PBP Commentary

Coming up we have a middleweight MMA rules bout between Tanaka Matsuda (ranked 616 p4p, 1084 weight class) and Paulo Blikstein (ranked 81 p4p, 147 weight class). Matsuda comes to the cage accompanied by Avenged Sevenfold - Hail to the King. Both fighters look fresh as a daisy as they make their way towards the cage.

Matsuda
vs
Blikstein

190 cm
23
200
9 - 2 - 0

187 cm
23
200
7 - 3 - 0

Good wrestling
Excellent boxer
Granite chin

Good wrestler
Excellent boxer
Good gas tank

Brooklyn Apothecary

Voodoo Nutrition

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 9 - 2 - 0, fighting out of Montreal, Tanaka Matsuda!
And introducing the fighter to my right, fighting out of the blue corner.
With a record of 7 - 3 - 0, fighting out of Amsterdam, Paulo Blikstein!
The judges for this bout are Damien Edna, Donatello Bradman and Chris Dean.

The bell rings for round one and we are underway!
Blikstein fakes a head punch and goes low to the body. Nicely done.
Blikstein walks into a left hand.
Matsuda throws a poor cross that misses
and Blikstein makes him pay by landing a nice hook to the body before moving out of range.
Matsuda loads up on a big right hand but Blikstein slips the punch.
A jab from Matsuda misses.
Blikstein drops down looking to force a counter takedown but Matsuda defends it well.
Good exchange - Matsuda coming out on top.

Blikstein gets a double leg takedown into Matsuda's guard.
Matsuda trying to control the position.

Matsuda has a loose triangle. He'll be looking to tighten that up but Blikstein can see exactly what he's planning and manages to posture up and free himself.
Blikstein scoring with punches to the head and body.

Matsuda throws his legs up looking for a submission but Blikstein uses it to pass to side control.

That's one minute gone in the round.
Blikstein landing strikes.
In the pre-fight buildup videos we saw Blikstein working his ground and pound in the gym. So far it seems to be working well.
A control attempt from Matsuda but he's now mounted!
Matsuda wants to hold on but Blikstein pushes him away.
Matsuda keeping his composure momentarily, calmly looking to get back to half guard.
Blikstein lands a shot to the body, followed up by a shot to the exposed head of his trapped opponent.
Blikstein trying to control but Matsuda is having none of it.
Matsuda tries to hold on but Blikstein postures up.
Matsuda in a bad spot here, taking shots to the head.
Matsuda working to try and regain half guard.

That's two minutes gone in the round.
Blikstein with shots to the head and body - Matsuda looks very uncomfortable down there.
Matsuda tries to get back to half guard but can't.
Blikstein with shots to the head and body - Matsuda looks very uncomfortable down there.
Blikstein looking to ground and pound his opponent to a finish here.
Blikstein connects with a couple of good shots from mount.
Matsuda gets back to half guard.
The ref warns both fighters not to hold the cage as they work up against the meshing.
This is a great period of action - very entertaining stuff!
Matsuda is trying to defend against the ground and pound but Blikstein scores with a couple of nice shots.
Blikstein scoring with strikes to the body and head.
Nice strikes from Blikstein there.
Blikstein lands a big shot. The thud that echoes around the arena is like music to the fans' ears.
Blikstein winds up and cracks Matsuda with a swinging punch to the side of the head.
Blikstein working over Matsuda with some ground and pound. Matsuda looks like he wants out of this position, which is understandable.
Blikstein throwing shots but Matsuda is blocking nicely.
The referee walks around the fighters to get a better view of the action. Blikstein lands a nice short elbow.

That's three minutes gone in the round.
Blikstein lands with a punch from half guard.

Matsuda is rocked!
The fighters are battling for position here. Matsuda manages to regain full guard. Nice work.
Blikstein is in close to Matsuda's body, working some short punches and elbows.
Blikstein with a couple of shots to the head there. Not particularly brutal.
Blikstein working some strikes from top position.
Blikstein missing there with some ground and pound from the guard.
Blikstein works over Matsuda with some ground and pound from guard.
Matsuda looking to control.

