PBP Commentary

Coming up we have a featherweight MMA rules bout between Rodrigo Ferriera (ranked 989 p4p, 1337 weight class) and Hajime Nakamura (ranked 90 p4p, 129 weight class). Nakamura has chosen Soldier of Fortune - Loudness as his entrance music. Hajime Nakamura has the power to score a knockout today if he connects clean with Rodrigo Ferriera's chin.

Ferriera
vs
Nakamura

175 cm
26
149
7 - 1 - 1

174 cm
26
145
6 - 3 - 0

Powerful takedowns
Brawler
Very strong

Powerful takedowns
Counter fighter
Powerful

Ladies and gentlemen. This fight is 3 rounds, in the featherweight division.
Introducing the fighter to my left, fighting out of the red corner.
With a record of 7 - 1 - 1, fighting out of The Island, Rodrigo Ferriera!
And introducing the fighter to my right, fighting out of the blue corner.
With a record of 6 - 3 - 0, fighting out of The Island, Hajime Nakamura!
The judges for this bout are David Hoff, Dirk Anderson and Bart Greer.

The bell rings for round one and we are underway!

Ferriera moves into range and clinches up with Nakamura.
Nakamura looking for a takedown.
Ferriera gets through Nakamura's defenses to land a nice punch to the side of the head.

Nakamura jumps guard.
Ferriera trying to control but Nakamura is working from the bottom.
Nakamura bucks up whilst keeping hold of a body lock, managing to reverse the position. Now he's in top in Ferriera's guard.

Ferriera looking to control.
Ferriera definitely looks more muscular than last time we saw him fight.
Nakamura controlling from the top position.
We've had a slow start to the round here - hopefully the action picks up.
Nakamura slips effortlessly into side control - very nice.

That's one minute gone in the round.
Nakamura taking a breather here.
Ferriera is not in a great position here, taking some shots.
Nakamura throws a knee to the body but it doesn't do much damage.
The ref warns both fighters not to hold the cage as they work up against the meshing.
Ferriera is looking for a sweep.
Nakamura working away.
Ferriera is trying to escape the position but Nakamura is controlling the position.
You can see the frustration on Ferriera's face, being in this tough position on the bottom.

That's two minutes gone in the round.
The crowd are showing their displeasure at the lack of action as loud boos ring out around the arena.
Ferriera parries the strikes from Nakamura easily there. Nakamura is wary of posturing up too much because it might enable Ferriera to escape.
Ferriera trying to remain calm as Nakamura controls from the top position.
Ferriera regains half guard.
Nakamura sitting and controlling from the half guard.
Nakamura not landing any meaningful shots this time.
The referee walks around the fighters to get a better view of the action. Nakamura lands a nice short elbow.
Nakamura missing with some ground and pound from the half guard.
Nakamura looking to pass the half guard. Not this time.

That's three minutes gone in the round.
Nakamura is looking to pass Ferriera's guard but actually Ferriera recovers to full guard.
Nakamura looks more muscular than last time we saw him. He must have been on the weights.
Nakamura missing there with some ground and pound from the guard.
Nakamura controls from within his opponent's guard.
The referee claps his hands together and tells the fighters to work.
Nakamura trying to control but Ferriera is working from the bottom.

The referee has motioned to the fighters to stand back up.
Nakamura moves out of range of the strikes.
Nakamura changes levels for a counter takedown but doesn't follow through with his attempt.
Nakamura moves out of range as Ferriera strikes.
Nakamura drops down looking to force a counter takedown but Ferriera defends it well.

