PBP Commentary

Coming up we have a bantamweight MMA rules bout between Kotaro Asakura (ranked 857 p4p, 1357 weight class) and Jean Luc Petit (ranked 64 p4p, 100 weight class). Asakura comes to the cage accompanied by Venom by $ B. Petit is bobbing his head along to his entrance song: Dirty Beaches - Lord Knows Best. Both these guys have really solid chins. Will we see a standup war or will they both decide that a knockout is unlikely and try to win the fight elsewhere?

Asakura
vs
Petit

173 cm
27
137
15 - 10 - 0

163 cm
32
140
15 - 18 - 1

Good wrestling
Great elbows
Granite chin

Olympic wrestler
World class boxer
Granite chin

Bondi MMA 🏝️
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Ladies and gentlemen. This fight is 3 rounds, in the bantamweight division.
Introducing the fighter to my left, fighting out of the red corner.
With a record of 15 - 10 - 0, fighting out of Las Vegas, Kotaro Asakura!
And introducing the fighter to my right, fighting out of the blue corner.
With a record of 15 - 18 - 1, fighting out of Tokyo, Jean Luc Petit!
The judges for this bout are Percy O'Donnell, Jack Bonds and Frank Antenori.

The bell rings for round one and we are underway!
Petit tries to clinch but is not successful on this occasion.
Asakura throws a lazy right hand but Petit sees it coming a mile off and sidesteps it easily.
Decent striking displayed by Asakura there.
Asakura connects with a looping right hand.
Asakura throws a big shot that misses.

Petit has Asakura up against the cage in a clinch.
Petit blocks an uppercut.
Petit is looking to score with knees to the body. Maybe he'll change it up and go body then head. Asakura is defending well for now.
Asakura has a couple of punches blocked by Petit.
Petit throws a punch but it's blocked by Asakura.
Asakura blocks a knee to the body. He'll have a nicely bruised forearm in the morning.
We've had a slow start to the round here - hopefully the action picks up.
Asakura on the defensive, avoiding the knees to the body.
A head punch on the inside from Petit fails to land.
Asakura wants to get back to striking at distance but Petit won't allow it.
Asakura works on Petit's body with a couple of short punches.
Petit tries a shoulder strike but it doesn't do any damage.

That's one minute gone in the round.
Asakura is trying to push Petit away but Petit has him pressed against the cage, so he's going nowhere.
Petit throws a head punch that misses.
Petit misses with some punches.
Petit tries a body shot but Asakura blocks it.
Petit swings wildly with an uppercut but Asakura uses good head movement to avoid it.
Asakura is trying to break free.

Asakura pushes off and circles away, back to the middle of the mat.
Asakura buckles his opponent's knee momentarily with a nice leg kick.
Petit wants to clinch.
Asakura tries to land with a swinging hook to the body but Petit was well out of range. Poor timing from Asakura.
Asakura on the wrong end of a vicious looking body shot.
Asakura scores with a reasonable looking shot to the body. Petit doesn't seem bothered though.
Petit cracks Asakura with a hook to the jaw. Both fighters smile at eachother and high-five before getting back down to business.
Asakura slips a straight right by Petit.

That's two minutes gone in the round.
Asakura bobbing and weaving, closes the distance and lands a hook to the side of Petit's head.
Petit takes one on the button.
Asakura bobs and weaves and throws out a fast jab that snaps Petit's head backwards.
Wooooo! Give it up for these two warriors! They are putting on a show!
Asakura connects with a leg kick. He turned his hip over nicely there.
Petit fakes a jab and scores with a low kick.
A big left from Asakura misses.
Petit lands with a nice low kick. That'll leave a bruise.
Petit lands a nice shot to the body.
Petit attempts a leg kick but it's missed by a good margin.
Asakura clobbers Petit with an overhand right that has the crowd gasping. That made a horrendous noise.
Petit has his head snapped back a nice jab. A little nod from Petit there as he acknowledges the shot.
Asakura slips a straight right by Petit.
Asakura avoids the clinch attempt nicely.
Petit just misses with a punch to the body.
It looks like Asakura has been trying to sharpen up his punching technique, as it looks crisper than last time we saw him.
Petit lands a really nice looking cross but Asakura seems unphased.
Kotaro Asakura seems to be the more aggressive standup fighter in this bout.
Petit connects with an inside leg kick.