Matsuda escapes his hips to the side and looks to be working for an armbar. Blikstein gives him a little smile and shakes his head. No chance.
Blikstein connects with a couple of short punches.
Blikstein wants to pass the guard but Matsuda is keeping the position.
Blikstein throwing elbows and punches but not connecting, as Matsuda works some decent striking defense from the bottom.

That's four minutes gone in the round.
Matsuda trying to keep a closed guard but Blikstein is proving a slippery customer.
Blikstein lands a couple of digs.
Blikstein is sitting in guard, working some ground and pound.
Blikstein must be cautious of submissions here, given that his opponent has the superior Jiu Jitsu.
Blikstein keeps in close for a moment and lands a decent shot to the side of Matsuda's head.
Blikstein keeps in close for a moment and lands a decent shot to the side of Matsuda's head.
Blikstein stands up over Matsuda, holding his feet. He dives back in and lands a decent shot to the head.
Blikstein distracts Matsuda with his right hand and drops a big elbow with his other arm.
Matsuda trying to keep a closed guard but Blikstein is proving a slippery customer.
Hammerfist, elbow! yells Blikstein's corner. There ya go! There ya go!

Blikstein got a little sloppy there for a moment and Matsuda has worked his way into a loose triangle - can he finish it?! No, Blikstein has managed to get both his arms back between Matsuda's legs - danger averted.

Matsuda looking for submissions from the bottom but instead Blikstein passes into side control.
And that is the end of the round. The fighters go back to their corners.

Paulo Blikstein dominated that round.
The fighters' corners scream their final instructions, as the referee calls time. Here we go, back to the action!

Matsuda swings widly with a right hand
and Blikstein cracks him with a counter punch right on the button.
Blikstein swings away but doesn't land with a series of punches.
Matsuda loads up on a big right hand but Blikstein slips the punch.
Blikstein uses some good footwork to avoid the body shot by Matsuda.
And an attempted straight right on the counter from Blikstein! But no joy.
Blikstein takes a shot to the nose. Hopefully that hasn't broken it.
Matsuda bobs and weaves well there to avoid the strikes.
Matsuda looks to have improved his striking defense since last time we saw him fight.
Matsuda throws a big shot that misses.
We've had a slow start to the round here - hopefully the action picks up.
Matsuda digs a good hook to Blikstein's body.
Blikstein takes a shot right to the liver - Bas would have been proud of that punch.
Blikstein rushes forward with a series of wild hooks but Matsuda moves out of range and avoids them all easily.
Matsuda attempts a counter takedown but Blikstein avoids it well and moves away.
Blikstein has been the more effective fighter overall so far.

That's one minute gone in the round.

Matsuda shoots in for a takedown from distance. He catches Blikstein napping and manages to drive through into side control!
Blikstein is looking for a sweep.
Matsuda misses with an attempted head punch from side control.
The fighters are pressed up against the cage, both looking to find a bit of space to work.
Blikstein can't do much from the bottom here.
Matsuda throws an elbow but Blikstein slips to the side and avoids it well.
Matsuda throwing strikes but missing, from side control.
Blikstein struggling a bit here.
Matsuda looking to punish the body of his opponent here but Blikstein is avoiding damage well.
Matsuda wants to control but Blikstein is keeping him busy.
Matsuda cracks Blikstein with a big elbow.

That's two minutes gone in the round.
Blikstein tries to get back to half guard but can't.
Blikstein is in a bad spot here and he knows it... just holding on for now.
Blikstein tries to get back to half guard but can't.
Matsuda trying to control the action but Blikstein is working from the bottom.

Matsuda in side control, working for a kimura. He's got hold of an arm and he's torquing it... Blikstein is tapping! That's the end of the fight!

Ladies and gentlemen, after 3:58 of round 2, we have a winner by way of Submission (Kimura). Tanaka Matsuda!
A very excited looking Tanaka Matsuda made sure he remembered to thank all the fans both in the arena and on the internet. He said all the coolest people spend all day on MMA websites, which got a big reaction.