PBP Commentary

Coming up we have a light heavyweight MMA rules bout between Ike Wellstone (ranked 3486 p4p, 3484 weight class) and Shendo Hirasho (ranked 455 p4p, 454 weight class). Over to our ring announcer for the fighter introductions!

Wellstone
vs
Hirasho

189 cm
24
209
1 - 0 - 0

199 cm
25
205
1 - 0 - 0

BJJ Blue Belt
Excellent MT
Self confident

BJJ White Belt
Excellent MT
Solid chin

Barry Bonds Performance Enhancers $120 160q Rec&St

Ladies and gentlemen. This fight is 3 rounds, in the light heavyweight division.
Introducing the fighter to my left, fighting out of the red corner.
With a record of 1 - 0 - 0, fighting out of Tokyo, Ike Wellstone!
And introducing the fighter to my right, fighting out of the blue corner.
With a record of 1 - 0 - 0, fighting out of Tokyo, Shendo Hirasho!
The judges for this bout are Joseph Jones, Columbo Gatti and Eddie Farnsworth.

The bell rings for round one and we are underway!
Hirasho tries to close the distance and clinch but Wellstone swats him to one side with an open hand palm strike and circles away.
Hirasho doesn't manage to clinch there - Wellstone circles away.
Hirasho's coach down at Simply The Best was telling us pre-fight that they have been working on Hirasho's balance. Obviously they view that as a key factor in the outcome of this fight.
Wellstone misses with the body kick
and Hirasho counters with an inside leg kick.
Hirasho moves in looking to clinch but Wellstone pushes him off.
Wellstone thinks about countering with a body kick.
Hirasho keeping a good distance there, avoiding the body shot.
Wellstone tries a head kick but it misses.
Wellstone goes for a spinning back kick but it misses.
A head kick misses from Hirasho.
Wellstone throws a head kick that connects with a bit of head and a bit of hand.

It looks like Shendo Hirasho has been cut.
Wellstone throws a head kick but Hirasho moves out of range.
Wellstone avoids the clinch attempt nicely.
We've had a slow start to the round here - hopefully the action picks up.
Hirasho blocks the body kick.
Hirasho fails with an attempt to clinch.
Hirasho moves to clinch but Wellstone breaks away
and Wellstone counters nicely by changing levels and landing a hook to the body.
Hirasho fails in his attempt to clinch.

That's one minute gone in the round.

Hirasho clinches.

Wellstone breaks the clinch and we return to the middle of the mat.
That's a knee to de groin and it's over and out! Hirasho crumples to the ground after an illegal strike from Wellstone - the referee stops the clock and Hirasho gets 5 minutes to recover from that one. "I'm sorry" says Wellstone. Hirasho manages to get back to his feet and the fight resumes.
Wellstone connects with an inside leg kick.
Wellstone swings for the body but Hirasho moves out of range.
Hirasho is trying to avoid his opponent's strikes and get into the clinch.
Hirasho wants to clinch.
Hirasho tries to close the distance and clinch up against the cage but Wellstone paws at him with a jab and circles away.
Wellstone avoids the clinch attempt nicely.
Hirasho fails with an attempt to clinch.
Hirasho wants to clinch up but Wellstone keeps it at a distance.
Wellstone jinks towards his opponent looking like he wants to counter with a mid kick but doesn't commit.
Hirasho moves in looking to clinch but Wellstone pushes him off.
Wellstone misses the shot to the body.
Wellstone throws a nice hook to the body that draws an oooh from the crowd.
Wellstone is looking to wear down Hirasho with body shots, infact he's throwing more body shots than head shots at the moment.

That's two minutes gone in the round.
Hirasho has a nice red mark on his side after a thudding body kick by Wellstone.
A solid leg kick lands there for Wellstone.
Hirasho tries to clinch but is not successful on this occasion.
Hirasho tries to clinch up against the cage, rushing in to close the distance. Wellstone manages to break the clinch and circles back to the middle of the mat.
Wellstone keeps the fight on the outside.
Wellstone lands a front kick.
The crowd are loving this. Great action here.
Hirasho stuffs the takedown.
Wellstone circles away from the clinch attempt.
Wellstone swung with a counter right hand that didn't connect.
Hirasho is looking to take this fight into the clinch.
Hirasho tries to close the distance and clinch but Wellstone swats him to one side with an open hand palm strike and circles away.
Wellstone lands a high kick!
Hirasho misses with a head kick.
Hirasho keeping a good distance there, avoiding the body shot.

