PBP Commentary

Coming up we have a lightweight MMA rules bout between Jimmy Johnstone (ranked 0 p4p, 0 weight class) and Rumina Sato (ranked 0 p4p, 0 weight class). Johnstone comes into the arena with Living is a Problem blaring out of the sound system. Both fighters look fresh as a daisy as they make their way towards the ring.

Johnstone
vs
Sato

170 cm
21
157 lbs
6 - 6 - 0

183 cm
22
165 lbs
3 - 2 - 0

BJJ Purple Belt
Solid boxing
Granite chin

BJJ Brown Belt
Counter striker
Granite 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 6 - 6 - 0, fighting out of Tokyo, Jimmy Johnstone!
And introducing the fighter to my right, fighting out of the blue corner.
With a record of 3 - 2 - 0, fighting out of Tokyo, Rumina Sato!
The judges for this bout are Ren Mimura, Shigeki Sano and Yuuki Gou.

The bell rings for round one and we are underway!
Johnstone lunges in with swinging rights and lefts but Sato circles away quickly and effectively.
Sato shoots in looking for a takedown. Johnstone tries to sprawl out of it but Sato keeps driving through. The fighters are pinned against the ropes. Johnstone manages to get underhooks and after a bit of a struggle, circles away and we're back to standing.
Johnstone fails to land with a series of punches.

Johnstone gets in close and instigates a clinch.
Johnstone prevents a takedown attempt there.
Sato tries to pull guard but can't drag his opponent to the mat. Johnstone just stands there and leans against the ropes.
Jimmy Johnstone has stuffed three takedown attempts in the round now. That's going to take a lot out of Rumina Sato.

Sato manages to pull guard.
Sato 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.
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.
Johnstone sitting in guard, not really doing much.
Johnstone has to be careful here, sitting in the guard of a superior BJJ player.
Johnstone with a couple of shots to the head there. Not particularly brutal.

Sato has his foot on Johnstone's thigh. He's trying to push off and get in position for a triangle, I think. Johnstone works his way back into a safe position though.

That's one minute gone in the round.
Johnstone throws a big right hand that misses.
Sato working a defensive guard here.
Sato wants to sweep but no luck.

Johnstone stands up from Sato's guard - Johnstone perhaps looking for a knockout.
Sato fails with a takedown attempt.
The fight stays on the outside here - Johnstone looks like he's thinking about clinching though.
No luck for Sato with that takedown attempt.

That's two 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.
Johnstone connects with a slap. Keep your fist closed son.

It looks like Rumina Sato has been cut.

Johnstone gets in close and instigates a clinch.
Sato tries to pull guard but Johnstone holds him up against the ropes and eventually Sato drops back down to his feet.
Johnstone gets double underhooks to prevent a takedown attempt from Sato.
Johnstone stalling the fight.
Sato is looking for a takedown up against the ropes. Johnstone gets underhooks though and prevents the takedown attempt.

Johnstone's corner calls for him to break the clinch, which he does.

Johnstone clinches.

Johnstone decides to pull guard.
Sato trying to control but Johnstone is working from the bottom.
Sato stands up and looks to throw the legs aside to pass to side control. Johnstone swivels though and keeps the full guard.

That's three minutes gone in the round.

Johnstone manages to escape and get back to his feet.
Johnstone misses with a double jab.
Johnstone lands a nice looking body shot.
Sato looks gassed!
Johnstone throws a right and a left that Sato avoids nicely.

Johnstone drives through and clinches with Sato against the ropes.

Johnstone manages to pull guard. Let's see whether he can land a sub off his back.
Johnstone might be looking to lock onto one of his opponent's long limbs for a submission, whilst we're on the ground.

Johnstone is edging up against the ropes. He's using the ropes to get back to his feet. Nice work there - the fighters are clinched.

Johnstone breaks the clinch and we return to the middle of the mat.
Johnstone tries to score with a low kick but Sato moves his leg out of the way.
Sato checks the leg kick.
No joy there for Sato, who threw a few shots but didn't land.

That's four minutes gone in the round.
Sato showing good head movement there, avoiding the strikes from Johnstone.
Sato tries to clinch
and Johnstone counters with a one-two to the body.
A really sloppy takedown attempt there from Sato.

Johnstone has taken the fight to the clinch.
A real battle for position is taking place between these two warriors.
Sato goes for a takedown attempt but Johnstone pushes him away and we're back to fighting at a distance.
Sato avoids a punch combination nicely.
Johnstone misses with a combination

and Sato counters with a takedown into side control.
This is a great period of action - very entertaining stuff!
The crowd applaud the fighters efforts here as the round comes to an end.
Johnstone is trying to control Sato's posture but Sato avoids it.
The fighters are starting to perspire pretty heavily.
Johnstone stops Sato from passing to mount.
And that’s the end of the round – the fighters go back to their corners.

Jimmy Johnstone dominated that round.
The cut man is working on Rumina Sato's cut.
The referee calls time. The cornermen exit stage left and we're back to business.

Johnstone tries to land a leg kick but Sato saw it coming and moves away.
Good work by Sato as he checks the leg kick.
Johnstone falls off balance throwing a combination

and Sato counters with a driving takedown into guard. Nice work there by Sato.
Sato won't allow Johnstone to sweep him here.
Sato pressing down on his opponent's thigh, looking to pass guard. Johnstone is keeping the position for now.
Johnstone is controlling Sato's posture.
Sato looking to sit in guard and control but Johnstone gets the butterfly guard and sweeps. He's now in the guard on the top.

