PBP Commentary

Coming up we have a lightweight MMA rules bout between Leonardo Nandez (ranked 3714 p4p, 0 weight class) and Tetsuya Umino (ranked 7524 p4p, 0 weight class). These two fighters really are very evenly matched on the feet - it will be fascinating to see who can assert themselves in that aspect of the fight.

Nandez
vs
Umino

178 cm
25
155 lbs
2 - 0 - 0

181 cm
25
155 lbs
0 - 1 - 0

BJJ White Belt
Excellent boxer
Good chin

Decent wrestler
Decent boxing
Heavy handed

ZZ POPS

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 2 - 0 - 0, fighting out of The Island, Leonardo Nandez!
And introducing the fighter to my right, fighting out of the blue corner.
With a record of 0 - 1 - 0, fighting out of The Island, Tetsuya Umino!
The judges for this bout are Peter Branson, Daniel Franklin and Winston Alpacca.

The bell rings for round one and we are underway!
Nandez changes levels and looks for a double leg takedown. Umino tries to avoid it but Nandez manages to keep hold of a leg and drag Umino to the ground. Umino escapes though and pops straight back up to his feet.
Nandez fails with a takedown attempt.
Nandez dives in and grabs Umino's left leg, looking for a takedown. Umino pushes down on Nandez's head and hops out.
Nandez sets himself, and Umino steps forward looking for the clinch! Nandez avoids it this time.
That's three failed takedown attempts in the round for Leonardo Nandez. That's going to take a lot out of him.
Nandez misses with a takedown

and Umino counters into the clinch. Nicely done.
Nandez dodges an elbow strike from Umino.
Umino wants to get back to striking at distance but Nandez won't allow it.
Umino misses with a body punch.
We've had a slow start to the round here - hopefully the action picks up.
Nandez is trying to break the clinch but Umino has him pressed against the cage.
Umino lands a nice looking hook to the body, against the cage.
Umino is pushing Nandez up against the cage, for a bit of lean and pray action. Action being used the in the loosest possible sense of the word.
Umino looking for a takedown.

That's one minute gone in the round.
Umino drops to a knee looking for a takedown but Nandez gets the underhooks and prevents it.
The pace slowing considerably in the clinch, as Umino takes a break from that fighting nonsense to think about the finer things in life.
Umino stalling.
Umino on the defensive, avoiding the knees to the body.
Nandez tries to land knees in the clinch but Umino avoids the damage to the body.
A frustrated look appears on Umino's face as he tries to break the clinch.
Nandez looking to slow down the pace here.
Umino wants to break free. God knows he wants to breaaaak freeee.
Nandez prevents the takedown attempt.
Umino is stalling here.
Good anti-grappling being displayed by Umino as Nandez tries to tie him up.

That's two minutes gone in the round.
The crowd are starting to boo a lack of action.
Umino is struggling to control the position.
Nandez prevents the takedown attempt.
Umino wants a takedown but no success here.
Umino has had enough of the clinch but Nandez keeps him there for the moment.
Nandez is looking for a takedown up against the cage. Umino gets underhooks though and prevents the takedown attempt.

Umino breaks from the clinch.
Umino throws a low kick but his opponent is out of range.
A looping hook to the body misses from Umino. Nandez does a little dance to reset his feet.
Nandez slips a straight right by Umino.

Nandez darts in and clinches Umino up against the cage.
Nandez tries to score a body lock takedown but Umino shows good agility there to stay on his feet.

That's three minutes gone in the round.

Umino successfully pulls guard.
Nandez trying to control but Umino is working from the bottom.
A big thud reverberates around the arena there as Nandez accidentally thumps the mat. Hopefully he's not broken his hand.
Umino really doesn't want to stay on the ground with Nandez. If he can't get it back to his feet, it's only a matter of time before he'll be tapping out.
Umino is trying to control the position from the bottom.
Nandez forces his way into half guard.
We've been informed that Umino has been working hard on his conditioning in the buildup to the fight.
Umino wants to get back to full guard.
Nandez looks towards his corner to check for any instructions. The corner give him nothing to work with, so he cracks Umino with a short hammerfist. I guess that's as good as any advice he could get in this position.

That's four minutes gone in the round.
It looks like Nandez is going to stand back up.
Nandez seems very keen to just sit and control from half guard but Umino does not like that idea so much and is remaining active off his back.

