PBP Commentary

Coming up we have a lightweight MMA rules bout between Augustus Long (ranked 24600 p4p, 0 weight class) and Hiro Nakamura (ranked 3719 p4p, 0 weight class). Hiro Nakamura will no doubt be trying to keep this one on the feet, where he has a distinct advantage.

Long
vs
Nakamura

201 cm
24
162 lbs
0 - 3 - 0

178 cm
25
154 lbs
1 - 0 - 1

BJJ Blue Belt
Counter fighter
Cuts easily

BJJ Blue Belt
Solid Muay Thai
Prefers standup

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 0 - 3 - 0, fighting out of Tokyo, Augustus Long!
And introducing the fighter to my right, fighting out of the blue corner.
With a record of 1 - 0 - 1, fighting out of Tokyo, Hiro Nakamura!
The judges for this bout are Hirohito Nitta, Yukihiro Yamamoto and Yasuomi Hirokawa.

The bell rings for round one and we are underway!

Long shoots in and scores a nice double leg takedown into half guard.
Nakamura tries to push off, looking to stand up, but Long manages to move to mount!
Nakamura is looking to get to half guard.

Long is standing up, even though he is in mount.
Nakamura throws a one two combo.
Nakamura looks winded!
Long showing good head movement there, avoiding the strikes from Nakamura.

Nakamura has closed the distance and engaged Long in a clinch.

That's one minute gone in the round.

Long's corner calls for him to break the clinch, which he does.
Nakamura misses with a kick to the body

so Long counters with a double leg into guard. Good agility.
Long controlling from the guard. I say controlling but really, he's stalling.

Long gets to his feet and steps away from his opponent.
Nakamura looks to land a combination but Long avoids it well.
Long fails with a takedown attempt.
Nakamura throws a series of punches but Long avoids them all with ease.
Nakamura avoids a kick to the body.
Long throws a head kick that Nakamura semi-blocks.

That's two minutes gone in the round.

Long feints and as Nakamura raises his hands in defense, Long changes levels and drives through with a takedown into guard.
Fantastic stuff here - a very entertaining period of action, which has drawn cheers from the crowd.
Long is stalling in the full guard.
Long wants to stand but Nakamura has a closed guard, so he can't escape.
Long will need to keep those long limbs tucked in whilst he's on the ground, to prevent any submissions.
Nakamura has momentary wrist control but Long slips an elbow through the middle.
Long controls from within his opponent's guard.

That's three minutes gone in the round.

Long gets to his feet. Nakamura looking to butt scoot but the ref puts an end to that. On your feet son!
Long shoots in for a takedown but Nakamura shows good takedown defense.
As Long backs off Nakamura throws a huge counter combo but Long manages to avoid it all.
Hiro Nakamura is looking to keep the fight on the feet at all costs.
Long throws a two punch combo that lands nicely.
Long pulls out of a head kick attempt.
Nakamura throws a wild combination but nothing lands.
Long tries to counter by moving into the clinch but Nakamura manages to circle out of the way.

Long changes levels and drives through with a really nice takedown into side control. Nakamura looks really pissed at himself for not defending that better.
Nakamura tries to work a leg under to get back to half guard but Long wriggles his own leg back out and remains in side control.

Long decides to stand back up.

Long looking to score a takedown here. Nakamura is defending well but Long drives through and ends up in Nakamura's guard.
Nakamura is looking to stand back up but Long counters by passing into half guard. Oops... bit sloppy there by Nakamura.

That's four minutes gone in the round.
Wooooo! Give it up for these two warriors! They are putting on a show!

Nakamura is trying to stand.

Long decides he's had enough of the ground and stands up.
Long moves out of range of the body kick.
Long is looking to counter the offense by Nakamura and move into the clinch.

Long closes the distance and clinches.

Long manages to break the clinch.
Long misses with a half-hearted attempt at a head kick.
Long is looking to clinch but Nakamura is avoiding it.

Nakamura rushes Long and pushes him back against the cage in a clinch.
Long displaying some good clinch control by pressing Nakamura up against the cage.
And that’s the end of the round – the fighters go back to their corners.

Augustus Long dominated that round.
Well, the break between rounds is over. Let's get back to the scrappin!

Nakamura has Long up against the cage in a clinch.
Long with the Thai clinch. He's looking to land a big knee but he's not managed it this time.
Long effectively controlling the action here.
Nakamura is looking to break free of the clinch but Long has double underhooks.
Long has Nakamura pushed against the cage.
Long really does look like a pencil wearing a pair of gloves. Let's hope he has a gameplan to suit that ridiculous body shape.
We've had a slow start to the round here - hopefully the action picks up.
Long misses with a punch on the inside.
Long tries to break the clinch but Nakamura is controlling the position.
Nakamura is breathing heavily.

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

That's one minute gone in the round.
Nakamura walks forward and throws out a flicking leg kick. Long checks it nicely though, as he moves to the side.
Hiro Nakamura seems to be the more aggressive standup fighter in this bout.

Long shoots in for a takedown and gets it.

Long is looking for a kimura here.
Long prevents Nakamura from improving his position.
Nakamura keeps trying to improve his position.

That's two minutes gone in the round.
Long tries to stand and escape but Nakamura is controlling the position.
Long looks over to his corner - he wants some instructions but his corner are not responding.
Augustus Long overall seems to be getting the better of the ground position in the fight so far.

