PBP Commentary

Coming up we have a bantamweight MMA rules bout between Mitsubasa Midoriya (ranked 2691 p4p, 3243 weight class) and Thomas Davis (ranked 184 p4p, 211 weight class). Davis has chosen Not like us as his entrance music. I'm sure you'll be fascinated to know that I was talking to some pointless Z list celebrity before the fight and he thought that Thomas Davis was going to win. Let's see if he was right.

Midoriya
vs
Davis

171 cm
25
140
2 - 2 - 0

225 cm
25
130
3 - 1 - 0

BJJ Blue Belt
Basic striking
Granite chin

BJJ Blue Belt
Solid Muay Thai
Knockout power

Conquest Nutrition™ (160Q) $97

FREECH! (free speech clothing inc with REFUNDS!

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 2 - 2 - 0, fighting out of Tokyo, Mitsubasa Midoriya!
And introducing the fighter to my right, fighting out of the blue corner.
With a record of 3 - 1 - 0, fighting out of Rio de Janeiro, Thomas Davis!
The judges for this bout are Micheangelo Fripello, Jeff Smith and Colin Fray.

The bell rings for round one and we are underway!
Midoriya throws a nice looking combination but Davis bobs and weaves to avoid any damage.
Despite the aggression on Davis's face he doesn't fully commit to the counter.
Midoriya wants to clinch.
Midoriya is looking to chop away at Davis's legs.
Davis feints the counter takedown.
Midoriya looking to throw a kick but he's pulled out of it.
Midoriya tries to close the distance and clinch up but Davis swats him away and circles back towards the center.
We've had a slow start to the round here - hopefully the action picks up.
Midoriya shoots in for a takedown. "Ole!" shouts Davis as he jumps to the side.
Davis stumbles momentarily as he takes a strong leg kick from Midoriya.

That's one minute gone in the round.
A nice leg kick from Midoriya, right into the meat of the thigh.
Midoriya misses with a two punch combination.
Davis lets it all go there with a big combo counter but none of the punches connected.
Midoriya misses with a right hand
and Davis counters with a series of strikes. Midoriya will be more careful next time no doubt.
Davis displays some good footwork, moving neatly out of range as Midoriya throws out the jab.
Davis is loading up here, looking for a big counter of his own.
Midoriya misses with a wild body shot.
Midoriya tries a head kick but it misses.
Midoriya has been working on his boxing with his coaches at Rising Sun Training in the buildup to the fight.
Midoriya throws a lazy head kick

and Davis moves into the clinch.
Davis digs a right hand underneath Midoriya's ribcage. Midoriya let out a lung full of air as it connected.
Davis presses Midoriya against the cage and delivers a mid-strength body shot.
Midoriya pushes off and fires off an elbow that misses, before clinching up again, against the cage.

That's two minutes gone in the round.

Davis wants the takedown. Midoriya is fighting it off but Davis persists and manages to bring the fight to the ground, ending up in Midoriya's guard against the cage.
Midoriya might be looking to lock onto one of his opponent's long limbs for a submission, whilst we're on the ground.
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!
Midoriya is trying to control the position from the bottom.
Midoriya looking to sweep using the butterfly guard but Davis puts pay to that idea as he passes nicely into half guard.
Davis wants to pass the guard but Midoriya is defending well.

Davis is sneakily working for an arm triangle but Midoriya sees it coming and defends easily.
Still in half guard, Davis seems content to control.
Midoriya trying to hold on to Davis's head to control him but Davis postures up.
Midoriya wants to improve his position but Davis is controlling well.

That's three minutes gone in the round.
Davis seems content to maintain position for now, rather than mounting any offense.
Midoriya wants to get back to his feet.
The ref warns both fighters not to hold the cage as they work up against the meshing.

Midoriya looking for submissions off his back.
The fighters are pressed up against the cage, both looking to find a bit of space to work.
Midoriya tries to kick Davis off but Davis keeps his base steady and stays in half guard.

The referee has stepped in and called for a break in the action. We'll restart on the feet.
Midoriya doesn't manage to clinch there - Davis circles away.
Davis throws a counter combo.

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.
Midoriya scores with a slapping inside leg kick.
Davis circles away from the clinch attempt.
A looping hook to the body misses from Midoriya. Davis does a little dance to reset his feet.

Midoriya gets a takedown into half guard.

Davis makes some distance and scrambles quickly back to his feet. Nice work!
The crowd thankful this round is nearly over.
Midoriya misses with a body shot
and Davis counters with a head kick. That will keep Midoriya thinking before he tries any more sloppy attacks!
Midoriya fails in his attempt to clinch.
As Midoriya backs off Davis throws a huge counter combo but Midoriya manages to avoid it all.
And that is the end of the round. The fighters go back to their corners.

