PBP Commentary

Coming up we have a super heavyweight MMA rules bout between Rawrl Castro (ranked 0 p4p, 0 weight class) and Ren Katsurou (ranked 0 p4p, 0 weight class). Katsurou has chosen Coheed and Cambria - Devil in Jersey City as his entrance music. These two fighters really are very evenly matched on the feet - it will be fascinating to see who can assert themselves in that aspect of the fight.

Castro
vs
Katsurou

178 cm
28
182 lbs
20 - 7 - 0

175 cm
22
162 lbs
1 - 0 - 0

BJJ Purple Belt
Excellent MT
Very strong

ADCC Champion
Dangerous knees
Powerful

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 20 - 7 - 0, fighting out of Helsinki, Rawrl Castro!
And introducing the fighter to my right, fighting out of the blue corner.
With a record of 1 - 0 - 0, fighting out of Sydney, Ren Katsurou!
The judges for this bout are Anni Minnemäki, Ben Zyskovitsi and Arvi Lind.

The bell rings for round one and we are underway!
Castro throws a head kick but Katsurou moves out of range.
Katsurou's corner calls for a 1-2. Katsurou obliges with the 1 part as he scores the single shot and moves back out of range.
Castro shoots in with a takedown attempt and he has Katsurou pinned against the cage. Katsurou gets the underhooks and manages to circle away.
Katsurou misses with a wild body shot.
Castro tries to clinch but Katsurou is having none of it.
That kick from Katsurou tenderised Castro's leg. Castro is trying to keep his angry face on.
Castro misses with a half-hearted attempt at a head kick.
Castro has his takedown stuffed

and Katsurou counters by moving into the clinch. Good anticipation by Katsurou.
Castro is trying to work out of this bad position, with his back against the ropes.
Castro tries to pull guard but Katsurou won't allow it.
That's three failed takedown attempts in the round for Rawrl Castro. That's going to take a lot out of him.
Katsurou pushes Castro back against the ropes and unloads with a body punch.
Castro missing with knees to the body.
A quick uppercut on the inside from Katsurou.
Castro is breathing heavily.
Katsurou scores with a shot to the side of Castro's head.
Katsurou lands with a left to the head.
Katsurou throws a blind hook that connects with the side of Castros head.

That's one minute gone in the round.
Katsurou stays in close to his opponent and throws a right hand to the body.

Katsurou pulls guard.
Katsurou is avoiding any damage by keeping wrist control.
Katsurou's corner are shouting for him to control the position and he seems happy to oblige.
Katsurou manages to sweep nicely, so he's now on top. Castro manages to get himself to full guard.
Katsurou is intent on slowing down the pace of the fight, simply looking to control.
Katsurou connects with a couple of short punches.
Katsurou chips away with some ground and pound.
Katsurou looking to pass the guard.
Katsurou landing with the ground and pound.

That's two minutes gone in the round.
Katsurou wants to control from the top but Castro keeps moving.
Katsurou looking to pass the guard.
Katsurou slips effortlessly into side control - very nice.
Katsurou working the head with strikes.
Katsurou lands a knee to the body and follows it up with some ground and pound to the head. That will wear Castro down.
Katsurou lands some shots froms side control.
Castro takes an elbow right on the bridge of the nose and winces in pain.
Wooooo! Give it up for these two warriors! They are putting on a show!
Katsurou scores with punches from side control.
Katsurou scoring with punches from side control.

That's three minutes gone in the round.
Katsurou is putting a hurting on Castro here, landing some big shots from side control.
Castro manages to land a sweep and he's now on top! Lovely Jiu Jitsu!
Katsurou keeping control of the leg, stopping his opponent passing to mount.
Castro prevents Katsurou from improving his position.
Katsurou is persisting with the attempt to improve his position.

That's four minutes gone in the round.
The crowd are getting on the fighters' backs, as the pace has dropped off in the last minute or so.
Katsurou keeping control of the leg, stopping his opponent passing to mount.

The referee decides to stand the fighters back up.
Katsurou fails to land with the punch combination there - jab, cross, hook, miss, miss, miss.
The crowd applaud the fighters efforts here as the round comes to an end.
Castro takes an uppercut right on the jaw but it doesn't phase him.
Castro uses decent footwork to sidestep a right hand from Katsurou.
Castro will have to do better than that with his takedown attempts.
And that’s the end of the round – the fighters go back to their corners.

