PBP Commentary

Coming up we have a featherweight MMA rules bout between Hitoshi Matsumoto (ranked 0 p4p, 0 weight class) and Peter Chao (ranked 0 p4p, 0 weight class). Matsumoto comes to the ring accompanied by Otep - Blood Pigs. The atmosphere really building for this one as we go over to our ring announcer for the fighter introductions!

Matsumoto
vs
Chao

170 cm
24
150 lbs
5 - 6 - 0

180 cm
25
150 lbs
1 - 0 - 0

BJJ Purple Belt
Basic striking
Experienced

BJJ Blue Belt
Solid Muay Thai
Enjoys gardening

Ladies and gentlemen. This fight is 3 rounds, in the featherweight division.
Introducing the fighter to my left, fighting out of the red corner.
With a record of 5 - 6 - 0, fighting out of Tokyo, Hitoshi Matsumoto!
And introducing the fighter to my right, fighting out of the blue corner.
With a record of 1 - 0 - 0, fighting out of Tokyo, Peter Chao!
The judges for this bout are Tatsuya Matsuyama, Kenichi Hosakawa and Yuuki Gou.

The bell rings for round one and we are underway!
Chao fails with a takedown attempt.
Matsumoto shoots in for a takedown - he's clinched up with Chao but Chao pushes him off and we're back to square one.

Chao tries to keep at a distance but Matsumoto has taken the fight into the clinch.
Chao tries to break free but Matsumoto pushes him back against the ropes.
Matsumoto tries to pull guard but Chao won't allow it.
Chao tries to pull guard but can't drag his opponent to the mat. Matsumoto just stands there and leans against the ropes.

Matsumoto's corner calls for him to break the clinch, which he does.
Chao scores with a shot to the body.

Matsumoto tries to sprawl but Chao drives through with a takedown into half guard.
Matsumoto slips a foot under and gets full guard. Nice work.
Chao passes Matsumoto's left leg - he's now in half guard.
Chao wants to control but Matsumoto is keeping him busy.

That's one minute gone in the round.
Chao trying to control the pace.
Matsumoto is looking to escape.
Matsumoto manages to get to full guard.
The fighters are tangled up in the ropes here. We might need a restart if the fighters can't break free themselves.
Matsumoto can't do much from the bottom at the moment, as Chao controls the pace.
Matsumoto wants to get back to his feet but Chao passes into half guard.
Chao tries to pass to full mount but Matsumoto defends it.
Matsumoto trying to control but Chao postures up.

That's two minutes gone in the round.
The crowd are starting to boo a lack of action.
Chao wants to lay and pray for a moment but Matsumoto keeps working.
Matsumoto is looking to control Chao's leg but it's slowly edging free. Can Matsumoto avoid being mounted?
Matsumoto is trying to stand back up but Chao is controlling him

Chao is trying to work for a kimura. This could be trouble! No, Matsumoto has managed to free his arm - good work.
Matsumoto flails away from the bottom but he's not doing any damage.
Chao throwing shots but Matsumoto is blocking nicely.

That's three minutes gone in the round.
Matsumoto is looking to escape.

Chao stands, ready to strike. The ref makes him back up and allows Matsumoto to get to his feet.
Matsumoto is breathing heavily.
Matsumoto fails with an attempt to clinch.

Matsumoto shoots in looking for a single leg takedown. Chao is trying to defend but Matsumoto finishes it well and ends up in half guard. Let's see if he can advance position further.
Chao manages to get to full guard.
Chao keeping moving, preventing Matsumoto from controlling successfully.
Matsumoto throwing strikes from guard but Chao blocks nicely.

That's four minutes gone in the round.
Chao manages to land a sweep and now he's in mount on top!
Chao trying to control but he's not successful this time.
Matsumoto flailing away with punches but nothing is landing.
Chao avoids the attempt from Matsumoto to control.
Matsumoto is squirming around, avoiding Chao's attempts to control the action.

Chao is working on an americana here. Ooh, that looks pretty nasty! Nope, Matsumoto has managed to escape the submission attempt.
And that’s the end of the round – the fighters go back to their corners.

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

Chao tries a switch kick but it misses it's target.

Chao forces Matsumoto back against the ropes and clinches.
Chao prevents the takedown attempt.
Matsumoto changes levels and goes for a takedown here. Chao fights it off and pushes away nicely.
Hitoshi Matsumoto seems to be the more aggressive standup fighter in this bout.
Chao tries to clinch but Matsumoto is having none of it.
Matsumoto shoots in looking for a double leg takedown. Chao defends it nicely.
That's three failed takedown attempts in the round for Hitoshi Matsumoto. That's going to take a lot out of him.
Matsumoto fails with an attempt to clinch.
Both fighters are absolutely exhausted here.
We've had a slow start to the round here - hopefully the action picks up.

Chao closes the distance, clinches up and gets a nice trip takedown into side control. Very smooth.
Chao landing strikes.
Matsumoto manages to get back to half guard.

That's one minute gone in the round.
Chao is thwarting Matsumoto's attempts to control the position.
Matsumoto on the receiving end of some nice ground and pound.
Chao tries to stand but can't do so whilst Matsumoto controls his leg.
Matsumoto tries to strike from the bottom but it doesn't land.
Matsumoto is looking to escape.
Matsumoto keeping his head moving to avoid the ground and pound.
The referee calls for the fighters to work.
Chao is trying to control. Matsumoto wants to improve his position but can't escape this time.
It looks like the ref is thinking about a standup.
Chao is looking to advance position but Matsumoto won't allow it.

