PBP Commentary

Coming up we have a middleweight MMA rules bout between Taka Michinoku (ranked 0 p4p, 0 weight class) and Johnny Rico (ranked 0 p4p, 0 weight class). Johnny Rico has the power to score a knockout today if he connects clean with Taka Michinoku's chin.

Michinoku
vs
Rico

173 cm
18
187 lbs
1 - 2 - 0

180 cm
21
186 lbs
0 - 0 - 0

Good takedowns
Basic striking
Good in bed

BJJ Blue Belt
Counter striker
Granite chin

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 1 - 2 - 0, fighting out of Rio de Janeiro, Taka Michinoku!
And introducing the fighter to my right, fighting out of the blue corner.
With a record of 0 - 0 - 0, fighting out of Rio de Janeiro, Johnny Rico!
The judges for this bout are Thiago Cunha, Matheus Silva and Seu Braga.

The bell rings for round one and we are underway!
Rico misses with a two punch combination.
Michinoku could do with loosing a few pounds - he looks very soft around the mid section, to put it politely.
Rico tries to close the distance and clinch up but Michinoku swats him away and circles back towards the center.

Michinoku drops down and drives through with a powerful takedown into guard.
Michinoku showing good wrestling skills to control the position.
Rico wants to sweep here but Michinoku controlling him for the moment.
Michinoku postures up.
Michinoku content to stall in guard here.
Rico looking to control.
Rico wants to get back to his feet but Michinoku is in a dominant position and won't allow it.
Michinoku trying to control the position from guard on top but Rico is wriggling around, looking for whatever he can.
Michinoku pressing down on his opponent's thigh, looking to pass guard. Rico is keeping the position for now.

That's one minute gone in the round.

Neither fighter is doing enough for the referee's liking and he's decided to stand them back up.
Rico shoots and misses

and Michinoku counters with a nice single leg takedown and he's in Rico's guard now.
Rico keeping moving, preventing Michinoku from controlling successfully.

Michinoku drops back for a leg but he's not going to get it - he lets go and Rico dives on top into guard.
Rico wants to stand but Michinoku is controlling his posture from full guard.
Michinoku keeping moving, preventing Rico from controlling successfully.

That's two minutes gone in the round.
Michinoku looking to sweep here. No luck so far.
Michinoku keeping full guard, as Rico tries to pass.
Rico throwing strikes from guard but Michinoku blocks nicely.
Michinoku keeping moving, preventing Rico from controlling successfully.

Rico drops back for a leg but he's not going to get it - he lets go and Michinoku dives on top into guard.

That's three minutes gone in the round.
Michinoku passes into half guard.
Michinoku prevents Rico from standing back up.
Rico looks gassed!
Rico missing with punches from the bottom.
Rico is trying to get back to full guard.
Michinoku is looking to take a break and control but Rico is keeping him honest, looking to work from the bottom.
Michinoku is thwarting Rico's attempts to control the position.

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.
Rico is looking to improve his position.
Rico wants to get back to his feet.

Well, the referee has seen enough. Neither fighter is active enough on the ground so he's stood them back up.
Michinoku fails with the takedown
and Rico counters with a thumping low kick.

Michinoku closes the distance and gets a double leg, slamming Rico to the mat! Rico manages to get full guard.
The fighters are pressed up against the cage, both looking to find a bit of space to work.
Michinoku trying to control but Rico is working from the bottom.
Michinoku passes Rico's left leg - he's now in half guard.
Michinoku controlling the action here.
Michinoku works his way into full mount!
And that’s the end of the round – the fighters go back to their corners.

Taka Michinoku dominated that round.
OK. That's time! The bell goes and we're back to the action.

Rico stuffs the takedown.

Rico gets taken down but at least he's managed to land in guard.
Rico looking to hit a scissor sweep but Michinoku is one step ahead there.
There's a bit of a scramble here and now Rico is on top in guard.
Rico would like to get this fight back to the feet but can't get free from the closed guard.
Michinoku keeping full guard, as Rico tries to pass.
Both fighters are absolutely exhausted here.

That's one minute gone in the round.
Rico wants to control from the top but Michinoku keeps moving.

That's two 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.
A real slowdown in the pace of the fight for a moment, as Michinoku holds on and takes a little breather.
Rico wants to stand but Michinoku has a closed guard, so he can't escape.
Michinoku avoiding any damage from the ground and pound.
Michinoku on his back here. We all know that wrestlers don't like being on their back so let's see if Michinoku tries to get out of the position.