That's three minutes gone in the round.
Wellstone keeps the fight on the outside.
Wellstone misses with an attempted mid kick.
Wellstone just misses with a punch to the body.
A head kick misses from Wellstone.
Wellstone lands an overhand left. A wild punch that just about connected.
Hirasho doesn't manage to clinch there - Wellstone circles away.
Hirasho ducks under an overhand right and circles away with a smile on his face.
Hirasho is looking to clinch but Wellstone is avoiding it.
Hirasho tries to clinch but is not successful on this occasion.
Wellstone pivots as if he's going to throw a leg kick but stops half way.
Wellstone throws a head kick that misses.
Hirasho doesn't manage to clinch there - Wellstone circles away.
Wellstone throws the kick towards the body but Hirasho avoids it.
Hirasho misses with a half-hearted attempt at a head kick.

That's four minutes gone in the round.
Hirasho moves into range and lands a nice leg kick.
Wellstone catches Hirasho with a nice straight right. He seems pissed - ooooh, it's on now! On like donkey kong!
Hirasho takes a step back and watches a body kick go sailing past his mid section.
A good leg kick by Wellstone.
Wellstone shapes like he's going to throw a leg kick but settles back down.
Hirasho tries to counter by closing the distance.
Wellstone throws a push kick but Hirasho slaps the foot to one side.
Wellstone misses with a half-hearted attempt at a head kick.
The fans in attendance giving it up for the two fighters, who have really let it all hang out in the last minute or so!
Wellstone misses with a low kick.
Wellstone sets himself, and Hirasho steps forward looking for the clinch! Wellstone avoids it this time.
Hirasho moves out of range of the body kick from Wellstone.
Hirasho takes a body punch but keeps moving.
Hirasho is looking to take this fight into the clinch.
Hirasho throws a head kick that misses and slips in the process. He scrambles back to his feet and the fighters circle.
It appears Wellstone was looking to counter with a kick there.
Wellstone misses with a body shot.
A looping hook to the body misses from Wellstone. Hirasho does a little dance to reset his feet.
And that is the end of the round. The fighters go back to their corners.

Ike Wellstone dominated that round.
The cut man is working on Shendo Hirasho's cut.
OK. That's time! The bell goes and we're back to the action.

Wellstone misses with a low kick.
Hirasho fails in his attempt to clinch.
Hirasho takes a step back and watches a body kick go sailing past his mid section.
Wellstone misses with a body shot. Nice footwork from Hirasho.
Hirasho is clearly looking to counter with head kicks.
Hirasho is looking to clinch.
Wellstone misses with a body kick.
Hirasho steps to the side to avoid the strikes from Wellstone.
Hirasho is loading up here, looking for a big counter of his own.
Wellstone misses with a wild body shot.
Hirasho doesn't manage to clinch there - Wellstone circles away.
Hirasho is looking to clinch but Wellstone is avoiding it.
We've had a slow start to the round here - hopefully the action picks up.
Wellstone throws a sloppy head kick and Hirasho moves out of range easily.
Wellstone misses with a half-hearted attempt at a head kick.
Hirasho raises up his leg as if looking to counter with a high kick.
Wellstone takes a thudding leg kick, right into the meat of the thigh.
Wellstone throws a front kick that sends Hirasho stumbling back into the cage.
Wellstone just misses with a punch to the body.

That's one minute gone in the round.
A punch combination from Wellstone misses.
Hirasho scores with a leg kick.
Wellstone keeps the fight on the outside.
Wellstone avoids the clinch attempt nicely.
Wellstone appeared to be looking to counter that last move with a leg kick.
Wellstone throws a body punch but Hirasho moves out of range.
Hirasho throws a counter combo.
The fight stays on the outside here - Hirasho looks like he's thinking about clinching though.
Hirasho fails with an attempt to clinch.
Wellstone pulls out of a head kick attempt.
Wellstone misses with a body kick.
Wellstone sets himself, and Hirasho steps forward looking for the clinch! Wellstone avoids it this time.
Hirasho tries to clinch up but Wellstone circles away and keeps his distance.
Hirasho tries to clinch up.
Wellstone avoids the head kick by Hirasho.
Hirasho tries to clinch but Wellstone is having none of it.