Nandez is looking for a kimura but Umino is holding onto that half guard position, so it's hard for Nandez to get the leverage.
Nandez sitting and controlling from the half guard.
Nandez wants to control but Umino is keeping him busy.
Boooooooooooooooooooo!!! God, this has been a terrible round. Come on you two, sort yourselves out!
Nandez tries to stand but can't do so whilst Umino controls his leg.
Nandez prevents Umino from standing back up.
If this pace continues, the referee will definitely step in and force a standup.
And that’s the end of the round – the fighters go back to their corners.

A close round but Tetsuya Umino will probably get the nod.
The referee calls time. The cornermen exit stage left and we're back to business.

Nandez throws a body kick that misses
and Umino counters with a crisp hook to the side of the head.
Nandez throws a head kick but Umino moves out of range.
Umino doesn't fully commit to the body shot counter.
Nandez shoots for a double leg takedown but Umino sprawls well. He's pushed Nandez's face into the mat and manages to get back to his feet relatively easily.

Umino has taken the fight to the clinch.
Nandez throws an elbow but it misses.
Nandez has Umino pressed up against the cage and is working for takedown. Umino manages to improve position though and keeps the fight standing.
Umino goes for a takedown in the clinch but Nandez prevents it.
Nandez wants to take the fight to the mat but Umino manages to get underhooks and keep the fight in the clinch.
That's three failed takedown attempts in the round for Leonardo Nandez. That's going to take a lot out of him.
We've had a slow start to the round here - hopefully the action picks up.
Umino has Nandez pressed up against the cage and is working for takedown. Nandez manages to improve position though and keeps the fight standing.
Umino is working for a takedown up against the cage. He can't get it on this occasion though.
Nandez is trying to pull guard but Umino turns him against the cage and we stay in the clinch.
Umino tries to circle away but Nandez has him pinned against the cage.
Umino tries to land a shot to the body but it's blocked.

That's one minute gone in the round.
Umino has a body lock and is looking for a takedown. Nandez is bouncing around trying to prevent the takedown and somehow he has indeed managed to stay on his feet.
Umino is trying to break the clinch but Nandez is controlling him.
Umino looks like he'd prefer to be striking at range right now.
Nandez letting Umino take a breather here.
Nandez tries to break the clinch but Umino is controlling the position.
Nandez has a body lock and is looking for a takedown. Umino is bouncing around trying to prevent the takedown and somehow he has indeed managed to stay on his feet.
Umino is looking to take this one to the mat.
Nandez avoiding damage as Umino throws knees to the body.
Umino lands a right hand.
Nice body punch from Umino.
Nandez tries to pull guard but Umino forces him back to his feet, against the cage.
Nandez tries to pull guard but Umino won't allow it.
Nandez is looking to score with knees to the body. Maybe he'll change it up and go body then head. Umino is defending well for now.

Umino breaks the clinch and we return to the middle of the mat.

That's two minutes gone in the round.

Nandez has closed the distance and engaged Umino in a clinch.
Still in the clinch, Umino scores with a nice short uppercut.
Umino tries to land a shot to the body but it's blocked.
Umino tries to circle away but Nandez has him pinned against the cage.
Nandez doesn't land with the attempted body shot.
Umino has Nandez pressed against the cage, preventing Nandez from circling away and getting back to striking at range.
Umino drops to a knee looking for a takedown but Nandez gets the underhooks and prevents it.
Nandez is trying to pull guard but Umino has him pressed against the cage.
Nandez fails to pull guard.
Umino has Nandez pressed against the cage, preventing Nandez from circling away and getting back to striking at range.
Nandez is trying to pull guard but being pressed up against the cage enables Umino to keep the fight standing.
Nandez is pressed up against the cage. Umino has hold of a leg and is looking to drag Nandez down to the mat. Nandez avoids the attempt though and has circled away. We're back to striking at a distance.

That's three minutes gone in the round.
Nandez fails to land the takedown.
Umino dips down and scores with a jab to the body.
Nandez fails with a rather predictable takedown attempt.
Umino doesn't fully commit to the body shot counter.
Nandez shoots and misses
and Umino counters with a nice body shot.
Nandez looks for a takedown here. Will he get it? Umino is fending him off so far but Nandez persists. Nope, Umino circles away and we're back to standing.
Both fighters are absolutely exhausted here.
Umino shoots in for a takedown. "Ole!" shouts Nandez as he jumps to the side.
Umino just manages to avoid a counter high kick fromNandez.

