PBP Commentary

Coming up we have a super heavyweight MMA rules bout between Tiago Lima (ranked 1591 p4p, 5670 weight class) and Choto Kanabe (ranked 54 p4p, 153 weight class). Choto Kanabe has the better chin. Will he look to stand and bang today?

Lima
vs
Kanabe

195 cm
27
270
2 - 2 - 0

200 cm
29
285
3 - 5 - 0

BJJ White Belt
Excellent boxer
KO power

BJJ White Belt
Decent boxing
Granite chin

Ladies and gentlemen. This fight is 3 rounds, in the super heavyweight division.
Introducing the fighter to my left, fighting out of the red corner.
With a record of 2 - 2 - 0, fighting out of Rio de Janeiro, Tiago Lima!
And introducing the fighter to my right, fighting out of the blue corner.
With a record of 3 - 5 - 0, fighting out of Montreal, Choto Kanabe!
The judges for this bout are Kenichi Hosakawa, Sosuke Kotani and Shigeki Fujiwara.

The bell rings for round one and we are underway!
The fighters circling - Lima throws out the jab but it was never going to land.
Kanabe tries to close the distance and clinch up against the cage but Lima paws at him with a jab and circles away.
Lima was looking to counter that move with a punch but didn't quite pull the trigger.
A jab from Lima misses.
Kanabe takes one on the chin but seems OK.
Lima misses with a looping right.
Kanabe takes one to the chin there.
Lima keeps the fight on the outside.
Lima misses with a right hand
and Kanabe counters with a one-two to the body.
Kanabe fails with an attempt to clinch.
We've had a slow start to the round here - hopefully the action picks up.
Lima finds nothing but air with that leg kick attempt.
Kanabe tries to clinch but Lima is having none of it.
A counter left hand to the body from Lima misses its target.
Kanabe closes the distance but Lima moves to the side
and Kanabe takes a counter punch right on the button for his troubles.

That's one minute gone in the round.
Lima fails to land with the punch combination there - jab, cross, hook, miss, miss, miss.
Kanabe tries to clinch but Lima is having none of it.
Lima swinging wildly here.

Kanabe has taken the fight to the clinch.
Lima wants to get back to striking at distance but Kanabe won't allow it.
Kanabe tries to throw a body punch but Lima avoids it by throwing Kanabe back against the cage.
Lima misses with a short punch on the inside.
Lima lands with a good tight uppercut to the head.
Lima blocking some punches.
Kanabe tries a body shot but Lima blocks it.
Kanabe is looking to take this one to the mat.

That's two minutes gone in the round.
Lima tries to circle away but Kanabe has him pinned against the cage.
A frustrated look appears on Lima's face as he tries to break the clinch.
Kanabe keeps the fight in the clinch, despite Lima's efforts to push away.
Nice body punch from Kanabe - that landed with a thud.
Kanabe changes levels and goes for a takedown here. Lima fights it off and pushes away nicely.
Kanabe slips a straight right by Lima.

Lima gets tackled into the cage by Kanabe. Kanabe maintains the clinch.
Lima wants to break the clinch but can't.
Kanabe has hold of a leg and is looking for a trip takedown. Lima avoids it nicely though and we remain in the clinch.
Tiago Lima has stuffed three takedown attempts in the round now. That's going to take a lot out of Choto Kanabe.
Kanabe is stalling here.
Kanabe scores with a hook to the body.
Lima tries to circle away but Kanabe has him pinned against the cage.

That's three minutes gone in the round.
Kanabe lands an elbow just above Lima 's eye.

It looks like Tiago Lima has been cut.
Kanabe goes for a takedown in the clinch but Lima prevents it.
Kanabe keeps the fight in the clinch, despite Lima's efforts to push away.
Lima is trying to force a seperation but Kanabe has the dominant position.
Kanabe is trying to maintain a safe position but Lima gets an underhook and turns Kanabe into the cage.
Lima is trying to break the clinch but Kanabe is controlling him.
Lima is trying to break free.
Kanabe misses with a shot to the kidneys.
Kanabe misses with a shot to the kidneys.
Lima tries to throw a body punch but Kanabe avoids it by throwing Lima back against the cage.
A frustrated look appears on Lima's face as he tries to break the clinch.