It looks like we're going to have a standup here. Neither fighter is doing enough on the ground.
A punch combination from Rico misses.

Michinoku is looking for a takedown here. He's shot in and has managed to get it, finishing up in Rico's half guard.
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.
Michinoku blocks the strikes from Rico.
Rico is staying active underneath Michinoku, who seems content to just control the action from this position.
Rico is trying to stand up here but Michinoku is controlling him well.
Michinoku tries to pass the half guard into mount. Rico knows what he's doing though and prevents the attempt.
Michinoku is stalling here. Rico is in no mood to hang around though. He's locked up a kimura from the bottom! Michinoku seems to be keeping calm but he's forced to roll out of the hold and Rico has ended up in side control on the top. Nice work.
Rico throwing ground and pound but whilst doing so, he forgets to control position and Michinoku works his way back to half guard. Good composure under pressure.
Rico controlling the pace.

That's four minutes gone in the round.
The crowd are showing their displeasure at the lack of action as loud boos ring out around the arena.
Let's hope that Rico has the urge to step up the pace any second now because for the last 15 or 20 seconds he's just been holding on tight.
Rico throwing shots but Michinoku is blocking nicely.
Rico wants to stand but Michinoku has hold of a leg and an arm, so he's trapped for now.
Boooooooooooooooooooo!!! God, this has been a terrible round. Come on you two, sort yourselves out!
Michinoku wants to control but Rico is keeping busy and won't allow it.
And that’s the end of the round – the fighters go back to their corners.

Taka Michinoku dominated that second round.
The fighters' corners scream their final instructions, as the referee calls time. Here we go, back to the action! So, we enter the final round. Let's see if either fighter can bring us a finish, or whether we're going to the judges scorecards.

Michinoku closes the distance and clinches up with Rico, looking for a takedown. Michinoku pushes Rico against the cage but Rico circles to the side and manages to break the clinch.
Michinoku gets his takedown attempt stuffed easily

and Rico holds on and brings the fighters into a clinch.
Michinoku has a body lock and is looking for a takedown. Rico is bouncing around trying to prevent the takedown and somehow he has indeed managed to stay on his feet.
That's three failed takedown attempts in the round for Taka Michinoku. That's going to take a lot out of him.
Michinoku goes for a takedown attempt but Rico pushes him away and we're back to fighting at a distance.

Rico moves into the clinch successfully.

Rico successfully pulls guard.
Rico pulls Michinoku in to control the position.
Rico bucks up whilst keeping hold of a body lock, managing to reverse the position. Now he's in top in Michinoku's guard.
Michinoku keeping moving, preventing Rico from controlling successfully.
Rico passes into half guard.

That's one minute gone in the round.
The referee calls for the fighters to work.
Both fighters are breathing heavily.
Rico works his way into full mount!
Rico thowing strikes but they're hitting the gloves, not doing any damage.
Taka Michinoku overall seems to be getting the better of the ground position in the fight so far.

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.
Michinoku is controlling an arm, preventing Rico from taking his back. Although keeping him in mount is no better to be honest.
Michinoku is squirming around, avoiding Rico's attempts to control the action.
Rico working some short elbows here. He postures up to throw some more ground and pound but Michinoku slips a leg through to get back to half guard. Nice work.
Rico with a momentary lay and pray from half guard.

That's three minutes gone in the round.

Rico is trying to work for a kimura. He's got his hands clasped together - this could be trouble! No, Michinoku has managed to free his arm - good work.

Rico is trying for a guillotine from the top but the pressure isn't in the right place so Michinoku is just riding it out for now. Rico eventually gives up the hold.
Rico is looking to take a break and control but Michinoku is keeping him honest, looking to work from the bottom.

That's four minutes gone in the round.
The crowd are hurling abuse towards the fighters... You can hardly blame them though because there isn't a lot going on in the fight.
Rico looking to pass the half guard. Not this time.
Boooooooooooooooooooo!!! God, this has been a terrible round. Come on you two, sort yourselves out!

And that's the end of the fight!
Johnny Rico comfortably won the final round on my scorecard.
I think Michinoku 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 Thiago Cunha scores the fight 29:28
Judge Matheus Silva scores the fight 29:28
Judge Seu Braga scores the fight 29:28

In favor of your winner, by unanimous decision... Taka Michinoku!