Ren Katsurou dominated that round.
The corners get their ten second warning. Both fighters stand from their stools and stare eachother down, ready to get back to the action.

Katsurou throws a hook to the body but it doesn't connect.
Katsurou misses with a two punch combination.
Katsurou avoids the clinch attempt nicely.
Katsurou scores with a hook.
Katsurou lands a really nice looking cross but Castro seems unphased.
Castro with a lazy takedown attempt
and Katsurou counters with a good right hand that lands right on the jaw.
Katsurou connects with a body shot.
Castro needs to keep his hands up - Katsurou had a free shot at his head there.
Katsurou scores with a decent looking hook.
Katsurou lets the fists fly and connects with a left straight followed by a right hook.
Castro tries to clinch but fails miserably

and Katsurou counters with a takedown into side control.
Castro is looking for a sweep.
Both fighters are absolutely exhausted here.
Katsurou in side control, throwing shots but Castro defends.
Check out the look on Katsurou's face as he threw that strike - that's one determined fighter!

That's one minute gone in the round.
Katsurou scores with a couple of nice shots to the head there. The referee takes a look at Castro to see if he's OK.
Katsurou working the body and head with strikes.
The referee asks Katsurou politely if he wouldn't mind getting on with it and actually doing something. Katsurou prefers to stall for the moment though.
Katsurou connects with a decent looking elbow from side control that caused Castro some visible discomfort.
Castro is looking to regain half guard here but Katsurou keeps moving and retains side control.
Check out the look on Katsurou's face as he threw that strike - that's one determined fighter!
The fighters are tangled up in the ropes here. We might need a restart if the fighters can't break free themselves.
Castro takes a big shot right to the temple there but he's taken it well.
Castro is not content to let Katsurou control the position.
Katsurou connects with a decent looking elbow from side control that caused Castro some visible discomfort.
Katsurou lands an elbow.
Katsurou works to advance to full mount. Castro defends for a few seconds but eventually he succumbs.

That's two minutes gone in the round.
Katsurou with the ground and pound from mount.
Katsurou landing punches.
Katsurou has the superior BJJ but he's also working some ground strikes into his gameplan.
Katsurou lands a big shot there that rocks Castro but he's holding on and managing to survive for now.
Katsurou landing shots from mount.
This is a great period of action - very entertaining stuff!
Katsurou landing shots from mount.
BOOM! Katsurou connects with a massive shot to the dome!
Katsurou putting on the heat here with some good ground and pound!
Katsurou raining down shots from the mount!
BOOM! Katsurou connects with a massive shot to the dome!
Katsurou dominating with strikes here.
Katsurou is in the full mount, landing strikes.
Katsurou punishing his opponent with strikes.
Katsurou unloading with bombs!
Katsurou has been the more effective fighter overall so far.

That's three minutes gone in the round.
The referee warns Castro that he has to improve his position here as he takes two more clean shots to the head.

Katsurou wants to finish this one by submission but Castro is holding onto his waist, trying to prevent any attacks from Katsurou.
Katsurou looking to finish Castro with some ground and pound. This is bad for Castro!
Katsurou tries to control but Castro wriggling away.
Katsurou looking to ground and pound his opponent to a finish here.
Katsurou landing shots from mount.
Castro is desperately trying to improve his position but Katsurou has a good base and remains in mount.
Castro is in a horrible position here. Katsurou smacks him with another shot as he tries to escape the position.
Katsurou with the ground and pound from mount.
Katsurou lands a shot to the body, followed up by a shot to the exposed head of his trapped opponent.

That's four minutes gone in the round.
Katsurou cracks Castro with a nasty head shot there - the crowd let out an audible gasp there, as the noise reverberated around the arena.
Wooooo! Give it up for these two warriors! They are putting on a show!
Katsurou looking to ground and pound his opponent to a finish here.
Katsurou unloading with bombs!
Katsurou raining down hammerfists from mount.
Katsurou lands an elbow that was bordering on illegal but the referee lets it go with a warning.
Katsurou with good strikes from the mount here!
Ren Katsurou has got the better of the ground game so far.
Katsurou pausing momentarily but resumes with a couple of decent strikes that do a bit of damage.
Castro working to try and regain half guard.
Katsurou breaks from Castro's wrist control and lands an elbow.
The crowd are going absolutely nuts as the round comes to an end - what a fantastic round of action!
Katsurou cracks Castro with a nasty head shot there - the crowd let out an audible gasp there, as the noise reverberated around the arena.
Katsurou working away from the top, dropping strikes.
Katsurou controlling from mount.
And that’s the end of the round – the fighters go back to their corners.