Thomas Davis dominated that 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.

Davis swats away the attempt to clinch by Midoriya.

Midoriya moves into the clinch successfully.
Midoriya has had enough of the clinch and is looking to separate.

Midoriya escapes the clinch and we're back to striking.
Midoriya swings wildly with a couple of big hooks
and Davis counters with a left and a right that stings Midoriya.
We've had a slow start to the round here - hopefully the action picks up.
Midoriya throws a lazy head kick
and Davis counters with a three punch combination, finished off with a leg kick. Nice work.
Midoriya pulls out of a head kick attempt.
Davis is trying to avoid his opponent's strikes and get into the clinch.
Midoriya tries to clinch but Davis is having none of it.
Davis is trying to avoid his opponent's strikes and get into the clinch.

That's one minute gone in the round.
A head kick by Midoriya misses
and Davis counters with a stiff right hand.
Davis has his hands up protecting his head but a hook from Midoriya finds it's way round the side to connect with Davis's head.
Midoriya tries to clinch but Davis moves out of range.
Davis feints the counter takedown.
Midoriya tries to close the distance and clinch up against the cage but Davis paws at him with a jab and circles away.
Davis tries to counter with a clinch but Midoriya shakes him off and moves away.
Midoriya scores with a crisp jab that stopped Davis in his tracks.
Davis has been the more effective fighter overall so far.
Midoriya swings wildly with a couple of big hooks

and Davis counters by moving into the clinch. Good anticipation by Davis.
Davis tries to pull guard but can't drag his opponent to the mat. Midoriya just stands there and leans against the cage.

Midoriya's corner calls for him to break the clinch, which he does.
Midoriya looking to land some kicks to the body here.
Davis is loading up here, looking for a big counter of his own.
Midoriya throws a head kick that misses
and Davis counters with a head kick.

That's two minutes gone in the round.
Davis ducks under a wild hook from Midoriya.
Davis lets it all go there with a big combo counter but none of the punches connected.
Midoriya misses with a body shot.
Midoriya tries to clinch up but Davis circles away and keeps his distance.
Midoriya throws a body kick that misses.
Davis is looking for the big counter here.
Thomas Davis seems to be getting the better of the standup.
Midoriya throws a big shot that misses.
A head kick misses from Midoriya.
Midoriya looks to land a combination but Davis avoids it well.
Davis is loading up here, looking for a big counter of his own.
Wooooo! Give it up for these two warriors! They are putting on a show!
Midoriya shoots in but doesn't get the takedown
and Davis counters with a left and a right that stings Midoriya.
Both fighters are absolutely exhausted here.

That's three minutes gone in the round.
Midoriya throws a sloppy head kick
and Davis counters with a thumping low kick.
Midoriya tries to close the distance and clinch but Davis swats him to one side with an open hand palm strike and circles away.
Davis drops down looking to force a counter takedown but Midoriya defends it well.
Midoriya tries a switch kick but it misses it's target.
Midoriya tries to clinch but Davis moves away
and Davis counters with a shot to the ribs. That looked like it hurt.
Midoriya swings for the body but Davis moves out of range.
Davis tries to counter by closing the distance.
Davis is a painfully thin specimen of a man. You do wonder whether a good body kick would snap him clean in two.
Midoriya tries to clinch but fails miserably
and Davis counters with a one-two to the body.
Midoriya misses with a wild combination.
Davis is loading up here, looking for a big counter of his own.

That's four minutes gone in the round.
Sloppy strikes from Midoriya. Those never looked like landing.
Midoriya throws a head kick that misses
and Davis counters with a one-two to the body.
Midoriya wants to land a leg kick but Davis is out of range.
Davis lets it all go there with a big combo counter but none of the punches connected.
Davis uses good head movement to avoid the hook from Midoriya.
Davis unleashes a big counter combination but Midoriya bobs and weaves and avoids any damage.
Davis keeps the fight on the outside.
Davis is looking for the big counter here.
Midoriya throws a leg kick
and Davis counters with a three punch combo that has Midoriya backing up. Midoriya nods at Davis to acknowledge the strikes.
This has been an exciting period of action!
Midoriya misses with a hook to the body
and Davis counters with a three punch combo that has Midoriya backing up. Midoriya nods at Davis to acknowledge the strikes.
Davis avoids a punch combination nicely.
As Midoriya backs off Davis throws a huge counter combo but Midoriya manages to avoid it all.
And that is the end of the round. The fighters go back to their corners.

