PBP Commentary

Coming up we have a middleweight MMA rules bout between Mitch Malone (ranked 1540 p4p, 1297 weight class) and Kotaro Kikuta (ranked 194 p4p, 166 weight class). Both these guys have solid standup skills and neither is particularly fantastic on the ground, so let's hope for a nice standup war!

Malone
vs
Kikuta

189 cm
23
189
7 - 3 - 0

183 cm
21
200
5 - 4 - 0

Decent wrestler
Lethal high kicks
Insanely flexible

BJJ Blue Belt
Great elbows
Good gas tank

Urban Fighter
Brooklyn Apothecary

Ladies and gentlemen. This fight is 3 rounds, in the middleweight division.
Introducing the fighter to my left, fighting out of the red corner.
With a record of 7 - 3 - 0, fighting out of Las Vegas, Mitch Malone!
And introducing the fighter to my right, fighting out of the blue corner.
With a record of 5 - 4 - 0, fighting out of Tokyo, Kotaro Kikuta!
The judges for this bout are Albert Achterberg, Paul Aken and Nard Betker.

The bell rings for round one and we are underway!
Kikuta falls off balance throwing a combination
and he gets countered with a snapping leg kick.
Kikuta throws a jab but it's blocked by Malone.
Kikuta misses with the combination.
Kikuta misses with a looping left.
And Malone counters with a quick kick to the body but Kikuta blocks it.
Kikuta scores with a slapping inside leg kick.
Malone on the wrong end of a decent looking cross there.
Malone looks to have improved his striking defense since last time we saw him fight.
Malone ducks under a wild hook from Kikuta.
Kikuta moves into range and connects with a jab.
Kikuta looks more muscular than last time we saw him. He must have been on the weights.
Kikuta throws a big shot that misses.
We've had a slow start to the round here - hopefully the action picks up.
Kikuta throws a monster uppercut resembling something out of street fighter but it doesn't land.
It looked like Malone was trying to counter with a body shot coming off that last attack from Kikuta.
Malone looking to take his opponent's legs away with the low kicks.
and Kikuta counters with a massive uppercut that badly hurts Malone! He's just covering up as Kikuta starts to tee off till the referee steps in and stops the fight!

Ladies and gentlemen, after 0:54 of round 1, we have a winner by way of TKO (Strikes). Kotaro Kikuta!
Kotaro Kikuta decided to go for the less than humble approach in his post fight interview, telling everyone how he is going to conquer the world. The crowd seemed to like it when really that sort of approach could have gone either way.