That's three minutes gone in the round.
A solid leg kick lands there for Asakura.
Petit scoring well with a low kick there.
Asakura takes a hook to the side of the head. I wonder if that's got his ears ringing.
Petit paws at his opponent with the jab and then lunges in with a straight, right on the button.
Petit swings for the body but Asakura moves out of range.
A swing and a miss from Asakura.
Petit gets cracked with a nice right hand there by Asakura.

Petit gets in close and instigates a clinch.
Petit tries to land a knee to the head but Asakura blocks with his arms.
Petit lands a shoulder strike.
Asakura lands a hook to the side of the head.

Asakura escapes the clinch and we're back to striking.
This is a great period of action - very entertaining stuff!
Petit fails in his attempt to clinch.
Asakura is really peppering his opponent's head with punches.
Petit scores with a sloppy punch to the body. Not much technique there but it did the business.
Asakura connects with an inside leg kick.
Petit fakes a head shot and lands one to the body.

That's four minutes gone in the round.
Asakura takes a swing at Petit's ribcage but misses.
Asakura misses with a left hand
and Petit makes him pay by landing a thudding low kick.
Petit wants to clinch up but Asakura keeps it at a distance.
Asakura just misses with a punch to the body.
Petit throws a lazy uppercut
and he gets countered with a snapping leg kick.
Petit drops his hands and takes a jab to the jaw for his troubles.
Asakura misses with a looping left.
A big right from Asakura misses.
Asakura lunges at Petit with a hook that half lands and is half blocked by Petit's hand.
A nice inside leg kick there by Asakura. That's going to slow Petit down.
Petit tries to land with a swinging hook to the body but Asakura was well out of range. Poor timing from Petit.
Asakura tests Petit's chin there with a solid looking shot.
Petit uses some good footwork to avoid the body shot by Asakura.
Petit is looking to clinch.
The crowd applaud the fighters' efforts here as the round comes to an end.
Petit tries to move into range but Asakura moves to the side and lands with a nice right hand.
Petit dances in quickly and lands a nice inside leg kick on Asakura. That did some damage!
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 Kotaro Asakura will probably get the nod.
The corners get their ten second warning. Both fighters stand from their stools and stare each other down, ready to get back to the action.

Asakura thumps Petit with a low kick.
Petit is looking to clinch.
As Petit backs away, Asakura returns fire with a leg kick that just misses.
A swing and a miss from Asakura.

Asakura rushes Petit and pushes him back against the cage in a clinch.
Petit misses with a hook to the ribs.
Asakura can't break the clinch.
Asakura throws an elbow that misses.
Asakura is using his height advantage well here, landing a good percentage of his punches.
A quick uppercut on the inside from Petit.
Asakura blocks a knee to the body. He'll have a nicely bruised forearm in the morning.
Petit tries a knee to the head but Asakura blocks it.
Petit lands with a left to the head.
We've had a slow start to the round here - hopefully the action picks up.
Asakura misses with the head strike.
Jean Luc Petit seems to be working more effectively in the clinch in the fight so far.
Petit misses with a hook to the ribs.
Petit misses with some punches.
Petit lands with a good tight uppercut to the head.
Asakura fails to land with a short punch on the inside.

That's one minute gone in the round.

Petit breaks from the clinch.

Petit darts in and clinches Asakura up against the cage.
Petit is trying to slow down the pace of the fight but Asakura is keeping busy.

Asakura pushes off and circles away, back to the middle of the mat.
Asakura connects with a body shot.
Petit is looking to take this fight into the clinch.
Crunch! Petit slams his shin into Asakura's torso.
Petit fakes with a right hand and throws a good leg kick, right into the thigh. That had to hurt Asakura.
Petit moves out of range of the strikes.
Asakura bobs and weaves well there to avoid the strikes.
A telegraphed right hand from Asakura misses the target.
Asakura uses decent footwork to sidestep a right hand from Petit.
Petit lands a nice hook to Asakura's body. Asakura takes it in his stride and looks to land his own strikes.

