PBP Commentary

Coming up we have a lightweight MMA rules bout between Shoju Bayushi (ranked 1046 p4p, 120 weight class) and DeMario Valdez (ranked 919 p4p, 108 weight class). Bayushi comes to the cage accompanied by Scorpions - Always Somewhere. Valdez comes into a darkened arena with his song building. Era - Ameno kicks in, the lights come on and the crowd goes wild! What a showman! Over to our ring announcer for the fighter introductions!

Bayushi
vs
Valdez

173 cm
23
163 lbs
4 - 1 - 0

180 cm
23
162 lbs
9 - 4 - 1

Good wrestling
Excellent boxer
KO power

Good wrestler
World class boxer
Granite chin

Urban Fighter

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 4 - 1 - 0, fighting out of Tokyo, Shoju Bayushi!
And introducing the fighter to my right, fighting out of the blue corner.
With a record of 9 - 4 - 1, fighting out of Sydney, DeMario Valdez!
The judges for this bout are Don Winkell, Frank Antenori and Jack Bonds.

The bell rings for round one and we are underway!
A telegraphed right hand from Valdez misses the target.
Valdez stuffs the takedown.
Bayushi lands with a hook. Valdez tried to avoid it but it clipped the top of his head.
Valdez misses with an uppercut. Bayushi saw that one coming.
Valdez bobs and weaves well there to avoid the strikes.
Bayushi cracks Valdez with a hook to the jaw. Both fighters smile at eachother and high-five before getting back down to business.

It looks like DeMario Valdez has been cut.
Bayushi thows a left - swing and a miss!
Valdez moves out of range as Bayushi strikes.
Valdez's hands are dropping dangerously low here and Bayushi connects clean with a right hook that sends him down to one knee! Valdez scrambles back to his feet.
Bayushi swings and misses with a hook to the body.
We've had a slow start to the round here - hopefully the action picks up.
Bayushi tries to clinch but is not successful on this occasion.
Valdez looks to score with a jab to the body but Bayushi is just out of range.
Bayushi swung with a counter right hand that didn't connect.
Bayushi looks frustrated there after his takedown attempt is stuffed easily.
Bayushi has been working on his boxing with his coaches at Rokugan in the buildup to the fight.

That's one minute gone in the round.
Valdez misses with a wild body shot.
Bayushi on the wrong end of a vicious looking body shot.
Bayushi ducks under a wild hook from Valdez.
A little feinted left hand from Bayushi on the counter but he doesn't commit to it.
Bayushi tries to close the distance and clinch up against the cage but Valdez paws at him with a jab and circles away.
As Bayushi backs off Valdez throws a huge counter combo but Bayushi manages to avoid it all.
Bayushi moves his head to the side to avoid a jab but walks straight into a cross.
Valdez throws out a powerful jab.
Valdez swats away the attempt to clinch by Bayushi.
Valdez fakes a head punch and goes low to the body. Nicely done.
Valdez misses with a few strikes there.
DeMario Valdez is looking to keep the fight on the feet at all costs.
Valdez takes a hook to the side of the head. I wonder if that's got his ears ringing.
Bayushi misses with a wild body shot.

That's two minutes gone in the round.
Bayushi jabbing away but nothing is landing.
Valdez looked like he wanted to counter with a punch but didn't throw it.
Valdez throws a couple of head shots and lands with the final one - a decent hook, which struck Bayushi on the side of the head.
This is a great period of action - very entertaining stuff!
Valdez scores with a crisp jab that stopped Bayushi in his tracks.
A jab from Bayushi does it's job there.
Bayushi throws a hard body shot but it just misses.
As Bayushi backs off Valdez throws a huge counter combo but Bayushi manages to avoid it all.
Bayushi tries to clinch but Valdez is having none of it.
Bayushi tries to close the distance and clinch up but Valdez swats him away and circles back towards the center.
Valdez throws a hard body shot but it just misses.
Valdez throws a left and a right that both miss
and Bayushi counters with a lovely straight right hand!
Bayushi lands a slapping body shot.
Valdez pushing out the jab but it's not landing.
Nice uppercut lands for Valdez. That snapped Bayushi's head back.
Bayushi tries to close the distance and clinch up against the cage but Valdez paws at him with a jab and circles away.

That's three minutes gone in the round.
Valdez throws a hard body shot but it just misses.
Bayushi tries to clinch up but Valdez circles away and keeps his distance.
Bayushi takes a shot to the body in his stride.
Bayushi fakes high and shoots in for a takedown but Valdez avoids it really well and circles away.
That's three failed takedown attempts in the round for Shoju Bayushi. That's going to take a lot out of him.
Bayushi misses with an uppercut. Valdez saw that one coming.
Valdez doesn't fully commit to the body shot counter.
Bayushi throws a hard body shot but it just misses.
Bayushi staying out of range there.
A decent looking cross lands there for Valdez.
Bayushi is looking to clinch but Valdez is avoiding it.
A big right from Valdez misses.
Bayushi slips a straight right by Valdez.

That's four minutes gone in the round.
Valdez jabs at Bayushi's body.
Bayushi lands a nice shot that snaps Valdez's head back.
Bayushi tries to clinch up.
Valdez scores with a nice strike.

Bayushi is rocked!
Valdez closes the distance and lands a vicious right hand that drops Bayushi! Valdez dives in looking to finish! Bayushi is still trying to defend himself but he's taking too many shots and the referee has no choice but to stop the fight!

Ladies and gentlemen, after 4:26 of round 1, we have a winner by way of TKO (Strikes). DeMario Valdez!
After the fight, DeMario Valdez was humble in paying tribute to his opponent but made it clear he wants to go on to bigger and better things. It seemed to go down well with the crowd who cheered him loudly.
Shoju Bayushi spoke after the fight, saying 'The biggest thing I learned from losing? Winning is better.'.