PBP Commentary

Coming up we have a featherweight MMA rules bout between Jigs Dela Cruz (ranked 0 p4p, 0 weight class) and Naohiro Misaki (ranked 0 p4p, 0 weight class). 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.

Dela Cruz
vs
Misaki

165 cm
25
145 lbs
1 - 1 - 1

174 cm
25
152 lbs
1 - 0 - 0

BJJ Blue Belt
Solid boxing
Good in bed

BJJ Blue Belt
Counter striker
Solid chin

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 1 - 1 - 1, fighting out of Tokyo, Jigs Dela Cruz!
And introducing the fighter to my right, fighting out of the blue corner.
With a record of 1 - 0 - 0, fighting out of Tokyo, Naohiro Misaki!
The judges for this bout are Ren Mimura, Yasuomi Hirokawa and Sosuke Kotani.

The bell rings for round one and we are underway!

Misaki closes the distance and gets a trip takedown into side control. Dela Cruz quickly recovers to half guard.
The ref warns both fighters not to hold the cage as they work up against the meshing.
Misaki working Dela Cruz over with strikes.
Misaki thows a huge punch but Dela Cruz dodges it nicely.
Misaki winds up and cracks Dela Cruz with a swinging punch to the side of the head.
Dela Cruz avoiding damage under a succession of punches from Misaki.
The two fighters exchange a few words. I couldn't hear what they were saying but maybe it's more fun if you make it up yourself. Misaki connects with a nice short shot to Dela Cruz's temple.
Misaki working the head and body with strikes.
Dela Cruz is breathing heavily.
Misaki not throwing his punches with enough precision this time.
Misaki working over Dela Cruz with some ground and pound. Dela Cruz looks like he wants out of this position, which is understandable.
Misaki throwing punches and elbows but they're not doing any damage.
Dela Cruz wants to get back to his feet.
Dela Cruz on the receiving end of some nice ground and pound.
The two fighters exchange a few words. I couldn't hear what they were saying but maybe it's more fun if you make it up yourself. Misaki connects with a nice short shot to Dela Cruz's temple.

That's one minute gone in the round.
Misaki lands with a punch from half guard.
Misaki slips a nice elbow through Dela Cruz's hands, connecting with Dela Cruz's forehead.
Misaki lands with an elbow from half guard - that looked like it hurt.
Misaki throwing punches and elbows but they're not doing any damage.
Misaki working over Dela Cruz with some ground and pound. Dela Cruz looks like he wants out of this position, which is understandable.
Misaki thows a huge punch but Dela Cruz dodges it nicely.
Misaki takes advantage of the dominant position to land a couple of big hammer fists.
Misaki winds up and cracks Dela Cruz with a swinging punch to the side of the head.

That's two minutes gone in the round.
Misaki scores with a couple of good hammerfists.
Misaki lands a big shot. The thud that echoes around the arena is like music to the fans' ears.
Misaki lands with a punch from half guard.
Misaki is nestled in close to Dela Cruz, controlling him well. He's worked in a nice elbow to the side of the head as well, for good measure.
Dela Cruz taking some punishment here, with Misaki in his half guard.
Misaki not throwing his punches with enough precision this time.
Misaki has the superior BJJ but he's also working some ground strikes into his gameplan.
Misaki lands strikes from half guard.
Misaki 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.
Misaki looks towards his corner to check for any instructions. The corner give him nothing to work with, so he cracks Dela Cruz with a short hammerfist. I guess that's as good as any advice he could get in this position.
Misaki looks to score some points with some ground and pound.

That's three minutes gone in the round.
Misaki slips a nice elbow through Dela Cruz's hands, connecting with Dela Cruz's forehead.

Misaki decides to stand up.

Dela Cruz tries to keep at a distance but Misaki has taken the fight into the clinch.
Misaki fails to pull guard.
Misaki tries to pull guard but can't drag his opponent to the mat. Dela Cruz just stands there and leans against the cage.

Dela Cruz lands a takedown into guard.

Misaki has his feet on Dela Cruz's hips. He pushes off and gets to his feet. Nice work.

That's four minutes gone in the round.

Misaki takes the fight into the clinch.

Dela Cruz pulls guard effortlessly.
Dela Cruz has momentary wrist control but Misaki slips an elbow through the middle.
As the round comes to an end the crowd are showing their appreciation for a great round of action.

Misaki gets to his feet - Dela Cruz follows without any prompting.

Misaki closes the distance and presses his opponent up against the cage.
And that’s the end of the round – the fighters go back to their corners.

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

Misaki closes the distance and clinches.

Dela Cruz successfully pulls guard.
Misaki is working the ground and pound from guard. He might want to try advancing position though to get more of an impact.
Misaki cracks Dela Cruz with a solid left hand.
Dela Cruz wants to get back to his feet but Misaki is in a dominant position and won't allow it.
Misaki postures up to throw the ground and pound strikes but they don't connect.

