PBP Commentary

Coming up we have a lightweight MMA rules bout between Misaki Suzuki (ranked 0 p4p, 0 weight class) and Sho Kasugi (ranked 0 p4p, 0 weight class). Both fighters look fresh as a daisy as they make their way towards the cage.

Suzuki
vs
Kasugi

170 cm
25
162 lbs
9 - 6 - 1

172 cm
23
155 lbs
6 - 3 - 0

Powerful takedowns
Counter striker
Very strong

BJJ Purple Belt
Dangerous knees
Granite chin

Ladies and gentlemen. This fight is 3 rounds, in the lightweight division.
Introducing the fighter to my left, fighting out of the red corner.
With a record of 9 - 6 - 1, fighting out of Tokyo, Misaki Suzuki!
And introducing the fighter to my right, fighting out of the blue corner.
With a record of 6 - 3 - 0, fighting out of Tokyo, Sho Kasugi!
The judges for this bout are Shirou Masuda, Ren Mimura and Shigeki Fujiwara.

The bell rings for round one and we are underway!
Kasugi lets loose with a powerful body kick. Suzuki will feel that in the morning.
Kasugi pulls out of a head kick attempt.
Kasugi lands a high kick!

It looks like Misaki Suzuki has been cut.
Suzuki throws a series of strikes that have Kasugi backpedaling.
Kasugi buckles his opponent's knee momentarily with a nice leg kick.

Suzuki gets a takedown into half guard.
Kasugi has no desire to be mounted, so is trying to control. Suzuki is working away from the top position though.
Kasugi wants to improve his position but Suzuki is controlling well.
Still in half guard, Suzuki seems content to control.
Suzuki stalling away here and it's allowed Kasugi to slip out his trapped foot and regain full guard.

That's one minute gone in the round.

Kasugi looking for submissions off his back, moving his hips, looking for an opening.
Suzuki controlling from the top position.
Kasugi keeping moving, preventing Suzuki from controlling successfully.
Suzuki pressing down on his opponent's thigh, looking to pass guard. Kasugi is keeping the position for now.

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.
Suzuki sitting in guard here, content to control.
Suzuki trying to control but Kasugi is working from the bottom.
Kasugi looking to hit a scissor sweep but Suzuki is one step ahead there.
Kasugi is trying to keep Suzuki in close.

The referee decides to stand the fighters back up.
Kasugi lands with a kick to the temple. Suzuki shrugs as if to say "is that all you've got?"

That's three minutes gone in the round.
Suzuki looks to score with a combo but nothing lands.
Kasugi lands a nice leg kick that just misses Suzuki's sensitive parts.

Suzuki shoots in looking for a single leg takedown. Kasugi is trying to defend but Suzuki finishes it well and ends up in half guard. Let's see if he can advance position further.
Kasugi is staying active underneath Suzuki, who seems content to just control the action from this position.
Suzuki is thwarting Kasugi's attempts to control the position.
Kasugi keeping his head moving to avoid the ground and pound.
Kasugi is trying to maintain the position but Suzuki is very close to passing his half guard.
The fighters are starting to perspire pretty heavily.
Suzuki with the ground and pound but Kasugi uses the opportunity to regain guard.

That's four minutes gone in the round.
Suzuki working some ground and pound from guard but it's not doing any damage.
Suzuki wants to control from the top but Kasugi keeps moving.

Neither fighter is doing enough for the referee's liking and he's decided to stand them back up.
Kasugi throws a quick inside leg kick.
Kasugi feints and then cracks Suzuki's leading leg with a nice low kick. He's obviously looking to slow Suzuki down.
Kasugi lands with a thumping leg kick.
Sho Kasugi seems to be the more aggressive standup fighter in this bout.
Kasugi cracks the inside of Suzuki's front leg.
The crowd applaud the fighters efforts here as the round comes to an end.
Kasugi wants to slow Suzuki down by chopping away at his legs.
Kasugi throws a head kick that Suzuki semi-blocks.
And that’s the end of the round – the fighters go back to their corners.

Sho Kasugi dominated that round.
The cut man is working on Misaki Suzuki's cut.
The corners get their ten second warning. Both fighters stand from their stools and stare eachother down, ready to get back to the action.

A head kick from Kasugi lands but Suzuki takes it in his stride.
Kasugi throws a head kick that misses and slips in the process. He scrambles back to his feet and the fighters circle.
Suzuki throws a combination but comes up with nothing but fresh air.
Kasugi misses with a low kick.
Suzuki shoots in looking for a double leg takedown. Kasugi defends it nicely.
Misaki Suzuki is looking to throw some combinations by the looks of things.
Kasugi throws a sloppy head kick and Suzuki moves out of range easily.
Kasugi displays good takedown defense there as he swats away a double leg from Suzuki.
Suzuki shoots in but no luck this time.
That's three failed takedown attempts in the round for Misaki Suzuki. That's going to take a lot out of him.
Kasugi throws a sloppy head kick and Suzuki moves out of range easily.
Kasugi scores with a kick to the midsection.
Kasugi throws a body kick that digs right into the meat.
Some bone on bone action there as Suzuki checks a low kick. Luckily it wasn't a particularly hard one.