That's two minutes gone in the round.
Wellstone throws a low kick but his opponent is out of range.
Hirasho tries to close the distance and clinch but Wellstone swats him to one side with an open hand palm strike and circles away.
Shendo Hirasho is looking to throw some combinations by the looks of things.
Hirasho fails in his attempt to clinch.
Hirasho connects with a leg kick.
Hirasho wants to clinch up but Wellstone keeps it at a distance.
Wellstone lands with a hook. Hirasho tried to avoid it but it clipped the top of his head.
Wellstone throws a jab when Hirasho was well out of range.

Hirasho clinches up against the cage.
Hirasho throws a vicious knee straight up the middle but Wellstone blocks it with crossed arms.
Wooooo! Give it up for these two warriors! They are putting on a show!
Wellstone slowing the pace effectively.
Wellstone lands a knee to the body.

Wellstone breaks the clinch and we're back to striking at distance.
Hirasho is looking to clinch but Wellstone is avoiding it.
Hirasho tries to clinch but is not successful on this occasion.
A clash of legs there as Wellstone blocks the low kick.

That's three minutes gone in the round.
Wellstone throws a wild body kick that Hirasho sees coming a mile off.
Hirasho tries to close the distance and clinch up but Wellstone swats him away and circles back towards the center.
Wellstone attempts a counter takedown but Hirasho avoids it well and moves away.
The fight stays on the outside here - Hirasho looks like he's thinking about clinching though.
Wellstone lunges at Hirasho with a hook that half lands and is half blocked by Hirasho's hand.
A thudding body kick lands there by Wellstone!
Wellstone is really dominating this fight. Is there anything that Hirasho can do to turn this around?
A punch lands to the side of Hirasho 's head but he takes it in his stride.

That has opened up Shendo Hirasho's cut even more.
Wellstone looking to throw a kick but he's pulled out of it.
Hirasho is pinned up against the cage taking some big shots here. The referee is looking closely deciding whether he should stop the fight.
Hirasho takes a step back and watches a body kick go sailing past his mid section.
Wellstone tries a head kick but it misses.
Hirasho lets it all go there with a big combo counter but none of the punches connected.
A head kick misses from Wellstone.
Hirasho is looking to clinch.

That's four minutes gone in the round.
Wellstone misses with a hook.
Hirasho walks forward, straight into a front kick from Wellstone.
Hirasho tries to clinch up but Wellstone circles away and keeps his distance.
Hirasho tries to close the distance and clinch up but Wellstone swats him away and circles back towards the center.
A bone on bone clash there as Hirasho blocks the leg kick.
Wellstone circles away from the clinch attempt.
Wooooo! Give it up for these two warriors! They are putting on a show!
Hirasho closes the distance but Wellstone moves to the side

and Wellstone counters with a nice shoot takedown that brings the fighters to the ground.
Wellstone passes easily into side control. Nice work.
Hirasho pushes Wellstone away and creates a bit of space to escape. He's almost out here... but no, Wellstone gets a good hold of his legs and remains firmly in side control.
Wellstone has improved his flexibility recently so we will have to see if he can use that to his advantage.
Wellstone misses with an attempted head punch from side control.
Wellstone controls the position from side control.
And that is the end of the round. The fighters go back to their corners.

Ike Wellstone dominated that second round.
The cut man is working on Shendo Hirasho's cut.
The fighters' corners scream their final instructions, as the referee calls time. Here we go, back to the action! This is the final round!

Hirasho keeping a good distance there, avoiding the body shot.
Hirasho wants to counter with a clinch but Wellstone pushes him away.
Wellstone swats away the attempt to clinch by Hirasho.
Wellstone keeps the fight on the outside.
Hirasho takes a solid shot to the body. That one hurt him but he's trying not to show it.
Hirasho throws a body kick but he wasn't in range.
Wellstone misses with a half-hearted attempt at a head kick.
Wellstone misses with an uppercut.
Ike Wellstone is winning the standup battle so far.
Hirasho tries to clinch up.
Wellstone misses with an attempted mid kick.
We've had a slow start to the round here - hopefully the action picks up.
Wellstone lands a straight punch to the body, keeping Hirasho at a distance.
Hirasho tries to close the distance and clinch up but Wellstone swats him away and circles back towards the center.
Wellstone feinted with a counter takedown.
Wellstone misses with a hook. Hirasho ducked under it nicely.
Wellstone looking to throw a kick but he's pulled out of it.

That's one minute gone in the round.
Wellstone circles away from the clinch attempt.
Hirasho is looking to clinch.
Wellstone is looking to counter with head kicks.

