PBP Commentary

Coming up we have a middleweight MMA rules bout between Shinnosuke Nakagawa (ranked 700 p4p, 1378 weight class) and Brian Dean (ranked 107 p4p, 206 weight class). Nakagawa comes to the cage accompanied by Koto - CloZee. Over to our ring announcer for the fighter introductions!

Nakagawa
vs
Dean

190 cm
27
190
13 - 8 - 0

183 cm
26
185
13 - 8 - 0

Abu Dhabi Champ
Excellent MT
Insanely flexible

BJJ Purple Belt
Excellent boxer
Good gas tank

Carnage

Brooklyn Apothecary
Bondi MMA 🏝️

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 13 - 8 - 0, fighting out of Las Vegas, Shinnosuke Nakagawa!
And introducing the fighter to my right, fighting out of the blue corner.
With a record of 13 - 8 - 0, fighting out of New York, Brian Dean!
The judges for this bout are Jonathan Paton, David Schapiro and Joseph Jones.

The bell rings for round one and we are underway!
Nakagawa looks to score with a jab to the body but Dean is just out of range.

Nakagawa dives in and scores a takedown into Dean's guard.
Nakagawa is intent on slowing down the pace of the fight, simply looking to control.
Nakagawa wants to control from the top but Dean keeps moving.
Dean is trying to stand up but he's not managed so far.
Nakagawa passes easily into side control. Nice work.
We've had a slow start to the round here - hopefully the action picks up.
Dean is pushing Nakagawa's head away, looking to escape. Nakagawa manages to hold on to the position though.
The fighters are pressed up against the cage, both looking to find a bit of space to work.

Nakagawa is looking for a kimura. He might have it! No, Dean has escaped the position, nice work there.

That's one minute gone in the round.
Check out the look on Nakagawa's face as he threw that strike - that's one determined fighter!
Dean is trying to buck Nakagawa off.
Nakagawa fails to land a wild elbow strike.
Dean is not content to let Nakagawa control the position.
Dean is trying to escape and get back to his feet.
Dean avoids any damage from the ground and pound of Nakagawa.

That's two minutes gone in the round.
The crowd are starting to boo a lack of action.
Dean taking punishment in the form of punches.
Nakagawa throwing shots but missing, from side control.
Nakagawa prevents Dean from escaping the position.
Sloppy strikes there by Nakagawa.
Dean has found himself in a tricky position here. He's been working his transitions in training so let's see if he can work his way out of it.
Nakagawa lands a knee to the body and follows it up with some ground and pound to the head. That will wear Dean down.
Dean wants to get back to his feet but Nakagawa drags him back down.

Nakagawa is trying to land an Americana. He has the arm isolated but Dean is keeping cool and he's avoided the danger for now.
Nakagawa throws a strike aimed at the side of Dean's head but Dean avoids it well.

That's three minutes gone in the round.
Nakagawa misses with an attempted head punch from side control.
Dean pushes Nakagawa away and creates a bit of space to escape. He's almost out here... but no, Nakagawa gets a good hold of his legs and remains firmly in side control.
Nakagawa has been looking to land a fair amount of strikes on the ground. He might be looking to soften his opponent up in order to work for a submission.
Dean dodges the ground and pound from Nakagawa.
Nakagawa throwing strikes but missing, from side control.
Dean is putting a lot of effort into getting back to his feet here.

Nakagawa wants to work for a kimura but he's foiled early by Dean, who protects the arm well.
Nakagawa misses with an attempted head punch from side control.

That's four minutes gone in the round.
Neither fighter has done anything of merit for a good minute or two here and the crowd are not happy about it.
Dean takes a couple of big shots there - the referee warns him that he has to defend himself better.
Nakagawa in side control, just content to control the action for now.
Dean is looking to work his way out of this bad position but Nakagawa is controlling him well.
Nakagawa sitting in side control, looking to soften his opponent up with elbows and hammerfists but Dean is avoiding damage well and looking to escape the position.
Boooooooooooooooooooo!!! God, this has been a terrible round. Come on you two, sort yourselves out!

Nakagawa is looking for a kimura. He might have it! No, Dean has escaped the position, nice work there.
Dean is trying to get back to his feet.
And that is the end of the round. The fighters go back to their corners.

Shinnosuke Nakagawa dominated that round.
That's the end of the round. The referee orders the cornermen out of the cage so we can get back down to business.