That's four minutes gone in the round.
Well. There's a bit of a lull in the action here and the crowd are starting to get restless.
Kanabe wants a takedown.
Lima stalling.
Kanabe looks more muscular than last time we saw him. He must have been on the weights.
Lima avoids a wild elbow strike from Kanabe.
Lima is trying to push Kanabe away but Kanabe has him pressed against the cage, so he's going nowhere.
Lima wants to push off and get back to the center of the mat but Kanabe has him pressed against the cage.
Kanabe has Lima pressed against the cage, preventing Lima from circling away and getting back to striking at range.
Lima wants to strike at distance but he can't break free of the clinch.
Lima tries to break free but Kanabe pushes him back against the cage.
Lima is trying to break the clinch but Kanabe has him pressed against the cage.
Kanabe digs a right hand into Lima's ribs. Those have got to be taking their toll on Lima's gas tank.
The crowd thankful this round is nearly over.
Kanabe lands a glancing elbow in the clinch.
A frustrated look appears on Lima's face as he tries to break the clinch.
Lima prevents a body shot from Kanabe.
Lima lands a right uppercut that snaps the head of Kanabe backwards.
And that is the end of the round. The fighters go back to their corners.

That was a close round but I would say that Tiago Lima will probably get the nod.
The cut man is working on Tiago Lima's cut.
That's time! Back to the action!

Lima connects with a good right hand that stumbles Kanabe. Kanabe circles away out of range and recomposes himself.

It looks like Choto Kanabe has been cut.
Lima missing with a left hand there. Kanabe was out of range so wasted energy throwing that one.
Kanabe wants to clinch
and Lima counters with a shot to the ribs. That looked like it hurt.
Kanabe closes the distance but Lima moves to the side
and Lima makes him pay by landing a nice hook to the body before moving out of range.
Kanabe moves in looking to clinch but Lima pushes him off.
Kanabe tries to clinch up against the cage, rushing in to close the distance. Lima manages to break the clinch and circles back to the middle of the mat.
Kanabe tries to close the distance and clinch up against the cage but Lima paws at him with a jab and circles away.
We've had a slow start to the round here - hopefully the action picks up.
Lima throws a big shot that misses.
Lima is really dominating this fight. Is there anything that Kanabe can do to turn this around?
Lima lands three nice shots there - that looked like it hurt!

Lima tries to keep at a distance but Kanabe has taken the fight into the clinch.

That's one minute gone in the round.
Lima scores with a shot to the side of Kanabe's head.
Lima is trying to push Kanabe away but Kanabe has him pressed against the cage, so he's going nowhere.
Choto Kanabe seems to be working more effectively in the clinch in the fight so far.
Lima looks like he'd prefer to be striking at range right now.
Lima wants to break free. God knows he wants to breaaaak freeee.
Kanabe keeps control of Lima as he tries to wriggle out of the double underhooks.
Kanabe misses with a punch to the body.
Lima wants to strike at distance but he can't break free of the clinch.
Lima tries a body shot but Kanabe blocks it.
Lima tries to break the clinch but Kanabe is controlling the position.
Kanabe tries a shoulder strike but it doesn't do any damage.
Kanabe misses with a punch on the inside.
Lima is looking to break free of the clinch but Kanabe has double underhooks.
Kanabe lands a nice elbow.

That's two minutes gone in the round.
Kanabe struggles to land a body shot inside as Lima controls his hands.
Kanabe slowing the pace effectively.
Kanabe will no doubt start fighting again in a minute but for now he's just having a little rest, leaning Lima up against the cage.
Lima is trying to force a seperation but Kanabe has the dominant position.
Lima is trying to break the clinch but Kanabe is controlling him.
Lima is trying to break the clinch but Kanabe is controlling him.
Kanabe misses with a hook from the clinch.
Lima wants to break the clinch but can't.
Kanabe looking to slow down the pace here.
Lima is trying to break free.

That's three minutes gone in the round.
A shot in the inside from Kanabe.