That's four minutes gone in the round.
Nandez tries to score a power double leg takedown but Umino sees that one coming and sprawls well. That will dishearten Nandez somewhat.
Nandez throws a head kick that misses.
Umino fails to land the takedown.
Nandez changes levels and looks for a double leg takedown. Umino tries to avoid it but Nandez manages to keep hold of a leg and drag Umino to the ground. Umino escapes though and pops straight back up to his feet.
Boooooooooooooooooooo!!! God, this has been a terrible round. Come on you two, sort yourselves out!
Nandez throws a head kick that misses
and Umino connects with a straight left hand counter down the middle.
Nandez with a lazy takedown attempt
and Umino counters with a right hand to the body.
Umino stuffs the takedown.
And that’s the end of the round – the fighters go back to their corners.

Tetsuya Umino showed his class in that round. I'd imagine he'll take it on all the scorecards.
That's the end of the round. The referee orders the cornermen out of the cage so we can get back down to business. Let's hear some noise people - this is the final round!

Umino lands with a nice body punch.
Umino throws out a powerful jab.

Nandez instigates a clinch.

Umino gets control of Nandez's arms and successfully pulls guard. Umino will no doubt be looking for submissions off his back.
Umino has been the more effective fighter overall so far.
Nandez passes easily into side control. Nice work.

Nandez working hard here to secure a kimura but he's not really in the right position for it.
The fighters are pressed up against the cage, both looking to find a bit of space to work.
We've had a slow start to the round here - hopefully the action picks up.
Umino wants to control but Nandez postures up.

That's one minute gone in the round.
Umino is putting a lot of effort into getting back to his feet here.
Nandez trying to control the action but Umino is working from the bottom.
Nandez prevents Umino from escaping the position.
Umino striking from the bottom but nothing landed.
The ref warns both fighters not to hold the cage as they work up against the meshing.
Nandez misses with the ground and pound.
Umino tries to improve position but can't.

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.

Nandez is trying to land an Americana. He has the arm isolated but Umino is keeping cool and he's avoided the danger for now.
Nandez wants to lay and pray for a moment but Umino keeps working.
We get told so often about how wrestlers don't like to be on their backs. Let's see if Umino can do anything to dispel that myth.

Nandez decides to take the fight back to the feet.
Umino slips a jab and a cross from Nandez.
Umino feints the counter takedown.
Nandez comes forward and lands a shot to the body, then darts back out of range.
Leonardo Nandez seems to be the more aggressive standup fighter in this bout.
Nandez tries to drive through with a takedown attempt but Umino defends well and Nandez ends up having to push Umino into the cage where they will battle it out in the clinch.

That's three minutes gone in the round.
Umino stuffs the takedown attempt from Nandez. Nandez gets slowly back to his feet.
Both fighters are breathing heavily.
Nandez fails with a takedown attempt.
That's three failed takedown attempts in the round for Leonardo Nandez. That's going to take a lot out of him.

Nandez clinches.
Umino wants to break free but Nandez has control.
Umino is trying to drag Nandez to the mat but Nandez just about manages to keep his footing. He used the cage to his advantage there.
Umino is trying to break the clinch but Nandez has him pressed against the cage.

That's four minutes gone in the round.
Well. There's a bit of a lull in the action here and the crowd are starting to get restless.
Nandez drops down for a takedown but doesn't get it.
Umino looks like he'd prefer to be striking at range right now.
Nandez misses with a short punch on the inside.
Umino changes levels and goes for a takedown here. Nandez fights it off and pushes away nicely.
Nandez has his takedown stuffed
and Umino counters with a straight right hand.
Tetsuya Umino is fighting for a decision - hopefully he's judged it right and he's actually winning the fight.
Boooooooooooooooooooo!!! God, this has been a terrible round. Come on you two, sort yourselves out!
Umino scores with a body shot.
Nandez misses with a takedown attempt

and Umino counters by clinching up.

And that's the end of the fight!
That was a close round. You could make an argument for either fighter but I would give it to Leonardo Nandez.
I think Umino 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 Peter Branson scores the fight 28:29
Judge Daniel Franklin scores the fight 28:29
Judge Winston Alpacca scores the fight 28:29

In favor of your winner, by unanimous decision... Tetsuya Umino!
Tetsuya Umino gave a mention to ZZ POPS in his post fight interview. That will please them (and hopefully generate some sales).