PBP Commentary

Coming up we have a middleweight MMA rules bout between Kazuki Takeda (ranked 473 p4p, 2221 weight class) and Derek Trucks (ranked 72 p4p, 316 weight class). Trucks is bobbing his head along to his entrance song: Lost without you. Derek Trucks has the eye of the tiger tonight.

Takeda
vs
Trucks

185 cm
24
188
10 - 4 - 0

183 cm
40
196
29 - 22 - 1

Abu Dhabi Champ
Excellent boxer
Cardio machine

Good wrestler
World class boxer
Powerful

Neon Zombie

Ladies and gentlemen. This fight is 5 rounds, for the middleweight championship of the world!
Introducing the champion to my left, fighting out of the red corner.
With a record of 10 - 4 - 0, fighting out of Tokyo, Kazuki Takeda!
And introducing the challenger to my right, fighting out of the blue corner.
With a record of 29 - 22 - 1, fighting out of St Petersburg, Derek Trucks!
The judges for this bout are Sergei Dronov, Ivan Kurochkin and Aleksandr Martynov.

The bell rings for round one and we are underway!
Trucks misses with a jab, cross combination.
Trucks takes a shot to the nose. Hopefully that hasn't broken it.

It looks like Derek Trucks has been cut.
Trucks has been spending a lot of time sparring his boxing in the run up to the fight, trying to sharpen up those hands and look for a knockout.
Takeda connects with a right hand. Trucks shakes it off.

A momentary lapse in concentration from Takeda enables Trucks to shoot in and score with a neat double leg. Takeda manages to secure a closed guard as the fighters hit the mat.
Trucks lands a couple of elbows.
Trucks postures up to throw the ground and pound strikes but they don't connect.
Trucks is looking to work some ground and pound but Takeda has wrist control.
Trucks trying to land body shots but he keeps hitting the mat.

Takeda looking for submissions from the bottom here. Moving his hips around, possibly looking for an armbar.
Trucks wants to control from the top but Takeda keeps moving.
Takeda looking to sweep here. No luck so far.
Trucks trying to control the position from guard on top but Takeda is wriggling around, looking for whatever he can.

That's one minute gone in the round.
Trucks in full guard, throwing the ground and pound. No damage this time.
Trucks trying to control but Takeda is working from the bottom.
The referee must be thinking about standing these guys back up.
Trucks pressing down on his opponent's thigh, looking to pass guard. Takeda is keeping the position for now.

The referee has motioned to the fighters to stand back up.

Trucks rushes Takeda and presses him up against the ropes.

Trucks has managed to pull guard. Let's see whether he can work an aggressive guard. It will also be interesting to see what tactics Takeda uses from the top position.
Trucks is working the butterfly guard. He manages to land a nice scissor sweep and is now in half guard on the top. Nice move.

That's two minutes gone in the round.

Trucks is looking for a kimura but Takeda is holding onto that half guard position, so it's hard for Trucks to get the leverage.

Takeda looking for submissions off his back.
Trucks throwing shots but they're hitting the canvas more than the man.
Trucks not landing any meaningful shots this time.
Takeda wants to improve his position but Trucks is controlling well.

Trucks is looking for an arm triangle, whilst trying to pass to side control. Takeda doesn't seem that keen to cooperate though. No luck this time Trucks.
The fighters are trapped in the ropes so we're going to have a reposition here. The ref calls for a break and repositions the fighters in the center of the ring.
Trucks with the ground and pound but Takeda uses the opportunity to regain guard.

That's three minutes gone in the round.
Trucks in full guard, throwing the ground and pound. No damage this time.
Trucks pushing down on Takeda's thigh, trying to pass to half guard. He's managed it... Nice work.

Takeda is looking to sinch up a guillotine here but Trucks pulls his head out easily.

Trucks is looking for a kimura. It's pretty deep but Takeda still has the half guard so he's probably OK. Oh, Takeda has exploded into a beautiful escape there and after a quick scramble, he's ended up in side control on top! Nice work!
Trucks gets back to half guard.

That's four minutes gone in the round.
Trucks trying to control here.
Takeda scores with a couple of good hammerfists.

Trucks is looking to sinch up a guillotine here but Takeda pulls his head out easily.
Trucks works his way to full guard. Good work.
Takeda distracts Trucks with his right hand and drops a big elbow with his other arm.
Takeda trying to control the position from guard on top but Trucks is wriggling around, looking for whatever he can.

Trucks throwing his legs up looking for a triangle.
The crowd thankful this round is nearly over.
Takeda trying to control the position from guard on top but Trucks is wriggling around, looking for whatever he can.
And that is the end of the round. The fighters go back to their corners.

Derek Trucks dominated that round.
The cut man is working on Derek Trucks's cut.
The fighters' corners scream their final instructions, as the referee calls time. Here we go, back to the action!

Trucks fails to land the takedown.
Trucks dives in and grabs Takeda's left leg, looking for a takedown. Takeda pushes down on Trucks's head and hops out.
Trucks tries to shoot in for a takedown. He's got hold of a leg but Takeda swivels and escapes.
Takeda looks to have improved his striking defense since last time we saw him fight.
Kazuki Takeda has stuffed three takedown attempts in the round now. That's going to take a lot out of Derek Trucks.
Trucks will have to do better than that with his takedown attempts.
Takeda misses the shot to the body.
Trucks fails with a takedown attempt.
Takeda bobs and weaves and unloads with a good uppercut.
Trucks with a lazy takedown attempt
enabling Takeda to counter with a crisp jab.
Takeda cracks Trucks with an open hand slap.

That has opened up Derek Trucks's cut even more.
We've had a slow start to the round here - hopefully the action picks up.
Takeda fakes a right and follows up with a big left that drops Trucks to one knee - oooooh, he's wobbly! Trucks looks to clinch but Takeda throws him off and pummels him into the canvas! Trucks taps out under the strikes! The fight is over!

Ladies and gentlemen, after 0:47 of round 2, we have a winner by way of Submission (Strikes). Kazuki Takeda!
Kazuki Takeda retains his middleweight title!
After winning the bout, Kazuki Takeda thanked all his fans and promised he'd do even better in his next fight. The crowd seemed to love his humility.
Derek Trucks spoke after the fight, saying 'This is not my first rodeo! See you on the matt again!'.