Dean misses with a hook

and Nakagawa decides to take the opportunity to score a takedown. He's landed in Dean's guard.
Nakagawa won't allow Dean to get back to his feet.
Nakagawa in full guard, throwing the ground and pound. No damage this time.
Dean keeping moving, preventing Nakagawa from controlling successfully.
Nakagawa scores with a decent looking elbow strike.
Shinnosuke Nakagawa overall seems to be getting the better of the ground position in the fight so far.
Dean wants to stand up but Nakagawa is controlling him.
Nakagawa controlling from the guard. I say controlling but really, he's stalling.
We've had a slow start to the round here - hopefully the action picks up.
Nakagawa throwing elbows and punches but not connecting, as Dean works some decent striking defense from the bottom.

That's one minute gone in the round.
Nakagawa wants to pass the guard but Dean is keeping the position.
Nakagawa trying to control but Dean is working from the bottom.
The referee is asking the fighters to pick up the pace.

The referee has decided to stand the fighters back up, so we'll restart on the feet.
Dean misses with a looping left.
Dean thuds a left hand into Nakagawa's body.
Nakagawa throws an overhand right that lands on Dean's shoulder, as Dean tries to avoid the shot.
Dean throws a hook but Nakagawa avoids it easily.
Nakagawa is really dominating this fight. Is there anything that Dean can do to turn this around?
Nice defenses there by Nakagawa.
Nakagawa throws a hook to the body but it doesn't connect.
A swing and a miss from Dean.

That's two minutes gone in the round.
Dean keeps the fight standing with a nice sprawl.
Dean is clearly trying to counter these attacks from Nakagawa with a body shot.
Dean misses with a wild body shot.
Dean throws an overhand right that lands on Nakagawa's shoulder, as Nakagawa tries to avoid the shot.
Nice uppercut lands for Dean. That snapped Nakagawa's head back.
Brian Dean is looking to keep the fight on the feet at all costs.

Nakagawa fakes with an overhand right and moves in to clinch with Dean, pushing him back against the cage.
Nakagawa lands a right uppercut that snaps the head of Dean backwards.
Nakagawa throws a hook to the body. More of an arm punch but it's all scoring with the judges.
Nakagawa tried to land a shot to the body but connects with Dean's elbow.
Dean is trying to push Nakagawa away but Nakagawa has him pressed against the cage, so he's going nowhere.
Dean is trying to push Nakagawa away but Nakagawa has him pressed against the cage, so he's going nowhere.
Nakagawa tries to work over Dean's body with a swooping hook but it only glances the target.
Dean blocks a body shot from Nakagawa.
Dean stops a takedown attempt from Nakagawa.
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!

Dean breaks from the clinch.

That's three minutes gone in the round.
Nakagawa loads up on a big right hand but Dean slips the punch.

Nakagawa moves into range and clinches up with Dean.
Nakagawa doesn't land with the attempted body shot.
Nakagawa keeps the fight in the clinch, despite Dean's efforts to push away.
With the fighters clinched against the cage, Nakagawa creates a bit of distance for himself and scores with a nice uppercut.
Dean working hard to break the clinch.
Nakagawa misses with a punch to the body.
Dean tries to break free but Nakagawa pushes him back against the cage.
Dean gets underhooks to prevent Nakagawa's takedown attempt.
That's three failed takedown attempts in the round for Shinnosuke Nakagawa. That's going to take a lot out of him.
Nakagawa tries to throw a body punch but Dean avoids it by throwing Nakagawa back against the cage.
Nakagawa misses with a body punch.
A right hand to the body from Nakagawa.
Nakagawa throws a head punch that misses.
Nakagawa doesn't land with the attempted body shot.

That's four minutes gone in the round.
Nakagawa misses with a hook from the clinch.
Dean is trying to force a seperation but Nakagawa has the dominant position.
Nakagawa drops to a knee looking for a takedown but Dean gets the underhooks and prevents it.
Dean tries to break free but Nakagawa pushes him back against the cage.
Nakagawa scores with a hook to the body.
Nakagawa lands with a left to the head.
Dean blocks a couple of punches on the inside.
Nakagawa lands a hook that snaps the head of Dean backwards.