That's four minutes gone in the round.
The crowd are starting to boo a lack of action.
Ferriera misses with an uppercut. Nakamura saw that one coming.
Ferriera missing with a left hand there. Nakamura was out of range so wasted energy throwing that one.
Ferriera misses with a straight right.
Ferriera misses with a straight right.
Nakamura feints the counter takedown.
Ferriera misses with a looping left.
Nakamura is definitely looking for the counter takedowns here.
Ferriera misses with an uppercut.
Rodrigo Ferriera seems to be the more aggressive standup fighter in this bout.
Ferriera throws a jab when Nakamura was well out of range.
Ferriera tries to clinch up but Nakamura circles away and keeps his distance.
Ferriera throws a lazy right hand but Nakamura sees it coming a mile off and sidesteps it easily.
Boooooooooooooooooooo!!! God, this has been a terrible round. Come on you two, sort yourselves out!
The fighters circling - Ferriera throws out the jab but it was never going to land.
Rodrigo Ferriera is looking to keep the fight on the feet at all costs.
Nakamura uses decent footwork to sidestep a right hand from Ferriera.
A swing and a miss from Ferriera.
Nakamura changes levels for a counter takedown but doesn't follow through with his attempt.
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 Rodrigo Ferriera will probably get the nod.
OK. That's time! The bell goes and we're back to the action.

Ferriera uses decent footwork to sidestep a right hand from Nakamura.
Nakamura swats away the attempt to clinch by Ferriera.
Nakamura changes levels for a counter takedown but doesn't follow through with his attempt.
The fighters are starting to perspire pretty heavily.
Ferriera waving his hands out in front of him, looking to distract Nakamura.
Nakamura throws a low kick but his opponent is out of range.
Ferriera is the aggressor but that punch slipped nicely by Nakamura.
Nakamura feints the counter takedown.
Ferriera throws a jab but it's blocked by Nakamura.
And Nakamura tries to counter it with a takedown but Ferriera pushes his down on his head and steps out.
Nakamura slips under a jab from Ferriera.
Nakamura with the counter takedown but Ferriera avoids it easily.
Ferriera throws a jab but it's blocked by Nakamura.
Nakamura tries a counter takedown but it's more of a dummy move, and he uses it to push himself away.
We've had a slow start to the round here - hopefully the action picks up.
Nice defenses there by Nakamura.
Ferriera throws a hook but Nakamura avoids it easily.
Ferriera pushing out the jab but it's not landing.
Ferriera moves away from the strike by Nakamura.

That's one minute gone in the round.
Nakamura defending well as Ferriera loads up on a big left hand.
Nakamura slips under a jab.
Nakamura is definitely looking for the counter takedowns here.
Nakamura uses good head movement to avoid the hook from Ferriera.
Nakamura with the counter takedown but Ferriera avoids it easily.
Ferriera throws an off balance right hand

and Nakamura counters with a nice double leg into side control. Ferriera won't be happy with that.
Ferriera trying to remain calm as Nakamura controls from the top position.
Nakamura advances to full mount.
Ferriera really trying hard to get back to half guard here.
Ferriera holding onto his opponent's waist for dear life, as Nakamura tries to land some strikes to get him to release his grip.
Ferriera is in a horrible position here. Nakamura smacks him with another shot as he tries to escape the position.

That's two minutes gone in the round.
Ferriera working to try and regain half guard.

Nakamura goes for an armbar but he's not got it… Ferriera turns into him and now he's in Nakamura's guard.
Fantastic stuff here - a very entertaining period of action, which has drawn cheers from the crowd.
Ferriera wants to control from the top but Nakamura keeps moving.
Hajime Nakamura has got the better of the ground game so far.
Nakamura looking to control the pace of the fight rather than finish it.

That's three minutes gone in the round.
Nakamura bucks up whilst keeping hold of a body lock, managing to reverse the position. Now he's in top in Ferriera's guard.

Ferriera looking to control but Nakamura passes into half guard.
Nakamura lands a big shot. The thud that echoes around the arena is like music to the fans' ears.
Nakamura not doing much here.

That's four minutes gone in the round.
Ferriera on the receiving end of some nice ground and pound.
Ferriera trying to hold on to Nakamura's head to control him but Nakamura postures up.
Nakamura is taking a breather. Ferriera says something to him but it's hard to make out. Perhaps he's telling him to get on with it and actually do something.
Nakamura is continuing to stall.
Nakamura winds up and cracks Ferriera with a swinging punch to the side of the head.
And that is the end of the round. The fighters go back to their corners.