That's one minute gone in the round.
Misaki scores with a decent looking elbow strike.
Both fighters are absolutely exhausted here.
Misaki is working the ground and pound from guard. He might want to try advancing position though to get more of an impact.
Naohiro Misaki has got the better of the ground game so far.
Misaki trying to land body shots but he keeps hitting the mat.
Misaki throwing strikes but missing.
Misaki postures up and scores with a shot to the body and a follow up elbow to the head.
Misaki lands a couple of elbows.
Misaki is sitting in guard, working some ground and pound.
Misaki scoring with punches to the head and body.
Hammerfist, elbow! yells Misaki's corner. There ya go! There ya go!

That's two minutes gone in the round.
Misaki keeps in close for a moment and lands a decent shot to the side of Dela Cruz's head.
Misaki is sitting in guard, working some ground and pound.
Dela Cruz is looking to stand up but Misaki isn't so interested in that idea.
Misaki is in close to Dela Cruz's body, working some short punches and elbows.
Misaki missing there with some ground and pound from the guard.

Misaki stands up and waves to Dela Cruz to follow him.

Dela Cruz scores a takedown into full mount!

That's three minutes gone in the round.
Misaki wants to use the cage to get back to his feet here.
Misaki is desperately trying to get back to half guard.
Misaki is trying to get to the cage to help him get back to his feet.

That's four minutes gone in the round.
A lull in the action here being met with boos from the crowd.

Misaki somehow manages to escape the mount and get back to his feet!
Misaki shoots in but doesn't get the takedown

and Dela Cruz counters with a nice double leg into side control. Misaki won't be happy with that.
Misaki is looking for a sweep.
Misaki is trying to buck Dela Cruz off.
Misaki bucks up and tries to throw Dela Cruz off but instead Dela Cruz has got his back!
And that’s the end of the round – the fighters go back to their corners.

That was a close second round but I would say that Jigs Dela Cruz will probably get the nod.
That's the end of the round. The referee orders the cornermen out of the cage so we can get back down to business. This is the final round!

Misaki shoots in for a takedown from distance. He catches Dela Cruz napping and manages to drive through into side control!
Misaki creates a bit of distance and throws down some hard shots.
Dela Cruz is not in a great position here, taking some shots.
Misaki lands a decent elbow from side control.
Misaki is chipping away with strikes.
Dela Cruz takes a big shot right to the temple there but he's taken it well.
Both fighters are breathing heavily.

That's one minute gone in the round.
Dela Cruz taking punishment in the form of punches.
Misaki in side control lands a decent elbow.
Dela Cruz is working to avoid the ground and pound but Misaki connects with a decent elbow.
Misaki is working Dela Cruz over with some ground and pound from side control.
Misaki working away diligently from side control. Landing strikes effectively there - that will score him some points on the judges scorecards.
Misaki tries to advance to mount but Dela Cruz denies him.
Misaki throwing ground and pound but whilst doing so, he forgets to control position and Dela Cruz works his way back to half guard. Good composure under pressure.
Misaki 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.

That's two minutes gone in the round.
Misaki throwing punches and elbows but they're not doing any damage.
Dela Cruz is looking to escape.
Misaki is scoring with some nice ground and pound from the dominant position.
Misaki is keeping good posture, landing some ground and pound.
The fighters are pressed up against the cage, both looking to find a bit of space to work.
Misaki throwing shots but Dela Cruz is blocking nicely.
Misaki not landing any meaningful shots this time.

That's three minutes gone in the round.
Misaki lands with a punch from half guard.
Misaki working Dela Cruz over with strikes.
Misaki throws a strike but Dela Cruz avoids it easily and moves to full guard.
A big thud reverberates around the arena there as Misaki accidentally thumps the mat. Hopefully he's not broken his hand.
Misaki distracts Dela Cruz with his right hand and drops a big elbow with his other arm.
Misaki throwing strikes but missing.
Dela Cruz wants to stand and escape but Misaki is having none of it.
Misaki throwing strikes from guard but Dela Cruz blocks nicely.

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.
Misaki with a flurry of punches that miss.
Misaki postures up in Dela Cruz's guard and throws a big left but Dela Cruz blocks it.
Misaki with a nice head shot there.
Dela Cruz preventing the ground and pound from doing any damage.
Misaki thows a big elbow that misses.
Misaki is working the ground and pound from guard. He might want to try advancing position though to get more of an impact.
Misaki loading up with the ground and pound but he's missing more than he's landing in this flurry.
Misaki throwing strikes from guard but Dela Cruz blocks nicely.

And that's the end of the fight!
Naohiro Misaki comfortably won the final round on my scorecard.
Well Misaki 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 Ren Mimura scores the fight 28:29
Judge Yasuomi Hirokawa scores the fight 28:30
Judge Sosuke Kotani scores the fight 28:29

In favor of your winner, by unanimous decision... Naohiro Misaki!