PBP Commentary

Coming up we have a welterweight MMA rules bout between Kazushi Rakusaba (ranked 0 p4p, 0 weight class) and Steve Trotoz (ranked 0 p4p, 0 weight class). Rakusaba comes into the arena with David Bowie - Suffragette City blaring out of the sound system. Steve Trotoz is the more experienced fighter, so let's see if that makes a difference tonight.

Rakusaba
vs
Trotoz

183 cm
22
181 lbs
1 - 0 - 0

175 cm
20
170 lbs
4 - 3 - 1

BJJ Purple Belt
Counter striker
Granite chin

BJJ Blue Belt
Basic striking
Granite chin

Ladies and gentlemen. This fight is 3 rounds, in the welterweight division.
Introducing the fighter to my left, fighting out of the red corner.
With a record of 1 - 0 - 0, fighting out of Tokyo, Kazushi Rakusaba!
And introducing the fighter to my right, fighting out of the blue corner.
With a record of 4 - 3 - 1, fighting out of Tokyo, Steve Trotoz!
The judges for this bout are Yasuomi Hirokawa, Shigeki Fujiwara and Shirou Masuda.

The bell rings for round one and we are underway!
Trotoz fails with an attempt to clinch.
Rakusaba keeps the fight on the outside.
Trotoz wants to clinch up but Rakusaba keeps it at a distance.
Rakusaba avoids the clinch attempt nicely.
Rakusaba circles away from the clinch attempt.
The fight stays on the outside here - Trotoz looks like he's thinking about clinching though.
Trotoz is looking to clinch but Rakusaba is avoiding it.

Trotoz gets to the clinch - let's see what his plan is here.
Rakusaba is stalling here.
We've had a slow start to the round here - hopefully the action picks up.
Trotoz throws a head punch that misses.
A knee to the head by Trotoz.

It looks like Kazushi Rakusaba has been cut.
Trotoz taking a breather.

Rakusaba is trying to trip Trotoz. He has hold of a leg but Trotoz is hopping around, keeping his balance for the moment. Rakusaba persists though and gets the takedown into guard.

That's one minute gone in the round.
Rakusaba loading up with the ground and pound but he's missing more than he's landing in this flurry.
Trotoz keeping moving, preventing Rakusaba from controlling successfully.
Rakusaba content to strike from guard, landing some decent shots.
Rakusaba controlling from the guard. I say controlling but really, he's stalling.
Rakusaba wants to pass the guard but Trotoz is keeping the position.
Trotoz is looking to stand up but Rakusaba isn't so interested in that idea.
Rakusaba is looking to advance position but Trotoz has hit a scissor sweep - now he's on top in mount!
Trotoz tries to stand up but he's trapped just for the moment.

That's two minutes gone in the round.
A lull in the action here being met with boos from the crowd.
Trotoz trying to control but Rakusaba is having none of it.
Rakusaba is trying to escape the mount.
Rakusaba 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.
Trotoz tries to stand up but he's trapped just for the moment.
The fighters are pressed up against the cage, both looking to find a bit of space to work.

Trotoz get's back to his feet.
Rakusaba keeps the fight on the outside.
Trotoz throws a jab when Rakusaba was well out of range.
Rakusaba cracks a nice hook into Trotoz's ribs.
Trotoz is looking to clinch.

The fight moves into the clinch position.

That's three minutes gone in the round.
With the two fighters working up against the cage, Trotoz just misses with a elbow thrown towards Rakusaba's brow.
Rakusaba fails to pull guard.

Rakusaba ties up his opponent against the cage and manages to drag the fight down to the ground. Rakusaba no doubt will be looking to work submissions from his guard.

Rakusaba escapes his hips to the side and looks to be working for an armbar. Trotoz gives him a little smile and shakes his head. No chance.
Rakusaba tries to land a sweep but no joy.
Rakusaba strikes from his own guard.
Rakusaba is working from a closed guard but he's struggling to control his opponent.
A real slowdown in the pace of the fight for a moment, as Rakusaba holds on and takes a little breather.
Trotoz stopping the sweep attempt from Rakusaba.

That's four minutes gone in the round.
Rakusaba throwing strikes off his back to little effect.

Trotoz gets to his feet - Rakusaba follows without any prompting.
Trotoz tries to clinch

and Rakusaba decides to take the opportunity to score a takedown. He's landed in Trotoz's guard.
Trotoz looks gassed!

Rakusaba drops back looking for a leg! Trotoz is in trouble here! The fighters roll with the hold and Trotoz manages to kick Rakusaba off! Rakusaba jumps back into Trotoz's guard.
Rakusaba working in close now, lands a nice elbow to the side of Trotoz's head.
Rakusaba throwing strikes from guard but Trotoz blocks nicely.
Rakusaba trying to control but Trotoz is working from the bottom.
Rakusaba with a nice head shot there.
And that’s the end of the round – the fighters go back to their corners.

Kazushi Rakusaba dominated that round.
The cut man is working on Kazushi Rakusaba's cut.
The minute break is over - no more time for sponges and pep talks - back to the action!

Nice takedown defense from Trotoz. No joy for Rakusaba on that attempt.
Trotoz closes the distance looking to clinch
and Trotoz takes a counter punch right on the button for his troubles.
Trotoz misses with a takedown

and Rakusaba counters with a nice double leg into guard.
Rakusaba trying to pass the guard but can't manage it just yet.
Rakusaba landing with the ground and pound.
Trotoz is trying to stand up but he's not managed so far.
Rakusaba missing there with some ground and pound from the guard.
Rakusaba controls from within his opponent's guard.

That's one minute gone in the round.
Trotoz is trying to stand up but he's not managed so far.
Trotoz is breathing heavily.
Rakusaba chips away with some ground and pound.