Ren Katsurou showed his class in that round. I'd imagine he'll take it on all the scorecards.
That's time! Castro's corner gives him a slap on the ass as he gets ready to fight. This is the final round!

Katsurou moves into range and lands a nice leg kick.
Katsurou fails with an attempt to clinch.
The fight stays on the outside here - Castro looks like he's thinking about clinching though.

Castro shoots in and scores a nice double leg takedown into half guard.
Katsurou keeps control of the position for the meantime.
Both fighters are breathing heavily.

That's one minute gone in the round.
Castro missing with some ground and pound from the half guard.
Katsurou has his hands clasped together around Castro's back. He's all about the action.
Katsurou is looking to improve his position.
Katsurou keeps control of the position for the meantime.

That's two 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.

Ren Katsurou has forced the referee to step in and restart the fight on the feet.

Castro has taken the fight to the clinch.
Katsurou lands a body shot.
Katsurou fails to land with a short punch on the inside.
Katsurou lands with a short punch from the clinch.
A quick uppercut on the inside from Katsurou.
Katsurou changes levels and goes for a takedown here. Castro fights it off and pushes away nicely.
Castro lands a jab followed by a nice looking cross.
Rawrl Castro has stepped it up - he knows he needs a finish here!
Katsurou works the jab nicely.
Castro with a lazy takedown attempt
and Katsurou counters with a leg kick.
A combination from Katsurou does no damage.

Katsurou moves into the clinch.

That's three minutes gone in the round.
Katsurou scores with a shot to the side of Castro's head.
A short left from Katsurou.
Katsurou throws a hook to the body. More of an arm punch but it's all scoring with the judges.
A right hand to the body from Katsurou.
Katsurou lands a right uppercut that snaps the head of Castro backwards.
A short uppercut from Katsurou.
Katsurou lands a hook to the body. It's hard to tell if that hurt Castro or not.
A right handed body shot lands from Katsurou.
A hook to the body from Katsurou.

Castro is fighting off a takedown attempt but Katsurou is just too persistent for him and manages to trip Castro to the mat. Castro regains guard as soon as the fighters hit the mat.
Katsurou postures up and scores with a shot to the body and a follow up elbow to the head.
Katsurou stands up over Castro, holding his feet. He dives back in and lands a decent shot to the head.
Castro wants to sweep here but Katsurou controlling him for the moment.
Hammerfist, elbow! yells Katsurou's corner. There ya go! There ya go!
Katsurou trying to control the position from guard on top but Castro is wriggling around, looking for whatever he can.
Katsurou lands a nice shot whilst sitting in his opponent's guard.

That's four minutes gone in the round.

Castro has his foot on Katsurou's thigh. He's trying to push off and get in position for a triangle, I think. Katsurou works his way back into a safe position though.
Castro preventing the ground and pound from doing any damage.
Katsurou lands a couple of decent looking shots.
Katsurou seems content to control from guard here. He's going to have to remain active though if he doesn't want to get stood back up.
Katsurou lands a couple of decent looking shots.
Ren Katsurou is fighting for a decision here - he's started to take the cautious approach.
This is a great period of action - very entertaining stuff!
Hammerfist, elbow! yells Katsurou's corner. There ya go! There ya go!
Katsurou controlling from the top position.
The crowd applaud the fighters efforts here as the round comes to an end.
Katsurou working some strikes from top position.

And that's the end of the fight!
Ren Katsurou comfortably won the final round on my scorecard.
Well Katsurou has outworked and out performed his opponent in all aspects of the game today. He was simply too good and the decision should be no more than a formality. 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 Anni Minnemäki scores the fight 26:30
Judge Ben Zyskovitsi scores the fight 26:30
Judge Arvi Lind scores the fight 26:30

In favor of your winner, by unanimous decision... Ren Katsurou!