Sato looking for a guillotine here but Johnstone defends easily.
Sato is breathing heavily.

That's one minute gone in the round.

Sato had isolated an arm as going for an omaplata. Johnstone is defending the submission well but is in a very vulnerable position. Sato Is leaning forward trying to finish the omaplata but decides to abandon it, and take Johnstone's back instead.
Johnstone trying to control the position but Sato manages to sink in the hooks.

Johnstone fending off the submission attempt from Sato.
Johnstone is trying to stand back up.

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.
Sato keeps control of the position as Johnstone tries to break free.
Sato is throwing strikes by Johnstone counters by rolling into a better position. After a scramble, Johnstone regains half guard.
Sato is trying to advance to mount but he's lost his balance and Johnstone reverses the position - he's now on top in Sato's guard.

Johnstone stands up and waves to Sato to follow him.

That's three minutes gone in the round.
A punch combination from Johnstone misses.
Johnstone misses with a series of wild punches.
Johnstone throws a series of strikes that have Sato backpedaling.
Johnstone's corner calls for a 1,2 combination and Johnstone duly obliges.
Jimmy Johnstone is looking to throw some combinations by the looks of things.
Johnstone throws a combination that misses
and Sato counters with a series of strikes. Johnstone will be more careful next time no doubt.

Sato shoots in and gets a takedown into half guard. Sato showed some decent athleticism there.
Sato is trying to advance to mount but he's lost his balance and Johnstone reverses the position - he's now on top in Sato's guard.
Sato tries to land a sweep but no joy.

That's four minutes gone in the round.

Sato has his foot on Johnstone's thigh. He's trying to push off and get in position for a triangle, I think. Johnstone works his way back into a safe position though.
Johnstone tries to stand but Sato is controlling from the bottom.
Sato being controlled here, momentarily.
Johnstone prevents Sato from getting back to his feet.
Johnstone 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.
Sato looking to sweep using the butterfly guard but Johnstone puts pay to that idea as he passes nicely into half guard.
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 Jimmy Johnstone will probably get the nod.
The cut man is working on Rumina Sato's cut.
That's time! Johnstone's corner gives him a slap on the ass as he gets ready to fight. Let's hear some noise people - this is the final round!

Nice shot lands for Johnstone.
Johnstone throws a series of punches but Sato moves out of range.
Sato misses with a takedown attempt
and Johnstone counters with a lovely straight right hand!
Sato looks frustrated there after his takedown attempt is stuffed easily.

Johnstone shoots in for a takedown and gets it.

Johnstone postures up and decides to stand up, from the half guard. The ref calls for Sato to stand up.
A combination from Johnstone does no damage.

Johnstone shoots in and gets a takedown into half guard. Johnstone showed some decent athleticism there.
Sato tries to regain full guard. Instead though, Johnstone has advanced to mount. Uh oh.
Both fighters are breathing heavily.

That's one minute gone in the round.
Sato is just holding on here. Johnstone manages to take his back.

Johnstone tightening his grip on Sato, looking for the choke.
I really don't envy Sato right now.
The fighters are tangled up in the ropes here. We might need a restart if the fighters can't break free themselves.

That's two minutes gone in the round.
The crowd are showing their displeasure at the lack of action as loud boos ring out around the arena.
Johnstone has his opponent trapped and is landing shots. Not a good position for Sato.
Johnstone controls the position.
Johnstone controlling well, preventing Sato from escaping the position.

Sato defends a rear naked choke attempt by controlling one of Johnstone's arms.
Johnstone looking to hold on to the position here but Sato rolls and ends up regaining guard.

Sato is looking for a triangle but Johnstone pushes his legs off easily.
Johnstone looking to control the position here, rather than advance.
Johnstone pushes down on Sato's leg and manages to get into half guard.

That's three minutes gone in the round.
Sato is looking to regain full guard. Not this time though.
Sato is working for an escape here. He's hooked one of Johnstone's legs and he's managed to sneak out and take Johnstone's back!

Sato looking to break Johnstone's wrist control so he can sink in the choke. Johnstone remaining controlled and patient though - he really has to keep calm otherwise Sato will wrap this one up with the rear naked choke!

Johnstone is trying escape back to his feet. He turns into his opponent's guard and eventually finds his way back to his feet.
Jimmy Johnstone seems to be the more aggressive standup fighter in this bout.
Johnstone throws a combination but it was largely blocked by Sato.
Johnstone swings wildly with a couple of big hooks

and Sato counters with a nice shoot takedown that brings the fighters to the ground.

That's four minutes gone in the round.
Sato wants to control from the top but Johnstone keeps moving.
Johnstone wants to get back to his feet but Sato is in a dominant position and won't allow it.
Jimmy Johnstone is fighting for a decision here - he's started to take the cautious approach.
Johnstone preventing the ground and pound from doing any damage.
Sato trying to move into half guard but instead Johnstone has managed to sweep!
Rumina Sato has stepped it up - he knows he needs a finish here!
Johnstone is intent on slowing down the pace of the fight, simply looking to control.
Sato is trying to control the position from the bottom.
Sato 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.

And that's the end of the fight!
Jimmy Johnstone showed his dominance in that final round.
Well Johnstone has outscored his opponent in every aspect of the fight today. Only a scarily incompetent judge or two will keep him from a well deserved win... 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 Ren Mimura scores the fight 30:27
Judge Shigeki Sano scores the fight 30:27
Judge Yuuki Gou scores the fight 30:27

In favor of your winner, by unanimous decision... Jimmy Johnstone!