PBP Commentary

Coming up we have a super heavyweight MMA rules bout between Shigenori Iwasaki (ranked 0 p4p, 0 weight class) and Connor Kelly (ranked 0 p4p, 0 weight class). Iwasaki comes to the cage accompanied by Soul II Soul - Back to Life. The crowd seem to be enjoying Kelly's choice of entrance music: (When) Your Middle Name Is Danger. Over to our ring announcer for the fighter introductions!

Iwasaki
vs
Kelly

182 cm
23
170 lbs
4 - 3 - 0

183 cm
21
145 lbs
5 - 2 - 0

BJJ Brown Belt
Solid boxing
KO power

BJJ Purple Belt
Excellent boxer
Heavy handed

Ladies and gentlemen. This fight is 3 rounds, in the super heavyweight division.
Introducing the fighter to my left, fighting out of the red corner.
With a record of 4 - 3 - 0, fighting out of Tokyo, Shigenori Iwasaki!
And introducing the fighter to my right, fighting out of the blue corner.
With a record of 5 - 2 - 0, fighting out of Tokyo, Connor Kelly!
The judges for this bout are Yukihiro Yamamoto, Shirou Masuda and Taro Takaoka.

The bell rings for round one and we are underway!
Iwasaki takes a hook to the side of the head. I wonder if that's got his ears ringing.
Iwasaki doesn't manage to clinch there - Kelly circles away.
Iwasaki throws a monster uppercut resembling something out of street fighter but it doesn't land.
Iwasaki shoots in for a takedown. He's persisting with it as Kelly sprawls well. Kelly wins this battle and keeps the fight standing. Iwasaki gets slowly back to his feet.
Kelly chopped to the floor by a nice leg kick but he springs right back up before Iwasaki can pounce on him.
Kelly thuds his right hand into Iwasaki's forehead from close range. That could be painful for both fighters.
Kelly uses decent footwork to sidestep a right hand from Iwasaki.
Kelly swings wildly with a right hand that was never going to find it's target.
Iwasaki tries to score with an inside leg kick but telegraphs it and Kelly is able to avoid easily.
Iwasaki shapes like he's going to throw a leg kick but settles back down.
Iwasaki scores with a head kick.
Iwasaki swings for the body but Kelly moves out of range.
Kelly takes a jab on the nose there. A little bit of blood seems to be coming out. Hopefully that won't affect his breathing.
Iwasaki connects with a leg kick. He turned his hip over nicely there.
A nice inside leg kick there by Iwasaki. That's going to slow Kelly down.
Iwasaki throws a solid leg kick but Kelly takes the impact on his shin and smiles at Iwasaki.

That's one minute gone in the round.
Iwasaki looks to land a left hand but Kelly moved out of range nicely.
Iwasaki takes a jab on the nose. He smiles like he loves it and keeps coming.

Iwasaki shoots in and scores a nice double leg takedown into half guard.
Iwasaki throwing punches and elbows but they're not doing any damage.
Iwasaki thows a wild elbow that connects with the canvas.
Iwasaki is thwarting Kelly's attempts to control the position.
Kelly is not content to let Iwasaki control the position.
Iwasaki 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.
Kelly blocking the ground and pound attempt from Iwasaki.
Iwasaki wants to pass to mount but Kelly is defending the position.
Kelly trying to control here.

That's two minutes gone in the round.
Iwasaki is nestled in close to Kelly, controlling him well. He's worked in a nice elbow to the side of the head as well, for good measure.
Iwasaki wants to control but Kelly is keeping him busy.

It looks like we're going to have a standup here. Neither fighter is doing enough on the ground.
Kelly throws a jab when Iwasaki was well out of range.
Iwasaki throws a one two combo.
Iwasaki looking to throw a kick but he's pulled out of it.
Kelly blocks a jab.
Shigenori Iwasaki seems to be the more aggressive standup fighter in this bout.
Iwasaki getting the better of the striking in that exchange.
A big right from Kelly misses.
Kelly misses with a series of wild punches.
Kelly shoots in with a takedown attempt and he has Iwasaki pinned against the cage. Iwasaki gets the underhooks and manages to circle away.
Iwasaki moves in looking to clinch but Kelly pushes him off.
Iwasaki lands a slapping body shot.

