PBP Commentary

Coming up we have a lightweight MMA rules bout between Hatori Hanzo (ranked 2862 p4p, 317 weight class) and Masa Funaki (ranked 3032 p4p, 337 weight class). Hatori Hanzo has the edge in experience - let's see if he can make that count tonight.

Hanzo
vs
Funaki

177 cm
20
163 lbs
2 - 0 - 0

180 cm
19
159 lbs
1 - 0 - 0

BJJ White Belt
Great elbows
Cardio machine

BJJ Blue Belt
Good kicks
Solid 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 2 - 0 - 0, fighting out of Amsterdam, Hatori Hanzo!
And introducing the fighter to my right, fighting out of the blue corner.
With a record of 1 - 0 - 0, fighting out of St Petersburg, Masa Funaki!
The judges for this bout are Richard Clark, Sam Margolis and Andrew Berry.

The bell rings for round one and we are underway!
Funaki misses the shot to the body.
Hanzo does a little shimmy and throws a leg kick. The leg kick missed by a considerable margin though, making him look a little bit silly for doing the shimmy.
Hatori Hanzo seems to be the more aggressive standup fighter in this bout.
Hanzo looks to score with a jab to the body but Funaki is just out of range.
Hanzo misses the shot to the body.
A little jabbing left from Funaki on the counter but it doesn't find it's target.
Hanzo just misses with a punch to the body.
Funaki blocks the body kick.
Hanzo throws a head kick that misses.
We've had a slow start to the round here - hopefully the action picks up.
Hanzo tries to clinch but Funaki moves away
and Funaki counters with a nice uppercut.
Hanzo tried to score with a low kick but Funaki checks it.
Hanzo gets off balance looking for a body kick
and Funaki connects with a straight left hand counter down the middle.

Hanzo closes the distance and clinches.

That's one minute gone in the round.
Funaki working hard to break the clinch.
Funaki blocks a knee to the body. He'll have a nicely bruised forearm in the morning.
Funaki can't break the clinch.
Hanzo tries a body shot but Funaki blocks it.
Funaki has had enough of the clinch but Hanzo keeps him there for the moment.
Hanzo digs a right hand into Funaki's ribs. Those have got to be taking their toll on Funaki's gas tank.
Funaki is looking to break free of the clinch but Hanzo has double underhooks.
Hanzo is looking to score with knees to the body. Maybe he'll change it up and go body then head. Funaki is defending well for now.
Hanzo misses with a knee strike.
Funaki just leaning against Hanzo, taking a breather.
Funaki wants to break the clinch but can't.
Funaki blocks a body shot from Hanzo.
Funaki takes an elbow to the forehead.

It looks like Masa Funaki has been cut.
Hanzo misses with a knee strike.

That's two minutes gone in the round.
Funaki is trying to break free.
Hanzo tries a knee to the head but Funaki blocks it.
Hanzo can't find room to land a body shot as Funaki controls the action.
Hanzo looking to throw knees to the head but Funaki is blocking nicely.
Funaki has had enough of the clinch and is looking to separate.
Hanzo tries a knee to the head but Funaki blocks it.
Hanzo scores with a knee to the head.
Hanzo scores a nice knee to the body.
Hanzo struggles to land a body shot inside as Funaki controls his hands.
Funaki wants to push off and get back to the center of the mat but Hanzo has him pressed against the cage.
Funaki has been looking to improve his clinch game in recent weeks. Hanzo seems to have the measure of him in the clinch so far, so let's see if Funaki can turn it around.
Funaki letting Hanzo take a breather here.
Hanzo throws an elbow but it misses.
Good anti-grappling being displayed by Funaki as Hanzo tries to tie him up.

That's three minutes gone in the round.
Hanzo throws a vicious knee straight up the middle but Funaki blocks it with crossed arms.
Hanzo with an attempt at a knee that misses.
Funaki has had enough of the clinch and is looking to separate.
The pace slowing considerably in the clinch, as Hanzo takes a break from that fighting nonsense to think about the finer things in life.
Hanzo tries to land a knee to the head but Funaki blocks with his arms.
Funaki holding his opponent close, against the cage.
Hanzo dictating the pace here, as the fighters clinch against the cage.
Hanzo looks to throw an elbow but misses.
Hanzo lands a body shot in the clinch.
Hanzo keeps the fight in the clinch, despite Funaki's efforts to push away.