Hirasho rushes Wellstone and pushes him back against the cage in a clinch.
Hirasho has developed a nice purple lump on his ribcage, as a result of some heavy body kicks from Wellstone.
Hirasho using the Thai plumb to throw knees but Wellstone has his back arched nicely, preventing the strike.

Wellstone breaks the clinch and we return to the middle of the mat.
Hirasho darts in trying to clinch
and Wellstone finishes the little exchange by landing a big kick to the body.
Hirasho tries to clinch up against the cage, rushing in to close the distance. Wellstone manages to break the clinch and circles back to the middle of the mat.
Wellstone bobs and weaves and unloads with a good uppercut.
Hirasho tries to clinch but Wellstone is having none of it.
Hirasho tries to close the distance and clinch up but Wellstone swats him away and circles back towards the center.
Wellstone quickly followed up with a counter body kick but doesn't connect.
Hirasho misses with a half-hearted attempt at a head kick.
Hirasho fails in his attempt to clinch.
Ike Wellstone is fighting for a decision here - he's started to take the cautious approach.

That's two minutes gone in the round.
Wellstone walks forward and throws out a flicking leg kick. Hirasho checks it nicely though, as he moves to the side.
Hirasho with poor footwork there. He got himself in a bit of a tangle, enabling Wellstone to score with a decent uppercut.
Wellstone circles away from the clinch attempt.
Wellstone goes for a spinning back kick but it misses.
Hirasho takes a punch right to his stomach. That took the wind out of him momentarily.
Wellstone swats away the attempt to clinch by Hirasho.
Wellstone shoots in for a double leg but Hirasho sprawls well. That's going to sap some energy.
Hirasho closes the distance looking to clinch
and Wellstone counters with a two punch combo.
Fantastic stuff here - a very entertaining period of action, which has drawn cheers from the crowd.
Hirasho doesn't manage to clinch there - Wellstone circles away.
Shendo Hirasho is looking to keep the fight on the feet at all costs.
Wellstone swings and misses with a hook to the body.

That's three minutes gone in the round.
Hirasho fails with an attempt to clinch.

Hirasho has taken the fight to the clinch.
Hirasho throws a knee to the head but misses.
Wellstone lands a knee to the head.
Hirasho missing with knees to the body.
Hirasho on the defensive, avoiding the knees to the body.
Wellstone managing to block the knees to the body from Hirasho.
Wellstone tries to score a body lock takedown but Hirasho shows good agility there to stay on his feet.
Wellstone scores with a nice hook to the head.
Hirasho landing knees to the head.
Wellstone tries to take the fight to the ground by pulling guard but can't manage it.
That's three failed takedown attempts in the round for Ike Wellstone. That's going to take a lot out of him.
Hirasho avoiding damage as Wellstone throws knees to the body.
Hirasho looking to throw knees to the head but Wellstone is blocking nicely.
Wellstone lands a right uppercut that snaps the head of Hirasho backwards.

That's four minutes gone in the round.
Wellstone is pushing Hirasho up against the cage, for a bit of lean and pray action. Action being used the in the loosest possible sense of the word.
Hirasho using the Thai plumb to throw knees but Wellstone has his back arched nicely, preventing the strike.
Shendo Hirasho seems to be working more effectively in the clinch in the fight so far.
Hirasho throws a knee to the head but misses.
Wellstone with the Thai clinch. He's looking to land a big knee but he's not managed it this time.
Wooooo! Give it up for these two warriors! They are putting on a show!
Wellstone lands a right hand that snaps the head of Hirasho backwards.
Hirasho misses with a knee to the head.
Wellstone is pushing Hirasho up against the cage, for a bit of lean and pray action. Action being used the in the loosest possible sense of the word.

Wellstone breaks the clinch and we return to the middle of the mat.
Shendo Hirasho has stepped it up - he knows he needs a finish here!
Wellstone works Hirasho's body with a nice hook.

And that's the end of the fight!
Ike Wellstone showed his dominance in that final round.
Well I reckon that's a shut out for Wellstone, 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 Joseph Jones scores the fight 30:27
Judge Columbo Gatti scores the fight 30:27
Judge Eddie Farnsworth scores the fight 30:27

In favor of your winner, by unanimous decision... Ike Wellstone!
Ike Wellstone seemed lost for words in his post fight interview but he remembered to thank his fans and directed everyone to his website.