That's one minute gone in the round.
Kasugi lands with a nice low kick. That'll leave a bruise.
Kasugi throws the kick towards the body but Suzuki avoids it.
Kasugi feints and then cracks Suzuki's leading leg with a nice low kick. He's obviously looking to slow Suzuki down.
Suzuki misses with a series of wild punches.
Suzuki throws a wild combination but nothing lands.
Suzuki takes a kick to the body and keeps moving.
Crunch! Kasugi slams his shin into Suzuki's torso.
Both fighters are absolutely exhausted here.
A left and a right from Suzuki both land. Nice combination.

Suzuki scores a takedown into full mount!
Kasugi tries to get back to half guard but can't.
Kasugi is controlling an arm, preventing Suzuki from taking his back. Although keeping him in mount is no better to be honest.

That's two minutes gone in the round.
Suzuki trying to control but he's not successful this time.
Suzuki avoids the attempt from Kasugi to control.
Suzuki trying to control but Kasugi is having none of it.
Suzuki pausing momentarily but resumes with a couple of decent strikes that do a bit of damage.

That's three minutes gone in the round.
Suzuki landing strikes, looking to finish!
Suzuki is stalling here but it's allowed Kasugi to get half guard.
Kasugi controlling the leg, holding on to half guard.
Kasugi is working for an escape here. He's hooked one of Suzuki's legs and he's managed to sneak out and take Suzuki's back!

Kasugi is staying calm and holding on to the back position, whilst working on a rear naked choke. Suzuki is defending well though. Kasugi let's go of the attempt for now.
Kasugi is hanging on to Suzuki's back as he tries to escape.

That's four minutes gone in the round.

Kasugi is looking for the choke from the back position but Suzuki is controlling his hands well.
Suzuki tries to escape but Kasugi has the hooks in and won't let him break free.
Suzuki controlling the position well but he knows he's in a bad position.
Suzuki tries to escape but Kasugi has the hooks in and won't let him break free.
Suzuki is working hard here to advance position.
Suzuki rolls and manages to get back to half guard. Nicely done.
Kasugi thows a big elbow that misses, also allowing Suzuki to regain full guard.
And that’s the end of the round – the fighters go back to their corners.

Sho Kasugi showed his class in that round. I'd imagine he'll take it on all the scorecards.
The cut man is working on Misaki Suzuki's cut.
That's time! Back to the action! Ladies and gentlemen, this is the final round!

Kasugi throws the kick towards the body but Suzuki avoids it.
Kasugi scoring well with a low kick there.
Kasugi tries a low kick but Suzuki avoids it.
Kasugi misses with a head kick.

Kasugi gets caught on his heels momentarily as he allows Suzuki to score an easy takedown into full guard.
Kasugi keeping moving, preventing Suzuki from controlling successfully.
Kasugi not looking particularly offensive just at the moment.

That's one minute gone in the round.
Suzuki looking to pass the guard.
Kasugi controls Suzuki momentarily but Suzuki frees himself.
Suzuki wants to stand but Kasugi has a closed guard, so he can't escape.
Suzuki with a nice head shot there.
Suzuki stopping the sweep attempt from Kasugi.

That's two minutes gone in the round.
A few boos can be heard. I'm sure they will multiply if the fighters don't pick up the pace.

Well, the referee has seen enough. Neither fighter is active enough on the ground so he's stood them back up.
Kasugi misses with a leg kick.
Suzuki shoots in for a takedown. "Ole!" shouts Kasugi as he jumps to the side.
Kasugi throws a head kick that Suzuki semi-blocks.
Suzuki keeping at a good range here, avoiding a leg kick.
Kasugi throws a body kick that digs right into the meat.
Kasugi turns his hip over beautifully as he lands a nice leg kick.
Kasugi throws a head kick that misses and slips in the process. He scrambles back to his feet and the fighters circle.
Kasugi tries a head kick but it misses.
Sho Kasugi is looking to keep the fight on the feet at all costs.
Kasugi takes a big intake of breath there - he's definitely tired.
A swing and a miss from Suzuki.
Suzuki is hobbling a little on that front leg after taking quite a few leg kicks so far in this fight.
Suzuki sees a low kick coming and goes to check it, but it's actually a body kick and it thuds into his unprotected ribs.

Suzuki fakes an overhand right and shoots for a takedown. Kasugi sprawls well initially but Suzuki persists and gets the takedown into half guard.
Suzuki trying to mount his opponent but Kasugi defends it.

That's three minutes gone in the round.
Kasugi desperately trying to maintain half guard.

Suzuki is looking for a kimura but Kasugi is holding onto that half guard position, so it's hard for Suzuki to get the leverage.
Suzuki trying to mount his opponent but Kasugi defends it.

Suzuki is working for a kimura from half guard. He's really concentrating on the hold and it's allowed Kasugi to slip a leg under and get back to full guard.

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.
Kasugi keeping moving, preventing Suzuki from controlling successfully.
Suzuki being controlled here momentarily.
Suzuki content to strike from guard, landing some decent shots.
Suzuki has to be careful here, sitting in the guard of a superior BJJ player.
Kasugi looking to control.

And that's the end of the fight!
I would just about give that final round to Sho Kasugi.
I've got Kasugi winning every round here. Surely the decision will go his way and he'll pick up a well deserved decision victory. 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 Shirou Masuda scores the fight for Sho Kasugi!
Judge Ren Mimura scores the fight for Sho Kasugi!
Judge Shigeki Fujiwara scores the fight for Sho Kasugi!

Sho Kasugi wins by unanimous decision!