That's three minutes gone in the round.
Iwasaki tries to land a leg kick but Kelly saw it coming and moves away.
Iwasaki misses the jab.
Kelly throws a series of punches but Iwasaki avoids them all with ease.
Iwasaki lands with a nice body kick.
Kelly steps to the side to avoid the strikes from Iwasaki.
A telegraphed right hand from Iwasaki misses the target.
Iwasaki misses with a double jab
and Kelly counters with a lovely straight right hand!
Iwasaki misses the body punch
and Kelly counters with a good right hand that lands right on the jaw.
Iwasaki throws a body kick that misses.
Iwasaki throws a hook but Kelly blocks it.
Iwasaki ducks under an overhand right and circles away with a smile on his face.
Kelly rushes forward with a series of wild hooks but Iwasaki moves out of range and avoids them all easily.
Kelly keeping at a good range here, avoiding a leg kick.
Iwasaki misses with a looping left.

That's four minutes gone in the round.
Iwasaki misses with a straight left.
Iwasaki lands a powerful looking uppercut that connected with his opponent's jaw.
A jab from Iwasaki misses.
Kelly walks forward, straight into a front kick from Iwasaki.
Iwasaki throws a leg kick that is checked
and Kelly counters with a nice uppercut.
Iwasaki throws a combination but comes up with nothing but fresh air.
Iwasaki tries to score with an inside leg kick but telegraphs it and Kelly is able to avoid easily.
Iwasaki misses with a leg kick.
A swing and a miss from Iwasaki.
Kelly takes a body kick right on the floating rib. Ouchie.
Kelly shoots for a takedown but Iwasaki saw that one coming a mile off and avoided it easily.
The crowd applaud the fighters efforts here as the round comes to an end.
Iwasaki looking to take his opponent's legs away with the low kicks.
Kelly on the wrong end of a kick to the body.
Iwasaki uses decent footwork to sidestep a right hand from Kelly.
Kelly avoids the body shot from Iwasaki.
And that’s the end of the round – the fighters go back to their corners.

Shigenori Iwasaki dominated that round.
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 fight brought to you by 5M nutrition - it's mmmmm tasty. Nice jab by Iwasaki.
Iwasaki rushes forward with a series of wild hooks but Kelly moves out of range and avoids them all easily.
Iwasaki moves out of range of the strikes.
Kelly steps to the side to avoid the strikes from Iwasaki.
Kelly takes a step back and watches a body kick go sailing past his mid section.
A thudding body kick lands there by Iwasaki!
Kelly ducks under a wild hook from Iwasaki.
Iwasaki misses with a leg kick.
Iwasaki slips a jab from Kelly.
Iwasaki looks to throw a body kick
and Kelly counters with a lovely shot to the body.
Iwasaki lands a leg kick. The shin dug right into the meat of the thigh.
Iwasaki misses with a straight left.

Kelly shoots in and scores a nice double leg takedown into half guard.
Iwasaki regains full guard. Nicely done.

That's one minute gone in the round.
Iwasaki wants to sweep here but Kelly controlling him for the moment.
Iwasaki being controlled here, momentarily.
Iwasaki is trying to keep Kelly in close.
Iwasaki is trying to hold Kelly in close to prevent damage but Kelly has managed to pass into half guard.
Iwasaki is trying to stand up here but Kelly is controlling him well.
Kelly sitting in half guard, looking to land shots. Iwasaki defending well though.
Kelly wants to pass the guard but Iwasaki is defending well.
Iwasaki pushes Kelly off looking to stand but Kelly dives back in and keeps control.

That's two minutes gone in the round.
The crowd are starting to boo a lack of action.

The referee has ruled that neither fighter is active enough on the ground and has stood them back up.
Kelly stuffs the takedown attempt from Iwasaki. Iwasaki gets slowly back to his feet.
Kelly loads up on a big right hand but Iwasaki slips the punch.
A swing and a miss from Kelly.
Kelly throws an uppercut from half a mile away. Iwasaki sees it coming and avoids it easily.
Kelly scores with a jab. Iwasaki acknowledges it with a nod of the head.
Iwasaki scores with a jab to the jaw.
Iwasaki throws a monster uppercut resembling something out of street fighter but it doesn't land.
The fighters circling - Iwasaki throws out the jab but it was never going to land.
Iwasaki misses with a takedown

and Kelly counters with a nice double leg into side control. Iwasaki won't be happy with that.

Kelly looking for an arm triangle but it's way too loose to do anything.
Kelly advances to full mount.
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.
Kelly fails to take his opponent's back.
Iwasaki gets back to half guard.
Iwasaki wants to get back to his feet.
Iwasaki pushes Kelly off but Kelly dives into side control.
Kelly is looking to take a break and control but Iwasaki is keeping him honest, looking to work from the bottom.

Kelly tries for an arm triangle. That looks pretty tight to me. Is this one over!?! Possibly, maybe, no Kelly has let go of the choke. Obviously it wasn't as tight as we thought!