Hajime Nakamura showed his class in that round. I'd imagine he'll take it on all the scorecards.
That's the end of the interval. I'm sure that seemed a lot quicker than a minute for our two fighters! Back to the action. This is the final round!

Nakamura ducks under a wild hook from Ferriera.
Nakamura with the counter takedown but Ferriera avoids it easily.
Nakamura uses decent footwork to sidestep a right hand from Ferriera.
Ferriera waving his hands out in front of him, looking to distract Nakamura.
Ferriera throws a shot from downtown. Nakamura moves away and avoids it.
Ferriera misses with a straight right.
Ferriera is really head hunting here, hardly looking to strike to the body at all.
A big left from Ferriera misses.
Nakamura is definitely looking for the counter takedowns here.
Nakamura slips under a jab.
Nakamura feints the counter takedown.

Ferriera has managed to clinch.
Ferriera swings away with an uppercut that misses.
We've had a slow start to the round here - hopefully the action picks up.
Ferriera swings away with an uppercut that misses.
Ferriera misses with a shot to the kidneys.
Ferriera tries to throw a body punch but Nakamura avoids it by throwing Ferriera back against the cage.

That's one minute gone in the round.
Ferriera content to slow the pace in the clinch.
Ferriera has a couple of punches blocked by Nakamura.
Ferriera swings away with an uppercut that misses.
The referee is keeping an eye on Ferriera - much more stalling and he will separate the fighters.
Ferriera stalling against the cage.
Nakamura trying to control the position but instead, Ferriera has worked for underhooks and has pushed Nakamura into the cage.
Ferriera is struggling to control the position.

That's two minutes gone in the round.
There's not a lot going on here and the crowd are letting the fighters know they're not willing to tolerate a lack of action.
Ferriera stalling here - the referee won't stand for too much of that.
Ferriera seems to have come into the fight with the intention of avoiding any damage in the clinch, rather than actually showing any aggression.
A head punch blocked on the inside by Nakamura.

Nakamura works for the underhooks and manages to get a trip takedown into guard.
Nakamura stopping the sweep attempt from Ferriera.
Ferriera is trying to keep Nakamura in close.
Nakamura stands up over Ferriera, holding his feet. He dives back in and lands a decent shot to the head.

That's three minutes gone in the round.
There's a bit of a scramble here and now Ferriera is on top in guard.

Nakamura keeping moving, preventing Ferriera from controlling successfully.
Nakamura bucks up whilst keeping hold of a body lock, managing to reverse the position. Now he's in top in Ferriera's guard.

Ferriera keeping moving, preventing Nakamura from controlling successfully.
Ferriera can't do much from the bottom at the moment, as Nakamura controls the pace.

That's four minutes gone in the round.
Nakamura works over Ferriera with some ground and pound from guard.
Nakamura's corner is telling him to maintain position.
Ferriera controls Nakamura momentarily but Nakamura frees himself.
Nakamura controls the pace of the fight for a moment.
Boooooooooooooooooooo!!! God, this has been a terrible round. Come on you two, sort yourselves out!
Nakamura is working Ferriera over from the guard. He should look to pass the guard and do a little more damage with these strikes.
Nakamura throwing strikes but missing.
Ferriera trying to keep a closed guard but Nakamura is proving a slippery customer.

And that's the end of the fight!
Rodrigo Ferriera showed his dominance in that final round.
I think Ferriera 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 David Hoff scores the fight 29:28
Judge Dirk Anderson scores the fight 29:29
Judge Bart Greer scores the fight 29:28

In favor of your winner, by majority decision... Rodrigo Ferriera!
Hajime Nakamura was interviewed post fight and said 'Thank you to my opponent and all the fans, my coaches and sponsors.'.