Nakagawa works for the underhooks and manages to get a trip takedown into guard.
The crowd are loving this. Great action here.
Dean keeping full guard, as Nakagawa tries to pass.
Nakagawa missing there with some ground and pound from the guard.
And that is the end of the round. The fighters go back to their corners.

Shinnosuke Nakagawa dominated that second round.
Well, the break between rounds is over. Let's get back to the scrappin! This is the final round!

Dean connects with a crisp jab.
A jab from Nakagawa misses.
Nakagawa ducks under a wild hook from Dean.

Nakagawa instigates a clinch.
Nakagawa has Dean pressed against the cage, preventing Dean from circling away and getting back to striking at range.
Dean wants to break free. God knows he wants to breaaaak freeee.

Dean pushes off and circles away, back to the middle of the mat.
Dean misses with a straight right.
Dean swings and misses with a hook to the body.
Nakagawa tries to counter with a takedown but Dean is quick to defend against it.
A big left from Dean misses.
We've had a slow start to the round here - hopefully the action picks up.
Dean ducks down and throws a hook to the body but Nakagawa moves away.
Dean takes a swing at Nakagawa's ribcage but misses.
Nakagawa tries to counter by moving into the clinch but Dean manages to circle out of the way.
Nakagawa works his jab well there, keeping his opponent at a distance.
Dean missing with a left hand there. Nakagawa was out of range so wasted energy throwing that one.
Dean misses with a low kick.

That's one minute gone in the round.
Dean misses with a hook. Nakagawa ducked under it nicely.
Nakagawa cracks Dean with an open hand slap.
Nakagawa scores with a jab to the jaw.
Dean throws a wild combination but nothing lands.
Dean throws a shot from downtown. Nakagawa moves away and avoids it.
Nakagawa takes a shot right to the bread basket.
Nice defenses there by Nakagawa.
Nakagawa avoids a lazy jab quite easily.

Nakagawa decides to change it up a bit and drives through with a nice takedown into half guard.
Dean is trying to stand.

Nakagawa is looking for a kimura but Dean is holding onto that half guard position, so it's hard for Nakagawa to get the leverage.
Dean is refusing to be controlled, as Nakagawa sits in half guard.

That's two minutes gone in the round.
The crowd are loving this. Great action here.
Nakagawa tries to pass the half guard into mount. Dean knows what he's doing though and prevents the attempt.
We've been hearing that Nakagawa has been drilling a lot of ground and pound in training, so let's see if he get the finish.
Dean keeping his head moving to avoid the ground and pound.
Nakagawa is pressing down on Dean's thigh, looking to free his foot. Dean is holding on for now.
Dean is trying to stand.
Nakagawa throwing punches and elbows but they're not doing any damage.
Nakagawa is trying to advance to mount but he's lost his balance and Dean reverses the position - he's now on top in Nakagawa's guard.
Nakagawa wants to sweep here but Dean controlling him for the moment.
The ref warns both fighters not to hold the cage as they work up against the meshing.

That's three minutes gone in the round.

Dean stands up and waves to Nakagawa to follow him.
Shinnosuke Nakagawa is fighting for a decision here - he's started to take the cautious approach.
Dean misses with a half-hearted attempt at a head kick.
Nakagawa half commits to a counter takedown before pushing away, out of range.
Dean takes a jab on the nose. He smiles like he loves it and keeps coming.
Dean gets cracked there but stands up to it.
Dean throws out a loose jab but Nakagawa uses good head movement to avoid it.

Nakagawa scores with a takedown into Dean's guard.
Dean wants to get back to his feet but he's too absorbed in his own little project and Nakagawa manages to pass to side control.

The referee calls for the fighters to work.

That's four minutes gone in the round.
Dean looks like he's trying to stand up.
Nakagawa content to sit in half guard and control for a moment.
Brian Dean has stepped it up - he knows he needs a finish here!
Dean tries to strike from the bottom but it doesn't land.

And that's the end of the fight!
I would just about give that final round to Brian Dean.
I think Nakagawa has won this one but let's see what the judges have to say. 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 Jonathan Paton scores the fight 30:27
Judge David Schapiro scores the fight 30:27
Judge Joseph Jones scores the fight 30:27

In favor of your winner, by unanimous decision... Shinnosuke Nakagawa!
An out of breath Shinnosuke Nakagawa thanked his loyal fans in his post fight interview, giving them credit for his success over the course of his career.