Thomas Davis showed his class in that round. I'd imagine he'll take it on all the scorecards.
The referee calls time. The cornermen exit stage left and we're back to business. The crowd applaud as we get ready to start the final round!

Midoriya tries to clinch there but Davis circles away.
Davis changes levels for a counter takedown but doesn't follow through with his attempt.
Midoriya throws a leg kick
and Davis connects with a straight left hand counter down the middle.
No joy there for Midoriya, who threw a few shots but didn't land.
Midoriya misses with a body shot. Nice footwork from Davis.
Midoriya misses with a wild body shot.
Davis throws a counter combo.
Davis keeping a good distance there, avoiding the body shot.
Davis throws a fast counter high kick but Midoriya manages to duck under it in time.
Mitsubasa Midoriya seems to be the more aggressive standup fighter in this bout.
We've had a slow start to the round here - hopefully the action picks up.
Midoriya misses with a straight left.
Midoriya misses with a body shot.
Davis tries a counter takedown but it's more of a dummy move, and he uses it to push himself away.
Davis avoids the body shot from Midoriya.

That's one minute gone in the round.
A head kick misses from Midoriya.
Davis now looks to counter with a shot at the body.
Midoriya fails with a takedown attempt.
Both fighters are breathing heavily.
Midoriya throws a combination that misses
and Davis counters with a three punch combination, finished off with a leg kick. Nice work.
Midoriya tries a switch kick but it misses it's target.
Davis tries to counter by closing the distance.
Midoriya is looking to wear down Davis with body shots, infact he's throwing more body shots than head shots at the moment.
Midoriya is looking to clinch.
And Davis tries to counter it with a takedown but Midoriya pushes his down on his head and steps out.
Midoriya throws a poor cross that misses
and Davis counters with a three punch combo that has Midoriya backing up. Midoriya nods at Davis to acknowledge the strikes.
Midoriya throws a body kick but he was well out of range there.
Davis is looking for the big counter here.

That's two minutes gone in the round.
Midoriya shoots in but doesn't get the takedown

and Davis holds on and brings the fighters into a clinch.
Davis jumps guard but Midoriya stands there with Davis around his waist. Davis gives up and drops back to his feet. We remain in the clinch.
Davis holding his opponent close, against the cage.
Midoriya pushes off and fires off an elbow that misses, before clinching up again, against the cage.
Midoriya misses the knee to the body. Nice hip positioning from Davis.
Davis managing to block the knees to the body from Midoriya.
Davis jumps guard but his hands slip and he falls flat on his back. Well, he's made himself look a right mug there, as Midoriya walks away with a smile on his face. Davis gets slowly back to his feet and shakes his head.
Midoriya misses with a wild body shot.
Midoriya misses with a lunging right hand
and Davis cracks him with a counter punch right on the button.

That's three minutes gone in the round.
Midoriya misses with a looping left.
Davis avoids a punch combination nicely.

Midoriya clinches with his opponent.

Davis breaks the clinch and we're back to striking at distance.
Midoriya fails with an attempt to clinch.
A nice side step and Davis releases a counter shot to the body, but it doesn't find it's home.
Mitsubasa Midoriya is looking to throw some combinations by the looks of things.
Davis stuffs a takedown. It's all about dictating where the fight takes place and Davis wants it to stay on the feet.
Davis throws a counter combo.
That's three failed takedown attempts in the round for Mitsubasa Midoriya. That's going to take a lot out of him.

That's four minutes gone in the round.
Midoriya tries to clinch up
and Davis counters with a left and a right that stings Midoriya.
Davis avoids a punch combination nicely.
Davis is loading up here, looking for a big counter of his own.
Midoriya tries to clinch up.
Davis is clearly looking to counter with head kicks.
Midoriya throws a head kick that misses
and Davis counters with a left and a right that stings Midoriya.
The crowd thankful this round is nearly over.
The fight stays on the outside here - Midoriya looks like he's thinking about clinching though.
Davis unleashes a big counter combination but Midoriya bobs and weaves and avoids any damage.

And that's the end of the fight!
Thomas Davis comfortably won the final round on my scorecard.
Well Davis has outworked and out performed his opponent in all aspects of the game today. He was simply too good and the decision should be no more than a formality. 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 Micheangelo Fripello scores the fight 27:30
Judge Jeff Smith scores the fight 27:30
Judge Colin Fray scores the fight 27:30

In favor of your winner, by unanimous decision... Thomas Davis!
After the fight, Thomas Davis was humble in paying tribute to his opponent but made it clear he wants to go on to bigger and better things. It seemed to go down well with the crowd who cheered him loudly.