That's four minutes gone in the round.
Funaki taking a breather.
A knee to the head by Hanzo.
Hanzo throws an elbow but it misses.
Funaki has had enough of the clinch and is looking to separate.
Funaki on the defensive, avoiding the knees to the body.
Hanzo with an attempt at a knee that misses.
Hanzo throws a knee to the head but misses.
Funaki is trying to force a seperation but Hanzo has the dominant position.
Funaki is looking to break free of the clinch but Hanzo has double underhooks.
The crowd thankful this round is nearly over.
Hanzo using the Thai plumb to throw knees but Funaki has his back arched nicely, preventing the strike.
Hanzo using the Thai plumb to throw knees but Funaki has his back arched nicely, preventing the strike.
Good body shot from Hanzo.
Hanzo lands a knee to the head.
And that’s the end of the round – the fighters go back to their corners.

Hatori Hanzo dominated that round.
The cut man is working on Masa Funaki's cut.
The corners get their ten second warning. Both fighters stand from their stools and stare eachother down, ready to get back to the action.

Hanzo looks to land a body kick but Funaki moved away.
Hanzo moving in and out of range nicely, whilst landing the scoring shot.
Funaki avoids a kick to the body.
Funaki was about to counter that last move with a leg kick but changes his mind.
Hanzo takes a swing at Funaki's ribcage but misses.
Funaki takes a punch right to his stomach. That took the wind out of him momentarily.
Hanzo tries to clinch up against the cage, rushing in to close the distance. Funaki manages to break the clinch and circles back to the middle of the mat.
A little jabbing left from Funaki on the counter but it doesn't find it's target.

Hanzo clinches up with Funaki and pushes him back against the cage.
We've had a slow start to the round here - hopefully the action picks up.
Hanzo prevents Funaki from breaking the clinch.
Funaki blocks a body shot from Hanzo.

Funaki breaks the clinch and we're back to striking at distance.
Hanzo is looking to clinch but Funaki is avoiding it.
Hanzo looks to have improved his striking defense since last time we saw him fight.
We are yet to see a takedown attempt from Funaki in the fight. On paper you would think he is the more dominant ground fighter so let's see if these unusual tactics pay off.

That's one minute gone in the round.

Hanzo closes the distance and clinches.
Funaki is trying to break free.
Hanzo misses with an elbow over the top.
Hanzo is really dominating this fight. Is there anything that Funaki can do to turn this around?
Hanzo keeps the fight in the clinch, despite Funaki's efforts to push away.
Funaki wants to break free but Hanzo has control.
Funaki is trying to force a seperation but Hanzo has the dominant position.
Hanzo misses with a shot to the kidneys.
Hanzo tries a knee to the head but Funaki blocks it.
Funaki tries to break the clinch but Hanzo is controlling the position.
Funaki managing to block the knees to the body from Hanzo.
Hanzo tries to stall but Funaki uses the opportunity to gain a better position.
Hanzo throws an elbow but it's blocked.

That's two minutes gone in the round.
Nice elbow from Hanzo.
Hanzo tries to work over Funaki's body with a swooping hook but it only glances the target.
Hanzo is struggling to control the position.
Hanzo looks to throw an elbow but misses.
Hanzo misses the knee to the body. Nice hip positioning from Funaki.
Funaki wants to break free. God knows he wants to breaaaak freeee.
Hanzo landing some nice looking knees to the body.
Hanzo tries a knee to the head but he's missed.
Funaki has had enough of the clinch but Hanzo keeps him there for the moment.
Funaki is trying to break free.
Funaki stalling.
Funaki is trying to break free.
Hanzo taking a breather.

That's three minutes gone in the round.
Hanzo lands a knee to the head.
Funaki takes a knee right on the jaw!
Funaki managing to block the knees to the body from Hanzo.
Hanzo looking to throw knees to the head but Funaki is blocking nicely.
Funaki wants to get back to striking at distance but Hanzo won't allow it.
Hanzo stalling the fight.
With the fighters up against the cage, Hanzo throws an elbow but misses.
Hanzo tries to work over Funaki's body with a swooping hook but it only glances the target.
Hanzo is looking to control Funaki's arms but Funaki gets an underhook and turns him. Now Hanzo has his back to the cage.
Hanzo lands an elbow just above Funaki 's eye.

That has opened up Masa Funaki's cut even more.
Funaki effectively controlling the action here.
Hanzo being controlled against the cage.