That's two minutes gone in the round.
The crowd are starting to boo a lack of action.
Matsumoto slips a foot under and gets full guard. Nice work.
Chao wants to control from the top but Matsumoto keeps moving.

Matsumoto is throwing his legs up, looking for submissions. Chao is aware though and is defending well.
Chao won't allow Matsumoto to get back to his feet.

Matsumoto scrambles and gets back to his feet.
Chao jabs Matsumoto to the body, keeping him at a distance.

Chao closes the distance and clinches up, looking for a takedown. He shifts his weight and gets a nice trip into half guard.
Chao wants to control but Matsumoto is keeping him busy.

That's three minutes gone in the round.
Chao working some ground and pound from close in. He's looking to maintain this position and strike for a while by the looks of things... although he'll probably advance to full mount in a minute now I've said that.
Chao trying to control the action but Matsumoto is working from the bottom.
Chao wants to pass to mount but Matsumoto is defending the position.
Chao is keen to just control but Matsumoto is a slippery customer.
Matsumoto wants to improve his position but Chao is controlling well.

Peter Chao has forced the referee to step in and restart the fight on the feet.
Matsumoto fails with the takedown

and Chao counters with a takedown into side control.

That's four minutes gone in the round.
Matsumoto sneaks back into half guard.
Chao trying to control from half guard but Matsumoto is working away.
Chao wants to pass to mount but Matsumoto is defending the position.
Matsumoto missing with punches from the bottom.
Chao seems to have lost interest with the ground game and is thinking about standing back up.
Chao sitting in half guard, looking to land shots. Matsumoto defending well though.
Chao tries to stand but his hand is stuck under Matsumoto.
And that’s the end of the round – the fighters go back to their corners.

Peter Chao 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!

Matsumoto fakes a head shot and lands one to the body.
A head kick from Chao lands but Matsumoto takes it in his stride.

Chao shoots in and scores a nice double leg takedown into half guard.
Matsumoto slips a foot under and gets full guard. Nice work.

Matsumoto pushes Chao off for just long enough to get back to his feet. Very athletic spring there.
A really sloppy takedown attempt there from Matsumoto.
Matsumoto ducks down and throws a hook to the body.
Both fighters are breathing heavily.
Matsumoto ducks down and throws a hook to the body but Chao moves away.

That's one minute gone in the round.
Matsumoto tries to clinch up against the ropes, rushing in the close the distance. Chao manages to break the clinch and circles back to the middle of the mat.
Peter Chao is looking to throw some combinations by the looks of things.

Matsumoto has Chao up against the ropes in a clinch.
Chao dodges an elbow strike from Matsumoto.
Chao jumps guard but his hands slip and he falls flat on his back. Well, he's made himself look a right mug there, as Matsumoto walks away with a smile on his face. Chao gets slowly back to his feet and shakes his head.
Chao shoots in for a takedown - he's clinched up with Matsumoto but Matsumoto pushes him off and we're back to square one.
Chao circles away from the clinch attempt.

Matsumoto moves into the clinch.
Matsumoto cracks Chao with a nice body shot.
Chao drops to a knee looking for a takedown but Matsumoto gets the underhooks and prevents it.
Hitoshi Matsumoto has stuffed three takedown attempts in the round now. That's going to take a lot out of Peter Chao.
Matsumoto scores with a shot to the side of Chao's head.

That's two minutes gone in the round.

Matsumoto breaks the clinch and we're back to striking at distance.
The fight stays on the outside here - Matsumoto looks like he's thinking about clinching though.

Matsumoto clinches up with Chao and pushes him back against the ropes.
Chao trying to stall but Matsumoto improves his position.

Matsumoto escapes the clinch and we're back to striking.
Chao moves in looking to clinch but Matsumoto pushes him off.
Matsumoto tries to clinch up but Chao circles away and keeps his distance.
Matsumoto tries to clinch up against the ropes, rushing in the close the distance. Chao manages to break the clinch and circles back to the middle of the mat.
Matsumoto swats away the attempt to clinch by Chao.
A telegraphed takedown attempt from Chao is defended easily by Matsumoto.
Chao swats away the attempt to clinch by Matsumoto.

That's three minutes gone in the round.

Matsumoto shoots in and bounces Chao off the ropes to secure the takedown into guard.
Matsumoto stays in close to Chao's body and controls the position.
Chao is working from a closed guard but he's struggling to control his opponent.
Chao keeping moving, preventing Matsumoto from controlling successfully.
Chao wants to stand but Matsumoto is controlling the position.

That's four minutes gone in the round.
It looks like the ref is thinking about a standup.
Matsumoto wants to get up but he can't break Chao's closed guard. He needs to be careful trying to break the legs open, as he's open to submissions here.
Matsumoto forces his way into half guard.
Chao is looking to regain full guard. Not this time though.
Peter Chao has got the better of the ground game so far.
Chao is holding on to half guard well.
Still in half guard, Matsumoto seems content to control.

Well, the referee has seen enough. Neither fighter is active enough on the ground so he's stood them back up.
Chao misses with a half-hearted attempt at a head kick.
Hitoshi Matsumoto has stepped it up - he knows he needs a finish here!
Peter Chao is fighting for a decision here - he's started to take the cautious approach.
Matsumoto throws a combination but it was largely blocked by Chao.

Chao closes the distance, clinches up and gets a nice trip takedown into side control. Very smooth.

And that's the end of the fight!
Hitoshi Matsumoto showed his dominance in that final round.
I think Chao 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 Tatsuya Matsuyama scores the fight 28:29
Judge Kenichi Hosakawa scores the fight 28:29
Judge Yuuki Gou scores the fight 28:29

In favor of your winner, by unanimous decision... Peter Chao!