Tiago Lima's cut is getting worse.
Lima wants to get back to striking at distance but Kanabe won't allow it.
Lima dodges an elbow strike from Kanabe.
Kanabe holding his opponent close, against the cage.
Kanabe misses with a hook to the ribs.
Lima tries to break the clinch but Kanabe is controlling the position.
Lima lands punches inside but they're not really causing much damage.
Lima wants to break free but Kanabe has control.
Kanabe tries for a takedown. No joy.
Lima tries to break the clinch but Kanabe is controlling the position.
Lima looks like he'd prefer to be striking at range right now.
Lima wants to strike at distance but he can't break free of the clinch.

That's four minutes gone in the round.
Kanabe tries a body shot but Lima blocks it.
Kanabe throws a head punch that misses.
Lima is trying to work out of this bad position, with his back against the cage.
Lima is looking to break free of the clinch but Kanabe has double underhooks.
Kanabe tries a shoulder strike but it doesn't do any damage.
Kanabe prevents Lima from breaking the clinch.
Kanabe is trying to work for a single leg takedown but Lima pulls him back up using the underhooks.

Lima manages to break the clinch.
Kanabe wants to clinch up but Lima keeps it at a distance.
Lima throws a combination but it was largely blocked by Kanabe.
Boooooooooooooooooooo!!! God, this has been a terrible round. Come on you two, sort yourselves out!
Lima lands with a good body shot.
Kanabe moves away from the strike by Lima.
Kanabe throws a fast counter high kick but Lima manages to duck under it in time.
Lima clobbers Kanabe with an overhand right that has the crowd gasping. That made a horrendous noise.
And that is the end of the round. The fighters go back to their corners.

Tiago Lima dominated that second round.
Both fighters have cut men working on them during the interval.
The fighters' corners scream their final instructions, as the referee calls time. Here we go, back to the action! So, we enter the final round. Let's see if either fighter can bring us a finish, or whether we're going to the judges scorecards.

Kanabe doesn't manage to clinch there - Lima circles away.
Kanabe wants to clinch
and Lima counters with a stiff right hand.

Kanabe darts in and clinches Lima up against the cage.
Kanabe looking to slow down the pace here.
Lima is trying to break free.
A bit of stalling here from Kanabe.
Lima struggles to land a body shot inside as Kanabe controls his hands.
We've had a slow start to the round here - hopefully the action picks up.
Lima is trying to break the clinch but Kanabe is controlling him.
Kanabe misses with a body punch.
Kanabe tried to land a shot to the body but connects with Lima's elbow.
Kanabe has Lima pressed against the cage, preventing Lima from circling away and getting back to striking at range.

That's one minute gone in the round.
Lima has had enough of the clinch but Kanabe keeps him there for the moment.
Lima is trying to work out of this bad position, with his back against the cage.
Kanabe misses with an elbow strike.
Lima prevents a body shot from Kanabe.
Kanabe keeps the fight in the clinch, despite Lima's efforts to push away.
Kanabe misses with a body punch.
Lima blocks a couple of punches on the inside.
Lima wants to get back to striking at distance but Kanabe won't allow it.
A short right from Kanabe on the inside.
Lima wants to break free. God knows he wants to breaaaak freeee.
Kanabe works for underhooks and lands a body shot in the process.
Kanabe goes for a takedown attempt but Lima pushes him away and we're back to fighting at a distance.

That's two minutes gone in the round.

Kanabe clinches up with Lima and pushes him back against the cage.
Kanabe misses with a hook to the ribs.
Kanabe is the more experienced fighter here and he's going to need to draw on some of that experience if he's going to pull this one out the bag.
Lima tries to circle away but Kanabe has him pinned against the cage.
Kanabe has Lima pressed against the cage, preventing Lima from circling away and getting back to striking at range.
With the fighters clinched against the cage, Kanabe creates a bit of distance for himself and scores with a nice uppercut.
Kanabe stalling in the clinch but Lima improves position.
Kanabe tries to work over Lima's body with a swooping hook but it only glances the target.
Kanabe prevents Lima from breaking the clinch.
Kanabe is looking to take this one to the mat.
Lima takes an elbow to the temple.
Kanabe gets an overhook and lands an elbow to the side of the head.

Jeez, Tiago Lima's cut is really nasty now. The referee must be thinking about getting that checked.

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

Ladies and gentlemen, after 3:11 of round 3, we have a winner by way of TKO (Cut). Choto Kanabe!