That's two minutes gone in the round.
Petit walks into a stiff left hand from Asakura.
Asakura keeps the fight on the outside.
Petit blocks a jab.
A nice leg kick from Asakura, right into the meat of the thigh.
This is a great period of action - very entertaining stuff!
Petit misses the jab.
Petit keeping a good distance there, avoiding the body shot.
Petit takes one on the button.
Asakura jabs Petit right on the nose. Petit blinks but takes it well.
Petit throws a leg kick
and Asakura counters with a nice leg kick.
Petit misses with a hook.
Asakura scores with a nice strike.
Asakura's corner calls for a 1, 2 combination and Asakura duly obliges.
Asakura takes a swing at Petit's ribcage but misses.
Asakura slips a jab from Petit.
Asakura throws out a loose jab but Petit uses good head movement to avoid it.
Asakura lands a nice leg kick that just misses Petit's sensitive parts.

That's three minutes gone in the round.
Asakura walks straight into an uppercut. Luckily it didn't land flush.
Petit takes a shot to the body in his stride.
Petit defending well as Asakura loads up on a big left hand.
Kotaro Asakura is winning the standup battle so far.
Asakura tests Petit's chin there with a solid looking shot.
Asakura uses good head movement to avoid the hook from Petit.
Petit on the receiving end of a decent leg kick there by Asakura. Asakura obviously looking to wear him down.
Petit bobs and weaves and unloads with a good uppercut.
Asakura scores with a shot to the body.
Asakura just misses with a punch to the body.
A shot to the body from Asakura misses
and Petit counters with a crisp hook to the side of the head.
Asakura buckles his opponent's knee momentarily with a nice leg kick.
Petit throws a body kick but he was well out of range there.
Asakura fails in his attempt to clinch.
Wooooo! Give it up for these two warriors! They are putting on a show!
Asakura is the aggressor but that punch slipped nicely by Petit.
Petit lands an overhand right.

That's four minutes gone in the round.
Petit looks to land a right hand but Asakura moved out of range.
Asakura takes a big uppercut there. He seems a bit wobbly but no, he's OK.
Petit throws a lazy body kick
and Asakura counters with a good, hard body kick but Petit shrugs it off.
Petit scores with a slapping inside leg kick.
Petit throws a predictable looking body shot
and Asakura connects with a straight left hand counter down the middle.
Asakura misses with a looping right.
Asakura throws a wild body kick that Petit sees coming a mile off.
Asakura scores with the left hand. Petit knows he should have avoided that one.
Asakura throws a good cross that connects.
Asakura swats away the attempt to clinch by Petit.
The fighters circle momentarily. Petit darts into range and connects with a nice straight punch.
Petit gets his head snapped back by a nice shot there.
Petit throws a front kick aimed at Asakura's knee but Asakura avoids it well.
And that is the end of the round. The fighters go back to their corners.

Kotaro Asakura dominated that second round.
The corners get their ten second warning. Both fighters stand from their stools and stare each other down, ready to get back to the action. This is the final round!

A bone on bone clash there as Asakura blocks the leg kick.
Asakura moves into range and connects with a jab.
Asakura on the wrong end of a nice low kick. He's acting like it's no big deal but he doesn't want to take many more of those.
Petit's leg has a nasty welt from taking a succession of leg kicks. That must be slowing him down.
Petit thuds a left hand into Asakura's body.
Petit checks the leg kick nicely there.
Petit avoids the head kick by Asakura.
Petit avoids the body shot from Asakura.
Petit uses decent footwork to sidestep a right hand from Asakura.
A little jabbing left from Petit on the counter but it doesn't find it's target.
A looping hook to the body misses from Asakura. Petit does a little dance to reset his feet.

Petit gets to the clinch - let's see what his plan is here.
Petit tries to land a knee to the head but Asakura blocks with his arms.
We've had a slow start to the round here - hopefully the action picks up.
A head punch on the inside from Petit fails to land.
Petit doesn't land with the attempted body shot.
A head punch on the inside from Petit fails to land.
Petit tries a knee to the head but Asakura blocks it.
Petit tries to land knees in the clinch but Asakura avoids the damage to the body.

