That's three minutes gone in the round.
Best lands a decent elbow from side control.
The fighters are pressed up against the cage, both looking to find a bit of space to work.
Sho is trying to control Best's posture but Best avoids it.
Best scoring with punches from side control.
Stan Best has got the better of the ground game so far.
Best is working Sho over with some ground and pound from side control.
Best works to advance to full mount. Sho defends for a few seconds but eventually he succumbs.
Best connects with a couple of good shots from mount.

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.
Best with shots to the head and body - Sho looks very uncomfortable down there.
Best landing strikes, looking to finish!
Sho taking shots to the head.
Best working away from the top, dropping strikes.

Best moves into side control, trying to work for a kimura. That looks painful! Will he finish!!?? No, Sho has worked his arm free - good work by Sho!
Best has the superior BJJ but he's also working some ground strikes into his gameplan.

Best decides to stand back up. Best steps back and let's Sho get back to his feet.
Best misses with a takedown attempt

and Sho moves into the clinch.
Sho fails to pull guard.
Best lands with a short shot to the head.
Best cracks Sho with a nice body shot.
And that’s the end of the round – the fighters go back to their corners.

Stan Best showed his class in that round. I'd imagine he'll take it on all the scorecards.
That's time! Sho's corner gives him a slap on the ass as he gets ready to fight. This is the final round!

Best tries to clinch
and Sho counters with a body kick.
Best tries a head kick but it misses.
Sho swings wildly with a couple of big hooks
and Best counters with a series of strikes. Sho will be more careful next time no doubt.
Danga de danga de dang - Best scores with a four punch combination!
Sho shoots in looking for a takedown. Best tries to sprawl out of it but Sho keeps driving through. The fighters are pinned against the cage. Best manages to get underhooks and after a bit of a struggle, circles away and we're back to standing.
Best gets his takedown attempt stuffed easily
letting Sho counter with a right hand.
Sho throws a sloppy head kick and Best moves out of range easily.
Stan Best is looking to throw some combinations by the looks of things.
Sho tries to clinch

and Best counters with a takedown into side control.
Both fighters are breathing heavily.
You can see the frustration on Sho's face, being in this tough position on the bottom.
Best working the head with strikes.

That's one minute gone in the round.
Sho tries to work a leg under to get back to half guard but Best wriggles his own leg back out and remains in side control.
Best trying to control the action but Sho is working from the bottom.
Sho takes a couple of big shots there - the referee warns him that he has to defend himself better.
You can see the frustration on Sho's face, being in this tough position on the bottom.
Best scores with punches from side control.
Best is putting a hurting on Sho here, landing some big shots from side control.
Best lands an elbow.
Sho is not content to let Best control the position.

That's two minutes gone in the round.
The crowd are starting to boo a lack of action.
Best scoring with punches from side control.
Sho manages to get back to half guard.
The referee walks around the fighters to get a better view of the action. Best lands a nice short elbow.

Best stands up from half guard.

Best moves into range and clinches up with Sho.
Sho has hold of a leg and is looking for a trip takedown. Best avoids it nicely though and we remain in the clinch.

Best breaks the clinch.
Best looks to throw a body kick

and Sho counters with a nice double leg into guard.

That's three minutes gone in the round.
Best trying to strike from the bottom but really, it's not the best position to be doing that from!
Best trying to keep a closed guard but Sho is proving a slippery customer.
Best looking to sweep here. No luck so far.
Best wants to get back to his feet but Sho is in a dominant position and won't allow it.
Sho trying to control but Best is working from the bottom.
There's a bit of a scramble here and now Best is on top in guard.
Best would like to get this fight back to the feet but can't get free from the closed guard.

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.
Best wants to control from the top but Sho keeps moving.
Sho preventing the ground and pound from doing any damage.
Best looking to sit in guard and control but Sho gets the butterfly guard and sweeps. He's now in the guard on the top.
Best trying to control the position.
Sho stops Best from standing up.

And that's the end of the fight!
Stan Best comfortably won the final round on my scorecard.
I think Best has won this one but let's see whether the judges agree with me. 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 Shigeki Sano scores the fight 28:29
Judge Yasuomi Hirokawa scores the fight 28:29
Judge Shigeki Fujiwara scores the fight 28:29

In favor of your winner, by unanimous decision... Stan Best!