That's four minutes gone in the round.
A lull in the action here being met with boos from the crowd.
Who's going to make the next move?
Iwasaki is looking for a sweep.
Iwasaki is working hard here to advance position.
Kelly prevents Iwasaki from escaping the position.
Kelly is looking to take a break and control but Iwasaki is keeping him honest, looking to work from the bottom.

It looks like we're going to have a standup here. Neither fighter is doing enough on the ground.
Kelly fakes high and shoots in for a takedown but Iwasaki avoids it really well and circles away.
Kelly keeping his hands up high there, blocking the jab from Iwasaki.
And that’s the end of the round – the fighters go back to their corners.

Connor Kelly showed his class in that round. I'd imagine he'll take it on all the scorecards.
That's time! Back to the action! This is the final round!

Iwasaki looks to land a combination but Kelly avoids it well.
Kelly throws out a powerful jab.
Iwasaki tries to score with an inside leg kick but telegraphs it and Kelly is able to avoid easily.
Iwasaki tries to clinch up
and Kelly counters with a left to the body.
Iwasaki is looking to chop away at Kelly's legs.
Iwasaki swings wildly with a right hand that was never going to find it's target.
Iwasaki finds nothing but air with that leg kick attempt.
Kelly might want to mix his strikes up a bit more. He's just going for head shots at the moment and that can become a bit predictable.
Iwasaki pivots, looking for a leg kick but Kelly is out of range and Iwasaki settles back down.
We've had a slow start to the round here - hopefully the action picks up.
Kelly drops his hands and takes a jab to the jaw for his troubles.
Kelly missing with a left hand there. Iwasaki was out of range so wasted energy throwing that one.
Iwasaki wants to slow Kelly down by chopping away at his legs.
Kelly misses with a body shot. Nice footwork from Iwasaki.
Iwasaki misses with a straight left.

That's one minute gone in the round.
Kelly lands a glancing blow to the side of Iwasaki's head.
The fighters circling - Iwasaki throws out the jab but it was never going to land.
Iwasaki lands with a slapping head kick.
Iwasaki misses with a looping right.
Nice defenses there by Kelly.
Iwasaki works Kelly's body with a nice hook.
Iwasaki misses with a jab to the body

and Kelly counters with a single leg into guard. Iwasaki didn't expect that.
Kelly stands and throws Iwasaki's legs to the side, diving into side control.
Iwasaki is looking to regain half guard here but Kelly keeps moving and retains side control.
Iwasaki prevents Kelly from improving position.

Kelly is looking to finish here, going for an Americana. Iwasaki knows the correct defense though, so he's OK.

That's two minutes gone in the round.
Kelly wants to control but Iwasaki is keeping him busy.
Iwasaki manages to land a sweep and he's now on top! Lovely Jiu Jitsu!
Kelly has hold of Iwasaki's hands but Iwasaki slips his arm to the side and lands an elbow.
Iwasaki thows a wild elbow that connects with the canvas.
Iwasaki wants to take a breather but Kelly is having none of it.
Kelly is a painfully thin specimen of a man. You do wonder whether a good body kick would snap him clean in two.
Iwasaki stops Kelly from getting back to his feet.
Iwasaki is keeping good posture, landing some ground and pound.
The crowd cheering loudly, showing their appreciation for the quality fight we're seeing here.
Iwasaki is keen to just control but Kelly is a slippery customer.
Kelly keeping his head moving to avoid the ground and pound.
Iwasaki trying to control the action but Kelly is working from the bottom.

That's three minutes gone in the round.
Kelly wants to get back to his feet.
Iwasaki is looking to advance position but Kelly won't allow it.
Kelly gets back to full guard.
Iwasaki sitting in guard here, content to control.

Kelly had isolated an arm as going for a kimura. Iwasaki defends it easily.
Kelly utilising some decent striking defenses from the guard, preventing the ground and pound.
Kelly is working from a closed guard but he's struggling to control his opponent.

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.
Iwasaki wants to control from the top but Kelly keeps moving.
Kelly is trying to keep Iwasaki in close.

Iwasaki stands up from Kelly's guard - Iwasaki perhaps looking for a knockout.
Iwasaki misses the body punch
and Kelly connects with a straight left hand counter down the middle.
Iwasaki swings away with a leg kick that misses.
Decent striking displayed by Iwasaki there.
Iwasaki tries to clinch up

and Kelly counters with a shoot takedown into half guard.

And that's the end of the fight!
Connor Kelly comfortably won the final round on my scorecard.
I think Kelly has won this one but let's see whether the judges agree with me. 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 Yukihiro Yamamoto scores the fight 28:29
Judge Shirou Masuda scores the fight 28:29
Judge Taro Takaoka scores the fight 28:29

In favor of your winner, by unanimous decision... Connor Kelly!