That's four minutes gone in the round.
Hanzo looking to throw knees to the head but Funaki is blocking nicely.
Funaki is trying to break the clinch but Hanzo is controlling him.
Funaki takes a knee right on the jaw!
Hanzo creates a bit of space for himself and sneaks an elbow through Funaki's defenses.
A nice glancing elbow lands by Hanzo.
This is a great period of action - very entertaining stuff!
Hanzo tries a body shot but Funaki blocks it.
Hanzo has Funaki pressed against the cage, preventing Funaki from circling away and getting back to striking at range.
Hanzo lands a knee to the body.
The crowd thankful this round is nearly over.
Funaki's corner are urging him to control the action in the clinch for a moment, rather than mount any serious offense. I'm sure the crowd appreciate those instructions... not.
Hanzo with a knee to the head.
And that’s the end of the round – the fighters go back to their corners.

Hatori Hanzo dominated that second round.
The cut man is working on Masa Funaki's cut.
The fighters' corners scream their final instructions, as the referee calls time. Here we go, back to the action! The crowd applaud as we get ready to start the final round!

Hanzo comes forward and lands a shot to the body, then darts back out of range.
Funaki avoids the body shot from Hanzo.
Funaki now looks to counter with a shot at the body.
Hanzo ducks down and throws a hook to the body but Funaki moves away.
Hanzo throws a hook to the body but it doesn't connect.
Funaki throws a body punch but Hanzo moves out of range.
Hanzo swings for the body but Funaki moves out of range.
A low kick from Hanzo is predictable there
and Funaki counters with a nice uppercut.
We've had a slow start to the round here - hopefully the action picks up.

Hanzo moves into the clinch.
Funaki can't break the clinch.
Both guys are working to get underhooks.

That's one minute gone in the round.
Funaki dodges an elbow strike from Hanzo.
Hanzo dictating the pace here, as the fighters clinch against the cage.
Funaki is trying to work out of this bad position, with his back against the cage.
Hanzo goes for a body shot but it's blocked.
Hanzo is looking to control Funaki's arms but Funaki gets an underhook and turns him. Now Hanzo has his back to the cage.
Hanzo lands a nice elbow from the clinch.
Hanzo works for underhooks and lands a body shot in the process.
Hanzo is pushing Funaki up against the cage, for a bit of lean and pray action. Action being used the in the loosest possible sense of the word.
Hanzo landing knees to the head.

The cut above Masa Funaki's eye is starting to cause him problems now.
Hanzo is trying to stall.

That's two minutes gone in the round.
Hanzo stalling here - the referee won't stand for too much of that.
Funaki wants to push off and get back to the center of the mat but Hanzo has him pressed against the cage.
Funaki looks like he'd prefer to be striking at range right now.
Hanzo with an attempt at a knee that misses.
Hanzo tries a body shot but Funaki blocks it.
Hanzo tries to stall but Funaki uses the opportunity to gain a better position.
Hanzo scores with a hook to the body.
Funaki is trying to push Hanzo away but Hanzo has him pressed against the cage, so he's going nowhere.
Hanzo missing with knees to the body.
Hanzo tries a knee to the head but Funaki blocks it.
Funaki tries to break the clinch but Hanzo is controlling the position.
Hatori Hanzo has scored more points in the clinch so far.

That's three minutes gone in the round.
Hanzo looking to stall.
Funaki taking a break, stalling in the clinch.
Hanzo keeps control of Funaki as he tries to wriggle out of the double underhooks.
Masa Funaki has stepped it up - he knows he needs a finish here!
Hanzo creates a bit of distance and throws an elbow that only just misses.
Funaki on the defensive, avoiding the knees to the body.
Hanzo using the Thai plumb to throw knees but Funaki has his back arched nicely, preventing the strike.
Hanzo tries to land a knee to the head but misses.
Hanzo keeps the fight in the clinch, despite Funaki's efforts to push away.
Funaki wants to break free but Hanzo has control.
Funaki prevents a body shot from Hanzo.
Funaki wants to get back to striking at distance but Hanzo won't allow it.
Hanzo scores with a knee to the head.

That's four minutes gone in the round.
Hanzo tries to land a knee to the head but Funaki blocks with his arms.
Funaki is trying to break the clinch but Hanzo has him pressed against the cage.
Funaki takes an elbow to the temple.
Hanzo tries to land a knee to the head but Funaki blocks with his arms.
Good anti-grappling being displayed by Funaki as Hanzo tries to tie him up.
Hanzo misses the knee to the body. Nice hip positioning from Funaki.
Hanzo lands an elbow just above Funaki 's eye.

Masa Funaki's cut is absolute horrible now. This looks like something out of a horror film with blood covering both fighters.

The referee calls the doctor in to look at Masa Funaki's cut. Oh no, the doctor has called an end to the bout!

Ladies and gentlemen, after 4:47 of round 3, we have a winner by way of TKO (Cut). Hatori Hanzo!