Rakusaba thinks about going for a leg but decides against it, in order to maintain the position.
Trotoz wants to stand up but Rakusaba is controlling him.
Rakusaba scoring with some ground and pound.

That's two minutes gone in the round.
Hammerfist, elbow! yells Rakusaba's corner. There ya go! There ya go!
Rakusaba working from the guard for now, landing some ground and pound.
Rakusaba landing with the ground and pound.
The ref warns both fighters not to hold the cage as they work up against the meshing.
Trotoz keeping full guard, as Rakusaba tries to pass.
Both fighters really going for it on the ground here!
Rakusaba trying to control but Trotoz is working from the bottom.
Rakusaba missing there with some ground and pound from the guard.
Rakusaba lands a nice shot whilst sitting in his opponent's guard.
Rakusaba throwing strikes but missing.
Rakusaba is pushing down on Trotoz's leg trying to pass to half guard. Trotoz is fighting to maintain full guard but Rakusaba has managed to sneak the leg through.
Rakusaba controlling the action here.

That's three minutes gone in the round.
Rakusaba is pressing down on Trotoz's thigh, looking to free his foot. Trotoz is holding on for now.
Rakusaba frees up his trapped foot and advances to mount.
Rakusaba unloading with bombs!
Rakusaba postures up and cracks his opponent a couple of times before moving back into close ground control. Trotoz looks a forlorn figure.
Rakusaba tries to control but Trotoz wriggling away.
Kazushi Rakusaba overall seems to be getting the better of the ground position in the fight so far.
Rakusaba pausing momentarily but resumes with a couple of decent strikes that do a bit of damage.
Rakusaba landing punches.
BOOM! Rakusaba connects with a massive shot to the dome!

That's four minutes gone in the round.

Rakusaba is working for a guillotine from mount but Trotoz frees his head quite easily.
Rakusaba trying to control but he's not successful this time.
Rakusaba lands a heavy elbow.
Rakusaba working Trotoz over with strikes here.
Rakusaba with good strikes from the mount here!
Rakusaba in mount throwing good strikes here, bouncing his opponent's head off the canvas.
Rakusaba working away from the top, dropping strikes.
Rakusaba controlling from mount.
The crowd applaud the fighters efforts here as the round comes to an end.
Trotoz trying desperately to get to his feet.
And that’s the end of the round – the fighters go back to their corners.

Kazushi Rakusaba dominated that second round.
The cut man is working on Kazushi Rakusaba's cut.
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!

Rakusaba drops down and drives through with a powerful takedown into guard.

Rakusaba drops back looking for a leg! Trotoz is in trouble here! The fighters roll with the hold and Trotoz manages to kick Rakusaba off! Rakusaba jumps back into Trotoz's guard.
Rakusaba trying to control the position from guard on top but Trotoz is wriggling around, looking for whatever he can.
Rakusaba content to stall in guard here.

Trotoz is edging up against the cage. He's using the cage to get back to his feet. Nice work there - the fighters are clinched.

That's one minute gone in the round.
Rakusaba wants to break the clinch but can't.
Rakusaba tries to break the clinch but Trotoz is controlling the position.
Rakusaba has had enough of the clinch but Trotoz keeps him there for the moment.

Rakusaba manages to break the clinch.
Trotoz wants to clinch but Rakusaba slips to the side

and Rakusaba counters with a nice shoot takedown that brings the fighters to the ground.
Trotoz takes a big intake of breath there - he's definitely tired.
Rakusaba tries to free his leg and advance position but Trotoz is retaining full guard.
Rakusaba is working hard here to advance position.
Rakusaba controls the pace of the fight for a moment.
Rakusaba trying to control the position from guard on top but Trotoz is wriggling around, looking for whatever he can.

That's two minutes gone in the round.
Rakusaba tries to free his leg and advance position but Trotoz is retaining full guard.
Trotoz wants to get back to his feet but Rakusaba is in a dominant position and won't allow it.
Rakusaba looking to control the position here, rather than advance.

The referee has ruled that neither fighter is active enough on the ground and has stood them back up.
Rakusaba tries to clinch there but Trotoz circles away.

Rakusaba clinches.

Rakusaba decides to pull guard.

That's three minutes gone in the round.
Trotoz stopping the sweep attempt from Rakusaba.

Rakusaba is working actively off his back, looking to secure an arm or perhaps work for a triangle.
Rakusaba throwing some rather feeble looking strikes off his back.
Trotoz wants to stand but Rakusaba has a closed guard, so he can't escape.
Kazushi Rakusaba is fighting for a decision here - he's started to take the cautious approach.

Trotoz avoids a guillotine attempt easily.
Rakusaba wants to control here, rather than go for any submissions from the bottom. At least for now.
Rakusaba looking for a sweep. Not yet Rakusaba, not yet.

That's four minutes gone in the round.
Trotoz is looking to stand up but Rakusaba won't let him.
Rakusaba has Trotoz pulled in close to control his posture.
Trotoz won't allow Rakusaba to sweep him here.

Rakusaba looking for submissions from the bottom here. Moving his hips around, possibly looking for an armbar.
Trotoz is looking to stand up but Rakusaba won't let him.
Steve Trotoz has stepped it up - he knows he needs a finish here!
Rakusaba manages to land a sweep and now he's in mount on top!

And that's the end of the fight!
Kazushi Rakusaba showed his dominance in that final round.
Well Rakusaba has outscored his opponent in every aspect of the fight today. Only a scarily incompetent judge or two will keep him from a well deserved win... 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 Yasuomi Hirokawa scores the fight 30:26
Judge Shigeki Fujiwara scores the fight 30:26
Judge Shirou Masuda scores the fight 30:26

In favor of your winner, by unanimous decision... Kazushi Rakusaba!