That's one minute gone in the round.
Petit works for underhooks and lands a body shot in the process.
Petit swings wildly with an uppercut but Asakura uses good head movement to avoid it.
Petit lands with a good tight uppercut to the head.
Petit with an attempt at a knee that misses.
Petit has a pretty nasty looking mouse under his right eye.
Asakura blocks a couple of punches on the inside.
Petit lands with a short shot to the head.
Nice body punch from Petit.
Petit blocks an uppercut.
Asakura is trying to force a seperation but Petit has the dominant position.
A short right from Petit on the inside.

Asakura pushes off and circles away, back to the middle of the mat.
Asakura staying out of range there.
Petit tries to score with a low kick but Asakura moves his leg out of the way.
Jean Luc Petit has stepped it up - he knows he needs a finish here!

That's two minutes gone in the round.
Petit tries to check a leg kick but that clearly hurt him.
Asakura chopping away at his opponent's legs.
Petit looks to land a left hand but Asakura moved out of range nicely.
Asakura swats away the attempt to clinch by Petit.
Asakura bobbing and weaving, closes the distance and lands a hook to the side of Petit's head.
We've seen a great period of action over the last minute or so - credit to both fighters for going all out!
Petit looks to score with a jab to the body but Asakura is just out of range.
Petit explodes with a nice body kick and back out of range. Nice work.
Petit takes a shot to the body in his stride.
Asakura misses with a body shot. Nice footwork from Petit.
Asakura backing away here, and Petit unleashes a leg kick that just misses.
Petit pushing out the jab but it's not landing.
Petit drops his hands momentarily and Asakura takes advantage with a crisp shot to the head.
Asakura keeping his hands up high there, blocking the jab from Petit.
Asakura was looking to counter that move with a punch but didn't quite pull the trigger.
Asakura scores with a sloppy right hand. Petit should have avoided that one.

That's three minutes gone in the round.
Petit throws a combination but it was largely blocked by Asakura.
Asakura tried to counter with a leg kick but Petit avoided it.
Asakura lands with a shot to the body.
Asakura checks the leg kick nicely there.
Petit looks shocked there as he takes a right hand to the temple.
Asakura misses with an uppercut. Petit saw that one coming.
Petit misses with a leg kick
letting Asakura counter with a right hand.
Petit throws a hook but Asakura blocks it.
Asakura turns his hip over beautifully as he lands a nice leg kick.
Petit misses with a right hand
and Petit takes a counter punch right on the button for his troubles.
Nice shot by Asakura.
Asakura keeps the fight on the outside.
Asakura misses with a hook.

Asakura closes the distance and presses his opponent up against the cage.
Asakura takes a knee right on the jaw!

It looks like Kotaro Asakura has been cut.
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!
Petit tries to land a knee to the head but misses.

That's four minutes gone in the round.
Asakura misses with the head strike.
Asakura has a couple of punches blocked by Petit.
Petit stalling in the clinch but Asakura improves position.
Petit trying to land knees to the body.
Petit tries a shoulder strike but it doesn't do any damage.
Petit misses with a knee to the head.
Petit throws a head punch that misses.

Asakura manages to break the clinch.
Asakura keeps his opponent at a distance with a nice jab.
Asakura lands a powerful looking uppercut that connected with his opponent's jaw.
Asakura misses with a kick to the body.
Asakura lands a slapping body shot.
Petit misses with an uppercut
letting Asakura counter with a right hand.
Petit uses good head movement to avoid the hook from Asakura.
An inside leg kick lands from Asakura.

And that's the end of the fight!
Kotaro Asakura showed his dominance in that final round.
Well I reckon that's a shut out for Asakura, 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 Percy O'Donnell scores the fight 29:28
Judge Jack Bonds scores the fight 30:27
Judge Frank Antenori scores the fight 30:28

In favor of your winner, by unanimous decision... Kotaro Asakura!
After winning the bout, Kotaro Asakura thanked all his fans and promised he'd do even better in his next fight. The crowd seemed to love his humility.