Long stands up out of the half guard.
Nakamura fails to land with the punch combination there - jab, cross, hook, miss, miss, miss.
Long tries to counter by moving into the clinch but Nakamura manages to circle out of the way.
Long shoots in for a takedown - he's clinched up with Nakamura but Nakamura pushes him off and we're back to square one.

Long gets in close and instigates a clinch.

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

That's three minutes gone in the round.
Nakamura misses with a body kick.

Long shoots in and bounces Nakamura off the cage to secure the takedown into guard.
Nakamura is looking to stand back up but Long counters by passing into half guard. Oops... bit sloppy there by Nakamura.

Nakamura trying to control here.
Long tries to stand but can't do so whilst Nakamura controls his leg.

Long seems to be looking for submissions.

That's four minutes gone in the round.
Long is taking a breather. Nakamura says something to him but it's hard to make out. Perhaps he's telling him to get on with it and actually do something.

Long seems to be looking for submissions.

Long decides to stand up and try his luck on the feet.
Boooooooooooooooooooo!!! God, this has been a terrible round. Come on you two, sort yourselves out!
Long tries a switch kick but it misses it's target.
Long misses with a body kick.

Long shoots in for a takedown and gets it. Let's see what he's got on the mat.
And that’s the end of the round – the fighters go back to their corners.

Augustus Long dominated that second round.
The minute break is over - no more time for sponges and pep talks - back to the action! The crowd applaud as we get ready to start the final round!

Nakamura keeps the fight standing with a nice sprawl.

Nakamura fakes with an overhand right and moves in to clinch with Long, pushing him back against the cage.
Long is really dominating this fight. Is there anything that Nakamura can do to turn this around?
Nakamura has Long pressed against the cage, preventing Long from circling away and getting back to striking at range.
Nakamura has Long pressed against the cage, preventing Long from circling away and getting back to striking at range.
Nakamura is trying to break the clinch but Long is controlling him.
Nakamura has Long pressed against the cage, preventing Long from circling away and getting back to striking at range.
Nakamura is looking to break free of the clinch but Long has double underhooks.
We've had a slow start to the round here - hopefully the action picks up.
Long using the Thai plumb to throw knees but Nakamura has his back arched nicely, preventing the strike.
The referee calls for Long to work.
Nakamura takes a big intake of breath there - he's definitely tired.
Long creates a bit of distance and throws an elbow that only just misses.

That's one minute gone in the round.
Long pushes off an throws an elbow but Nakamura leans to the side and avoids it. We're back to clinching against the cage.
Nakamura blocks the elbow strike.
Long will no doubt start fighting again in a minute but for now he's just having a little rest, leaning Nakamura up against the cage.
Long misses with an elbow strike.
Long tries to land a knee to the body but he is off balance and Nakamura avoids it.
Long misses with an elbow strike.
Nakamura has Long pressed against the cage, preventing Long from circling away and getting back to striking at range.
Long prevents Nakamura from breaking the clinch.

Nakamura pushes off and circles away, back to the middle of the mat.
Long throws a head kick that misses.
Nakamura is looking for the big counter here.

That's two minutes gone in the round.
Nakamura misses with a series of wild punches.
Nakamura throws a series of punches but Long moves out of range.
Long tries to close the distance and clinch but Nakamura swats him to one side with an open hand palm strike and circles away.
Long shoots in for a takedown. "Ole!" shouts Nakamura as he jumps to the side.

Long closes the distance and presses his opponent up against the cage.
Long has had enough of the clinch and is looking to separate.
Long fails to land with a short punch on the inside.
Long working aggressively here.

That's three minutes gone in the round.
Nakamura blocks the elbow strike.

Long breaks from the clinch.
A low kick from Nakamura misses
and Long counters with a three punch combination, finished off with a leg kick. Nice work.

Nakamura rushes Long and presses him up against the cage.
Augustus Long has scored more points in the clinch so far.
Long wants to strike at distance but he can't break free of the clinch.
Long misses with a hook to the ribs.
The pace really dropping off here, momentarily.
Some stalling of biblical proportions here from Long.
Long seems to have come into the fight with the intention of avoiding any damage in the clinch, rather than actually showing any aggression.

Long breaks from the clinch.
Long shoots in and drives through. Nakamura sprawls well.
That's three failed takedown attempts in the round for Augustus Long. That's going to take a lot out of him.

That's four minutes gone in the round.

Nakamura darts in and clinches Long up against the cage.

Nakamura breaks from the clinch.
Nakamura throws a head kick but Long moves out of range.

Long fakes a strike and closes the distance, dragging Nakamura to the ground. Long is now in Nakamura's guard.
Nakamura wants to get back to his feet but he's too absorbed in his own little project and Long manages to pass to side control.
Wooooo! Give it up for these two warriors! They are putting on a show!

Nakamura misses with some strikes from the bottom.
The crowd thankful this round is nearly over.

Long wants to work for an arm triangle but Nakamura is really keeping half guard well and defending the submission attempt.
Hiro Nakamura has stepped it up - he knows he needs a finish here!
Augustus Long is fighting for a decision here - he's started to take the cautious approach.
Nakamura throws a strike from the bottom but Long passes into side control!

And that's the end of the fight!
Augustus Long showed his dominance in that final round.
Well I reckon that's a shut out for Long, winning every round. Will the judges agree? They are the ones who matter, even if they are often depressingly incompetent. 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 Hirohito Nitta scores the fight 30:27
Judge Yukihiro Yamamoto scores the fight 30:27
Judge Yasuomi Hirokawa scores the fight 30:27

In favor of your winner, by unanimous decision... Augustus Long!